Heir of the Labyrinth

Chapter 20: The Forbidden Door

The Labyrinth's forest had a strange, haunting beauty to it. The trees were tall and gnarled, their branches twisting and reaching toward the darkened sky like skeletal hands. Strange birds with iridescent feathers flitted between the trees, their songs eerie and hypnotic. Jareth Jr. walked slowly, his eyes scanning the surroundings for anything unusual. His companions—Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Ambrosius—were close behind, the crunch of leaves underfoot the only sound in the otherwise still air.

-"This place gives me the creeps," Jareth Jr. muttered, pushing aside a low-hanging branch.

-"Do not fear, my young prince!" Sir Didymus barked, waving his staff gallantly. "This forest may be strange, but with Sir Didymus at your side, no harm shall befall you!"

Ludo, however, seemed more uneasy than usual. He sniffed the air, his large eyes scanning the dark woods. "Ludo no like this place."

Ambrosius, as usual, whimpered softly, his legs trembling.

Jareth Jr. had been in the Labyrinth long enough to know that when things felt *wrong*, they usually were. He stopped for a moment, his hand resting on the smooth bark of a tree. That was when he saw it—tucked away between two thick trunks, barely noticeable at first. A door.

But it wasn't just any door. It stood alone, not attached to any building, just sitting there as if it had been dropped in the middle of the forest by mistake. The wood was dark and weathered, but it shimmered faintly, like it was holding back something far more powerful than the decayed exterior suggested. Strange runes were etched into the doorframe, glowing faintly with an unearthly light.

-"That... wasn't here before," Jareth Jr. said, frowning as he stepped closer.

Sir Didymus hopped forward, his ears perking up. "A curious thing indeed! What manner of door stands in the middle of a forest without a house to call its own?"

Ludo tilted his head, squinting at the door as though trying to make sense of it. "Ludo no like door. Feels... wrong."

Jareth Jr. could feel it too. Something about this door was different from anything else in the Labyrinth. It called to him, pulling him in with an almost magnetic force. For a moment, he was tempted to reach out and open it, just to see what was on the other side.

-"Maybe it's a shortcut," he mused aloud, taking a step closer.

As he moved to touch the handle, the air around him suddenly shifted. The temperature dropped, and the forest seemed to hold its breath. A familiar voice, smooth and commanding, echoed from behind him.

-"Don't."

Jareth Jr. froze, his hand inches from the door. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The unmistakable presence of his father, the Goblin King, filled the air, sending a ripple of tension through the trees.

Slowly, Jareth Jr. turned to face him. Jareth Sr. stood just a few feet away, his usual smirk replaced by something much colder. His cloak billowed slightly in the breeze, and his mismatched eyes locked onto his son's with an intensity that sent a shiver down Jareth Jr.'s spine.

-"Dad?" Jareth Jr. said, his voice wavering. "What are you doing here?"

Jareth Sr. stepped closer, his gaze never leaving the door. "You've been wandering too far, Jareth Jr. There are things in the Labyrinth you're not ready for yet. That door—" he paused, his voice hardening—"is one of them."

Jareth Jr. narrowed his eyes, stepping back a bit. -"What's behind it?"

The Goblin King's expression remained unreadable, but there was a warning in his voice. "It's not for you to know."

That only made Jareth Jr. more curious. His father always did this—kept things from him, hid parts of the Labyrinth's magic as if he was still a child. "Why not?" he demanded, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "I've made it this far in the Labyrinth. I've faced all kinds of challenges. Why can't I see what's behind that door?"

Jareth Sr.'s eyes flashed dangerously. -"Because you're not ready."

Jareth Jr. clenched his fists, feeling the familiar sting of his father's disapproval. He had spent so long in the shadow of the Goblin King, constantly trying to prove himself. And here was yet another instance where his father stood between him and something important. "Maybe you just don't want me to find out what's really going on in here," Jareth Jr. shot back, his voice rising. "Maybe you're afraid I'll figure out something you don't want me to."

Jareth Sr. raised an eyebrow, his expression still infuriatingly calm. "You think this is about power? This isn't a game, boy."

-"Then tell me!" Jareth Jr. insisted, stepping toward him. "What's behind that door? What are you so afraid of?"

For a moment, silence hung between them. Jareth Sr. stared at his son, and for the first time, there was something almost... protective in his eyes. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer, but no less firm.

-"There are parts of the Labyrinth even I cannot control. That door leads to one of them....If you go through, you may never come back."

Jareth Jr. hesitated, taken aback by the seriousness in his father's tone. He glanced back at the door, its dark wood still shimmering faintly, the runes glowing softly like a heartbeat. The pull was still there, stronger than ever. But now, his father's words echoed in his mind.

-"Then why is it here?" Jareth Jr. asked, his voice quieter now. "Why show it to me if I'm not supposed to go through?"

Jareth Sr. shook his head, his expression softening slightly. "The Labyrinth is unpredictable. It tests everyone differently. It shows you things you desire—things you fear. This door... it's testing you, Jareth Jr. It's tempting you with the unknown."

Jareth Jr. swallowed, torn between his burning curiosity and the warning in his father's voice. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He had faced so much in the Labyrinth already, learned so much about himself. But this... this felt like something far more dangerous than anything else he had encountered.

-"When are you going to stop treating me like a small kid? I'm not a child anymore," Jareth Jr. said quietly, meeting his father's eyes. "I can handle myself."

Jareth Sr. studied him for a long moment, and for the first time, Jareth Jr. thought he saw a flicker of something like pride in his father's gaze. But it was fleeting, quickly replaced by the usual stoic mask.

-"You're right," the Goblin King said softly. "You're not a child. But even the strongest can be tempted by doors like this." He glanced at the strange door one last time before turning back to his son. "Walk away, Jareth Jr. This is one battle you don't need to fight."

Jareth Jr. stood there, his heart pounding, staring at the door. He could feel the weight of his father's warning, but at the same time, the pull of the door was stronger than ever. He took a deep breath, his hand hovering near the handle.

And then, with great effort, he let it fall to his side.

-"Okay," he said, stepping back from the door. "I won't go through."

Jareth Sr. nodded, his face unreadable. "Good."

Without another word, the Goblin King turned and disappeared into the shadows of the forest, leaving Jareth Jr. standing alone with his companions. Ludo let out a relieved sigh, while Sir Didymus looked slightly disappointed that there would be no grand battle at the door.

Jareth Jr. glanced back at the door one last time, the curiosity still burning inside him. But as he led his friends away from it, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had just passed one of the hardest tests the Labyrinth had thrown at him yet.

And deep down, he knew his journey through the Labyrinth was far from over. There would be more doors, more choices—and next time, he might not have the strength to walk away.