I arrived at the labyrinth's entrance, hoping that what Eva said was true—that someone inside would help me cure my curse. After that, I'd be strong enough to protect them all.
"Your two are the only things that hold a special place in my heart," I whispered to myself, thinking of those I cared about.
I reached inside my satchel and took out the key to open the entrance of the labyrinth. It was an orb with a handprint. I lifted it up, faced the doors, and poured my mana into it. As I did that, it began to float, spinning. The doors began to open up, and a gust of cold air flew towards me.
I grabbed the hood from my poncho and pulled it over my head. Then, I took out a glow stick—an item invented by the other worlders. It's expensive as hell, but I'm willing to use it. Crack! I snapped the glow stick, activating its light.
As I ventured inside, I was greeted by the sight of rocky marble adorning the labyrinth's interior, a surprising yet captivating spectacle. Strangely, the maze seemed devoid of any menacing creatures, enveloping me in an eerie silence broken only by the gentle echo of dripping water. With an hour already elapsed, I reluctantly resorted to cracking open another glow stick,
Crack.
My heart skipped a beat as I came to a sudden halt, frozen in terror at the sight before me. Seven diminutive figures, resembling beast-folk girls draped in delicate white dresses, stood before my quaking form, each bearing the likeness of a white rabbit. Despite my efforts to maintain a facade of composure, my hand betrayed me, trembling uncontrollably at the unexpected and unnerving encounter.
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With a swift resolve, I stilled my trembling hand, drawing a deep breath of relief as I regained control of my faculties. Glancing back at the spot where the group of enigmatic figures had stood moments before, I was met with a bewildering sight—their forms had vanished, replaced instead by an ethereal chorus as they harmonized in song, their haunting melodies filling the labyrinth's chamber with an otherworldly ambiance.
Summoning every ounce of courage within me, I drew in a steadying breath before launching into a frenzied sprint, my primal instinct urging me to flee from the haunting presence of those unnerving rabbit-like creatures. Despite the pain of colliding with the unforgiving walls of the labyrinth, I pressed on, navigating a maze of twisting passages with reckless abandon, driven solely by the imperative to escape the clutches of those chilling entities.
In the midst of my frantic flight, I couldn't shake the unnerving sight of those eerie rabbit-like beings, their haunting melodies drifting through the labyrinth as they held hands and sang their ethereal song. At times, their gaze seemed to fixate upon me, sending shivers down my spine as I continued to dart through the maze, each encounter fueling my desperate resolve to distance myself from their chilling presence.
In a sudden flash of agony, a sharp pain lanced through my hand, as I looked down, horror gripped me. My hand was gone replaced with a gushing torrent of blood. I turned to see the girl devouring my hand like and animal that hasn't eaten for weeks. I almost forgot that I'm prey to something that is stronger then me.
In a frenzy of fear-fueled determination, I raced towards the colossal door, crashing through it with all the force I could muster. As I glanced to the side, my eyes fell upon a sturdy pillar, and without a moment's hesitation, I hurled myself towards it, delivering a mighty blow to its base. With a deafening roar, the pillar collapsed, forming a formidable barrier at the entrance, effectively barricading the relentless pursuit of the voracious rabbits behind me.
As I breathed a sigh of relief, hastily binding cloth around my injured stump, my gaze shifted and settled upon a figure clad in an imposing suit of jet-black armor. A chill ran down my spine as I realized this must be the very man Eva had spoken of. For a fleeting moment, he stood motionless, an enigmatic presence in the dimly lit chamber, before his piercing gaze locked onto mine, sending a shiver of apprehension coursing through my veins.