Labyrinth

Warmth settled between them, soft and momentary, a small comfort in a place where everything else wanted them broken.

Syras leaned forward, arms resting on his knees, the firelight catching the edge of his jaw. "In my family, we have this tradition," he said, voice calm, almost nostalgic. "Every now and then, we sit around the fire… just like this. And we start sharing stories, how are our lives going? What's new? Do we need any help?" 

"My father said that, communicating is the way to keep family together, to talk and keep no secrets between us. Trust is the best weapon to have." 

"But that aside, someday, after all this ends, I want you to come visit Dune, I'll make you something real to eat. Show you how to cook like I do, you can also meet my siblings, they are gloomy just like you!" 

Dune gave a low chuckle. "Yeah, I don't think that'll work."

"Why not?"

"Because we still have to survive this place," Dune muttered, flicking a twig into the fire. 

"And so far, i don't know if that's looking too good."

Syras shrugged, unfazed. "We'll survive. This place? It's not that bad. It's not like we haven't done worse, remember bloodrose? Training was much worse than this!" 

Dune didn't respond, but the silence between them wasn't disagreement.

Syras turned toward Liora, tilting his head. "You can come too, strange woman." 

She didn't answer.

Her gaze was somewhere else, maybe in the fire, maybe far beyond it. As if the question didn't quite reach her, or maybe it did, and she didn't know how to hold it. She sat still, unmoving, unreadable.

The quiet that followed felt heavier than before. No one filled it.

For a while, they just listened, to the fire, to the rustle of far-off leaves, to the nothingness waiting outside the circle of warmth.

Syras broke the silence again, leaning forward with a grin.

"So, i spoke a lot it's not fair for you two to be so quiet, where are you two from? Tell your stories!" 

Dune's eyes remained fixed on the fire, his fingers tracing patterns in the sand beside him. He didn't answer immediately, the weight of memory holding his tongue.

Syras nudged him playfully. "Come on, don't shut down on me now. I'm serious, if you don't start talking, I'm not cooking next time."

Dune's gaze snapped up, sharp and steady. "You're serious?"

"Aham."

What do i even say? Syras doesn't even know that i'm zeten, it's better to not reveal anything with him yet. 

Dune let out a slow breath, then began. "I used to live in Fein. It was my home for most of my life. But then the city was destroyed by a calamity." 

"After that, me Ca—" … 

"i mean, me, my friend Atlas and my brother Ned made our way to Rendely, hoping for something different, something better."

He paused, looking into the fire as if the flames might offer an answer. "Things didn't get easier. Ned tried to pass the Bloodrose Academy trial. He gave everything he had, but in the end, it wasn't enough and he failed. It broke him, and after that, i guess there wasn't much left for him. So, he made a choice, he joined the Rodeny family." 

"Now we are separated." 

Syras waited quietly, the fire crackling between them. "Rodeny family is strong, your brother will be safe there, Ned will be alright."

"i saw him back then… it was brutal, Rodeny's are just too extreme. But i also saw how strong your brother was, he will handle it, you just have to believe in him." 

Dune nodded. "You're probably right Syras, but i can't help but be worried." 

Syras smiled "And what about the girl you were with in bloodrose? you two seemed to be close." 

Syras asked, his voice softer now. "Mindya, wasn't it?"

Dune's body stiffened. His hand came up to cover his face for a moment, as if trying to hide the sudden weight in his chest.

A strange heaviness came over him. His chest felt tight. His stomach too. He didn't understand why, it wasn't just worry. It was something else, something unfamiliar. 

"She's strong," he said, lowering his hand. "She grew up in the wild, just like you Syras. Surviving out there's nothing new to her. She should be able to handle this place."

Syras grinned. "Oho, then I'm sure she can. And I hope we meet her soon, so we can move forward together."

"Yeah… I hope so too," Dune murmured, his eyes falling back to the fire.

The flames shifted gently, their warm light reflecting in his pale irises.

What was so different about Mindya?

She was kind, yes. Funny, in the most irritating way. Loud when she shouldn't be. Rude when she didn't need to be. She had a mouth that didn't stop and a stubbornness that could rival the gods.

But that couldn't be it, not the reason for this weight in his chest, this lingering thought that never left.

He had met her back in Varrinor. Back when she could barely speak properly. He'd taught her everything, how to eat at a table without throwing food, how to talk to people without scaring them, how to dress, walk, live like someone raised in the real world.

And she had listened. Not perfectly. But with everything she had.

When he was with her, he forgot about everything else, the pressure, the weight, the cold logic he clung to.Around her, the world didn't feel so suffocating. Because with her, he felt more alive than he ever did in silence.

He remembered their journey towards Rendely, him, Cadogan, Mindya, Atlas and Ned… when they were all together. 

Without meaning to, Dune's lips curled into a faint smile, small but unmistakably real.

