The First Move – Changing Fate

When was the last time you questioned why you were hungry?

Not just hunger.

Desire. Need.

The things we think are our own decisions.

We eat when food is in front of us.

We rest when we are told it's time.

We chase the things that have already been placed in our path.

But what if we never wanted them until they were placed there?

The Labyrinth never forced them to eat.

It simply let them realize their hunger at the perfect moment.

And that was true control.

Because the best way to make someone do something—

Was to make them think it was their idea.

~

The door yawned open, revealing…

A dining hall.

Long, endless tables.

Dark wood, polished to perfection.

Candlelight flickered against walls that weren't there.

The air was thick with the scent of warm bread, spiced meats, honeyed wine.

Zkarn exhaled dramatically. "Well. That's convenient."

Orris didn't move.

Veynn's golden eyes narrowed slightly.

"It's too easy."

Zkarn smirked. "Is it?"

He stepped inside without hesitation.

Orris followed slowly, scanning the space.

Veynn took a beat longer.

Then—she walked in, too.

Because hunger was louder than doubt.

And the Labyrinth knew that.

Zkarn sat first.

He picked up a silver goblet, swirling the deep red liquid inside.

"Do you think it's real?" he asked, tilting his head.

Veynn settled into the seat across from him. "Does it matter?"

Zkarn smirked. "You sound like someone who's already made up her mind."

Veynn picked up a knife, slicing into a piece of roasted meat.

"If the Labyrinth wanted to kill us, it wouldn't bother feeding us first."

Orris sat last.

He didn't touch the food immediately.

Instead, he watched.

Waited.

And then—he took the smallest bite of bread.

Nothing happened.

No poison.

No trick.

Just food.

And the moment they started eating—

The hunger deepened.

Because that's how it worked, didn't it?

The first bite was caution.

The second was curiosity.

The third—was need.

And soon, the food was disappearing faster than they realized.

Veynn wiped her lips with a cloth napkin, golden eyes unbothered.

"It wants us alive."

Zkarn chuckled. "For now."

Orris finally exhaled. "Or maybe it wants us full."

A pause.

Then—the lights flickered.

Just slightly.

Zkarn noticed first.

His smirk faded.

"Did you see that?"

Orris nodded slowly.

Veynn's gaze flicked upward.

The candles hadn't moved.

The air hadn't shifted.

And yet—something had changed.

Like the entire Labyrinth had exhaled.

Like it had been waiting for them to finish eating.

Veynn's fingers curled slightly.

Zkarn exhaled, shaking his head. "Well. That's unsettling."

Orris's voice was quiet.

"The game continues."

Then—

A voice.

Not from the sky.

Not from the walls.

From inside the room.

"Good. Now that you're full…"

The voice wasn't human.

Wasn't a whisper.

It was something else.

Something watching.

"Shall we begin?"

And before any of them could react—

The walls collapsed inward.

_______________________________

Xyro sat there.

Alone.

Not in the dark.

Not in the light.

Just… in existence.

He wasn't hungry.

Not even a little.

The others were somewhere above him, eating, drinking, playing the game like the Labyrinth wanted them to.

But the Labyrinth hadn't offered him a seat at the table.

Hadn't placed food before him.

Hadn't tried to lure him into entertainment or comfort.

Xyro's stomach was empty. But there was no pain, no longing, no craving.

And that was when the thought hit him.

Maybe—the Labyrinth didn't care if he survived.

Maybe it didn't need to keep him full or entertained.

Maybe… he wasn't supposed to exist at all.

A sharp sound cut through the silence.

Click.

Xyro tensed.

It wasn't a word.

It wasn't a voice.

Just—a mechanical sound.

Something being reset.

Then, suddenly—the world around him shifted.

The floor beneath him turned solid. Colder.

The space that had felt endless now had shape.

Walls.

A ceiling.

A room.

And in front of him—

A game.

A stone table.

Carved with intricate, interlocking shapes—a puzzle.

But this wasn't just about solving patterns.

Because on the table, there were three stone figures.

They were small, delicate in design.

And they were shaped exactly like Zkarn, Orris, and Veynn.

Xyro's breath slowed.

The pieces were already placed in a formation.

Not side by side.

Not evenly spaced.

But in a way that felt… wrong.

Zkarn's piece was at the far edge of the board. Almost pushed out.

Orris's piece was surrounded by jagged stone ridges, as if trapped.

And Veynn's piece was at the very center—elevated.

Xyro's fingers twitched.

This wasn't just a game.

It was a representation of something.

A test.

And he had a feeling… he was supposed to change the positions.

People believe they control where they are in life.

That they are in a position because they worked for it.

Because they chose it.

But what if someone else placed them there?

What if their entire existence—their successes, their failures—was determined by an invisible hand?

Would they ever know?

Would they ever realize…

That they were only pieces on someone else's board?

Anyways..

Xyro reached for the first piece.

Orris.

The stone ridges around him made it difficult to move.

Like it was locked in place.

But Xyro pushed harder.

The ridges cracked slightly, shifting just enough to pull Orris free.

A deep vibration passed through the table.

Xyro inhaled sharply.

The game had responded.

Something had changed.