The group began to exit the section of the labyrinth they were currently in. Immediately, Curie began noticing the alterations that had occurred within the labyrinth's layout. This quickly disrupted the map she had been constructing in her mind; however, she quickly devised a solution.
Although the labyrinth had been altered, it was not a complete redesign. Seemingly, no new paths had been added—only preexisting ones were altered. This allowed her to gradually readjust her mental image, enabling the group to make their way back to the central chamber.
As the group entered the central chamber, Sandro unexpectedly stumbled, bumping into Curie. While neither of them fell, Curie had to take a knee due to the sudden and unexpected movement, during which she noticed something strange about the floor of the central chamber. Meanwhile, Sandro managed to catch himself by steadying himself against a wall. However, he too noticed something odd.
The rest of the group halted in response to Sandro and Curie’s sudden lack of movement, their curiosity piqued by what their allies had discovered.
Sandro inspected the hand that had made contact with the wall and noticed a muddy clay residue on it. This was peculiar, as the walls had remained dry until now. He began to ponder the cause. Could it be the mist? No, that didn’t make sense—the mist would have made the walls damp but wouldn’t cause an effect like this.
Sandro then turned around to face the passageway they had just come through. Though the mist rendered visibility pointless, he narrowed his eyes—not to see but to sharpen his focus on his hearing.
Curie, coming to a surprising realization, attempted to call over Jackson.
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However, before she could, Sandro’s eyes widened in alarm. He shouted, “Everyone, brace yourselves! Something’s rushing toward us from all sides!”
The group quickly formed a circular formation, each member facing one of the six passageways branching from the hexagonal central chamber.
What emerged from the passageways, however, was not the myriads of creatures they had braced themselves for. Instead, and without warning, waves of muddy red clay came pouring in with immense speed and power.
Needless to say, the group was caught completely off guard. Not only was this phenomenon entirely unexpected, but the sheer force and velocity of the mud rendered all their efforts futile. Despite their strength, none of them could stand their ground against the overwhelming surge, though each tried in their own way.
Coraline and Ebony attempted to anchor themselves by digging their claws into the floor. However, the relentless pressure of the mud swept them away effortlessly.
Alexander jammed his blade into the wall of the central chamber, hoping to hold his position. He managed to stay upright for a time, but eventually, the powerful current dislodged him, dragging him along with his blade. A deep gash was left in the wall where his weapon was unceremoniously torn free.
Jackson tried a different approach, punching his fist into the ground to anchor himself. To his dismay, the ground was far weaker than he anticipated, crumbling under his strength. The mud carried him backward, slamming him into a wall where Coraline and Ebony had been moments earlier.
Lioness shifted her metal into a large shield, planting it firmly on the ground to withstand the onslaught. Curie and Sandro joined her in the effort. Sandro helped position the shield to counter the force of the rushing mud, while Curie advised altering its shape slightly to better part the waves.
Unfortunately, their combined efforts only bought them a few precious moments. But Curie, ever the strategist, wasted no time.
As she assessed the situation, her mind raced. Before the mud could overwhelm them entirely, she quickly gave instructions to Lioness and Sandro. The wave surged forward, finally sweeping them away, but Curie’s plan was already in motion.