“Son of a bitch!” Bron cursed, his fists clenched in frustration, his voice echoing through the labyrinth. His face was a mask of anger, but beneath it, there was a flicker of unease. The shadow manipulator’s abrupt departure had left the group feeling exposed, and Bron wasn’t one to hide his irritation.
“I don’t blame him,” Ludwig said, his tone calm and measured, though his eyes were sharp, scanning the group. “I’d have done the same if I were him.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over the remaining students. “Although this sounds like a trial we should do as a group, in reality, if we do that, we’ll be instantly eliminated. The moment our beacons light up, we’ll be revealed to all the hunters. And if we’re grouped up… I don’t even want to think about it.”
Minerva nodded, her expression grim but resolute. She adjusted her grip on her wand, her knuckles whitening slightly. “So you think we should split?”
“It sounds like the best course of action,” Ludwig said, his voice steady. “Use your ears and senses. Stay calm, and keep track of your beacons when they light up. I’ll be moving forward.”
“Where to?” Minerva asked, stepping closer to Ludwig. Her voice was low, but there was a note of determination in it. She wasn’t about to let him go off alone. He was her best chance of survival, after all he showcased his wits in the last challenge and this one seemed like a trial that needed a lot of that.
“Professor Olim said there are a few events hidden in the labyrinth that could help us secure some advantages,” Ludwig explained, his tone thoughtful. “I’m trying to figure out where.”
“Let me join you, then,” Minerva said, her tone firm. She met his gaze, her eyes unwavering. “I promise I won’t be a hindrance.”
Ludwig shrugged, his expression unreadable. “Suit yourself.”
The two of them moved ahead, leaving the rest of the group behind. The remaining students exchanged uneasy glances, the reality of their situation sinking in. They had never been a team in the first place. From now on, it was every man for himself.
Bron, after a moment of hesitation, seemed to come to the same conclusion. Without a word, he turned and strode off in a different direction, his broad shoulders tense with determination. The rest of the students—Vini and a few others—decided to stick together, forming a small, uneasy unit as they ventured deeper into the maze.
While Ludwig and Minerva walked further and further away from the group, the labyrinth seemed to close in around them. The walls were tall and imposing, the dim light casting long shadows that danced eerily as they moved.
“We find ourselves more and more together, don’t you think?” Minerva said, her voice light but with a hint of something deeper. She glanced at Ludwig, a small smile playing on her lips.
“Reminds me of our days scouting the forest,” Ludwig replied.
“Oh, speaking of which,” Minerva said, her eyes lighting up as she reached into her ring. She pulled out a small, familiar torch they had used this item during their search for Esteban.
“That’s your Blue Flame Light,” Ludwig said, raising an eyebrow. “Can you even use it here?”
“I don’t see why not,” Minerva replied, her tone confident. “Professor Olim never said anything about using personal items.” She lit the torch, and its soft, blue glow immediately enveloped them. The torch’s effects were the same as before: it muffled the sound of their footsteps and made them nearly invisible to anyone beyond the reach of its light.
“We should be slightly conservative when using this, though,” Minerva said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I only have about an hour or so worth of light on it.”
“Then there’s no reason to turn it on right now,” Ludwig said, his tone pragmatic.
But just as he finished his words, the sound of bells echoed through the labyrinth—several bells ringing at once, their jingling notes distorted and disorienting. The sound seemed to come from multiple directions, the echoes bouncing off the stone walls in a chaotic symphony.
Minerva’s eyes widened, her grip tightening on the torch.
“I take that back,” Ludwig said, his voice low but urgent. “Keep it on for now.”
The bell sounds were deceptive, their echoes making it impossible to pinpoint the hunters’ locations. One moment, the sound seemed to come from the left; the next, it shifted to the right.
“That dirty bastard,” Ludwig muttered, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“What is it?” Minerva asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
“The professor,” Ludwig said, his tone a mix of admiration and frustration. “He said the bells were a disadvantage for the hunters. It’s actually the opposite. The echoes distort the location of the sound. One might run away from the sound only to find themselves running straight into a hunter. This whole trial seems awfully targeted at the prey—which is us.”
Just as he finished speaking, a hunter emerged from a nearby pathway. He was a student Ludwig didn’t recognize, someone who must have been eliminated early in the trials. The hunter looked around, his eyes scanning the area, but he didn’t notice Ludwig and Minerva standing just a few feet away, the Blue Flame Light masking their presence.
The hunter hesitated for a moment, then chose a different path and disappeared into the maze.
Minerva let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “I thought we were done for,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“It’s only one guy,” Ludwig replied, his tone calm but with an edge of caution. “Worst case, we’ll just take him out. But I wouldn’t want to cause any ruckus. You never know if other hunters are nearby. Let’s keep moving forward.”
Minerva nodded, and the two of them headed in the opposite direction from the hunter. But just as they took their first few steps, the markings on their wrists lit up. A loud, ear-piercing blare echoed from the beacons, accompanied by a blinding flash of light. The Blue Flame Light in Minerva’s hand flickered and went out, leaving them fully exposed.
Instantly, the labyrinth seemed to come alive. The sound of bells grew louder, more frantic, as nearby hunters from all directions began converging on their location.
“We need to run!” Ludwig shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
The two of them sprinted down the corridor, their footsteps echoing loudly against the stone walls. The hunter they had seen earlier was now hot on their heels, his bells jingling wildly as he gave chase.
Ludwig waved his fingers, creating two small orbs of light that floated menacingly behind him as he ran.
“What are those?” Minerva asked, her voice strained as she struggled to keep up.
“Insurance,” Ludwig said, his tone grim.
The sound of the bells grew closer, the hunter’s voice shouting after them. “Wait up!”
“Like hell I would,” Ludwig snapped, his fingers flicking sharply. The two orbs exploded in a burst of light and sound, catching the hunter off guard. He stumbled, falling to the ground, but the blast wasn’t strong enough to eliminate him.
The two kept running, their breaths coming in short gasps as they reached a turning point in the labyrinth. They rounded the corner, only to freeze in their tracks.
In front of them stood a massive stone lion, its two-meter-tall form blocking their path. Its eyes glowed faintly, and its stone mane seemed to ripple as if alive. The creature let out a low, rumbling growl, its gaze locking onto Ludwig and Minerva.
“You’ve got to be shitting me.”