“Game of the Abyss”

Phase 2: "Labyrinth of the Hunt"

"The teams will now be assigned!" Avaris' voice thundered through the labyrinthine corridors of the "Gray Depths." The mechanical entrance rattled and was closed with a crashing jolt – as if the labyrinth had swallowed its prey.

A cold shiver ran down the participants' spines. The labyrinth was alive – it pulsed, changed, adapted.

"Team A: Ezryel, Stella, Nia, Kirah."

"Team B: Liebe, Rex, Kyro, Neo."

Kyro heard his name and felt a mix of relief and tension spread through him. "With Rex again," he spoke quietly and glanced at his teammate. Rex returned the look with a brief nod. Good. He had my back last time.

Kyro let his gaze wander to Liebe and Neo, both standing silently. "Neo is clever – almost eerie. And Liebe? Quiet, inconspicuous, almost disinterested. But someone who secured second place, just a fraction behind Ezryel, must be hiding more than he shows."

His eyes shifted to Ezryel's team. Ezryel, the most experienced fighter here, stood calmly – like the silence before a storm. He will have a plan. That both motivated Kyro and made him uneasy.

Then, as if on an unheard command, the labyrinth began to move. A dull hiss, followed by the screeching of shifting walls. The ground vibrated slightly beneath their feet as passages twisted and new paths emerged.

With one last glance at the other team disappearing into the darkness, Kyro nodded to Rex. "Ready?"

"More than ready." Rex's gaze was unwavering, fixed on the path opening before them.

"Good, then let's go."

Team A moved in the opposite direction. The walls flickered, distorted – as if they wanted to give them a taste of the chaos that awaited.

Ezryel ran his hand over the cold metal. "The labyrinth follows a rhythm. Those who understand it will move forward."

"I hope you're right." Stella let her gaze glide over the walls. "These walls aren't just made of metal. There's something else…"

"Traps." Nia cautiously peered into a narrow passage leading into the darkness. "Do you hear that?"

A faint clicking sound.

"That's it." Kirah took a step back. "We need to time this right, or we'll be lost here faster than we'd like."

The group moved forward carefully, every step a test of their senses. Then they reached the first puzzle

The Puzzle of the "Rotating Columns"

The passage ended abruptly at a massive metal wall. At regular intervals, rotatable columns were embedded, each engraved with a symbol: a sword, a key, a feather, and an eye.

"This is a puzzle." Ezryel examined the symbols. "We need to turn the columns in the correct order, but which one?"

"There are no clues here." Nia crossed her arms. "What could this mean?"

"Sword, key, feather, eye…" Stella thought aloud. "Sword as a weapon, key as access, feather for freedom or wisdom, and the eye… the eye could stand for truth or insight. It makes sense that the order reflects the meaning of determination, access, wisdom, and perception."

"Maybe we need to arrange the columns to tell a story." Kirah considered the puzzle thoughtfully.

Ezryel nodded. "Yes, that could be it. Let's try rotating them according to that interpretation."

With a firm motion, Ezryel turned the first column. The sword symbol shimmered, and as he moved the second and third columns in the assumed order, a deep humming sound echoed. The massive wall slid aside, and the passage opened.

"That was close." Nia exhaled as they walked past the shifting columns. "And that was just the beginning."

The labyrinth lay silent. But it was a deceptive silence – only the echo of their footsteps and the faint grinding of moving walls accompanied them.

Ezryel, who possessed the talent of resonance power, stepped forward and studied the columns, still turning slowly. "This is no coincidence. The order of the symbols must have a deeper meaning. We need to figure out what they are trying to tell us."

Stella stepped forward, her body bathed in a soft glow. "Maybe the light reveals hidden patterns. I can make the structure visible."

The walls of the labyrinth flickered again – as if it had taken notice.

The true test had only just begun.