Grandma's Labyrinth

Chapter 18:

The eerie glow from the enormous stone heart cast long shadows across the chamber, the rhythmic pulsing resonating through the air like a heartbeat. Elowen stood frozen, her hand still hovering inches from the surface of the heart, the energy radiating from it sending shivers down her spine.

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. The weight of the choice before her pressed down like a suffocating blanket, making it difficult to think clearly. The heart was the core of the labyrinth, the very thing that had ensnared countless souls—including her own grandmother. Destroying it could free them, break the labyrinth’s hold once and for all.

But it could also unleash something far darker.

As the thought crossed her mind, Elowen was overwhelmed by a sudden rush of memories. They weren’t hers, but they flooded her senses all the same—visions of the labyrinth in its creation, its halls filled with light and purpose, a place of sanctuary for those seeking answers. But then, over time, the labyrinth’s energy had twisted, corrupted by the ambitions of those who had tried to control it.

The stone heart pulsed again, and the visions shifted to a darker time. The labyrinth had become a prison, trapping souls within its endless corridors, feeding off their despair and fear. It had grown stronger with each life it claimed, its power tied directly to the heart that now pulsed before her.

Through the haze of visions, Elowen saw glimpses of her grandmother, younger and full of life, wandering through the same passages she had walked. The same determination in her eyes, the same search for answers. But unlike Elowen, her grandmother had never found the heart.

Not until now.

The realization hit her like a shockwave—this was the moment her grandmother had been seeking all those years ago. This was the answer to the labyrinth’s mystery, the key to breaking free. But her grandmother hadn’t made it. She hadn’t been able to reach this far, to stand where Elowen now stood.

And now, it was up to her.

The whispers returned, swirling in the air around her like a storm, their voices tugging at her resolve.

“…free them…”

“…destroy it…”

“…end the labyrinth…”

The voices were stronger than before, more insistent. But there was something else, too—another voice, softer, more distant, barely audible beneath the chorus of demands. Elowen strained to hear it, her mind pushing past the clamor to focus on the faint sound.

It was her grandmother’s voice.

“…not all is what it seems…”

The words sent a chill down her spine, cutting through the fog of confusion and fear. She stepped back from the heart, her gaze flicking to the runes carved into its surface. The pulsing light intensified, as if sensing her hesitation, as if the labyrinth itself was urging her to act.

But now, doubt clouded her mind. What if destroying the heart wasn’t the answer? What if the labyrinth’s power wasn’t in the heart itself, but in the way it had been used, twisted over time?

The stone heart throbbed again, and the runes flared with a blinding light, illuminating the chamber in an ethereal glow. The light flickered and danced across the walls, casting the labyrinth’s intricate symbols in sharp relief.

It was then that Elowen noticed something she hadn’t seen before—small cracks running along the base of the heart, barely visible beneath the glowing runes. The heart was already damaged, already weakened. But how? And why?