Lioness and Alexander found themselves lying near one another, covered in red mud and slightly disoriented. They had been swept away into one of the various passageways within the labyrinth, their current position unknown.
With an annoyed growl, Lioness rose to her feet and began wiping the mud off herself. As she did so, she thought about the plan Curie had devised. I had to chase after Alexander; otherwise, he would have been alone, she mused. Meanwhile, Curie and Sandro had split off to cover more ground in the search for Jackson and Coraline. Those two are most likely close to each other.
Alexander, still groggy, began regaining his bearings. Seeing this, Lioness walked over and offered him a hand. “We’ve been separated. Let’s follow the contingency plan we devised for this situation,” she said.
With a silent nod of understanding, Alexander reached into his pocket and retrieved a metal whistle of unusual design.
Lioness leaned against the wall and slid down to take a seat. Alexander, on the other hand, moved to the opposite wall and leaned against it, facing her. He raised the whistle to his lips and blew into it in a rhythmic, repeating fashion. No sound could be heard.
This, however, was intentional. The whistle, crafted by Lioness, produced sound at an inaudible frequency. Each member of their alliance had been given one of these special whistles, designed to signal one another while maintaining stealth. The whistles had a wide radius of effect, ensuring their allies could detect the signal even at a considerable distance, as the whistles would react to one another's frequencies.
This was part of the contingency plan developed in case they were separated. Each pair had specific actions to take depending on who was with whom. Since neither Alexander nor Lioness had the capability to navigate through the dense mist, their task was to remain in place and signal for the others to find them.
Just as the two were getting comfortable they heard approaching footsteps along with a faint snapping sound.
...
Ebony, Jackson, and Coraline found themselves in a strange and unfamiliar environment. Though they were still within the labyrinth, this section had unusual characteristics.
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Notably, the pervasive mist was absent. Instead, the area was brightly illuminated by a bioluminescent residue that seemed to emanate from the walls and floors. Large, vine-like growths were scattered across the walls and ground.
More subtle peculiarities soon became apparent. Where there had previously been no ceiling, there was now a roof overhead. Additionally, no clear exits were visible. The hallway stretched out in both directions but ended abruptly in narrow, closed-off sections.
This situation complicated their plan. Coraline and her pet, had the unique ability to navigate the labyrinth thanks to their keen eyesight, were meant to locate the others through the whistle signals and help regroup. However, the environment hinders their progress.
Coraline carefully inspected their surroundings, trying to make sense of the strange conditions. Jackson, accompanied by Ebony, moved to both ends of the passageway, examining the narrow, closed-off sections.
Suddenly, Coraline heard a loud bang from behind her. Instinctively, she turned around, claws extended in preparation for a fight. However, the sight that met her eyes caused her to sigh in relief.
Jackson stood with his fist firmly planted against one of the closed-off sections of the passageway. He had attempted to smash it open using brute force, but his efforts had been in vain.
In a chastising tone, Coraline reprimanded him, “You could at least warn me before you do something like that! I thought we were being attacked!”
Even with his alternate personality in control, Jackson appeared somewhat embarrassed, his expression tinged with sheepishness.
...
Elsewhere within the labyrinth, Sandro and Curie were inspecting their own peculiar environment.
This section of the labyrinth was overgrown with strange, plant-like organisms. These plants had an unusual feature: fine, hair-like tendrils that moved independently, as though they had a mind of their own.
Upon seeing the strange growths, Sandro sighed and remarked, “Well, looks like these things are probably going to slow us down.” Curie nodded in agreement, adding, “Yes, and it’s likely the others are encountering similar threats and obstacles.”
With a passive remark, she quipped, “You’re a lot sharper than you look.” Though it was a light jab, Sandro didn’t seem to mind. He simply shrugged and replied casually, “I just always expect the unexpected.” Gesturing animatedly with his hands, he added, “Eventually, the unexpected just becomes expected.”
Curie allowed a faint smile to cross her face, finding his perspective amusing. However, her expression quickly turned serious and analytical as she spoke. “Once we’ve figured out what these plant things do, we can start searching for the others. I’d rather know exactly what we’re up against first.”
Curie was the only other member of their alliance who could effectively navigate the labyrinth. Unlike Coraline, she couldn’t rely on sight due to the dense mist, but her mental mapping abilities allowed her to orient herself regardless. With Sandro’s ability to detect alterations in their surroundings, their navigation would be much faster. For now, though, their priority was to investigate the strange plants and understand the potential threat they posed.