The collapse had blocked the fortified main tunnel, burying the path ahead under a mix of reddish dirt, rocks, and sharp metal debris. Gripping the map, Maxat made a sweeping gesture, dispatching part of the squad’s main forces to the scouts. The warriors dispersed, their waist-mounted travel crystals illuminating the area.

The captain’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration; the map showed no alternative route. Clearing the path would take the rest of the day, and the noise would attract life-threatening attention. Was there really no other option?

Maxat called the senior scout over. “Find another way,” he demanded in a whisper. The hunter hesitated in silence, and Maxat’s cold eyes flashed with annoyance. No response followed. The scout wasn’t ready to voice the only option he deemed acceptable.

Rubbing his eyelids, Maxat whispered, “How long ago did this collapse happen? If you’re worth anything.”

The scout pursed his lips and replied humbly, “At least a few days.”

“Days, you say? Then where is the second rank? Has Ide become so capable?” Maxat hissed. The second rank had entered the Labyrinth not long before, and if there was no other way, why hadn’t they encountered them yet?

The scout nodded and quickly left, knowing he and his comrades had much work to do. The warriors grimaced disdainfully; never before had all the trackers of a squad returned alive to Azur, and judging by their looks, there were reasons for that.

“Escort them,” Maxat ordered, his eyes never leaving the map. He knew it by heart yet still held onto it, mentally wandering through the drawn paths. He didn’t see four of his men nod and follow part of the scouts back along the route they had already traveled. He didn’t even think to check the execution of his words. Tilek, however, slowly followed the detached squad. The captain’s order seemed meaningless to him; he acted simply because he wanted to.

Cassia sat wearily on the ground, shivering from the cold. She hoped to soon get used to the suppression, but her headache only worsened. Dark circles formed under her eyes. Tugging Imber’s cloak, she whispered, “How can he see anything in this darkness?”

She pointed to the young warrior with a scar on his face, who deftly probed the crooked walls.

Imber briefly squeezed his sister’s shoulder and whispered back, “Didn’t he tell you about his abilities?”

“Do hunters share such information with outsiders willingly?” Cassia wondered.

“He should have told you,” Imber smiled mysteriously.

“What do you mean?” Cassia’s voice came out louder than she expected, and a red blush blossomed on her cheeks.

Imber shrugged. He could no longer afford to tease his sister or leave her unanswered, not when the blood mage’s blue eyes burned with undeniable curiosity. “If there’s something there, he will find it.”

Avalon had never been a tracker. But his unique skills and agility set the young warrior apart, allowing him to join the first rank. Avalon’s ability made him an excellent marksman.

Time passed. The light from the travel crystals of the departed squad members faded into the distance. Suri increasingly glanced at the map in Maxat’s hands, when Imber silently handed her a white piece of parchment with an exact diagram of the dungeon known to the third rank.

The map was significantly smaller than the one stuck in captain’s hands. The third rank couldn’t compare to the achievements in exploring the Labyrinth made by the strongest squad in Azur. Still, it was much more than Suri had dreamed of seeing. A thick black circle marked the entrance. The main tunnel led down, splitting into many smaller branches. Some paths were crossed out, others were not. Some ended in dead ends, while others remained unfinished.

“Are we somewhere around here?” Suri pointed with her thin finger to a spot on the map. “Where did you find me?” Her voice broke. She didn’t take her eyes off the map, fearing she might miss the moment of revelation.

And finally, she saw it: the underground cave not far from them. A narrow side passage connected the cave to the main tunnel. According to this map, there were no other entrances. However, the map had too many blank spaces.

“If I was so close to the entrance, why didn’t anyone find me earlier?” Suri thought to herself but voiced something else. “You know I must see this cave with my own eyes. There’s nothing more important to me.”

Imber pulled his hand away from the map as if scalded. He knew well the blood mage’s intentions but didn’t want her to see her birthplace. Wanderers who recovered more memories than necessary never ended well. His reluctance was so strong that, for the first time in his life, he wished to break his word.

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“Imber,” the girl lifted her blue eyes full of pleading. “There is no other way for me. I need to know.”

Her gaze was too heavy, and the warrior lowered his eyes. A deep furrow formed between his brows, a testament to the conflicting emotions tearing him apart. Finally, he parted his firm lips and exhaled heavily, conceding defeat. “First, we need to bypass the collapse. Then we’ll separate from the first rank. And don’t think the captain will let us go easily. Pray the blood mages don’t decide to expend all their efforts on us.” Imber had ventured into this accursed place to give his savior a chance at survival. Without her gift to him, he would have lost not only his hunter’s ability but his life as well.

“We need to let Avalon know,” Cassia said, breathing heavily. She wasn’t surprised by Suri’s determination. After all, everything Suri did was to reach her tomb.

