The shadows swirled, pulling at the edges of Elliot's consciousness, tightening like a noose around his neck. The searing heat from his pendant shot through him again, forcing his mind into a haze of pain.
He tried to scream, but his throat felt clogged. His legs were unsteady. The ground beneath him shuddered, and before he knew it—
Boom.
A deafening crack echoed through the labyrinth, followed by a rush of air so strong it felt like a wall had just collided with them.
Elliot stumbled back, barely managing to keep his balance. His vision flickered.
The girl, however, didn't move. She stood firm, eyes narrowed at the figure that now hovered in front of them.
"You're not afraid," the figure said, its voice low and almost amused. "Interesting."
Elliot tried to find his breath, though the weight of the energy in the air made it feel like his chest was being crushed. "What—what is happening?" he gasped.
The figure's hood tilted again, as if considering him. Then it spoke with a voice that seemed to echo from every corner of the labyrinth:
"This is your trial, Keeper. A trial of strength… of resolve."
The pendant on Elliot's chest pulsed, almost responding to the figure's words, as though it understood what was about to happen.
"Trial?" Elliot's voice was barely above a whisper. "I didn't ask for this!"
"It is not a matter of choice," the figure replied. "You do not choose to be the Keeper. You are chosen. And now you will prove you are worthy."
Suddenly, the air crackled.
Out of the shadows, shapes began to form—dark, twisted figures that lurched forward like some kind of monstrous creation. The first one, a towering creature of writhing shadows, stepped into view, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. It hissed, a sound that reverberated in Elliot's bones.
Elliot took an instinctive step back. "Wait, wait! This isn't—"
But the figure didn't let him finish.
"Fight, Keeper." The voice was sharp now, cutting through the chaos. "Prove your worth."
Without warning, the shadow creature lunged.
Elliot barely had time to react. He swung his arm up, trying to block the creature's massive claws, but it was too fast.
The creature's claws scraped across his chest, cutting deep. Blood sprayed, and Elliot's vision went black for a moment. His body felt like it was being torn apart.
"Elliot!" the girl shouted, stepping forward, but she was too far away.
The creature roared again, but this time, it didn't strike.
Instead, it paused, as if waiting for something.
And then, the pendant on Elliot's chest flared brightly.
He could feel it—something inside of him, something that had always been dormant, waking up. The pain, the fear, all of it seemed to dissolve as he focused, forcing the pendant's power into his hands.
The shadows that had been overwhelming him began to twist and shudder, as if the light from the pendant was repelling them.
The creature roared in frustration, its eyes narrowing with malice. But it wasn't enough to stop Elliot. He pushed forward, holding the pendant high, and with a single motion—
A wave of light exploded outward.
The creature screamed in agony, its form dissolving into nothingness. The labyrinth seemed to quake, as though the world itself was reacting to the shift in power.
And as the light from the pendant faded, Elliot collapsed to his knees. His breath was ragged, his body trembling from the strain.
The girl moved to him immediately, her hands gentle as she helped him sit up.
"You did it," she said, her voice soft but with an edge of surprise.
Elliot couldn't speak. His mind was still fuzzy, spinning from the energy that had surged through him.
The figure, still standing in the shadows, gave a slow, deliberate nod.
"You have passed the first trial, Keeper. But do not grow complacent. The path ahead is fraught with greater dangers. You will need more than just power to survive."
Elliot's mind was still reeling from the sudden burst of energy. But through the haze, he could hear the figure's words, and they sank deep.
He had passed this trial. But that was just the beginning.
The real challenge was yet to come.
Elliot's chest still heaved as he tried to steady his breath, the lingering remnants of the energy from the trial crackling through him like aftershocks. His muscles ached, and his vision blurred, but he refused to let it take him down.
The girl was crouched beside him now, her face a mask of concern. "You okay?"
Elliot barely nodded, his voice hoarse. "I… I think I'm alive."
She didn't seem satisfied with that answer. "You don't look okay."
"I'll live," he muttered, still trying to find his balance. "But that thing—" He glanced toward the spot where the shadow creature had vanished. "What the hell was that?"
The girl didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked toward the figure that still stood unmoving in the shadows, watching them with that eerie, apathetic air.
The figure tilted its head, as though reading their thoughts. "That was only the first trial, Keeper. There will be many more before you are truly worthy."
Elliot swallowed, wiping blood from his split lip. "That was the first? Great. Can't wait for the rest." He winced as his body protested.
The girl stood up, offering him her hand, which he gratefully took. As she pulled him to his feet, her eyes narrowed on the figure. "What's next?"
"The second trial," the figure responded coolly. "You've passed the test of power. Now you must face the test of heart."
Elliot blinked, feeling a cold shiver crawl up his spine. "Heart? What does that even mean?"
The figure's lips curled beneath its hood. "You will see."
With a gesture, the walls around them seemed to shift again. The floor vibrated, and Elliot felt an unfamiliar pull in his chest. The labyrinth no longer felt like a maze—it felt like something alive.
The girl stepped forward, her eyes flicking nervously around them. "What is happening? What's this test?"
The figure was silent for a moment, and then it spoke—its voice distant, as though carrying from another realm.
"The trial of the heart does not test your strength, Keeper. It tests your resolve. Your ability to choose."
Before Elliot could ask what that meant, the air around them darkened. The ground beneath them shuddered, and suddenly—
They were no longer standing in the labyrinth.
Instead, they were in the middle of a wide, open field. The sky above was streaked with a deep, unsettling red, like a sunset that had been painted by something much darker. The wind carried a sharp scent, a mixture of decay and something older, something primal.
Elliot's heart raced. This wasn't right.
"What the hell is this?" he breathed.
The girl didn't answer, her hand instinctively going to her dagger. "I don't know, but I don't like it."
Elliot took a slow step forward, every nerve on high alert. "Is this part of the trial?"
As if to answer him, the ground rippled, and a shape began to form in the distance. It was faint at first, but then it grew clearer—like a shadow coming to life.
It was a figure. A tall, shadowy silhouette, standing at the far end of the field. Its form shifted, twisting like smoke. Then, it began to walk toward them.
Elliot's pulse quickened. He was about to say something when—
The figure's face came into view.
His breath caught in his throat.
It was him.
Not exactly him, but someone who looked like him—a mirror image, a darker version of himself, wearing the same clothes but with eyes that were not his own.
Elliot's body tensed. He couldn't look away. This shadow version of him was walking toward them, its eyes burning with an unsettling, intense light.
The girl beside him took a step back, her expression twisted with confusion. "Elliot…?"
But Elliot couldn't answer. His throat went dry as the dark figure came closer, stopping only a few feet away.
The shadow version of him grinned, a sickly smile that made Elliot's blood run cold. "Do you recognize me?"
Elliot's mind was racing. His heart pounded in his chest. "What is this?" he whispered.
The dark version of him chuckled, its voice an unsettling blend of his own and something else entirely. "This is your test, Keeper. This is the part where you decide."
"Decide what?" Elliot's voice was barely a whisper.
The shadow tilted its head. "Decide if you'll embrace who you are—or if you'll deny it."
Elliot felt his hands begin to shake. "I don't understand—"
But the dark figure only smiled wider. "You will."
And then, with a snap, everything around them changed.