My stomach's rumble echoed in the surprisingly quiet air, a stark contrast to the cacophony of the crumbling city we now walked through. It felt… exposed. After centuries of the labyrinth's stone and shadow, the open sky was a blinding canvas, the distant shouts of the Adversary's forces a chilling reminder of the freedom we were risking everything for. We stepped over the remains of what looked like a merchant's cart, its wheels splintered, its wares scattered like forgotten memories. Wooden soldiers, crude and menacing, lay broken in pieces, their painted faces staring blankly at the sky. A shiver, not of cold but of something primal, traced its way down my spine. This wasn't the contained rage of the labyrinth; this was utter devastation.
Theseus, ever jumpy, spun around at every creak of a burning building, his sword half-drawn. "Ariadne, are you sure we should be walking through the main district?" he hissed, his eyes darting. "The rumors said to avoid direct confrontation." Ariadne, however, seemed to have an innate sense of urgency. "We have to keep moving, Theseus. The portal isn't going to appear if we hide in the shadows forever. Besides," she glanced at me, a small, weary smile playing on her lips, "we have protection." I grunted, a low, rumbling sound that made Theseus flinch, but Ariadne understood. Protection. Yes. For them, and for the chance to truly be free.
The air grew thick with ash and the smell of burnt timber as we moved deeper into the ruined city. Houses stood as skeletal frames, their roofs caved in, their walls blackened. The silence was punctuated only by the crackle of distant fires and the occasional, unsettling creak of a collapsing structure. My enhanced senses picked up faint whirs and rhythmic thuds—the sounds of more wooden soldiers in the distance, their movements stiff and unnatural. My grip tightened on the Double-sided Battle Axe, its weight familiar and comforting in my hand. It was a tool of destruction, yes, but in this moment, it was also a shield.
Theseus, despite his earlier fear, seemed to be driven by something stronger now—a desperate hope, perhaps. He kept his eyes peeled, scanning every alleyway and darkened doorway. "The rumors also spoke of a glow," he muttered, more to himself than us. "A faint, ethereal light, only visible to those who truly seek escape." Ariadne nodded, her gaze sweeping across the desolate landscape. "Then we must look with all our hearts, Theseus. There is nothing left for us here."
As we rounded a particularly wide, rubble-strewn street, the sounds grew louder. Not the whirring of the wooden soldiers, but something else—a frantic, high-pitched wail. Ariadne stopped short, her face paling. "Listen!" she whispered. From a partially collapsed building to our left, a small, whimpering cry emerged, followed by a deeper groan. My nostrils flared, picking up the scent of fear, and something else… blood.
Theseus immediately tensed, his sword coming up. "It's a trap, Ariadne! The Adversary sometimes leaves bait. We must keep moving!" But Ariadne's eyes were fixed on the building, a conflict raging on her face. She looked at me, a silent plea in her gaze. My sister. The one who had endured my imprisonment with me, who had tried to teach me control. I looked at the crumbling structure, then at the terrified look in her eyes. The idea of leaving suffering behind, of walking away from a living creature in distress, grated against something deep within me. My time in the labyrinth had been one of forced isolation, a denial of any connection. This was different. This was a choice.
I took a step towards the building, my heavy boots crunching on broken stone. Theseus gasped. "Asterion, no! Are you insane? We don't have time for this!" I ignored him, my focus on Ariadne, who had a glimmer of hope in her eyes now. I wasn't a mindless beast. I was Asterion. And my sister needed me.
POV: Theseus
I couldn't believe Ariadne's first choice, with the capital literally crumbling around us, was to come and get this beast. We'd been lucky to avoid the Adversary's soldiers so far, those unnatural abominations carved from wood, devoid of pain or fear. We stood no chance against them, and the Adversary himself was a foe not to be taken lightly.
The journey to the Labyrinth was a nightmare I'd never imagined undertaking. I'd never heard stories of anyone freelytraveling into this monster's lair. Ariadne claimed it had "learned reason," but that was hard to swallow when fourteen people died every nine years, dragged into its maw. The closer we got, the more my anxiety climbed, a cold knot in my stomach. Right behind that massive stone boulder, the home of the Minotaur… a man-eating monster that kept the citizens of Crete awake at night, praying they weren't the next to be chosen.
Helping Ariadne move that boulder was no small task. We both pushed with all our strength, our muscles screaming, slowly inching it aside until it was just wide enough for us to squeeze through. Before I could even catch my breath, Ariadne was fumbling in her satchel, pulling out a coil of golden wire that shimmered with an almost mystical sheen.
"This wire thread was made to help me navigate through the Labyrinth when I would come and visit Asterion," she explained, her voice surprisingly steady. "We can use it to find our way out once we get Asterion." Hearing her talk about the beast so casually made my skin crawl.
"Now that we're here, Ariadne, I'm not sure it's a good idea to free the Minotaur," I pressed, my voice tight. "No one has ever escaped him. Once you go in, you never come out. I know you visit him, but he may not attack you because you're his sister! What about me? Will he attack me?!"
