The World Tree, surrounded by boundless waters on all sides, sprouted from a patch of barren yellow land. Azur rested at the top of this tree, serene in its ambition to rise above everything, oblivious to the gigantic tree that, like a parent, invisibly supported its child.

Did any of Azur’s residents, apart from the hunters, realize how insignificantly small their world was within the fortress walls? The young sprouts had firmly bound the fate of the tree to its insignificant inhabitants. Thanks to the ignorance of these small creatures, the great entity earned its name - The Heart.

As tidal waters wear away stone, so too would the arboreal deity eventually bow its head. The scaly stone bark crumbled, revealing a decaying core. The hunters’ catch, which nourished the tree’s strength, was no more than a drop in the ocean compared to the torrential river of life force leaving it.

“Shug wasn’t lying. There’s far less time left than the Magister believed,” Suri thought, following Imber through the thicket of roots and fallen branches.

It took a long time for the first rank to reach the foot of the abyss. The heavy, moist air pressed on the hunters’ chests, casting a melancholic and grim mood.

“Want to bet on whether we’ll get lucky or not?” A warrior with a cloth band around his head elbowed his neighbor, his thick brows furrowed intensely. “What do you say? Or how about this: who will we meet first, a creature or one of the second rank?”

“How do you plan to tell them apart?” his comrade grunted back, keeping the conversation light.

The nearby warriors silently cast mocking glances at the brave ones, mentally placing bets on the risky endeavor. Anxiety loosened the tongues of fools.

Maxat laughed loudly. “I wouldn’t mind betting on that either. Tilek, brother, what do you say?” He raised his hand over the shoulder of a young man but missed.

Tilek stepped back and pulled a travel crystal from his belt. As the bright light source dimmed in his fist, he tossed the crystal to the disappointed captain.

“I almost forgot.” Maxat nodded to his partner and headed toward the newcomers.

“Take it. You’ll need it,” Suri heard his calm voice from under the cloak. After a moment’s thought, Maxat added, “A surveillance crystal. In case you get lost. No guarantees it’ll save you, but it’s better than nothing.” Suri had seen a similar crystal on Cassia’s neck during the hunters’ trial. Now she knew who its creator was.

“Captain,” the tracker waved a hand toward Maxat, “The path is clear.”

The hunters’ smiles faded, and everyone present turned their expectant gazes to the captain.

Maxat nodded briefly, acknowledging the information, then turned to the squad and said, “I don’t care who you are or what abilities you have. From now on, my order is the meaning of your life.” His sharp gaze slid over the squad, scrutinizing each hunter’s face. “Whatever it takes, we must reach the bottom. And may the Labyrinth have mercy on us! Move out!”

Disjointed yet determined shouts of agreement echoed, and the squad moved down the narrow path descending into the depths of the dungeon.

The temperature dropped sharply. The lush blue lichen covering the path underfoot gave way to yellow soil. Here and there, thick gnarled roots jutted out, blocking the hunters’ way. Throughout their journey, they were accompanied by the roar of falling water crashing against the rocks below. Fine mist sprayed their faces, and dampness relentlessly seeped under their cloaks.

Suri mentally invoked the true speech, awakening the runes on her armor. A pleasant warmth spread across her chest and back, driving away the chill.

The hunters plunged into darkness, following the raging water flow. Soon, they entered a vast cave. An extraordinary sight unfolded before them, as if they had passed through a portal into another world. Sharp stone arches overhead were studded with a scattering of brilliant yellow crystals that illuminated the mirror-like surface of the underground lake. Despite the huge waterfall cascading into the lake, the water level never rose. The narrow shore was lined with metal, through which a passage yawned, easily wide enough for heavy machinery to pass through.

The matte metallic walls of the structure shimmered mysteriously. Golden light sources glimmered in the deep dents and ugly scratches. Even the wildest imagination couldn’t guess what could have left such marks on the toughest alloy.

This object simply couldn’t belong to the world of Azur, but its appearance was familiar to Suri. As were the almost erased symbols on the wall.

“L… … A… B… Y… R… … In… T… H…,” Suri read aloud.

The damage to the metal structure made it impossible to fully restore the inscription, with only a few symbols of the information board remaining.

“Lab for Advanced Biotechnology Yield Research and Integrated Techniques Hub.” In Suri’s mind, the phrase became complete. She pressed her hand to her trembling lips, and her mind went completely blank.

Imber called out to Suri, but she stared at the symbols above the passage, unresponsive. “Suri!” He shook her shoulders, breaking her trance. “What’s wrong?”

“I know this place… I’ve been here before…” she answered, not taking her eyes off the words.

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“Do you remember? Remember how he pulled you out?” Imber continued asking questions, but Suri remained in a trance.

She shook her head. “No, earlier… What did you say?” Imber’s question seemed strange. But she was interrupted by a sharp, throbbing pain in her temples. Foreign thoughts flooded her mind.

[Did the creature remember the true purpose of this place?] asked the velvety voice. A foreign entity touched the girl’s thoughts, seeking an answer to its question. Shug’s invasion into Suri’s mind was too sudden, depriving her of the chance to carefully hide her thoughts.

“What happened?” Imber touched the blood mage’s shoulder. Suri flinched but did not react. She only clenched her teeth harder, trying to contain the foreign power bursting from her body.

The Thorn spread across her arm, sprouting flexible branches. Its smooth surface pulsed with energy. Like a beast awakened from a long slumber in search of food, the Thorn demanded attention.

The blood mages felt the foreign power. A pair of eyes unmistakably picked out Suri among the other hunters.

“I warned you. No one does anything without my order,” Maxat’s cold, insidious voice rang out. “Or does someone think they deserve special treatment?”

