They began to climb the winding stairs. There was no sound from their movement. They'd already planned the route and would follow Benny's instructions to the letter. They'd seen how he worked expertly on the second floor, so he must have complete mastery here as well.
After a couple of minutes, they finally arrived at the first floor. Their memories weren't too clear about this place's layout, so they'd have to trust Benny to guide them.
They now had their torches lit, and Benny had his light crystals with him. They found it fascinating how this guy had managed to incorporate everything around him to work for his needs. They walked at a good pace for almost half an hour until they finally reached the entrance.
But there was nothing there. Only massive boulders of earth and rock blocked the path, as if the mountain had collapsed in on itself. Those still holding hope were slapped with the truth. Their feet buckled under them as depression and anxiety began creeping in.
That overly temperamental guy screamed, "FUCK THOSE SLIMY PIECES OF FUCKING COCKROACH SHIT! THEY LEFT US HERE TO DIE AFTER BETRAYING US!"
He was screaming his frustration at nothingness, though everyone heard him. They too had their own hopeless thoughts dwelling within them. Some tried to pry at the rocks, but it only seemed to worsen as the earth shifted.
"Fuuuuckkk! Get away!" They moved away from the now even more closed entrance. This entrance on the first floor was probably a kilometer below the mountain, so all the earth on top of the entrance must have collapsed on them. How many years would it even take them to excavate? Not taking into account the danger of further collapse. In the first place, they weren't miners—they were adventurers, mercenaries, and people from every walk of life that had some sense of combat.
"Now what?" was the only question that hung in the balance.
Meanwhile, Benny let the situation resolve itself. He'd been there with that hopeless feeling, so he couldn't really say much. But he now had a goal of his own. If he couldn't take the normal path, then that only meant there should be another path he could take. Yes, that was the positivity he needed all along.
Several minutes passed, and everyone remained in the same state, but there was no more shouting. Only silence in the darkness that was starting to creep into them.
Then Benny spoke. "I'm not trying to spoil the somber mood, but we really need to move. Even I'm finding this darkness adding up and fueling all the negativity."
They agreed they were starting to lose their sense of self and hope. It didn't help that their surroundings were pitch black except for whatever light sources they had.
"Let's move to this floor's sanctuary and rest for now. You can figure out what you all want to do there. While I do have something in mind, it's best we talk about it there instead of here. It's starting to get to me too."
They finally moved their bodies that felt incredibly heavy. They just wanted to sit there and wait for their doom, but for now they followed Benny.
After a minute or so of walking, they finally saw some light. It was the light from the sanctuary, filled with light crystals. It wasn't like daylight but a dim glow bright enough that you could see your surroundings clearly.
They all saw that this place was rather neat. It seemed Benny had done some renovations in his spare time. So they all took their places in this safe space. Some no longer had the stomach to make small talk with the others, so they tried to settle in their own ways.
Meanwhile, Benny kept moving. He prepared their food and supplies—he'd actually brought some meat with them so they could feed themselves. The others did the same and dropped what they were carrying. This was Benny's way of keeping himself busy and not thinking about all the negativity around him.
Gustav also talked to him to get more information they'd need, but it seemed Benny had only managed to reach the second floor and had mapped it out in his mind so far. The man had valid reasons for not going to other floors because of the monsters.
But Benny shared his findings so far, though he left them somewhat vague without revealing much information. The leader Gustav understood him perfectly well. He couldn't trust them fully, not yet. Especially after what had happened during their meeting below—he'd saved them, and they'd accused him instead.
This was going to take some time, but the leader was patient and collected. Although he too had lost hope of getting out of here, Benny seemed to have found something he wanted to do, though he didn't ask about it yet. It wasn't the right time, so for now they really should rest up and recover their strength and finally familiarize themselves with this floor and the one beneath.
The sanctuary felt different with so many people in it. Benny's carefully organized space was now filled with the sounds of quiet conversations, the scraping of weapons being maintained, and the occasional sob from someone still processing their situation.
He found himself feeling oddly protective of this place. It had been his home for so long that having others here felt like an invasion, even though he'd brought them here willingly. The neat piles of materials he'd collected, the smoking area he'd set up, the sleeping nook he'd carved out—all of it suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable.
But watching them slowly relax as the sanctuary's peaceful atmosphere worked its magic reminded him why he'd helped them. These weren't the strong, confident adventurers who'd entered the labyrinth months ago. They were broken people who'd been pushed beyond their limits, just like he'd been.
The difference was that he'd had time to adapt, to learn, to find purpose in this underground world. They were still in shock, still trying to process that their old lives were over and something new would have to take their place.
Gustav approached him as he worked on preparing the evening meal. "Benny," the leader said quietly, "I want you to know that what you did today—saving us, feeding us, giving us shelter—it won't be forgotten. No matter what happens next."
Benny looked up from the cooking fire. "Don't thank me yet. We're all still trapped down here."
"Maybe," Gustav said. "But at least now we're trapped together. That has to count for something."