[The maze never ended.]
[Or at least that was how it felt.]
[Weeks had passed since Sanctuary.]
[Weeks spent uncovering fragments.]
[Surviving monsters.]
[Learning truths that should have remained buried.]
[The deeper Abaksa ventured into the Poison Valley, the stranger reality became.]
[Yet today felt different.]
[The air was calm.]
[Too calm.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...This place."
[Ancient stone walls stretched in every direction.]
[The maze towered above him.]
[Hundreds of feet high.]
[Covered in symbols older than kingdoms.]
[Unknown Territory Detected]
[The System itself seemed uncertain.]
[Which usually meant disaster.]
[Hours later—]
[Abaksa finally saw it.]
[A city.]
[Hidden inside the maze.]
[Not abandoned.]
[Alive.]
[People moved through the streets.]
[Merchants traded.]
[Guards patrolled.]
[Normal.]
[Far too normal.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Again?"
[The last hidden city tried to kill him.]
[His trust issues had only gotten worse since then.]
[As he entered the city gates, dozens of eyes immediately locked onto him.]
[Not hostile.]
[Evaluating.]
[Watching.]
[Trained.]
[Every single person carried weapons.]
[Every single person carried scars.]
[Veterans.]
[Hunters.]
[Survivors.]
[Not civilians.]
[Something else.]
[Before he could investigate further—]
"Naja."
[Abaksa froze.]
[Standing across the street was a familiar figure.]
[Red hair.]
[Black combat attire.]
[Crimson eyes.]
[Naja.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...You."
[Naja sighed.]
Naja— "Took you long enough."
Abaksa Einsro— "You saved my life and disappeared."
Naja— "You're welcome."
[He hated that response.]
[Unfortunately, she knew it.]
[A faint smile appeared.]
Naja— "Come on."
Abaksa Einsro— "Where?"
Naja— "The people who've been arguing about you for the last three weeks."
[That sounded concerning.]
[Very concerning.]
[Naja led him deeper into the city.]
[Eventually reaching a massive stone hall.]
[The symbol above its entrance caught his attention.]
[A silver wolf.]
[Surrounded by broken chains.]
[Something about it felt familiar.]
[Inside waited dozens of people.]
[Old.]
[Young.]
[Warriors.]
[Scholars.]
[All watching him.]
[At the center sat an elderly man.]
[One eye.]
[White beard.]
[Enough scars to survive three lifetimes.]
Elder— "So."
Elder— "The Eleventh finally arrives."
[Abaksa didn't react.]
[At this point everyone seemed to know.]
Abaksa Einsro— "Who are you people?"
[The old man smiled.]
Elder— "The Hounds."
[Silence.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Should that mean something to me?"
[Several people looked offended.]
[Naja laughed.]
Naja— "That's fair."
[The old man nodded.]
Elder— "We were founded by the Fifth Regressor."
[The room became silent.]
Elder— "Our purpose is simple."
Elder— "Contain artifacts."
Elder— "Hunt monsters."
Elder— "Prevent the Demon Lord from obtaining either."
[Abaksa's expression finally changed.]
[A regressor.]
[Another one.]
[Not a fragment.]
[An actual founder.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...The Fifth?"
Elder— "Gone."
Elder— "Maybe dead."
Elder— "Maybe not."
Elder— "Nobody knows."
[The answer sounded familiar.]
[Too familiar.]
[Then the Elder leaned forward.]
Elder— "But that's not why you're here."
[Something changed.]
[The atmosphere shifted.]
Elder— "Tell me."
Elder— "Have you figured out who stole the Chronos Emerald?"
[The room went completely still.]
[Even Naja stopped smiling.]
[Abaksa narrowed his eyes.]
Abaksa Einsro— "No."
[The Elder laughed.]
[A genuine laugh.]
Elder— "Good."
Elder— "Because neither have we."
[That wasn't the response he expected.]
[The Elder stood.]
[Slowly.]
[Then pointed toward the wall.]
[A massive tapestry hung there.]
[Depicting the labyrinth.]
[The Chronos Emerald.]
[And a cloaked figure.]
[Abaksa's eyes widened.]
[Not because of the tapestry.]
[Because of the figure.]
[The cloak.]
[The ring.]
[The posture.]
[The silhouette.]
[It felt familiar.]
[Terrifyingly familiar.]
Elder— "We've tracked the thief for years."
Elder— "Across multiple timelines."
Elder— "Across multiple regressions."
[The room became quiet.]
Elder— "And every trail leads to the same impossible conclusion."
[The Elder looked directly at him.]
Elder— "The thief is connected to you."
[Silence.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...What?"
Elder— "Not today."
Elder— "Not this version."
Elder— "But somehow..."
Elder— "Every path keeps leading back to Abaksa Einsro."
[The room spun.]
[His heartbeat slowed.]
[Impossible.]
[He had never stolen the emerald.]
[He was there when it vanished.]
[Then why—]
Naja— "That's the problem."
[Her voice was quieter than usual.]
Naja— "We think you did."
Abaksa Einsro— "...What?"
Naja— "Just not yet."
[Silence.]
[The Elder looked away.]
Elder— "We'll explain when the time is right."
Elder— "For now..."
Elder— "There's something you need to see."
Later
[The maze stretched endlessly before him.]
[Naja stood beside him.]
[The Elder remained behind.]
[Neither spoke.]
[Eventually they reached a circular chamber.]
[Ancient mirrors lined the walls.]
[The air felt wrong.]
[Like standing inside a memory.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...What is this place?"
Naja— "One of the maze's secrets."
[The mirrors activated.]
[One by one.]
[Light filled the room.]
[Images appeared.]
[Timelines.]
[Possibilities.]
[Fragments.]
[Then one image remained.]
[Abaksa stopped breathing.]
[Standing within the mirror was...]
[Himself.]
[Or someone who looked exactly like him.]
[Same face.]
[Same eyes.]
[Yet completely different.]
[He wore a strange black cloak.]
[A silver ring rested on his finger.]
[Beside him stood another figure.]
[Black hair.]
[Golden eyes.]
[The Demon Lord.]
[Not fighting.]
[Standing together.]
[As allies.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Impossible."
[The mirror version slowly turned.]
[And smiled.]
[As if he could see them.]
[The chamber went dark.]
[The vision vanished.]
[Leaving only silence.]
[Naja stared at the empty mirror.]
[For once...]
[Even she looked afraid.]
Naja— "Welcome to the real mystery."