Chapter Five: Into the Labyrinth
The towering gates of the labyrinth loomed like the jaws of a colossal beast, their dark stone etched with runes that shimmered faintly under the pale light. The two guards halted at the threshold, their armor glinting ominously.
One of them glanced at Almond with cold, indifferent eyes.
"Farewell, outlander," he said, his voice carrying the weight of finality.
With those words, they unclasped the bands from Almond's wrists. Instantly, the crushing weight of agony lifted. The searing pain in his jaw vanished, replaced by a surge of vitality—raw and intoxicating. Power coursed through his veins, almost alien in its intensity.
Almond turned toward the guards, his voice trembling but firm.
"What… what were those?"
The guards said nothing. Their silence was deafening.
Frustration boiled within him. He spun back toward the labyrinth, its mouth yawning open like an abyss ready to devour him. But then, the storm of confusion erupted inside his chest, forcing the words out in a desperate rush.
"What is happening to me?!" Almond shouted, voice cracking under the weight of fear.
"I—I woke up hanging from a tree with a rope around my neck! I don't even know how I got there! I think… I think I tried to kill myself, but I felt no pain! I escaped… I made it to the city… only to find myself accused of a crime I don't even remember committing!"
His breath came in gasps. His eyes burned with wild desperation as he clutched his head.
"I don't know who I am anymore… or why this is happening to me! Someone, tell me what's going on! Please!"
The two guards exchanged a glance—silent, grim.
Finally, one whispered under his breath, his tone heavy with dread:
"The madness has begun."
The other nodded slightly.
"Yes… it has."
Without another word, one guard raised his hand. A blinding beam of light erupted from his palm, twisting into a spear of pure energy. It struck Almond with immense force, hurling him through the air.
He was sent flying—straight into the labyrinth's waiting darkness.
The gates closed behind him with a thunderous crash.
And the world outside was gone.