NOLMES. ZACRIYA KINGDOM.

The sky over the capital city oppressively grey, heavy clouds pregnant with the threat of rain, though only a light drizzle dusted the ground for now.

The cold hung in the air, biting but not yet freezing, wrapping the entire landscape in a dull, sombre atmosphere.

The entrance to the Nolmes Forest, cloaked in early evening fog, seemed even more foreboding under these conditions. Mia Vyris and Quine Poet, along with the entire Expedition Army, stood waiting in the cold, their breaths forming white clouds in front of their faces.

Quine grunted, a puff of warm air releasing from her lips in the chill. "What is so appealing about this traveller for His Highness to tailor to his request just like this? This is simply out of our usual protocol."

Mia stood beside her, unbothered by the cold, lounging casually in her thick gigapelt fur coat. She shrugged in nonchalance.

"You overestimate Edris and underestimate Dolan."

Quine shot her a look, eyebrows arching. Mia cleared her throat, a slight smirk breaking her composed expression.

"...His Highness, I meant," she amended.

Quine glanced away, and Mia tucked her chin deeper into her coat, her voice muffled but still clear.

"They’re quite alike, you know. In one way or another. In that respect, helping the traveller is like helping himself."

Quine frowned, the metal of her gauntlet clinking slightly as she crossed her arms. "Alike? His Highness and him?"

Quine knew the traveller, Edris. She’d met him only once, back at the Dread Chamber, but that meeting had been more than enough to gauge him. The dark-haired foreigner was silver-tongued, pragmatic, and, in her eyes, far too cunning to be reliable.

Frankly, she didn’t trust someone like him, especially a foreigner, getting too close to the future King of Zacriya.

Mia, catching the look of dismay crossing Quine’s face, chuckled softly and shook her head. "Quine, do you know what type of bond is the strongest?"

Before Quine could respond, a blinding light emerged from the depths of the forest, illuminating the fog-drenched path like a flare. The entire Expedition Army stiffened, shifting into formation, hands twitching toward their weapons.

Unlike them, Mia didn’t even flinch as she faced the rustling forest. Light reflected off her ruby-like eyes, and her voice delivered through the chaos.

“It’s one when both sides have something to gain."

Mana surged in the air, pressing against them with a force that made the very ground beneath them tremble. The birds in the forest scattered into the sky, cawing in protest at the disturbance.

One of the soldiers behind them stumbled back slightly, his voice tight with alarm. "W-what power—!"

The ranks immediately settled into defensive positions, weapons gleaming under the faint light. Quine Poet's eyes narrowed, and her instincts sharpened. It had been years since so many foreigners arrived in Nolmes at once, and the tension was palpable.

With a swift motion, Quine lifted her arm, the metal gauntlet clattering against her armour. Her voice, dominant and steady, echoed through the rows of soldiers, amplified by the diffusion orb clipped to her waist.

"The Adalarians are arriving! Stay on guard!"

The Crown Prince said they were here to provide reinforcement and support for the Adalarian refugees fleeing a national emergency in their kingdom. Yet despite knowing this pretext, as the lead of the group, Quine couldn’t afford to drop her defences.

They had to remain prepared for anything—whether it was political unrest, unexpected demands, or even combat.

The sound of footsteps amplified. The first to emerge from the intense light was Commander Evans Moons, the golden-haired leader of the Adalan Imperial Army.

It didn’t take much for one to pin him as a man used to command. His aura was daunting, his posture firm and authority extruded from every step. Following close behind him were the royal advisor and a group of Adalarian citizens, faces etched with the fatigue of those who had fled a crisis.

Once Quine discerned there was no immediate threat, she stepped forward, her gauntlet clinking as she extended her arm toward Commander Evans.

"Greetings, Commander Moon. My name is Quine Poet, Commander of the Royal Mage Brigade and Expedition Army,” she said, tone formal and steady. “I am here on behalf of His Highness to provide the people of Adalan with any support you may need."

The Commander's eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinising her before offering a firm nod. His presence radiated a quiet confidence that made even seasoned soldiers hold their breath. Finally, he tilted his head into a nod and offered his own hand.

