Figures in dark cloaks crossed the boundary of the fortress wall. The towering gates, like giants over the people, slowly closed. There was no way back.

The paved, crooked road, surrounded by high protective walls, led the group of hunters downward, relentlessly narrowing every few dozen steps. Soon, only two warriors could walk side by side. But even this didn’t last long. The sun had barely risen above the horizon when the road ended in an abyss.

Suri’s heart plummeted just the same. “How could I forget about this? I was in such a hurry to leave the castle that I didn’t even think about the descent ahead.”

Cold sweat beaded on the girl’s face, trickling down her temples. Suri averted her eyes from the terrifying height. But where could she look when the endless blue filled all the space around her?

No one noticed the abnormal state of one of the blood mages. Everyone was busy with their own tasks.

Experienced hunters pulled ropes from their packs, wrapping them around their waists and passing the long ends to their companions. The trackers would go first, laying out the path and studying the terrain. At this height, they needn’t fear encountering beasts, but the path itself posed a lethal threat.

Behind the trackers came the core group of the first rank, the most seasoned and yet the smallest part of the team, who had faced danger shoulder to shoulder many times. Maxat and Tilek were among them.

The rear guard, covering the retreat, comprised the new members, regardless of their skills and specializations. Suri found herself among them. Though this was the largest and seemingly strongest part of the team, the true test was how strangers would react in a crisis and whether anyone would risk their life to save another. Hunters without trust in their comrades were as good as dead.

How could the captain not know this?

When Suri’s turn came, her hands trembled. The rope slipped from her grasp, but she didn’t even try to catch it. A nearby warrior picked it up and fastened it to her belt.

Taking a deep breath, Suri closed her eyes. She had no idea how the team planned to descend, but her imagination only made it scarier.

The hunters exchanged information, their voices carrying over the wind.

“The road’s crumbled. Looks like we’ll have to jump.”

“Only the nimble ones will make it with this wind.”

“Go ahead. Cross and secure the rope for the others.”

“What do you say, captain? Should we test the volunteers among the newbies?”

The more Suri heard, the more her anxiety grew. She clutched her thick cloak, not even noticing her nails digging into her skin.

She couldn’t descend with her eyes closed, but she couldn’t open them either. Fear paralyzed her, making it hard to breathe, her legs feeling nailed to the ground. She was on the verge of fainting.

“Everything’s fine,” came a familiar, soft voice. A small hand rested on her shoulder, and even through the thick cloak, Suri felt the warmth of another person.

Suri’s eyes flew open, and her mouth formed a silent ‘O.’ She had already said goodbye to these people and didn’t expect to see them here.

Imber stood before Suri, while Cassia was nearby. “And besides, no one can match him in agility. He won’t miss a foothold,” Cassia said with an encouraging smile. She saw the blood mage’s numerous questions and protests but didn’t give her a chance to voice them.

“Who? What footholds?” Suri mumbled, slowly regaining composure. Imber checked her belt fastening, completely absorbed in the task. Cassia stood close, and Suri recognized her familiar, unique scent. These small details had a healing effect on her battered soul.

“Who else? Val,” Cassia said. When Suri still looked confused, the girl added, “Avalon. He’s right there.” Her slender finger pointed confidently at one of the trackers.

Sensing the attention, a man wrapped in a cloak turned, revealing a grim young face crossed by a crooked scar. He quickly found Cassia among the hunters, nodded briefly, and resumed examining the path underfoot, scrutinizing each stone.

“I didn’t mean to leave silently,” Suri whispered. Cassia had recently survived a deadly ordeal and hadn’t joined any team since. Imber was lucky to return from the brink of death.

“No,” Imber replied instead of his sister. He looked up at her with his amber eyes gleaming in the dawn light. “I won’t leave my blood mage behind.”

His gaze was steady, allowing no argument. He had given his word and intended to keep it. Such resolve inspired confidence in those around him.

“It’s no wonder he was a captain. He’s meant to lead,” Suri thought. Imber’s bright smile transformed his face, giving it a carefree appearance. He tousled Suri’s hair, dispelling her dark thoughts.

“The descent will take most of the day if the path is still intact. It won’t be easy, but there’s no other way,” Imber warned.

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Suri frowned but said nothing. “How does he know? When did he notice I’m afraid of heights?”

Imber had a plan. He had long pondered his sister’s abilities. They might not help in a fight, but in moments like this, they were invaluable.

“Cass, it’s up to you,” Imber called his sister into action, tossing a pristine white stone into her hands. The artifact’s pure color made it glow from within. Cassia’s artifact paled in comparison in both color and size. “I’ll check what’s ahead.”

Imber separated from the group and headed towards the trackers. As he passed by the blood mages, he nodded in greeting to the captain, Maxat, who didn’t seem surprised.

Meanwhile, Cassia examined the new acquisition. “Where did my brother find such an artifact? I’ve never seen anything like it. Not even in the Archmage’s workshop.”

Licking her lips in anticipation, Cassia turned Suri to face her and looked into her blue eyes.

“What are you doing?” Suri asked, her tongue barely cooperating.

Cassia furrowed her brow. If her hands weren’t occupied, she would have simply waved off the question.

The sweet aroma emanating from the petite girl intensified, enveloping Suri as if alive, penetrating deep into her lungs.

Cold sweat formed on Cassia’s smooth forehead. This time, it took considerably more effort. Cassia couldn’t believe she was capable of such a feat without the assistance of a powerful artifact.