Ariadne looked over her shoulder, determination etched on her face, her eyes burning with an almost desperate light. "I am not leaving him behind, Theseus! He is the only thing I have left. Please, just help me get to him and escape this place…"
Listening to her speak, I could almost taste her pain. I had lost everything too – my home, my people, the life I knew. I wasn't sure if freeing this beast was the right answer, but it had become painfully clear I couldn't stop her. "Ariadne," I conceded, forcing the words past the lump in my throat, "when I said I would protect you on our journey to this new land, I meant every word. You can count on my sword during our travels." It was a promise I intended to keep, even if it meant facing a literal monster.
Entering the Labyrinth was a moment I wouldn't soon forget. Torches lined the walls every fifteen feet, automatically ablaze in a steady orange flame, their flickering light casting dancing shadows on every twist and turn of the stone-carved maze. We hadn't walked even thirty feet when I felt Ariadne tug sharply on my tunic, telling me to stay still.
Then, from around a corner, a being beyond explanation rounded it at frightening speed. Standing before us was a behemoth of a man – if you could even call it that. Easily ten feet tall, with muscles in places I never knew could have muscles. Twin horns, each two to three feet long, adorned its head like a grotesque crown, weapons on their own. I glanced downward, almost making eye contact with this thing before I averted my eyes, still catching the dominating, primal energy the Minotaur was radiating. Its figure was imposing, every muscle from its traps to its calves enlarged to proportions I had never witnessed. I was momentarily stunned, missing the beginning of whatever Ariadne was saying.
Finding my voice, I called out, "Ariadne, are you sure we can trust this thing?! I'm not sure coming here was a good idea!" I saw her turn to look at me, and I caught a glimpse of anger flash across her face. Why would she be mad?!
"You do know that just because he can't talk doesn't mean he can't hear you, right, Theseus?" she retorted, her voice sharp. Almost immediately after she finished her sentence, I heard a deep rumble and felt a displacement of air that shocked me. Grabbing my sword, I spun around, finding myself face to face with the Minotaur. Our eyes locked, and I could feel the challenge simmering between us, a raw, animalistic dare. Not wanting to back down, I stood my ground until Ariadne's voice cut through the tension. "Stop antagonizing him! I told you, he has trouble controlling his emotions. Me and Asterion have been practicing emotional control a lot throughout the years. He has gotten way better, but he still has his moments." Listening to her, I scoffed and turned the opposite direction, daring this beast to try anything.
I had to try one more time to convince Ariadne to leave for the portal with me. "Ariadne, please seek reason. The whole capital is being destroyed. We must flee to the portal. Going through that portal is the only way anyone has ever evaded the Adversary. No one knows what is on the other side, but the Fairy Godmothers created this portal as a refuge to all the people who wanted to escape their stories."
After I finished, I saw disappointment creep onto her face when I mentioned I didn't know where the portal was. No one knew where or how it appeared; that's how it stayed active for so long.
The Minotaur – Asterion, as Ariadne called him – made for the exit after I finished my plea. He moved with unrelenting confidence and determination, covering what would take me thirty steps in eight long strides, approaching the boulder that was the door to the Labyrinth. I watched, dumbfounded, as the Minotaur effortlessly pushed the massive stone four feet with a light push, barely exerting his monstrous strength.
"Brother, please help us make it to the portal!" Ariadne pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion. "There is nothing left here for us any longer. Our kingdom is destroyed, and our people scattered. Let us travel together to the portal so that we can finally be free to be brother and sister."
Listening to her declaration to her "brother" filled me with annoyance, but I pushed it down. My priority was keeping Ariadne safe, even if it was from herself. I watched as the Minotaur showed his first glimmer of sentience, nodding his massive head to Ariadne. I continued to watch with rapt attention, studying the creature while I could, trying to understand it, to find a weakness.
Leaving the Labyrinth, the Minotaur showed clear signs of happiness, looking around in wonderment and taking in every moment with a relish that was hard to miss. We continued traveling throughout the kingdom, incredibly lucky to avoid all of the Adversary's soldiers. Finally, we made it to the border of the Enchanted Forest, about to cross into its shadowy depths when the Minotaur dropped down to one knee, clearly struggling with himself as a low grumble made itself known in the clearing… "GRRRRR."
Ariadne and I made eye contact immediately. I instinctively drew my sword and shouted, "Ariadne, come, get behind me!" But she ignored my words, rushing to the beast instead. "Asterion! Brother, please fight your nature! You can do this! I believe in you!" Her words had a visible effect on it. Its eyes, which had beaded into a frenzied glow, slowly returned to the eyes that seemed to hold just a sliver of consciousness.
The annoyance rose in my chest again due to this unnecessary risk we were taking. I understood this thing was supposed to be her brother, but it would never have a normal life. Walking over to Ariadne, I grabbed her arm. "Be wary of your 'Brother'," I warned her, my voice low and urgent. "He seems to have a short fuse."