"Thank you, Commander Poet," Evans Moons replied, his voice as commanding as his presence. "Your aid is greatly appreciated."

Quine inclined her head slightly, all the while keeping her posture poised. Behind her, Mia stood watching with her signature look of leisure, eyes flickering as she observed the proceedings. The air was still thick with tension, but for now, at least, the arrival of the Adalarians had gone without incident.

The next second, Evans Moon Evans’s gaze shifted subtly toward the woman behind her. Mia Vyris, ever composed, met his gaze and gave him a polite, though brisk, nod of acknowledgement.

"Mia Vyris, of the Vyris Family," she introduced herself with a lax tone, though her posture suggested a readiness for anything. She was not one to be kept waiting.

The Expedition Army around them stirred slightly, the cold drizzle adding to the gloom that already hung over the Nolmes Forest. The sky was a blanket of muted grey, the air sharp with cold, but not yet biting with winter’s full force.

Evans Moon returned the nod, but before he could say anything further, Mia strained her neck to peer past him, her ruby eyes scanning the crowd gathered behind him.

"Where’s Edris?" she asked, cutting straight to the point.

At the mention of the traveller’s name, both Quine Poet and Evans Moon exchanged glances, their eyes quickly following Mia’s gaze, combing through the sea of weary Adalarian citizens for the dark-haired man.

"Traveller Edris said he’d be with us shortly after everyone entered the teleportation portal..." Evans began, but his voice trailed off, something dawning on him that had escaped his attention until that very moment.

Quine, sensing his sudden shift, raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" she asked, her tone sharp.

The man frowned, eyes scanning the crowd more thoroughly now, looking for another missing face. "Celio is gone too."

From the crowd, someone shuffled forward, drawing their attention. It was Duke Dominic Orteon, his usually jolie and easygoing demeanour now tinged with concern.

"I was just talking to Little Celio right before we teleported," he said, confusion lacing his tone. "I thought we all teleported together?"

"We need to report this to His Highness," Quine Poet finally said, her voice cutting through the tense quiet. "If they’ve gone missing during the teleportation, it could mean something’s wrong with the portal, or worse, something happened to them before they stepped through."

Right as her words parted into the air, a man with curly hair stepped out from the crowd. As he made his way to the front, Mia recognised the man to be none other than the one they'd come across back in the cabin.

"You're... Yukioe, right?" she said. "You're acquainted with Edris. Do you know where he is?"

Yukioe's mild features were awashed with grimness. In fact, the way his brows scrunched together was giving Mia the impression that Edris had done something terribly wrong.

"He left the teleportation circle at the last moment," Yukioe said, squeezing each word out reluctantly. "Right after the last of us were teleported here."

His words echoed through the crowd, and slowly, the tension grew as people began glancing down at their feet, realising that the portal had long since ceased its function. The swirling energies that had transported them safely to Nolmes were gone, leaving only a stillness in the air that felt disturbingly final.

"You're saying..." Quine blinked as she was hit with the meaning behind those words.

Yukioe nodded. "Chances are, he's back in the Labyrinth."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

The murmur of uncertainty grew as others began to realise what had happened. Quine’s sharp eyes glanced at the faces around her, noting the growing apprehension.

“Is there anyone else that might be missing?” she called out.

“There was…a young child, if I recall correctly,” someone voiced out from the back.

“And the white-haired angel that formed the teleportation!”

A stern silence fell over the gathered Expedition Army. Evans Moon stood with a firm posture, yet his hand had tightened on the hilt of his sword.

Mia’s expression tightened, the light drizzle casting a shimmer across her face as she stepped back, the calm composure she normally held cracking ever so slightly.

Yet not only was Edris missing—Celio, and several others from their group, had vanished as well.

Mia breathed out as she peered toward the depths of the forest, a flicker of unease passing through her sharp features. With the series of events that cumulated recently, she could sense that the Labyrinth abnormalities Adalan were not mere coincidences. And if an entire group had disappeared into those abnormalities...

As if a response to the situation, the rain began to fall harder, the drops now cold against their skin, and the quiet drumming of water on armour only amplified the sudden dread gripping the assembly.

