The crimson light from the second pillar faded, plunging the room into suffocating darkness. The faint hum of the labyrinth grew louder, a pulsating rhythm that reverberated through Kael's chest.
Mareth shifted uneasily, gripping his sword tighter. "I don't like this. It's too quiet."
Kael's eyes narrowed, scanning the void around them. "Stay alert. This is the real test."
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to ripple, as if the stone floor had turned to liquid. Both men staggered, their balance thrown off by the unnatural movement.
"Kael," Mareth hissed, his voice strained, "tell me this isn't normal."
Before Kael could respond, the darkness coalesced, forming jagged tendrils that writhed like living shadows. They slithered toward them, surrounding the two in a tightening circle.
"Great," Mareth muttered, raising his sword. "Shadow tentacles. Just what I needed to make my day worse."
Kael didn't respond. His eyes were locked on the tendrils, his mind racing to analyze their movements. They weren't just random they were coordinated, moving like predators closing in on prey.
The first tendril lashed out, aiming for Kael's chest. He dodged to the side, his sword slicing through the shadowy appendage. The severed piece dissipated into smoke, but two more tendrils replaced it, striking in unison.
Kael blocked one strike with his blade and sidestepped the other, his movements precise and calculated. Mareth wasn't faring as gracefully.
"Kael!" Mareth shouted, slashing wildly at the tendrils. "A little help here?"
Kael glanced at him briefly. "Focus! You can handle this."
Mareth gritted his teeth, frustration mixing with adrenaline. He swung his sword in a wide arc, cutting through three tendrils at once. "I'd handle it better if these things stopped multiplying!"
The tendrils continued their relentless assault, forcing the pair to fight back-to-back. Each time they destroyed one, another would form, darker and more aggressive than the last.
"This isn't working," Mareth panted, sweat dripping down his face. "They just keep coming!"
Kael's mind worked quickly, his gaze flickering to the glowing patterns still faintly visible on the ground. "The symbols. They're part of the test."
"Fantastic," Mareth snapped, his blade slicing through another tendril. "Why don't you go solve your puzzle while I die over here?"
Kael ignored him, his focus shifting to the spiraling runes. Each segment seemed to pulse in a sequence, as if guiding him toward something.
"Mareth," Kael called out, his tone calm despite the chaos. "Hold them off. I need time."
Mareth let out a disbelieving laugh. "Time? We don't have time! These things are trying to kill us!"
Kael didn't respond. He sheathed his sword and dropped to one knee, placing his hand on the nearest glowing symbol. The moment he made contact, the labyrinth reacted.
A low rumble shook the chamber, and the shadows hesitated, as if momentarily confused.
Mareth blinked, his breathing heavy. "What did you do?"
Kael didn't look up. His fingers traced the runes, his voice steady. "It's a sequence. If I complete it, we'll win."
"Win?" Mareth shouted, barely dodging a tendril aimed at his head. "You better work faster, because I'm running out of patience!"
The shadows seemed to realize what Kael was doing. Several tendrils shifted their focus, lunging toward him.
"Not so fast," Mareth growled, stepping in front of Kael. His sword flashed as he intercepted the attacks, his movements more controlled now.
Kael's mind raced as he deciphered the runes. Each one seemed to resonate with a specific feeling courage, resolve, sacrifice. He pressed the next symbol, and the light flared brighter.
The tendrils recoiled briefly, their forms flickering like disrupted smoke.
"You're onto something," Mareth said, panting. "Keep going!"
Kael nodded, his hand moving to the next symbol. As he pressed it, a voice echoed through the chamber, low and haunting.
"Prove your worth."
The shadows surged, more aggressive than before. Mareth let out a frustrated shout, his sword flashing as he fought to keep them at bay.
"Kael," he yelled, "hurry up! I can't hold them forever!"
Kael ignored the voice, his focus unshaken. He pressed the third symbol, then the fourth. Each one flared brighter than the last, the light driving back the encroaching darkness.
The voice echoed again, louder this time.
"Strength is meaningless without resolve."
Kael hesitated, his hand hovering over the next symbol. The runes had changed, their glow dimming slightly. He realized the test wasn't just about solving a sequence it was about their will to continue despite the odds.
"Mareth," Kael said quietly, his voice steady. "This test isn't about fighting. It's about proving we won't break."
Mareth snorted, parrying another tendril. "Great. Philosophy. Just what I needed right now."
Kael's gaze hardened. "Trust me. Lower your sword."
Mareth froze, staring at him like he'd lost his mind. "Are you insane?"
Kael's expression didn't waver. "Do it."
The shadows surged again, their movements frantic. Mareth hesitated for a moment longer before letting out a frustrated growl and dropping his sword.
The tendrils lunged toward them but stopped inches from their skin.
The chamber went still. The oppressive hum faded, replaced by a deep silence.
Kael exhaled, his hand pressing the final symbol. The runes flared one last time before fading completely.
The shadows dissolved, their forms melting into the floor like water.
Mareth let out a shaky laugh, his knees buckling. "I can't believe that worked."
Kael stood, his expression calm but his breathing heavy. "The labyrinth wasn't testing our strength. It was testing our trust."
Mareth stared at him for a long moment before shaking his head. "You're lucky I didn't stab you instead."
Kael smirked, helping him to his feet. "You wouldn't have."
Mareth rolled his eyes, but a small grin tugged at his lips. "Don't push your luck."
As the room settled, a new corridor appeared, its entrance lined with faintly glowing runes.
Kael and Mareth exchanged a glance.
"Another corridor," Mareth muttered. "Of course. Because one trial wasn't enough."
Kael's smirk returned. "Come on. The heart of the labyrinth is closer now."
Mareth groaned but followed, his trust in Kael unspoken but undeniable.