FATAL - The End and The Beginning

The Abyss and The Frozen Treasure

Athena noticed that the labyrinth totally changed. Yes, its walls are still made of metals but instead of a broad hallway, it looked more like tunnels to her. And the ground was still made of soil.

“I thought you said ‘The only important thing you need to remember is that the conquest’s labyrinth lies on the oldest part of the world. That fact alone can help you survive the conquest’? I don’t think it does now. It just seemed to be more dangerous than the metallic part of the labyrinth,” she complained as the tunnel changed again, showing a crossroad.

“I didn’t actually mean it literally. It’s supposed to make you think deeper into that. And I must admit,” he smiled crookedly at her. “I’m impressed you actually memorized them. But I got your point.”

            They turned toward a different tunnel. Urikynn lead the way as usual. The tunnel that they are now in is much less spacious than the previous one. Its walls are made of marble and the ground seemed to be much muddy.

            Athena tried to walk faster in there in hope to finally end up in a much nicer tunnel. But it was a stupid move since all she got is more dirt in her shoes and in her suit. Urikynn just chuckled in bewilderment. He seemed to be having fun seeing an irritated Athena. The fact that Athena still looked so gorgeous even in her foul mood had fascinates him.

            Both of them turned right… then left… left again… then right… and finally walked straight at the center of one of the crossroads.

“Hold on,” Urikynn said as he halted, causing Athena to bumped into his back.

“Ouch,” she muttered, patting her nose slightly. Then she peered past him and saw why he stopped.

            There was no floor. It was a very big hole in the ground that leads to wherever it will lead. Athena didn’t think it’ll lead into a much safer place though. She’d sensed trouble in it. She did looked across it and found the tunnels of the labyrinth. She looked back to where they came from but with pure horror, she found it blocked with a metal wall. They’re trapped.

“We need to cross or fall,” Urikynn said.

“Uhm… how do you plan on doing that? It’s not like we have any levitation devices here or a bridge,” she replied. “What is that anyway?”

“It’s the abyss. The bottomless hole.”

“What does it do? Does it have any monsters down there waiting to eat everybody who falls?” she asked.

“No. It’s actually helpful. Only if you know how to endure it. It holds a treasure, I don’t know what it is, that helps whoever can go down there and who’s smart enough to actually climb back again.”

“A treasure? Wow, I wonder what that would be,” Athena thought. “I’m going down there.”

            Urikynn looked at her in disbelief. “You are not serious, are you?”

“Of course I’m serious!” she replied while scrolling in her access bracelet for something.

“There!” she exclaimed as she finally produced what she needed. She looked at Urikynn with a big grin then she handed the tools to him.

“Athena this is completely stupid,” Urikynn told her. “It’s better if I’ll go.”

“No,” she insisted. “I am much lighter than you are and you’re much stronger than me. I go down there while you hold that rope.”

            Athena amazingly strapped the rope tightly and neatly around her waist in such a short time. Then she puts on her illuminator charm. It’s a little jewelry-like device that sticks to any parts of the body and will eventually produce light. It is usually found at the forehead. And that’s where Athena placed her illuminator.