“You must be the priestess that Runald was speaking about. I am the head nurse. Come this way.” A middle-aged human woman said, getting up from her seat behind the main reception and urgently leading Blue up the grand marble steps.

Contrary to what one might expect, the hospital was eerily quiet. Empty. Most of the staff were resting, asleep. Or quietly chattering away excitedly. Some sat in quiet disbelief, staring into space with no particular thought in their mind.

“What happened?” Blue asked the head nurse as she followed her up the stairs.

“When the light of that spell blew through, everyone was miraculously healed. I don’t understand it. But hey, we finally get to rest.”

“I see.”

They took a few more steps in quiet before the nurse spoke up again. “You are a great sage, are you not? Do you know how it's possible for a spell to heal someone other than the caster? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“It has been done before, on rare occasions. Much like how damaging spells cannot directly harm others, healing spells do not directly heal those they affect. They require a medium, much like a fireball is often a medium for destruction.”

They had made their way to the top floor of the hospital, turning down a still corridor, passing by rows and rows of closed doors. Gentle dawn light came in through the cracks in the boarded-up glass windows.

“So you mean to say that the light that flowed through and healed everyone was the medium for healing? And that it somehow healed everyone regardless of the specificity of their ailments?” The head nurse asked in disbelief. “How is that possible?”

Blue resisted the slight urge to sigh, instead continuing her explanation rather professionally. “The spell produced a type of energy that is beneficial to life, and detrimental to unlife. It is naturally produced in minute quantities by certain physical phenomena like warm hugs, the prancing of dogs through fresh snow, and pure acts of self-sacrifice.”

The nurse seemed rather surprised to hear this and was unsure how to respond.

They soon reached the door to a quiet, windowless room. The door creaked slightly as it opened.

Inside, Sophia lay resting in a cot. Upon hearing the noise of the door, she blearily opened her eyes. On seeing Blue’s radiant form, the muscular, red-headed woman sat upright.

“Blue!” Sophia coughed. “You look different.”

“Lucina is coming,” warned Blue. “Phee is buying us as much time as possible, but we need to get away.”

Sophia’s unfocused eyes hardened. “Let’s not waste any more time.” She said.

Blue helped her out of bed, supporting the warrior’s frame with her own adult-size metal body. Despite being significantly healed by the light of Kari’s sacrifice, Sophia had not been restored to peak condition. It seemed that she had had one foot in the grave, being under close supervision ever since Effie had delivered her body to the hospital.

Blue caught Sophia up and explained the situation. Lucina had been spotted headed straight for the hospital. Effie and Rolynd had managed to enter the Labyrinth shortly after having the path cleared by Kari’s light. The only safe place they could think of for Sophia was the Labyrinth itself. Though Rolynd had promised to make a wish that would protect all the Bloodstones, it would be meaningless if Sophia were to be captured or killed before then. Rolynd needed to be able to assume that she was safe if he was going to make an effective wish.

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Blue and Sophia escaped to the nearest catacomb entrance. Fortunately, Sophia was familiar with the layout of the large, maze-like underground structure. However, progress was still slow owing to Sophia’s weakened physical state. Blue wondered how much time they had before Lucina would catch them. If that confrontation were to occur, Blue was unsure how she would fare against the Incandestine Empress.

The salted earth and carved sandstone of the catacombs had given way to polished stone bricks, and as they turned the corner, the unnatural sight of burnished, shining metal was before them, inlaid with a multitude of runes. Blue noted that the style of the metal structure was similar to that of her temple.

“Almost there now, hope that frail body of yours isn’t too tired.” Joked Sophia, with bags under her flaming orange eyes.

The entrance was wide open. Where there had been an impenetrable metal wall before, Sophia saw a vast inner chamber, completely covered in geometric shapes; Magic markings Blue had never encountered before inlaid the exposed interior.

And in the centre of that unearthed space, a tiny distortion in space floated, warping its surroundings. There were five frozen figures that could be seen reaching into the near-invisible distortion in the centre of the chamber. Two were immediately recognisable; Rolynd and Effie. The other three were unfamiliar to Sophia. There was a pale elf with white hair and red robes. Some being made of living fire, and a small, three-foot fairy with the wings and glowing antennae of a butterfly.

“…A black hole,” Blue said, confirming Sophia’s suspicions about the nature of the scene before them. “You could fill a library of books analysing just a fragment of these spells.”

“Is this really it?” asked Sophia. She couldn’t believe it. They had spent years working to reach this opportunity.

“Yes. This is it.” Said Blue. She too felt a sense of great awe at the sight. “Black holes have long been thought to be passages into other universes. Through here, we may see ADAM.”

“Won’t we die if we step into a black hole? Like, don’t people get stretched into spaghetti?”

“Look at the markings in this place. It is enchanted with power no one has seen before. ADAM would not play such a sick and twisted game of killing whoever aspires for his audience. I am certain that it is safe.”

“What about them? Why aren’t they moving?” Sophia asked Blue, referring to the frozen images of those that had come before them.

“As for the aspirants frozen in time… the more powerful the gravity, the slower the apparent passage of time. Therefore, the closer you get to the black hole, the faster time will pass ‘outside’. From their perspective, everything else must be moving extremely fast, while they experience the normal passage of time ‘inside’. If we follow them now, we will only be delayed by the same amount of time between them entering, and us entering. No need to worry.”

Sophia stepped towards the black hole.

“Hold on. Wait just a moment.” Blue said.

Sophia froze and turned to look at her companion.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

Blue pointed up at the plaque above the lintel leading into the inner chamber. “Do you know what that says? It carries an important message.”

“No, I can’t say I do. I think Rolynd once told me what it said when we first found this place, but I’ve since forgotten.”

“Allow me to read it for you:

Aspirants beware!

The foolish are wise to fear power they cannot control.

The wise are brave to seek knowledge they cannot hope to comprehend.

The brave are foolish to desire things they do not understand.

They may learn a fate worse than death,

They may be left with their lives,

But only the worthy shall find the next step in their journey.”

“Why is it important that I know what the plaque says? I must enter the Labyrinth; it is the only place safe from Lucina.”

“The plaque is not some decoration, child. Heed its warning. Entering the Labyrinth may lead you to a fate worse than death.”

“I heed it, and my mind is made up. We Bloodstones have a particular philosophy: It’s better to die fighting for a future you’ve chosen than to live in one that you’ve already given up on.”

“Hmph. Wise words.” Blue conceded.

“Let’s go.”

As Blue and Sophia approached, they could see several, warped copies of themselves from various angles. Sophia could even see the back of their heads as the strong gravity of the black hole warped light all the way around it.

And with one last step, Sophia’s feet suddenly gave way, giving way to an infinite blackness that flashed by for just an instant.

And on the other side…