The guardian's claw came down.
Argon's body was broken. His hacksaw slick with gore, his muscles screaming, his vision fading. Selene lay crumpled on the ground, shadows unraveling.
Vanessa's lips brushed his, her whisper cutting through the chaos.
"Choose me, Argon. Or die here in the dark."
For a heartbeat, he hesitated. Then—he leaned in.
Their lips met.
The Pact
The kiss wasn't tender. It was a wound splitting open, raw and hungry. Vanessa bit his lower lip, her teeth sinking deep. Blood spilled into her mouth, and she moaned like it was wine.
At the same time, her own blood dripped from her tongue into his mouth. It was hot, metallic, burning as it slid down his throat.
The labyrinth reacted instantly. The walls pulsed faster, veins glowing bright crimson, faces bulging from the flesh and howling silently.
Argon's heart seized, then thundered. His veins lit up like fire. His body convulsed, every nerve igniting in pain. He tore from her embrace, collapsing, gasping, choking.
And then—power.
It ripped through him like an explosion. His broken muscles knitted, torn flesh sealing. His ribs cracked back into place. But it wasn't healing—it was corruption. His veins darkened, his eyes burned, his teeth ached as though sharpening.
Vanessa licked his blood from her lips, watching him writhe with a smile of pure satisfaction.
"Oh, darling," she purred, "you wear me beautifully."
The Guardian Strikes
The guardian roared, maw splitting wider, jagged teeth dripping ichor. It swung its massive claw toward them.
Argon rose to his feet. Faster. Stronger. His body felt alien, his strength monstrous. He caught the claw.
The impact shook the corridor, but he didn't crumble. His muscles bulged, veins throbbing black. With a guttural roar, he shoved the claw aside, sending the beast staggering.
Selene's eyes widened from where she lay, barely conscious. "Argon… what did you…?"
But his gaze didn't meet hers. His eyes glowed faintly crimson.
Savage Counterattack
He lunged. Faster than before, moving with inhuman speed. The hacksaw tore across the guardian's torso, splitting flesh and spraying ichor.
The creature shrieked, staggering back. Argon didn't stop. He hacked again and again, each swing savage, each strike tearing deeper.
Blood drenched him, burned him, but he only roared louder. His body felt alive, unstoppable, primal.
Vanessa clapped her hands together like a delighted spectator, laughter echoing through the corridor.
"Yes! That's it, darling! Rip it apart! Show me the beast you've always been!"
Her voice thrilled through him, fueling his frenzy.
Selene's Horror
Selene pushed herself up, trembling. Her eyes locked on Argon.
This wasn't him.
His movements were too wild, too brutal. His eyes glowed with hunger, his lips curled back in a feral snarl. Every strike he landed seemed to feed him as much as it hurt the guardian.
"Argon… stop!" she cried, her voice breaking. "You're not… you anymore!"
But he didn't hear her. Or maybe he didn't care.
The labyrinth's walls writhed, faces forming and dissolving, veins pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. The entire maze approved.
The Feast of Blood
The guardian shrieked, its maw splitting open to unleash a spray of ichor. Argon didn't dodge. He plunged through it, skin sizzling, blood boiling, but he grinned through the agony.
He slammed the hacksaw into the beast's chest, shoving with both hands. Bone cracked. Flesh tore.
Then, with a savage roar, he ripped the hacksaw upward, splitting the guardian's maw in half.
The creature collapsed, ichor flooding the floor.
Argon stood over it, chest heaving, drenched in black gore. His eyes glowed brighter. His lips curled into a grin that wasn't entirely human.
Selene stared, shaking her head. "What… what did you do?"
Vanessa's Triumph
Vanessa slid behind Argon, wrapping her arms around his chest, her chin resting on his shoulder.
"He chose me," she whispered against his ear, her voice honeyed poison. "And now he's mine."
Her tongue flicked against the blood on his neck, and he shivered—not from pain, but something darker.
Selene's hands trembled as she tried to stand. "You… you damned him…"
Vanessa's laughter rang like silver bells. "No, sweet Selene. I saved him."
But It's Not Over
The labyrinth trembled. The ichor on the ground rippled, veins spreading like roots. The walls convulsed, faces screaming silently, mouths gaping wider.
The guardian's body twitched. Its shattered form didn't rise again—but the blood it spilled seeped into the floor, disappearing into the labyrinth itself.
The entire maze fed.
And then the Game's voice boomed:
"Stage Two… complete."
Argon's head snapped upward, blood dripping from his lips, his breath ragged.
The corridor walls split open, revealing a staircase descending into deeper darkness. The stench of rot and iron wafted up, stronger than before.
"Stage Three… begins now."
Cliffhanger
Selene staggered toward Argon, her hand reaching for him.
"Please," she whispered, tears streaking her bloodied face. "Don't lose yourself… don't become her puppet…"
Argon turned. His crimson eyes met hers. For a moment, recognition flickered. Then his lips curled into a feral grin.
Vanessa's fingers traced his jawline, her voice low and sultry.
"Too late, darling."
And Argon… didn't deny it.
Next Chapter Preview
Stage Three begins in the depths below. Argon's bond with Vanessa twists tighter, while Selene clings desperately to what's left of him. The labyrinth's hunger only grows, and the Game won't allow them to leave whole.