Aric's expression was grim as they stepped through the fire door, his leadership now challenged due to his actions. The door closed behind them, sealing off the room they had just left, and the atmosphere remained tense. The weight of their choices hung heavily in the air, and some of Aric's followers began to question him more openly.

"What's up with, Aric? Did he get scared after just one measly trap?" one of the awakened members asked with a hint of frustration.

Aric shot him a sharp look, but before he could respond, Elena's voice filled the room, her tone filled with wonder. "Look at the size of this place! And the carvings on the walls, they're incredible."

Indeed, the room they found themselves in was vast, with high ceilings and walls adorned with intricate runes and inscriptions. The carvings depicted scenes of battles, mythical creatures, and elements in various states of turmoil. It was as if the labyrinth itself was telling a story, one that was both fascinating and foreboding. As they look further in, their eyes are immediately drawn to three on each side of the room.

As one of the awakened under Aric attempted to reach for one of the doors, Lleyn's hand shot out, cold and firm, grabbing the wrist before it could make contact. His voice was icy and unyielding as he addressed the group. "Stop. We can't blindly open these doors. We need to understand the nature of this room first."

Lleyn, walking back to the center of the room, surveyed their surroundings with a calm gaze. "These carvings may hold clues or warnings. We should be cautious."

Aric, turned to face the Lleyn, his impatience evident. "We need to keep moving. We've already lost a lot of time, and we don't know what challenges lie ahead."

Dorian, gradually getting more fed up, retorted, his firm gaze on Aric. "Can you stop being stupid already? If you want to kill yourself do it alone. Did you already forget how much Lleyn did for you the last few days?"

While the two continued arguing, Elena's sharp eyes caught something on the wall. She paused, her hand touching the surface as she read the inscriptions. "Wait, everyone. I've found something."

Lleyn, unbothered by what was going on, approached her side. "What is it, Elena?"

Elena pointed to a long inscription that had been overlooked amidst the grandeur of the carvings. The text was a riddle, written in an ancient script that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow. It read:

"Three doors before you stand,

One of fire, one of water, one of land.

Two will bind, one sets free,

Choose the door that cannot be.

The first burns bright but cannot swim,

The second flows but can't grow dim,

The third is solid but can't take flight,

Choose wisely, or forever in this room, you'll alight."

The group exchanges puzzled glances. Elena leans in close to Lleyn, "This is complicated. What do you think?"

The group fell into a hushed silence as they contemplated the riddle. The choice was clear—three doors, each representing a different element: Land, Fire, and Water. But which door held the path to their escape, and which doors concealed dangers beyond imagination?

Aric, trying to take the lead of the conversation, started pacing, his eyes narrowing. "Fire burns but can't swim, water flows but can't grow dim, and land is solid but can't take flight."

Someone scoffed, "So we're supposed to walk through a land door? This is absurd."

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Tara, who had been silent, finally spoke, "It's a riddle. The answer isn't always what it seems."

Selene steps forward, her eyes locked onto the inscription. "It says 'Choose the door that cannot be.' That would mean we choose the door that cannot logically exist."

Jace, seemingly realizing something, exclaimed. "That’s too simple. Let's think this through one more time. The riddle also mentions the characteristics of each door. Could that be a clue?"

Elena looked at the ever silent Lleyn, "He has a point. Maybe we're missing something."

Aric's eyes lit up, "I figured it out! Fire burns but can't swim, making it possible for it to be a door. Water flows but can't grow dim, also possible for a door. But land... land is solid but can't take flight. That's the one that 'cannot be.'"

One of Aric's men starts walking toward the "land" door, but Lyria shouted, "Wait! That's the wrong door!"

The man froze, his hand inches from the door handle.

Lyria continued, "Fire burns but can't swim, and it can't 'alight' on water. That's the door that 'cannot be.'"

Jace nodded, "She's right. The riddle says 'Choose wisely, or forever in this room, you'll alight.' Alight is not only linked to fire, but also means to land or to settle. The answer isn't land; it's fire!"

Lleyn gives a silent nod of approval, but Aric is not convinced. "I disagree. I still think it's land."

A heated argument erupted in the room, voices rising in tension as Aric's decision to choose the "land" door clashed with the majority of the group's belief that the correct path was through the "fire" door. Doubt and frustration hung heavy in the air, threatening to tear the group apart.

Finally, Aric makes his decision. "Fine, if you don't want to follow me, then don't. But I'm taking the land door."

Tara, one of the awakened members who used to follow Aric now stood beside Lleyn, her expression resolute. "Please let’s stop fighting. We just believe that the 'fire' door is the right choice based on the riddle. This is no reason to split up"

Jace, who had always been the voice of reason within the group, chimed in, "We've faced many challenges together, and we've relied on each other's strengths. It's essential that we make this choice as a team."

Aric, stubborn and determined, glared at them. "You're all overthinking this. The riddle is straightforward. 'Land' is the one that 'cannot be.'"

Selene spoke up, her voice calm but firm. "Aric, we've seen the consequences of rushing into things without considering the bigger picture. Let's not make the same mistake again. You know we can trust Lleyn…"

As the debate continued, Elena, who had initially discovered the riddle, approached Lleyn, her eyes reflecting uncertainty. "Lleyn, what do you think? Are we making the right choice by going through the 'fire' door?"

Lleyn, always the calm and collected presence in the group, considered the question. "The riddle is open to interpretation, but Lyria’s reasoning makes sense. 'Fire' is a viable choice based on the elements mentioned in the riddle."

Aric’s decision and actions so far were met with a mixture of anger and disappointment from some of his followers, who exchanged glances and began to divide into two groups. Aric's faction, unwavering in their loyalty to him, prepared to open the Land door. Meanwhile, the others, including Tara and Jace, remained with Lleyn.

Aric sneered at them, "You'll all die in here."

Dorian, almost losing his at him, swore at him, "You arrogant p—"

Selene interrupted him, placing a hand on Dorian's arm. "Enough, Dorian. Aric, I'm disappointed in you."

With that, Aric and his remaining followers walk through the "land" door. After about a minute, the door slammed shut behind them, leaving the rest of the group in silence.

Lleyn turned to the remaining members, "Let's go through the fire door."

He moves to the door, his hand hovering over the handle for a moment before he opens it. The group steps through, their hearts pounding but hopeful that this riddle has led them closer to their escape from the labyrinth.

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As the last of them crossed the threshold, the massive door swung shut behind them with an ominous thud. The sound reverberated through the chamber, sealing their fate and cutting off any possibility of retreat. Their path forward was now clear, and there was no turning back.

The fiery chamber loomed before them, casting flickering shadows on the walls. The oppressive heat pressed down upon them, and they could feel the intensity of their surroundings. But they were resolute in their choice, bound by a shared determination to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

With Lleyn at the front, and the rest standing behind him, the group took a collective breath, their eyes fixed on the fiery trials that awaited. The path was uncertain, but they would navigate it together, drawing strength from their unity as they ventured further into the heart of the labyrinth.