Imber shook his head. “No. You will stay with him and the first rank.” He raised his hand, cutting off his younger sister’s resistance before it started. “Don’t argue. It’s easier for two to leave the squad and move unnoticed through the Labyrinth. And I am sure we can catch up with the squad when they stop for a break. If we run into a den, two or four of our blades won’t make any difference.”

Their discussion was interrupted as Tilek returned with the rest of the squad members. The steps of the second blood mage of the first rank were as light as usual. He didn’t walk but seemed to glide over the ground.

“Ide’s path looks even worse than the main road. It seems to be the aftermath of the last tremor,” Tilek said quietly. One of the warriors cursed disheartenedly and kicked the ground. Each was lost in thoughts of whether it would be better to return to Azur before the suppression took over and let other ranks deal with the collapse first. No one mentioned the hunter squads that had descended earlier.

A warrior overseeing Avalon’s work ran to Maxat. “That kid found something. It will be much easier to open the passage than dig out the main tunnel,” he said excitedly.

Maxat grimaced. He no longer hoped for good news, and seeing the scout’s passivity didn’t rush to get his hopes up. “What did you find?” the captain finally asked.

“A beast tunnel,” Avalon replied, focusing on the tracks on the ground. “It seems there’s a den nearby.”

“Do you see any recent beast tracks?”

Avalon shook his head. “The tracks are old.”

Maxat signaled, and another scout joined Avalon. “I found nothing, but the tunnel hasn’t been used for a long time,” the scout reported.

“The tunnel is old, but the beasts could have dug a new path to their den. It’s dangerous to use it,” Avalon stated firmly. “We can still clear the main tunnel.”

Tilek showed his impatience, his excited eyes glistening from under his cloak. “Open this path,” his raspy voice brooked no argument. A chill emanated from him, and Avalon’s chest tightened in a vice. Maxat stepped back from Tilek.

Avalon blocked the path to the blood mage but couldn’t hold out much longer.

“We cannot go this way. My previous squad took a different route, but I believe we encountered a group of beasts from this very den. These were too large to be ordinary workers, and the third rank was wiped out.”

Maxat laughed. “What has the third rank ever seen? Do you think the first rank is just as pathetic?”

Tilek had no intention of joining the discussion. With a single motion, he snatched a heavy hammer from a warrior’s back and brought it down on Avalon as if it weighed nothing. The young warrior dodged, and the weapon shattered the seemingly sturdy wall like an eggshell.

“Be ready. The former third rank has kindly informed us of some upcoming entertainment,” Maxat sneered. Meanwhile, the hunters swiftly cleared the narrow burrow, which was tall enough for an adult man to walk through without worrying about hitting his head.

“I don’t see any creature tracks,” a warrior grumbled, illuminating the ground and walls of the new passage with a yellow crystal. “Don’t worry, captain. If the den was really nearby, all traces have long gone cold. Would creatures stay in one place that long? Why did this kid make such a fuss over some minor detail?” Despite his arrogant attitude, the warrior didn’t raise his voice. His keen eyes scanned the darkness, and his hand rested near the hilt of his weapon.

The warrior was the first to squeeze through the passage. His equipment snagged on the protruding rocks, but he moved forward confidently. Over time, some roots in the passage had grown together, blocking the way, and the warrior deftly wielded a sharp dagger to clear the obstacles. The more barriers he encountered, the calmer he felt.

After breaking through particularly tightly entwined roots, the warrior lost his balance and tumbled forward. There was a ringing sound, and the yellow light went out.

“All clear,” the warrior quickly whispered to reassure his comrades. “There’s another tunnel here.”

One by one, the hunters spilled out of the passage into a spacious tunnel. It wasn’t marked on their map, but their squad could bypass the collapse and attempt to rejoin the main tunnel.

This path could also bring Suri closer to her desired underground cave. Her heart pounded wildly. At any moment, she was ready to dash off, forgetting all caution.

“Captain,” Suri heard a hunter’s excited voice drawing Maxat’s attention. “There are tracks here. Lots of them. Still fresh.”

Another hunter reported a find: “I found several like these to the north.” He showed a well-recognizable hunter’s blade, stained with dried goo.

One by one, the warriors began finding traces of another squad’s presence in this place—blood, broken weapons, abandoned equipment torn to pieces. The tracks led further. Judging by the direction, a squad was moving deeper into the Labyrinth, fleeing from danger.

[A creature must flee,] a velvety voice echoed in Suri’s mind. Power surged from the bracelet, signaling Shug’s awakening.

At that moment, foreign sounds emerged in the darkness of the passage. At first, it was a faint noise, like distant running water, but with each heartbeat, it grew stronger, turning into a chorus. Clicks and clatters were mixed with rustling. Something was rapidly approaching.

[Run.]