Shattered Ties

The walls of the labyrinth pulsed faintly, the wet, grotesque sounds filling the suffocating silence. A dim glow from holes in the ceiling flickered like dying embers, casting twisted shadows across the hallway. Luke stood rigid, his chest rose and fell, hyperventilating with panic, as his paranoia consumed him. The adventivore femur in his hand morphed and shifted with his fluctuating thoughts, elongating slightly, then shrinking back into a blunted staff.

Eleanor stood a few paces away, her hand trembling as it hovered near her bow. Her wide amber eyes searched his face, desperate to find the Luke she thought she knew—the awkward, determined human who had survived against impossible odds. But all she saw now was a stranger with emerald-green eyes dark and stormy, a dangerous edge to his posture.

"Luke, please," she said softly with a shaky voice. "You're tired. We've been walking for hours, and this place—this labyrinth—it's messing with your head. You know I'm on your side."

Luke laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and sharp. "On my side?" His voice dripped with venom as his knuckles whitened, gripping the femur. "You're all on someone's side, Eleanor, but it sure as hell isn't mine. You've all been playing me. I just haven't figured out why yet."

Her heart broke at his words, the anger and distrust in his voice cutting her deeper than she expected. "Luke, that's not true. No one's playing you. We're in this together—we've always been."

"Don't lie to me!" Luke snapped, his voice reverberating through the hallway. He took a step forward, and Eleanor instinctively stepped back, her fingers brushing against her bowstring. "From the start, you have been lying. Kuro, Clara, Sylveria, and Aldric, all of you. I am only a pawn, and you all have your own goals."

Eleanor said, "That's not fair," with a breaking voice. "We've been risking our lives for you—for this mission. I've been fighting beside you every step of the way!"

"Fighting beside me?" Luke's tone was sharp, his eyes narrowing. "Or watching me? Reporting back to Sylveria? To Aldric? To whoever's pulling your strings?"

Eleanor's breathing became labored. Her hands trembled as she grabbed her bow hard, not to fire but to stabilize herself. "You don't believe that. You can't believe that."

"I don't know what to believe anymore," Luke hissed. He glanced briefly at Kuro, who was lying a few feet away, seemingly still asleep. "Maybe he's part of it too. Maybe this whole thing has been one big setup."

Eleanor's gaze flickered to Kuro, then back to Luke. "Kuro saved your life more times than I can count. I've saved your life. Does that mean nothing to you?"

Luke barked a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "You think saving my life makes you trustworthy? I wouldn't even be involved in these situations if it wasn't for Aldric and Sylveria."

"Luke," Eleanor interrupted, her voice rising in frustration. "You're not making sense. No one is out to get you. We're all in the same hell, trying to survive. You're lashing out at the wrong people."

He took another step forward, the femur shifting into a jagged spear as his advent flickered faintly around him. "Maybe I'm the only one seeing clearly for the first time."

The weapon in his palm shifted, and Eleanor's instincts sparked. Her senses narrowed on Luke like prey, her hunter's essence sharpening her focus. Her voice remained strong as she admonished, "Put the femur down. I don't want to fight you."

"No" Luke said coldly, his eyes locked onto hers. "Fight me...Show me who you really are."

Eleanor's heart pounded as she nocked an arrow, her hands moving naturally, influenced by her instincts and years of living in the slums. He wasn't giving her an option, but she didn't want to hurt him—she couldn't hurt him. "Luke, please," she pleaded in a final, begging tone. "Don't make me do this."

But Luke didn't stop. He lunged forward, the femur elongating into a staff as he swung it in a wide arc. Eleanor dodged, the staff whistling past her head as she rolled to the side. she released an arrow in one fluid motion, aiming for his leg. Her hunter's essence ensured it would hit its mark, and it did, slicing across his calf and leaving a shallow wound.

Luke shifted his position, gritting his teeth and hardly flinching. His tone was caustic as he challenged, "Is that all you've got?" "I thought you didn't miss."

Eleanor whispered, "I don't," her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "But I'm not trying to kill you."

Luke's grip tightened on the femur, the weapon shifting into a blade as he advanced on her again. "Maybe you should."

The commotion finally stirred Kuro. His antennae twitched as his insectoid sensory form shifted slightly, his glowing eyes fluttering open. The scene before him was chaotic—Luke lunging at Eleanor with a weapon, Eleanor desperately dodging and firing arrows to keep him at bay.

Kuro shouted his voice loud and resonant, "Enough." His body grew, muscles vibrating beneath his skin, and his insectoid characteristics started to melt away. His glowing eyes narrowed as he absorbed the situation, and razor-sharp claws sprung out from his hands.

"Kuro, stay out of this!" Luke shouted, his voice frantic. "This isn't your fight!"

Kuro's voice was calm, measured, but carried an undeniable authority. "It is my fight if you're attacking your own team."

Luke scoffed, his lips curling into a snarl. "Team? There is no team. There's just you—your lies, your games. You think I don't see through you?"

Kuro's expression darkened, his massive form towering over Luke. "You're losing yourself, Luke. This isn't who you are."

"Stop acting like you've known me for years! You don't know who I am!" Luke shouted, his voice cracking. "You don't know anything about me!"

Kuro's claws flexed, the light from his glowing eyes intensifying. "I know enough to stop you."

Kuro leaped, his massive claws swiping toward Luke with terrifying speed. Luke barely managed to block, the femur shifting into a shield just in time. The impact sent him skidding back, his injured leg buckling slightly as he struggled to stay upright.

"Stay down, Luke," Kuro said, his voice almost pleading. "You're outmatched."

"Not yet," Luke growled. His advent flared, the femur morphing into a serrated blade as he lunged at Kuro, slashing wildly. Kuro parried the blows with his claws, his movements precise and controlled despite his massive size.

With her bow pulled and her heart racing, Eleanor moved around them. Her voice shook as she yelled, "Luke, stop this!" "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Better me than you!" Luke snapped, his voice raw with emotion. "At least then I'll know I wasn't a fool."

Eleanor's breath hitched, her vision blurring with tears. She nocked another arrow, her hands steady even as her heart broke. "I'm sorry, Luke," she whispered. "But I won't let you destroy yourself."

She loosed the arrow, aiming for his shoulder. It struck true, forcing Luke to drop the femur as pain shot through his arm. He stumbled, clutching the wound, his breaths ragged and uneven.

Kuro seized the opportunity, slamming his enormous hand with controlled force into Luke's chest. Luke was knocked out cold by the hit, which sent him plummeting to the ground. The world slanted around him, and he gulped for air, his vision swimming.

Eleanor approached cautiously, her bow still drawn. Her face was pale, her expression a mixture of sorrow and exhaustion. "Luke… please. Stop fighting. Let us help you."

Luke's eyes flickered toward her, filled with pain and resentment. "Help me?" he murmured, his voice weak. "You call this… helping?"

His vision blurred further, the pulsing walls of the labyrinth fading into darkness. His final thought was bitter, laced with despair. I was right. I can't trust anyone.

And then, the world went dark for Luke.