The Thorn was out of control. Its silver branches wrapped around Suri’s palm, extending into a long, thin blade. The weapon appeared before the first rank.

Maxat quickly turned to Tilek, but the man noticed nothing around him, completely mesmerized by the sight of the silver blade. A strong pressure emanated from its owner, and the hunters felt as if they were once again undergoing the trial in the depths of Azur. The pressure intensified. Those closest suffered the most. Each subsequent breath became increasingly difficult. Cassia’s hands were soaked, and soon the girl’s knees hit the ground.

The Thorn did not heed any pleas. After a long period of calm, its awakening brought a storm. It was hungry. And now it was surrounded by the sweetest fruits.

[You won’t hurt any of them! No one!] Suri clutched the Thorn, desperately trying to keep the entity under control. But unlike true speech, the creature’s will was much stronger.

[Whom does the creature seek to protect?] the velvety voice inquired, its tone even, as if discussing something trivial and not a matter of life and death.

[You won’t hurt anyone!] Suri repeated. Her brows furrowed. [If you don’t want me to turn around and go back to Azur, you’ll obey me.]

[Gulyp-gulyp], Shug laughed. [The creature dares threaten disobedience?] The mood of the entity in the bracelet shifted abruptly. [Shug is hungry and cannot descend to the lower levels. And if Shug cannot, then the creature certainly cannot.] The deep voice sounded almost offended, not hiding its displeasure.

Someone grabbed Suri by the shoulders and shook her hard, breaking the mental argument with Shug. When she came to her senses, she found Imber looking at her worriedly. All the other hunters surrounded her, their weapons aimed at her. Suri looked at their tense, pale faces in surprise, noticing traces of blood under some of their noses or on their ears.

[Shug demands what is due to him,] came the final word, ending the dispute. The thin blade on Suri’s arm shrank until a delicate bracelet of twisted white branches hung from her wrist.

“Are you alright?” Imber asked, loosening his grip. He did not step away, partially shielding her from the others.

“Sorry,” Suri said quietly. “There’s no threat…”

“Tell that to your little servant,” Maxat interrupted, pointing aside.

Cassia lay on the ground, showing no signs of movement. Avalon supported her head, gently wiping the blood from under her ears.

“She’s fine,” Imber answered before the question was asked. “Reaction to suppressing a blood mage.”

“Keep your power in check, or I’ll solve your control problem before the beasts find us,” Maxat warned coldly. “There will be no rest. Move out.”

“Didn’t she pass the trial? What’s a wild blood mage doing among us? Why did the captain spare her?” Suri caught snippets of the hunters’ conversations, all tinged with fear and discontent.

Avalon helped Cassia to her feet, but she quickly pulled away from him. She was the only one in the squad who had ended up on the ground, wounding her pride deeply. Biting her lip in frustration, doubt crept into her eyes.

“Changed your mind? Then go back to Azur. There,” Imber pointed to the entrance, “it will be much worse.”

Girl`s slender fingers gripping the handle of her dagger. Doubt quickly dissolved into a determined glint in her eyes. She would no longer let those close to her out of her sight.

Imber nodded, his thoughts occupied with the state of the blood mage. Why did her suppression grow stronger the closer they got to the Labyrinth? If he and Cassia noticed, it certainly wasn’t a secret to the other blood mages either.

One of the scouts slipped to the entrance, carefully measuring each step. He paused for a moment, listening, then gave a signal to his companions. The other scouts, including Avalon, joined him. After exchanging a few words, the scouts split up, each one entering the shadowy passage in turn. Instead of the usual travel crystals, each scout had a creation of Tilek on their belts, allowing the rest of the squad to monitor their movements from a distance.

Moments turned into minutes, and soon a distant dim light flickered several times.

“The path is clear,” shouted Maxat, and he was the first to plunge into the darkness. A bright light flared on his belt, dispelling the unknown. “Maintain silence,” he signaled with hunter’s hand signs. His sharp silver eyes followed the distant dim lights ahead, only occasionally glancing to gauge Tilek’s reaction. The second first rank`s blood mage was relaxed; the scouts had not encountered any danger.

Like the others, Suri entered the passage. Reaching the Labyrinth was difficult, but it took only one step to enter. The place that had led countless hunters to their deaths seemed peacefully calm.

A spacious tunnel stretched ahead. The echo of the hunters’ light steps traveled far, the only sound disturbing the eerie silence. Metal parts of the once intact structure captured the light from travel crystals. Most of the passages had collapsed; others were blocked by massive twisted roots. Clearing a new path would take significant time and effort. Yet the scouts confidently led the squad forward, finding a way even through the most hopeless obstructions.

A dim light far ahead flickered, joined by another, until all the lights flickered in a similar rhythm. Maxat stopped at the first signal; the others didn’t need an order. All drew their weapons and took battle stances.

“It’s not a creature,” Tilek remarked, sheathing his blade. Without the captain’s command, the other hunters dared not relax.

Echoes of quick steps sounded, and a scout’s figure leaped into the light from the darkness. He approached Maxat and reported in a barely audible voice, “The main road is blocked. The map is silent.”

Maxat frowned as he looked at the crumpled scroll the scout handed him. His brows knitted together. He pointed to a spot, but the scout shook his head in dismay. That path was also inaccessible.

“The second rank managed to pass somehow?” Maxat hissed. “Find a detour.”

The scout nodded and left, but even after a long time, they found nothing.

Would they have to clear a new path? It would not only take a lot of time, but the noise would attract unwanted attention.

The first rank had encountered obstacles before, but at least the main tunnel had never been blocked.

It was a bad omen.