The guardian's claw came down like a falling guillotine.
Argon threw himself sideways, the air splitting with a sound like tearing metal. The impact shook the corridor, chunks of flesh and bone spraying from the wall as the claw gouged through it. He hit the floor hard, ribs flaring in agony, blood gurgling in his throat.
"F*ck!" he coughed, dragging himself up, hacksaw clutched in shaking hands. His body screamed with every movement, but there was no time to think. The guardian turned, its many faces wailing in unison, eyes glowing with hungry madness.
The smell of rot and burning ichor filled the air.
First Exchange
It charged.
Argon swung wildly, the hacksaw carving into its arm. Black ichor sprayed, sizzling against his skin, burning like acid. He roared in pain, staggering back as the guardian swiped again.
Selene's shadows lashed out, striking the beast's torso. The darkness pierced through flesh, but instead of dropping, the guardian only screamed louder, the faces on its chest twisting and gnashing.
Selene doubled over, coughing blood, the strain tearing at her body. Her power was breaking her, but she refused to stop.
"Move!" she screamed at Argon, her voice ragged.
He ducked as the guardian's claw slammed over his head, barely missing. Bone shards ripped through the air, slicing across his cheek.
Vanessa's Mockery
Behind them, Vanessa leaned lazily against the pulsing wall, her eyes glittering with delight.
"Oh, darling," she purred, watching Argon bleed, "you look magnificent when you're desperate. So raw. So… primal."
"Shut up and fight!" Argon bellowed, his voice breaking.
Vanessa chuckled, licking her lips. "Why spoil the show so soon? Struggle a little longer. I want to see how far you'll crawl before you break."
The guardian roared again, charging.
Blood and Bone
Argon lifted his hacksaw, bracing for impact. The claw struck, the force blasting him back into the wall. Bone cracked—his or the maze's, he couldn't tell. He gasped, vision blurring.
But he moved. He had to. He slashed upward, the hacksaw tearing into the guardian's arm joint. Tendons snapped, ichor sprayed, and one of the creature's faces let out a shriek so high it split his ears.
The guardian reeled, staggering—but not falling.
Selene's shadows struck again, spearing through its side. The beast convulsed, black veins spreading across its body. Selene screamed with it, blood pouring from her nose, her body convulsing.
Argon's heart clenched. She was killing herself with every strike.
"Selene, stop—!"
"Kill it!" she roared back, her voice breaking.
The Labyrinth Feeds
The maze walls pulsed with each drop of blood. Flesh-like tissue writhed, sucking in the ichor and Argon's blood alike, veins glowing faintly as though feeding. The floor grew slicker, hotter, the air thicker with the stench of rot.
The labyrinth was alive. And it was hungry.
Argon stumbled, his boots slipping in gore. The guardian swung again, claws raking across his arm. Flesh tore, blood gushed, and his weapon almost slipped from his grip.
"F*ck!" he roared, staggering forward. He drove the hacksaw deep into the guardian's thigh, sawing through muscle and bone. The creature howled, its mass of faces wailing in agony.
Black ichor drenched him, burning through his shirt, searing his skin. His own scream joined the chorus.
Selene's Breaking Point
Selene dropped to one knee, her hands clutching her skull. Shadows writhed violently around her, like beasts snapping their chains.
"No… no, not yet—" she gasped, but the darkness surged anyway, lashing out uncontrollably. It struck the guardian, tearing through its chest, but it also grazed Argon, searing his skin with icy pain.
"Selene!" he shouted, stumbling back.
Her eyes were wide, bloodshot, glowing faintly with unnatural light. She was losing herself. The forbidden power was eating her alive.
Vanessa's laughter rang out behind them. "Oh, this is delicious. One bleeding himself dry, the other devouring her own soul. What a pair you make."
"Fight or shut the hell up!" Argon roared, blood flying from his lips.
Vanessa Steps In
The guardian swung again, this time both claws slamming down together. Argon was too slow. His legs buckled, his body too broken to move.
Then a blur—Vanessa slipped in, impossibly fast, her hand pressing against the guardian's claw.
The flesh hissed. Smoke rose. And with a sultry laugh, she pushed back, her strength unnatural.
"Mmm. Can't have you dying yet, darling. Not until I've had my fun."
She flicked her wrist, and a thin, curved blade slid from her sleeve. With a graceful swipe, she sliced across the guardian's chest. Black ichor spilled, the faces screaming louder.
"Now finish it," she purred.
The Final Strike
Argon staggered forward, every nerve in his body aflame. He raised the hacksaw, his grip slick with blood. With a roar that tore his throat raw, he drove the blade upward into the guardian's throat.
The hacksaw bit deep, sawing through flesh, tearing through veins, until it lodged in the cluster of screaming faces. Argon pushed with everything he had, blood and ichor spraying across his body, burning, choking him.
The guardian convulsed violently, its claws thrashing, slamming into the walls, tearing chunks of flesh and bone. The entire labyrinth shook.
Selene's shadows wrapped around its legs, binding it in place as she screamed, her body breaking under the strain.
With one final roar, Argon ripped the hacksaw free, splitting one of the faces in half.
The guardian collapsed, shaking the floor, ichor flooding the corridor.
Argon staggered back, chest heaving, blood pouring from his wounds. He could barely stay standing. His vision dimmed, his body broken.
But the guardian wasn't finished.
Cliffhanger: Mutation
The fallen mass twitched. The ichor pooled, bubbling, seeping back into the creature's torn body. The faces writhed, their mouths opening wide in unison.
A low, guttural sound rose, building into a scream that shook the maze.
The guardian's body began to split. Flesh tore, bone cracked, black veins pulsing with new life.
It was changing.
Argon dropped to his knees, chest heaving, blood pouring down his arms. His hacksaw slipped from his grip.
"Not… again," he whispered, voice breaking.
The guardian rose. Bigger. Hungrier. Worse.
Next Chapter Preview
The guardian's second form towers above them, stronger and more monstrous than before. Argon is spent, Selene is breaking, and Vanessa finally shows her true hand. The Blood Labyrinth is far from finished feeding.