He looked down the long, curved hallway as a deep, wet thrum vibrated through the floor. "We aren't in a ruin, Master. We're inside a labyrinth that's being fed. The labyrinth is alive."
...
Everett stared at the seamless ceiling, his jaw tightening as he reached for his weapon. "Then we're in the gut of the beast. Which means we've only got a short time before we're digested."
"Let's move," Lucian replied, but he stopped short. "Which way?"
"What do you mean—?" Everett started to ask, then realized they stood at the mouth of a branching, two-way hallway. Both paths looked identical, winding deep into the gloom.
Lucian turned to Everett, his expression calculating. "Should we split up? It's risky, but it's faster. If one of us finds the exit, we need a way to pull the other through immediately."
Everett nodded slowly. "It's better to cover more ground. But how? If we're miles apart, how do we signal each other?"
Lucian didn't answer immediately. He was searching his mind for a solution, something that could bridge the gap of distance. He remembered his mother's voice, a constant anchor in his studies: "Imagination is a mage's greatest investment, Lucian. With enough mana, you can manifest anything you can envision."
Closing his eyes, Lucian reached into the well of his power. He didn't just think of a spell; he projected an intent—a bridge, a tether, a way to be in two places at once. In the darkness of his mind, a glowing sapphire string manifested. It was a single, elegant line of light that stretched infinitely, ending in two pulsing spheres of energy.
Outside, Everett watched with a mix of awe and worry. A tiny spark of light appeared near Lucian's chest, orbiting his body with increasing speed until it became a blur of blue particles.
"Lucian…?" Everett whispered, reaching out but afraid to break the boy's concentration. "What's happening?"
Suddenly, the light particles flared outward in a silent pop, vanishing into the air. Lucian snapped his eyes open. Everett immediately gripped his shoulder. "Lucian, are you alright? You were glowing."
Lucian let out a small, breathless giggle. "Don't worry. I was just... drafting. It's finished!"
He held his hands out in front of his chest, palms cupped as if protecting a fragile bird. "Spell Creation: Wormhole Tether!"
A shimmering blue cord appeared between his hands, ending in two glowing orbs. He held one end out to Everett. "This is a tether. One end is anchored to me, the other to you. As long as we are both connected to these points, space doesn't matter."
"You created a brand-new spell in seconds?" Everett shook his head, a grin finally breaking through his tension. "You're a genius. Alright, let's do this."
Lucian blew gently on the spell in his palm. The light expanded, hovering between them until it grew large enough for them both to touch. On Lucian's signal, they pressed their palms into the glowing spheres. The light surged, wrapping around them like a protective bubble before sinking into their skin.
"The activation is simple," Lucian explained. "Just speak the other person's name out loud, and the wormhole will pull you to them."
"Understood. Let's both try to make it out of here," Everett said with a determined smile.
"Please don't say it like we're about to die," Lucian joked, though his eyes remained serious.
"Of course not! See you on the other side. Don't die."
The Monotony and the Maze
With a final nod, Everett turned and vanished into the darkness of the left corridor. Lucian took a breath and began his own journey into the unknown.
The silence of the living labyrinth was heavy. Within minutes of entering, the shifting walls had done their work: Lucian and Everett were alone. Lucian moved with a forced calm. He knew that in a place like this, panic was a faster killer than any trap—it drained the lungs and clouded the mind.
He walked deep into the first corridor until it banked left. He followed it. Then it banked right. Soon, the path split, offering a choice of two new hallways. Without overthinking, Lucian chose to go straight.
Meanwhile, Everett found himself in a different kind of hell. "This hallway is too damn long," he muttered, his boots echoing against the stone. He kept walking, but the scenery never changed. No turns. No choices. Just an endless stretch of dark stone and gold torches.
On Lucian's side, the labyrinth was becoming more aggressive. The choices doubled, then tripled, and dead ends began to appear like closing teeth. He stopped at a three-way junction, his brow furrowing.
Another split... he thought. He was starting to doubt the very floor beneath his feet. If the labyrinth was truly "alive," was it actually moving him, or was it simply twisting his perception? He reached out and pressed his right palm against the left wall. Under his touch, the stone groaned and frosted over, leaving a jagged mark of light-blue ice. With a marker set, he stepped forward into the center path.
Everett, however, was losing his patience. The irritation was etched into his face. "There are only two options," Everett growled to the empty air. "Either this is the straight shot to the exit, or I'm walking into a dead end."
"Master."
Everett jumped, his hand flying to his weapon. The voice hadn't come from the hallway. It had vibrated inside his skull.
"Who's there?!" he yelled, spinning around. The hallway behind him was empty.
"It's me, Lucian," the voice echoed again, calmer this time.
"Lucian? How are you in my head?"
"To be frank, I forgot to mention a side effect of the spell. We are currently bound by mind and soul. I'm using that connection to reach you. But listen—are you suspicious of this place? I've never been in a labyrinth before, but this feels... wrong."
"You noticed it too," Everett said, his voice dropping. "I haven't seen a single turn. I've been walking in a straight line since we started."
"What? The hallways here won't stop changing direction. I'm constantly choosing between paths."
The realization hit Everett like a physical blow. "We aren't in a labyrinth, Lucian. Listen to me very carefully: you need to walk backwards."
"Backwards? Why?"
"Every labyrinth has a record of your steps," Everett explained quickly. "This one is reactive. As long as you face 'forward,' the labyrinth renders a new path and deletes the one behind you. But if you turn around, you're still facing a 'front,' so it just generates more maze. The only way to trick it is to move your body toward the 'deleted' space without facing it. If you walk backwards, the labyrinth is forced to recreate the hallway you just left."
"I understand," Lucian replied. "Will you do the same?"
"Yes. On my mark... Start."
...
Back in the quiet luxury of the office, General Boifacion and March sat in plush chairs. The steam rose from their cups in thin, lazy spirals. March sipped his green tea, his eyes fixed on the door.
"Do you think they'll figure it out?"
The General leaned back, a dry laugh escaping his lips. "It doesn't matter if they do. The stomach always wins eventually."