Heir of the Labyrinth

Chapter 26: Respect all, Trust few

Jareth Jr. stood in the shadows of the dimly lit corridor, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. His hand rested on the cold stone wall, the weight of his revelation pressing down on him like a suffocating force. He could barely comprehend it. Elira—his Elira—had lied to him. All this time, she had been keeping a secret so dangerous, so forbidden, that it threatened not only their love but the balance of the Labyrinth itself.

The air around him hummed with magic, but this was not the usual, chaotic energy of the Labyrinth which he loved. This was something darker, something that should never have been disturbed. He had felt it for three days now—small shifts in the fabric of his world, strange ripples in the very essence of the Labyrinth that he couldn't explain. Until today.

He had followed her, his suspicions gnawing at him like a poison. Elira had been sneaking away more often, vanishing for hours at a time without explanation. At first, he had trusted her, chalking it up to her curiosity. But the more she disappeared, the more the Labyrinth seemed to twist and writhe, as if warning him of something unnatural.

And now, he knew why....

The doors stood before him, hidden deep in the oldest part of the Labyrinth in the middle of forest—a place no one ventured before Junior, unless they knew the true ways of the Labyrinth's magic. These doors were forbidden, ancient pathways to other dimensions, other worlds. Only those with powerful magic or ancient bloodlines could even sense their existence, let alone open them. But Elira had found a way. He watched from the darkness as she stood before these doors, her hand hovering over its worn surface. A soft light glowed from the edges, pulsing gently as if responding to her touch. She murmured words under her breath—words he couldn't hear but recognized as spells far beyond the knowledge of any mortal. How had she learned this? And why?

-"Elira," Junior's voice broke the silence, sharp and full of betrayal.

She froze, her hand dropping to her side as she spun around to face him. Her eyes widened in shock, but there was no hiding the guilt that flickered across her face.

Elira:
-"Jareth?"

His gaze hardened, taking in the scene before him. -"You've been lying to me," he said, his voice cold and distant, a stark contrast to the storm raging inside him. "All this time, you've been using the forbidden doors."

She didn't deny it. Her silence was enough. She took a hesitant step toward him, her voice soft, pleading. -"Jareth, I can explain—"

-"No," he cut her off, his jaw clenched. "No more lies. I deserve the truth, Elira. Who are you? What are you really doing in Labyrinth?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, but he didn't let them sway him. Not this time...

He had been a fool, blinded by his love for her, and now that love felt like a blade twisting in his chest. -"You were never meant to stay in the Labyrinth, were you?" he demanded. "You've been traveling between worlds, using the magic of this place for... for what?"

-"I didn't mean to hurt you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I was only trying to find my way back home."

-"Back home?" The words stung. "You told me you didn't have a home. That you belonged here."

-"I thought I did," she said, her voice breaking.

Elira:
-"But I... I'm not like you, Jareth. I don't belong in this world. I come from a place where magic is fading, where the world is falling apart. I was sent here to find the doors, to open a path so I could save what's left of my world."

His heart pounded in his ears, the weight of her confession crashing down on him like a wave. She hadn't just lied to him. She had used him, used the Labyrinth's power for her own purposes. "You used me," he said, the bitterness in his voice undeniable. -"All this time, you pretended to care, to—"

-"No!" she interrupted, stepping closer.

Elira:
-"I never pretended to care about you. I love you, Jareth. That's real. But I was desperate. My world... my people... they need me. And the only way to help them was to come to your world."

Jareth shook his head, his hands balling into fists as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. "You should have told me the truth."

-"I wanted to," she said, her voice pleading. "But I was afraid. Afraid of what you'd think, of what the Labyrinth would do if it found out. I thought I could handle it, that I could find a way to make it work."

His breath came in shallow, ragged bursts as he stared at her, the woman he thought he had known, now a stranger standing before him. The pain in his chest was unbearable, but the truth was clear. "You can't stay here anymore," he said quietly, his voice void of emotion. "The Labyrinth won't allow it. And neither will I."

Her eyes widened, her face paling. "Jareth, please—"

-"You've broken the laws of my world, Elira," he said, stepping back into the shadows. "You've broken my trust as well. The Labyrinth is already changing because of you, and if you stay, it will destroy everything. You have to leave. Now."

Tears streamed down her face as she reached for him, but he turned away, his heart shattering with every step, he hold back tears.

He had loved her—more deeply than he had ever thought possible. But love built on lies could not survive.

Behind him, the ancient doors closed with a heavy, final thud.