Shio knocked against the cold, stone walls of the labyrinth, his footsteps echoing in the silence. He glanced around the room, unsure of what awaited him next.
A voice suddenly echoed from nowhere.
"Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Labyrinth of Terror. This will be your second test. I assume you all passed the first one without much trouble. In this trial, you will be timed.
"You have approximately three days—72 hours—to find your way out of the labyrinth. Each room you pass through is random. You may find a place to rest… or something far worse.
"You'll be given food and water at intervals. Oh, and try not to die. There are… surprises inside. Some rooms hold criminals, beasts, or even fiends.
"Good luck."
A bell tolled above, and a magical timer appeared in front of Shio, ticking down from 72:00:00.
A door creaked open.
Shio stepped through.
The next room was dimly lit by flickering candles. Shadows clung to the corners like living things. In the dark, Shio spotted something—movement.
A beast stood there, its massive form like a lion merged with a bear, low to the ground and snarling.
With a thunderous roar, it lunged.
Shio dove to the side, drawing the blade Gio had given him. He could see it now—scars along its body, eyes dull with pain. It had been trapped here a long time.
The creature circled him, looking for an opening. Shio kept still, focused, blade at the ready.
It charged again, jaws wide.
In a single, fluid motion, Shio sliced upward—cleaving the beast down the middle. Blood splashed across his tunic and steel.
He stood there, breathing heavily, then wiped the blade clean.
"This place... it doesn't feel like a trial. It feels like a prison. That creature had been suffering for years."
The next door slid open.
He entered a large ballroom, its chandeliers dark but candles still flickering along the walls. At the center stood a woman in tattered prisoner's garb. She smiled.
"My, my. I was hoping for a pretty girl, but a handsome boy will do just fine."
Shio didn't answer.
"Name's Levant. What's yours, handsome?"
"Shio."
"Enough small talk," she grinned, licking blood from her fingers. "Let's dance. I need a new puppet—and your friend back there was a bore."
Shio's eyes flicked to the corpse behind her—an adventurer, sliced up and stitched like a grotesque doll.
Levant rushed forward, blade in hand.
He dodged, but a shallow cut opened on his cheek. She giggled and licked her knife again.
"Mmm… refreshing. Maybe I'll preserve you."
She lunged again, but this time, Shio parried and sliced her arm. She yelped in pain, holding her wound.
"Tch. Playing hard to get now?"
She rushed in again.
Just as Shio prepared a finishing blow—his body froze. A corpse behind him had grabbed him.
Strings glinted in the candlelight. Levant held them in her hand.
"You fell for it, sweetheart. Took me a while to string this one up. He's been quite the quiet partner."
The corpse held Shio firm. Levant strolled toward him, twirling her blade.
"How should I carve you? Maybe I'll let the dolls have their fun first."
Shio struggled, heart pounding. He twisted, trying to break the threads—but nothing worked.
"Is this it?" he thought. "Is this where it ends?"
Levant lifted his chin with her blade.
"Sweet dreams."
Somewhere else…
Two robed figures watched from a crystal orb.
"You think he'll make it?" one asked.
"He hasn't even used his ability. She's going to kill him before he gets the chance."
"Pity."
They turned and walked away.
Back in the ballroom, Levant's blade gleamed inches from Shio's throat.
Is it really over? The end of his journey?