Syras caught it immediately. His eyes widened like he'd seen something impossible. "No way," he said, leaning forward. "Did you just smile?"

Dune blinked and turned his head slightly, but it was too late. Syras started laughing. A full, genuine laugh that echoed against the quiet morning air.

Even Liora was staring at him, her yellow fox mask tilted slightly, watching closely.

Syras reached out and clapped a hand on Dune's shoulder. "This is the first time I've seen you smile like that. What were you thinking about?" 

Dune shifted instantly, eyes flicking away. His face tightened with embarrassment. "What are you talking about idiot? I always smile." 

Syras laughed harder, "yeah sure, whatever you say." 

Dune rubbed the side of his face with one hand, trying to hide the warmth crawling up his neck.

On the other side of the fire, Liora watched quietly.

That smile… Dune's smile… it wasn't like the ones she'd seen on his face before. It was soft, almost shy. It made her chest ache in a way she couldn't explain.

Her gaze moved from Dune to Syras, the way he laughed so openly, his mouth wide, his eyes full of life. There was something beautiful in the way their expressions lit up, in the sound of shared joy that rose naturally between them.

She watched every detail. The curve of their lips. The spark in their eyes. The life on their faces.

And then… she looked down.

Her hand reached slowly up to her mask, fingertips brushing along the edge of the carved yellow fox face. There was no warmth beneath it. 

No smile. No frown. Nothing.

She didn't have a face to offer the world. No way to show what she felt, not truly.

And in moments like this, when others glowed so naturally, she felt it the most.

That quiet ache of envy.

She had always wondered what it might be like, to smile without hiding, to laugh with a face that reflected joy instead of a mask that stayed still.

But even if they couldn't see it, her heart was smiling.

They spent few more minutes to rest, until Dune decided that it was enough. 

They walked in silence for a while, weaving between the tall trees until the forest thinned out. 

The ground began to slope upward, and soon the dirt gave way to smooth stone. When they reached the edge, the forest ended completely, leaving only sky and wind.

Dune stopped first.

Before them was a massive cliff, and below it… was something entirely different.

He stepped forward, squinting against the wind. What stretched out beneath them looked like a maze carved into the earth. 

A labyrinth, walls towering high, more than fifty meters, twisted corridors stretching endlessly in every direction. And far in the distance, barely visible, another forest waited like a silent witness.

But beneath the walls, below the maze's path… there was only darkness. Not shadow. Just darkness. A bottomless, yawning void where the earth should be.

Dune didn't speak for a long moment. Then he reached out, lightly tapping Liora's shoulder with the curved end of his weapon.

"What is this place?"

Liora stared down with him, voice steady. "This is the Hollows Labyrinth. Inside are thousands of insect like hollows. All with their own abilities. You won't know what you'll meet until you're there."

"Great," Syras muttered. "There are two things i hate most about this world, labyrinth and insects are two of them." 

Dune narrowed his eyes, still scanning the walls far below. "Why can't we just go over it?" he asked. "Jump down and follow the top of the walls."

Liora shook her head. "Yea it's safer than labyrinth but Still risky. You wouldn't know when something jumps out from the darkness to pull you in. At least on the path, you might see them coming."

Dune sighed, then glanced at Syras. "What do you think?"

Syras grinned, tilting his head. "You think we can run for it?"

Dune smirked back. "Think?"

Syras laughed. "Let's do it."

Before they could move, Liora stepped in front of them, placing a hand firmly on Dune's shoulder.

"You're crazy," she said, eyes wide. "You're going to kill yourselves. We can't go there."

Dune looked at her, calm and unmoved.

"Good for you," he said quietly. "You're not coming with us."

She backed down, confused.

"Congratulations," Dune pointed to the forest. 

"You're free, go run away."

"Yay!" Syras cheered, clapping loudly beside them.

Liora stared between them, unsure how to react. After a pause, she nodded slowly. "I'll… let you keep the weapons. You'll need them."

"Thank you," Dune replied. "You are very kind." Then, gently, he reached up and removed her hand from his shoulder. "Now go."

Without another word, Liora turned and ran, back into the forest. Her figure vanished between the trees, leaving only wind behind.

Dune turned to Syras. "Throw the weapon down."

Syras didn't hesitate. Both of them stepped to the edge and tossed the scythe-shaped weapons into the labyrinth below. The blades spun, silver glinting as they vanished into the maze.

Syras folded his arms. "You think they can detect us through her weapon's Neba?"

Dune nodded. "Probably."

Syras sighed. "Tsk."

Dune's eyes focused ahead. "Let's give it a go, Syras. We're not stopping until we reach the end. Whatever comes out of that darkness, just try to avoid it. Keep running."

Syras nodded once, his smile fading into focus. "Don't you know me? Let's go."

And without hesitation, they jumped down into the labyrinth. Into the land full of beasts.