As we drew closer to the Crimson Labyrinth, I noticed what my companions had undoubtedly seen before: the faint red glow emanating from within, pulsing slowly like a heartbeat.
More unsettling was how different it looked from my last visit. The entrance had shifted position, now facing slightly northeast instead of due north. The rocky outcroppings around it had rearranged themselves into new patterns, and the red glow seemed more intense than before.
"Entrance looks different," Kira noted, her hand resting on her hammer's handle. "More active than last time."
"The Labyrinth evolves," Blackwood replied, studying the entrance with obvious satisfaction. "New passages, new opportunities. That's why timing matters for expeditions like this."
I pulled out my enchanted journal, making notes about the changed entrance while pretending to record normal expedition observations. If the dungeon was actively reshaping itself, that could explain why Blackwood seemed so confident about this particular expedition.
"Final equipment check," Blackwood announced, dropping his pack near a cluster of boulders. "Once we're inside, we won't have time for adjustments."
We spread our gear on the rocky ground, each party member methodically inspecting their equipment. I watched Blackwood's preparations carefully, noting how he distributed items in his pack and what tools he prioritized.
"Light sources?" Marcus asked, holding up several enchanted crystals.
"Each person carries two primaries and one backup," Blackwood instructed. "The Labyrinth can interfere with magical light if it wants to. Redundancy keeps you alive."
"Formation once we're inside?" Kira asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
"Modified from our usual approach," Blackwood said, pulling out the detailed map I'd glimpsed earlier. "Kira takes point, but stays within sight range. Marcus and I follow ten paces back. Jin brings up the rear and watches for environmental hazards."
I studied the formation, my trap detection skill immediately noting the problems. With me isolated at the back, I'd be vulnerable to attacks from behind. If the party got separated, I'd be alone in a hostile environment. Either Blackwood was careless about tactics, or this arrangement served some purpose beyond optimal party safety.
"What about communication signals?" I asked, trying to sound professionally concerned rather than suspicious.
"Hand signals for obvious threats," Marcus replied, demonstrating a series of gestures. "Vocal warnings only for immediate danger. The Labyrinth has excellent acoustics, sound carries farther than you'd expect."
"And if we get separated?"
Blackwood's smile was thin. "We don't. Separated party members don't come back from places like this."
We shouldered our packs and approached the entrance. Up close, the red glow was even more intense, casting shifting shadows across the rock walls. The air flowing from the depths carried a metallic taste that coated the tongue unpleasantly.
"Standard entry protocol," Blackwood announced. "I go first to check for immediate threats. Kira follows, then Marcus, then Jin. Nobody enters until the person ahead signals all-clear."
He stepped into the cave mouth, his light crystal immediately swallowed by the red glow. After a tense minute, his hand emerged from the shadows, gesturing for Kira to follow.
One by one, we entered the Crimson Labyrinth.
The transition from outside to inside was immediate and disorienting. The temperature dropped significantly, and the air became thick with that metallic taste. The ambient red light seemed to emanate from the very walls, creating an environment that felt alive and hostile.
And those walls... they definitely weren't the same as my last visit. The passage was wider now, with smooth, almost organic-looking surfaces instead of the rough stone I remembered. Dark red veins pulsed through the material like blood vessels, synchronized with that same heartbeat rhythm.
"Again, don't touch the walls," Blackwood warned unnecessarily. "The Labyrinth doesn't like being handled."
We advanced cautiously, our formation maintaining proper spacing despite the unsettling environment. I made notes in my journal about the changed interior, the new wall composition, and Blackwood's seemingly intimate knowledge of the dungeon's preferences.
After about fifty paces, the passage opened into a circular chamber roughly twenty feet in diameter. Four tunnels led off in different directions, each pulsing with varying intensities of red light.
This was different too. Last time, there had been five passages and pressure plate traps in the floor. Now the floor appeared solid, but my trap detection skill was picking up something else—a subtle wrongness in the chamber's geometry that I couldn't quite identify.
"Decision point," Blackwood murmured, pulling out a complex device that resembled a compass combined with a pendulum. He held it up, watching as the needle spun erratically before finally settling on the leftmost passage.
"That one has the strongest crystal resonance," he announced. "And according to my calculations, it should lead to the formation we're looking for."
"Should?" Kira asked pointedly.
"The Labyrinth changes, but it follows patterns," Blackwood replied, already moving toward the chosen tunnel. "I've been studying those patterns for years. Trust me."
I noted his confidence about the dungeon's patterns in my journal, along with the fact that he'd brought a device specifically designed to detect crystal formations. That suggested a level of preparation and prior knowledge that went beyond what he'd shared with the party.
The leftmost passage descended at a gentle slope, the walls gradually transitioning from the smooth organic material to something that looked more like crystalline formations. The red veins grew thicker and more numerous, and the pulsing rhythm accelerated.
"We're getting closer," Blackwood said, his voice carrying a note of anticipation that made me uneasy.
As we descended, I became aware of another change from my previous visit. The whispers I'd heard before were present but different—less chaotic, more purposeful. As if the Labyrinth was trying to communicate rather than simply react to our presence.
Marcus raised his hand suddenly, bringing the party to a halt. He pointed ahead, where the passage opened into what looked like a much larger chamber.
"Light ahead," he whispered. "Not our crystals."
Blackwood's expression grew eager. "That's it. The formation chamber. Everyone stay alert, but remember—we're here for crystal extraction, not exploration. We get what we came for and leave."
As we approached the chamber entrance, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were walking into a trap. Not necessarily one set by monsters or dungeon mechanisms, but one orchestrated by our own party leader.
The question was whether I'd be smart enough to recognize it in time to do something about it.
But as we stepped into the larger chamber and I saw what waited for us there, I realized that all my concerns about Blackwood's methods might be secondary to a much more immediate problem.
The Crimson Labyrinth had been expecting us.