The Huntress Descent

The Labyrinth: Chapter One

Peace.

That's the first thing I remember.

Peace. Before all the chaos.

Before the world woke up.

Peace.

One simple word.

All I wanted was peace.

Then reality hit.

Not gently and calmly.

But forcefully and in darkness.

And the thing I remember most upon waking? The prickling sensation at the back of my head, everything feeling wrong. Very wrong. Like an itch I couldn't scratch.

I raised my hand and felt my way to where I thought the back of my head should be. There, where my hair met my scalp, I felt a warm, sticky sensation. I couldn't see—it was pitch black.

Darkness.

A gulp caught in my throat.

Why couldn't I see?

A rush in my ears, a stabbing pain in my side when I tried to breathe.

Where am I?

What's happening?

Why can't I see?

The unknown terror crept in, letting fear take over my thoughts.

There wasn't even a whisper of sound to suggest... anything.

Am I dead?

The screech of metal grinding against metal brought me back to reality. I clamped my hands over my ears to drown out the noise. It made my eyes water, scraping against every nerve ending I had. With a click and a whirr, the space around me lurched upwards, throwing me off-balance to the ground in a tangle of limbs. I stayed there, frozen in fear of what might happen next. Still no light, but from this angle, I heard the low grinding of cogs as the floor continued to rise. Harsh sounds of chains and pulleys echoed through the room, like an ancient steel factory, bouncing off the walls with a hollow, tinny whine. The lightless elevator swayed as it ascended.

Red light flooded into the room, casting everything in an ominous glow. I gasped in terror at the tall shadows looming over me. I scrambled away to the corner of the metal cage, only to realize the shadows were just large crates piled high.

But the terror didn't subside.

I pulled my legs close to my chest, the swaying of the room giving me a dizzying headache. A knot in my stomach drained all emotion from me, turning it sour with nausea. I clasped my hands around my head, hoping to find some relief.

Nothing.

It only made it worse.

A tightness gripped my chest.

Sweat beaded on my temple. The room was cold, but waves of heat washed over me.

I peeled my trembling fingers from my sticky head, feeling them shake uncontrollably. My throat was dry, my tongue begging for water.

I gasped for air, but nothing came. I nearly choked on the bitterness in my parched mouth.

What is happening?

Where am I?

With every passing second, the feeling intensified, the sinking sensation digging deeper with each turn of the cog.

I couldn't even remember how to help myself.

I couldn't remember... anything. My name, my age, what I looked like. Nothing came to mind. The tightness in my chest squeezed harder, forcing the air from my lungs.