Mia’s face hardened, the flicker of sternness in her expression deepening as her eyes swept over the crowd once more.

"…I have a bad feeling about this.”

***

MW ACADEMY. LABYRINTH 53.

The atmosphere in Owein’s room was quiet, save for the occasional flicker of the candle casting shadows on the walls. The day had progressed in strange tranquillity, and as curfew approached, the feeling of unease only deepened.

Owein stepped into his room, ready to engage with the final night—until he noticed someone else in the room.

Ace stood near the window, the soft red glow of the blood moon outlining his white hair and striking features. It was then Owein realised that he hadn’t seen a familiar face—a different face—in so long after hours of masked students that it startled him.

“Something’s wrong with this Labyrinth,” Ace cut to the chase.

Owein blinked, processing both the statement and the man’s appearance. Although he was partially glad that someone finally seemed to share the same sentiment, he couldn’t figure out why Ace had come to visit him. The action in itself was unusual. Owein couldn’t remember the last time they spoke at length, let alone had an impromptu visit.

Owein raised an eyebrow. “Where were you today?”

“Scouting the campus.”

“That’s awfully vague.”

Ace stared at him. “You suspect me.”

The man wasn’t far off. Owein did consider the possibility that he’d been influenced by the Labyrinth, perhaps even assimilated. In a crucial time like this, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.

Before Owein could respond, he received a message on his [PROFILE] interface.

Player [ACE] has invited you to share your [PROFILE].

Accept the invitation?

[YES] [NO]

“I was scouting the campus,” Ace said again, not a ripple of emotion in his gaze.

“...”

With the verity of his status, Owein leaned back slightly, folding his arms. “Edris told you to do this?”

A pause lingered in the air as Ace seemed to consider the question. After a moment, he shook his head.

“No.”

Owein’s frown deepened. From their past interactions, he’d come to see them as a working pair. Edris and Ace. Their bond was like clockwork—one barely moved without the other.

Before Owein could press further, the door swung open without a knock, and another figure slipped into the room. Owein blinked at the familiar figure.

"Miss Roos?"

As if to affirm his words, Roos strode through the door, her green hair flowing behind her as she gave him a wave.

The woman’s sudden presence startled him even more than Ace’s. They’d barely spoken since entering the Labyrinth, yet here she was.

“Did you feel that something was off about our cohort today?” Roos asked, her voice too casual for the unsettlingness of her words.

Owein stared at her, dumbfounded. He shifted his gaze to the white-haired man. "Did you plan this together?"

At his question, Ace and Roos glanced at each other.

"Not close."

"Don't know him."

“...”

Owein pressed his fingers to his temples. "Why did you come to me? And how did you know where my room was?"

"Your room’s right next to mine.” Roos grinned, gesturing out the door. “And you seem the most knowledgeable about these Labyrinths out of everyone here. And put together.”

“Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Only an observation, but it can be." As she spoke, she pulled a lollipop out of her pocket. She waved the candy in front of his face, her grin widening. "Blueberry flavoured."

Owein stared at the lollipop for a good second, allowing his mind to process the situation. He was on the verge of declining when he noticed the intensity of her gaze, the flicker of something more serious behind her playful demeanour.

"You said something’s off about the Labyrinth.” He ignored it for the moment, turning back to the white-haired man. "What exactly do you mean?"

Ace paused, giving the woman a complicated look before he answered. “Our cohort.”

“...”

Roos gave him a pointed look. “Told you so.”

Ace’s gaze flickered towards the window again, the red moon hanging ominously in the sky. "The cohort I was in today. They’re always in the shade. No matter the time of day, wherever we go."

The words hung in the air as Owein processed them. Replaying their earlier interactions, he tried to recall whether anyone in his own group had been particularly intent on staying in the shade. Although he had taken note of their conversations and interactions throughout the day, nobody usually paid attention to minor details like where people stood.

Roos suddenly spoke up. "I can confirm.”

Owein glanced at her, realising that the woman, like himself, had been observing the various actions of the group. Despite the dilly-dally demeanour she’d taken on, she was sharper than she let on.