Soon, Suri’s breathing noticeably slowed, returning to a calm, steady rhythm. The storm of emotions subsided, and her mind cleared. Painful memories receded into the background, along with the panic attack.

Finally, Cassia breathed a heavy sigh and broke eye contact.

“This is all I can manage,” her voice had a hint of regret. “But it should be enough for a while.”

Without her brother’s intervention, she wouldn’t have thought herself capable of not only sensing others’ emotions and thoughts but also partially suppressing them.

Cassia’s ability didn’t require constant support. However, using her powers in this way for the first time, she couldn’t guarantee how long the effect would last. The fear would gradually return to Suri, and sooner or later, it would shackle her again. The blood mage’s unstable condition would exert significant pressure on those around her.

Two trackers approached the edge of the collapsed road and, without hesitation, climbed down. Their movements were agile and swift, as expected of their specialization. Several hunters closely monitored their comrades, guiding them and ensuring safety. Their actions synchronized, like a well-tuned clock. Each performed their task. The captain stood back, observing the actions of the entire team.

In the meantime, Imber approached Avalon. The men exchanged a few words before both began scrutinizing the collapsed road. Imber tapped on one of the slabs, producing a dull thud and dislodging a few loose stones. His face brightened, and he gestured to Avalon, summoning him over. With considerable effort, the two men managed to lift the slab, revealing a hole below. Soon, the other hunters joined them, helping to clear the path.

“Don’t underestimate a former third-rank captain. How did you know about the alternate route?” Maxat asked, peering into the hole. He assessed how long it would take to clear an opening large enough for a fully equipped hunter to pass through.

“It was just lucky that I spotted it during one of the ascents. The ground shook while we were up there,” Imber replied, heaving a slab aside with the help of another hunter. “If my assumptions are correct, we’ll descend straight to the trunk. From there, it’ll all depend on our luck. Unfortunately, the other squads haven’t returned yet, so we don’t know the situation ahead.”

“Hah,” Maxat chuckled in response. “After ‘silver blood,’ your skills are worse than guild riffraff’s, but you still manage to be somewhat useful.”

Avalon frowned, a green lightning flashing in his eyes. Imber didn’t even raise an eyebrow.

“Thank you for allowing me to go with the first rank,” Imber said, his tone calm and respectful. His hand hadn’t fully recovered. The effort of lifting the heavy slab had triggered a painful spasm in the muscles of his arm. He stepped aside, letting another hunter take his place.

“Keep going,” Maxat called him back to work. He didn’t give Imber a moment’s rest until he had finished the job.

Once the trackers confirmed the hole was clear and the path ahead safe, Imber rejoined his place in the aquad. He made a conscious effort to conceal his discomfort from prying eyes, but his trembling hand gave him away. Cassia took it upon herself to check her brother’s safety harness, her touch gentle yet firm.

Suri wasn’t expecting an easy descent, given her personal reasons, but she didn’t anticipate someone else making it even more challenging.

A sticky, unpleasant sensation touched her face, and a sharp scent assaulted her nose, so intense that it made her recoil from the cloying taste of green plums. The feeling of danger she’d experienced upon meeting the first rank returned, now barely concealed. Someone in the team was becoming increasingly impatient.

“Move forward,” Maxat ordered, and the hunters descended one by one into the narrow, cleared crevice.

Suri thought she wouldn’t be able to take a step, but when her turn came, she followed Imber step by step. She dangled into the darkness, let go, and in the next moment, her feet touched a solid, uneven surface.

“This is impossible.”

Suri stared wide-eyed around her. After jumping from the wind-swept stone path, she found herself underground.

“Move,” one of the hunters nudged the frozen blood mage, and a travel bag landed in her place.

Someone grabbed Suri’s hand just in time; otherwise, she would have slipped into the abyss. The spiky crystal hanging on a cord around her neck slipped out from the folds of her cloak. Its soft light illuminated the enormous tree trunk that filled her entire field of vision. As more hunters descended, more sources of light flared up, driving the darkness further away.

The surrounding atmosphere reminded her of the Heart, and Suri anxiously clutched the Thorn. The gnarled walls towering above her, blocking the sky, made her feel like an ant inside the hollow of an ancient oak. Where the bark had peeled away, sunlight streamed in, illuminating the semi-darkness like spotlight beams. High above, thick branches spread out, supporting the stone sky, the foundation of the airborne fortress. A dense mist descended on the travelers, leaving moisture on their cloaks. The air smelled of a musty dampness found in old storerooms where no archivist had ventured.

“So, this is how we descend into the Labyrinth,” Imber said, firmly squeezing the blood mage’s fingers.

“What were the trackers planning to do if you hadn’t shown another path?” She hesitated to move. The massive branch they had jumped onto, like many others, was covered in slippery blue lichen. One wrong step and she could lose her balance.

“See those breaches in the bark? Through them,” Imber nodded towards the numerous openings in the outer walls. After a brief pause, he continued, “Hunters used to descend via an external path that wound around the central trunk. Now, we have to find a new way each time.”

“Did the earthquakes cause the damage?” the blood mage inquired.

“No, it started collapsing even before the first tremor,” the warrior replied. “The other squads were supposed to forge a new path. If we’re lucky, we’ll connect with it, which will make the descent much easier.”

“No one lag behind. No breaks until we’re down,” Maxat ordered. The squad of hunters moved forward, each step drawing them closer to the Labyrinth.