The divine crossroads faded behind Colton, its buzzing sigils swallowed by the riverbank's wails. His chest burned, the Prometheus spark humming, his self-mending armor creaking with Hestia's hearth-fire sigils. Apollo's eyes, sharp as sunlight, locked onto his. "The Labyrinth awaits," he said, voice heavy with warning. "Built by Daedalus on Crete, its stone walls shift, twist truth, hide traps woven with
divine malice. The Minotaur guards Hephaestus's gift—a weapon to aid your
spark. Not everything is as it seems." He paused, bow creaking. "The beast is
rage incarnate, born of Pasiphae's curse, bull-headed, axe-wielding. Its charges are relentless, but predictable. You go alone—the Labyrinth rejects gods like me."
Colton's stomach twisted, the caduceus symbol tingling from Hermes's speed. His mind flashed to Bella—her laugh, sharp and bright, the way she'd sneak extra fries from his plate, her scream as Cronus's minions dragged her into the dark. He clenched his fists, the spark flaring, a vow burning in
his chest: I'm coming, Bella. I won't fail you. "Damn it, Apollo," he said, voice low. The orb in his pocket hummed, his mother's voice sharp: "Don't be reckless, Colton." He gripped the bronze bracelet, blood from the shade fight crusted on his face, Hestia's boots steadying him. "Let's do this."
Apollo raised a hand, a portal flaring—stone arch, etched with faded sigils, exhaling dust and growls. "Survive," Apollo said. "The spark chose you for a reason." Colton stepped through, the portal snapping shut.
The Labyrinth swallowed him. Stone walls loomed, their surfaces pulsing with eerie sigils that flickered like dying embers, the air
thick with mildew and menace. His boots crunched gravel, armor's hearth-flame
sigils glowing faintly, mending a tear from the shade's claws. A whisper slithered through the maze, not human, not beast. He moved, heart pounding, the spark humming, the walls shifting with a low groan, sealing paths behind him.
A flicker of flame ahead—two Empousai emerged, their hair blazing red, one leg bronze, glinting in the dim light. Demonesses, spawned by Hecate, they lured men with charm before drinking their blood, their single bronze leg betraying their guise. Their voices purred, "Lost, little hero?" One's face shimmered, morphing into Bella's, her eyes pleading, then his
mother's, voice trembling, "Colton, help me." His heart lurched, but the lyre
string symbol burned, no pain, just power. The oracle's glint kicked in, piercing the illusion—bronze legs, weak joints. The first lunged, claws raking his chest, armor tearing, blood welling. He stumbled, the armor's sigils flaring as it mended. The second grabbed his arm, bronze leg slamming his shin, pain flaring. "Get her face off, you bitch!" he snarled, focusing the sunburst. A solar flare burst, brief but blinding, igniting their hair. They screamed,
flesh charring, one's bronze leg snapping as she fell. Colton stomped her chest, bones crunching, blood spraying. The second lunged; he flared again, her body collapsing into ash, bronze scraps clattering. The stench of burnt hair choked the air, his armor mending another tear.
He pressed on, walls shifting, a spiked floor trap snapping shut inches from his boots. A low chitter echoed, and two Myrmekes scuttled from a tunnel—giant ants, mandibles dripping acid, monstrous insects born of Gaia's wrath, guarding hoards with venomous spit. One spat acid, sizzling
against a wall, triggering a tunnel collapse, rocks tumbling. Colton triggered Hermes's speed, the caduceus burning for seconds, dodging acid and debris, boots sliding on gravel. The second ant charged, pincers snapping. He fired a flare, blinding it, its eyes smoking. Acid splashed his armor, burning; it mended instantly, sigils flaring. "Shit, more bugs?" he muttered, grabbing a
loose stone, smashing the first ant's head, mandibles cracking, acid blood
splattering his face. The second lunged; he used another speed burst, sidestepping, and shoved a stalactite down, crushing its thorax, gore oozing. A second stalactite smashed its head, acid spraying his boots, the stench of venom thick.
A screech pierced the air—three Keres swooped from the ceiling, winged death-spirits, born of Nyx, craving blood. Their claws slashed before Colton could react, one ripping his shoulder, blood welling, armor mending. Another bit his arm, teeth sinking deep, blood dripping. "What the
fuck!" he yelled, punching the first, its jaw cracking. The second clawed his
back, armor tearing, mending fast. He kicked the third, wings snapping, but they circled, screeching, claws gleaming. The ambush left no time to focus, his mind reeling from their speed. He dodged, using speed bursts, caduceus flaring, but a claw grazed his cheek, blood trickling. Gasping, he steadied himself, focusing the lyre string, its burn alive. The oracle's glint kicked in, vision
sharpening: Light burns their wings. He fired a solar flare, sunburst burning, light engulfing the Keres. Their wings ignited, singed feathers falling, leaving them grounded, easy targets. Colton punted one, his boot slamming its chest into a wall, ribs cracking. It screeched, scrambling away, the other two fleeing into the shadows, blood and ash trailing, their wails echoing.
Colton panted, wiping blood from his cheek, his armor mending the last claw marks. The orb hummed, his mother's voice faint: "Stay
sharp, Colton." The maze's walls groaned, sigils flickering. A guttural snort echoed, followed by a bone-rattling roar. Colton spun, peering down a corridor. A massive silhouette shifted in the shadows, glinting horns catching the faint light—the Minotaur. He focused the lyre string, but it burned, still cooling from the Keres fight, the glint failing. His heart raced, the spark humming, as
the beast's shadow loomed larger, its roar shaking the stones.