Chapter Twenty-Two
A Path Beneath Light and Stone
The guild briefing had been brief but pointed: a team of E-rank adventurers had gone missing two days prior on the third floor of the Velmoran Labyrinth. Given their low rank, it wasn't unusual for the guild to delay rescue efforts. But this time, a second team sent to investigate hadn't reported back either. The clerk's eyes had flicked briefly to Kael, Mara, and Arden before handing over the parchment. "Third floor clearance. Proceed with caution."
Kael accepted the mission slip in silence, tucking it into his satchel. Mara adjusted her swordbelt and nodded. Zerai cracked his knuckles, his usual smirk subdued but still present. Arden glanced down at his notes, frowning at a passage written in starlit ink. "Krelmites," he muttered, "swarm-based subterra predators. Small, fast, and dangerous in groups."
They entered the labyrinth under morning light, descending through winding staircases until natural sunlight was replaced by soft, bioluminescent moss and drifting particles that glowed like fireflies. The first floor stretched out like an enchanted grove. Trees with silvery leaves grew through cracked marble, their roots curling around shattered statues of long-forgotten warriors. Pools of clear water reflected columns still etched with runes.
Mara paused to touch one of the pillars. "It doesn't feel cursed," she said. "Just... old."
Zerai tapped the stone with his knuckles. "Too quiet."
As they moved deeper, the environment shifted subtly. The second floor was quieter, darker. The walls bore signs of overgrowth and collapse, as if nature had tried to reclaim the ruins but stopped halfway. More broken murals, more silence.
Then came the third floor. The descent brought a cold shift. The air felt heavier, the walls jagged and scarred. Kael felt it in his bones—that strange pull in his vision, like a thread brushing the edge of sight.
"Movement," he whispered.
Zerai nodded. "Up ahead."
Their pace quickened. They navigated a collapsed corridor, stepping over a shattered bridge held up only by ancient vines. Then they heard it—a cry, the clang of steel, the scrabble of claws.
They ran.
Through a ruined archway they found them: a man and a woman, cornered in the center of a circular chamber that looked like a shattered amphitheater. Cracked stone seats lined the outer walls. At the center, dozens of twisted, skeletal creatures surrounded the pair.
The man, with short black hair and a broad-shouldered stance, moved with methodical precision, each sword strike sweeping wide to hold the line. The woman was faster, her blade dancing in tight arcs, intercepting flanking enemies with each swift step.
"Reinforcements!" Kael shouted, and surged forward.
His blade was already drawn, Aethra's Sight flaring to life. The world slowed. He could see the movements before they happened, the flick of a claw, the twitch of a jaw, the angle of a leap. He wove through them, cutting down three creatures before they realized he was there.
Mara was at his side in seconds. Her footwork flowed like water, each parry smooth, each strike a guard rather than a kill. She covered Kael's flank, letting him dive deeper into the chaos.
Zerai launched himself into the swarm with a grin, fists crackling. He struck the ground with both palms, sending a pulse of electricity through the floor that flung five of the creatures back. Then he flipped upward, landing atop a broken column and launching himself into the air with a spinning kick that crushed a leaping monster mid-air.
Arden stood back, whispering star-names. Light formed patterns in the air around him, sigils floating like constellations. A beam of searing radiance lanced downward, incinerating a cluster of the swarm near the edge.
The two trapped adventurers adjusted quickly.
The man fell in beside Kael, matching his rhythm without a word. Together, they moved in near silence, blades flowing in tandem. The woman shifted toward Mara, and for a moment the two fought back-to-back, their differing styles weaving into a single wall of steel and precision.
"Kael!" Arden called. "More above!"
Zerai was already in the air, intercepting the ceiling-climbers mid-leap. He crashed down into them with a shockwave punch that cracked stone.
Arden traced a radiant circle and slammed his staff into the center. Light erupted outward, forming a dome. Inside, the enemies froze, drawn by the glyphs. Kael and his new ally cut them down together.
The last creature fell with a shriek. Silence followed.
The two adventurers backed away cautiously.
Kael lowered his blade, though his gaze stayed sharp. "You're not with the missing team."
"Different quest," the man replied. "Eryndor. This is Liora. We were tracking something... didn't expect guests."
Liora wiped her blade on a fallen cloak. "Thanks. We were nearly out of room to breathe."
Arden nodded. "Krelmites don't swarm like that without reason. They were hunting something. Or someone."
Zerai cracked his neck. "Anyone else get that feeling like we're being watched?"
Kael turned, gaze narrowing. "There are more signs. Look."
He pointed to the western corridor. Scorched bootprints. A discarded adventurer's pack. A broken badge.
Liora stepped closer, brow furrowed. "That's not ours."
They all understood. The missing team might still be alive.
Kael turned to Eryndor. "We move together."
Eryndor gave a curt nod. "Agreed."
They reformed the group. Six strong, blades ready, and descended deeper.
Far ahead, torchlight flickered. A low groan echoed through the ruined halls. Dust scattered over an outstretched hand.
The true danger waited below.
Continue to Chapter XXIII...