𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀, luke castellan

ꜰᴏᴜʀᴛʏ-ɴɪɴᴇ

The Unclaimed.

🌎

    THE ENTRANCE TO THE LABYRINTH LOOMED AHEAD, a gaping maw of darkness that seemed to swallow every trace of light, casting a shadow that chilled Rory to her bones. The jagged rocks that framed the opening jutted out like teeth, as if the earth itself was ready to consume anyone foolish enough to step inside. It felt like the exact opposite of where Rory wanted to be—where anyone would want to be—especially her. She thrived in open spaces, under the sky where the sun's warmth could reach her. But here, in this awful blackness, the very environment seemed ready to smother the fire within her, the darkness too heavy, too thick.

    The air outside the labyrinth was eerily still, as if even the wind didn’t dare enter this forsaken place. Every breath felt heavy, thick with the smell of damp earth and decay, a scent that lingered in the back of Rory's throat like a warning. It wasn’t just the smell of the earth after rain, but something deeper, more ancient, something that hinted at the bones and roots tangled far below the surface. It carried the weight of time, of things long forgotten, of those who had wandered into the labyrinth and never returned. The faint scent clung to her skin, making her feel as though the labyrinth had already marked her, even though she had yet to take a single step inside.

    The ground underfoot felt treacherous, loose gravel shifting beneath her feet with each movement, as if it were trying to pull her down, warning her against venturing any further. Each step closer to the entrance felt like stepping closer to the edge of a cliff. It was unstable, like it was whispering for them to turn back, to reconsider what they were about to do. But Rory knew that wasn’t an option. Not anymore.

    Chris and Mary had fallen into a heavy silence. Rory could see the tension coiling in Chris, how his eyes darted between the dark mouth of the labyrinth and the ground at his feet, as though he was weighing his options—fight or flight. Every muscle in his body seemed ready to spring into action, but whether that action was to charge forward or to flee, she couldn’t quite tell. His hands twitched at his sides, gripping the hilt of his sword a little too tightly. The veins on his forearms bulged as his knuckles turned white from the strain. His eyes flickered to hers for reassurance, though they both knew there was little she could give.

    Mary, on the other hand, was standing stock still, her body unnervingly rigid. From a distance, she might have seemed composed, but Rory saw the small signs that betrayed her fear. Her wide eyes flickered between the labyrinth and her companions, her breathing shallow, almost as if she didn’t want anyone to notice she was trembling. But Rory noticed. The way Mary’s lips pressed into a thin line, the way her hands clenched into fists at her sides—she was trying to hold it together, but the cracks in her calm were starting to show.

    Even the small group of monsters that accompanied them—creatures of war, beasts bred for destruction—were unusually quiet. Their usual ferocity seemed to have been dulled by the oppressive atmosphere that radiated from the labyrinth. The sharp clicking of their claws against the gravel had slowed, becoming hesitant as they inched forward. Their glowing eyes flickered with something that looked unsettlingly like uncertainty. Their low growls, barely audible now, seemed more like whimpers than the vicious snarls Rory was used to hearing. These creatures were suddenly very aware of their own mortality.

    None of them moved. The entrance to the labyrinth promised a descent into something far worse than death. It wasn’t just the darkness that made Rory's skin crawl; it was the feeling that once they crossed that line, there would be no turning back. The labyrinth was no ordinary maze. It was alive, breathing, waiting. Every stone, every shadow, felt like it was watching them, anticipating their first step inside. Rory had heard the stories, the myths of those who had entered only to be lost forever. It was a place that twisted minds, that preyed on fears, and no matter how prepared they thought they were, there was no way to truly understand the horrors that awaited them within.