Roos flashed another grin and nudged the lollipop towards him once more. This time, Owein took it.

Roos then offered one to Ace, but before she could even extend her hand fully, the man declined with a curt gesture.

"I don’t like sweets,” he said.

"Questionable taste," she quipped, popping the lollipop into her mouth.

Ace remained unfazed, and Owein mulled over the conversation.

“Players, cohorts, the shade, night time…” He muttered to himself, rubbing strands of his hair. “Are you saying that assimilation is still ongoing, and that the players are turning into something else? Fear of sun could be a symptom of that.”

“Probable.”

Ace met his eyes, and in that shared moment of realisation, the room grew even colder.

“We’re over halfway through the Labyrinth. Only one night to go, and then the so-called ‘graduation’,” said Roos, piecing together the situation.

“Yet all we’ve been doing is linger around campus,” Ace said. “Things have been uneventful despite the countdown.”

“I agree,” Owein said. “It’s been too peaceful, and that’s not how Labyrinths work. There’s always something happening.”

They stood still, absorbing the gravity of the situation.

“You don’t think that’s just because you’ve all been conditioned to expect danger?” Roos cocked her head sideways. “Taking a step back, what if the Labyrinth just wanted to be nice this time around?”

Owein and Ace both stared at her in silence.

“Improbable,” Ace said.

“Would be nice if it was that simple, but I doubt it.” Owein shook his head.

“Tch, so pessimistic.” Roos sighed, though she probably thought the same. “In that case, it’s not that the Labyrinth hadn’t taken action, but that it’s happening in the shadows?

At her words, the two men lifted their heads. Both of them froze as the realisation hit.

Owein’s eyes darted to the candle flickering between them, the dim light casting distorted shadows on the walls.

The shadows.

“That’s it. The Shadows!” he said. “We’ve been walking past all of them in the daylight, avoiding them during the night. But they might be the key to everything.”

“Those dark blobs?” Roos drew her head back with creased brows. “That’s kinda disturbing.”

The candle’s flame flickered dangerously low, signalling that curfew was approaching. Less than five minutes left.

"We need to tell Edris about this,” Owein said, standing up abruptly.

Ace, however, didn’t move.

"I already told him," he said, his voice calm but strange. "He said shadows can only hold a threat at night. So as long as we don’t open the door and wear earplugs, we’ll be fine for graduation."

Owein froze, a seeding thought prickling at the back of his mind.

"For graduation?" He echoed the words, and they tasted wrong in his mouth. “Were those his exact words?”

“Yes.”

Something clicked in his memory. Earlier, Thomas had said something similar—about leaving the academy after graduation, not after the Labyrinth ended.

“Graduation.” Roos frowned, reaching the same conclusion. “Why didn’t he just say ‘Labyrinth” if he was talking with another player anyway?”

Owein’s mind was racing. That phrasing, combined with the odd behaviours throughout the day, gnawed at him. It was then he’d realised that something was terribly wrong.

Edris, the man who always had second, third, and even fourth backup procedures, was comfortable just sticking with a single plan?

Then, there was Thomas, who had spoken of graduation as if it were a part of his actual life.

Owein’s eyes darted to his interface, but Ace was already a step ahead of him. His fingers worked quickly, pulling up the [PROFILE] screen.

Seconds passed in silence before the white-haired man finally returned to the group.

"Edris isn’t Edris," he said, expressionless.

Roos’s gaze sharpened. "What do you mean?"

Owein’s face paled as he repeated Ace’s action. The results came in, and his lips pursed into a thin line.

"I tried to share my [PROFILE] with him just now,” he said, inviting her to do the same.

Roos, bearing a look of puzzlement at first, opened her own [PROFILE]. The moment the invite was sent on her end, her eyes widened at the bold letters that spread across the interface.

THE INVITATION HAS FAILED TO SEND!

NOTE: [PLAYER PROFILE] can only be shared with other [PLAYERS]!

“Edris isn’t Edris,” Ace said again.

The room grew deadly quiet as the weight of that statement settled over them.

Whatever was walking around in that body of their companion, it wasn’t Edris.