Chương 17: Chapter 15:
The moment we stepped into the maze, the air shifted. It was thick and heavy, weighing on my chest with every breath. The overpowering scent of damp earth filled my nostrils, mingling with a faint metallic tang that made my stomach churn. The maze's towering hedges loomed over us, their jagged branches clawing at the dim light.
"This place feels… wrong," I whispered, gripping the straps of my satchel tightly.
"It's meant to," Xenos said, his voice steady but cold. "The maze feeds on your fears. It's alive in its own way, twisting reality to break your focus. Stay close to me, and whatever you do, don't trust what you see."
A faint sound reached my ears—a soft giggle, light and airy, but unnerving. It echoed through the twisting paths, growing louder as we moved deeper. My heart quickened, and I glanced at Xenos, who seemed unaffected.
"Do you hear that?" I asked hesitantly.
He nodded, his expression darkening. "Ignore it. The voices are part of the maze's trickery. They'll try to lure you into the shadows, take forms you recognize. Don't follow them, Sage. They'll lead you to nothing but pain."
I swallowed hard, nodding as I tried to focus on his words. But the voices grew louder, overlapping into an eerie cacophony that made it impossible to think. My steps faltered, and Xenos reached back to grip my wrist, steadying me.
"Stay with me," he said firmly, his eyes locking onto mine. "The maze is already trying to get to you. Fight it."
I took a deep breath and nodded, forcing myself to keep moving. The ground beneath us was uneven, and the maze seemed to shift with every turn, as though it were alive and watching us.
Then I heard it—a voice that froze me in place. Soft, familiar, and filled with warmth.
"Sage, my darling…"
My breath caught in my throat. I turned my head instinctively, my eyes scanning the shadows until they landed on a figure just beyond the hedge. My heart lurched as I took in the sight: a tall woman with tanned skin, her long, curly hair cascading over her shoulders. Her eyes glistened with love and recognition.
"Mom?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
The woman smiled, stepping closer. "Yes, my sweet girl. It's me. I've missed you so much." Her voice was tender, pulling at every memory I had of my mother.
"Sage, don't," Xenos warned sharply, his hand tightening on my wrist. "It's not her. You know it's not her."
But I couldn't tear my gaze away. Her presence felt so real, her voice so familiar. "It's really you," I murmured, taking a step toward her.
"I've been waiting for you," she said, her arms outstretched. "Come to me, darling. Let me hold you again."
The warmth in her voice wrapped around me like a comforting blanket, and I felt myself drawn to her. My feet moved on their own, pulling me closer despite the faint alarm bells ringing in the back of my mind.
"Sage, stop!" Xenos shouted, stepping in front of me. His voice was distant, like I was hearing it underwater.
The woman's smile faltered, and she reached out to me. "Don't listen to him, my love. He doesn't understand. I'm your mother. I love you."
Her words broke something inside me, and tears blurred my vision. "Mom…" I whispered again, reaching toward her.
But just as our fingers were about to touch, Xenos yanked me back with a force that knocked the breath out of me.
"Sage, look at me!" he barked, shaking my shoulders. His golden eyes bore into mine, filled with urgency. "That's not her. It's the maze. It's lying to you."
I blinked, the fog in my mind clearing for a moment. When I looked back at the woman, her features began to shift. Her warm eyes turned hollow, her smile twisting into something cruel. The figure distorted, growing taller, its limbs elongating unnaturally as it melted into the shadows.
A chill ran down my spine, and I stumbled back, clutching Xenos' arm.
"What… what was that?" I gasped, my chest heaving.
"That," Xenos said grimly, "is why you don't follow the voices. They'll use your memories, your emotions, anything they can to trap you."
I nodded weakly, the weight of what had just happened sinking in. My mother's voice still echoed faintly in my ears, a cruel reminder of how easily I'd been deceived.
Xenos' hand rested lightly on my shoulder, grounding me. "You're stronger than this maze, Sage. Don't let it get into your head. Focus."
I took a deep breath, wiping at my tear-streaked face. "I'm sorry. I… I'll do better."
His expression softened slightly, and he gave a curt nod. "Let's keep moving. We're almost through."
Xenos' grip on my wrist had been firm, his urgency snapping me out of the maze's illusion, but the moment he realized what he'd done, his expression darkened. He yanked his hand back as if he'd been burned, his jaw tightening.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, flexing his fingers. They were already tinged with an icy blue, the veins glowing faintly as the curse spread up his arm.
"Xenos…" I stepped closer, my heart sinking at the sight. His usually composed demeanor was crumbling, replaced by something raw and vulnerable.
"It's fine," he said tersely, avoiding my gaze. "Just keep moving. I'll deal with it."
"No, you won't," I shot back, folding my arms. "You're freezing up, and we're in the middle of a death trap. If you don't let me help—"
"Sage," he interrupted sharply, his golden eyes blazing. "I said no. The curse isn't something you can fix. You'll only make it worse."
I hesitated, torn between listening to him and doing what I knew needed to be done. His hand was trembling, the blue creeping up to his forearm now. "You've taught me healing magic. I'm not asking—I'm telling you to let me help."
He scoffed, though there was no humor in it. "You're stubborn, you know that?"
"Like someone else I know," I muttered, taking a step closer. He didn't move away this time, but his eyes narrowed in warning.
"This isn't a game, Sage. You don't understand the risk—"
"And you don't understand that I'm not letting you die," I said firmly, my voice cracking slightly. "Not for me. Not here."
Before he could protest, I reached out and grabbed his wrist. His body tensed immediately, the curse flaring brighter as the blue spread to my hands. The cold was sharp and biting, but I forced myself to ignore it, channeling every ounce of healing magic I had into him.
"Sage, stop!" Xenos growled, trying to pull away, but I tightened my grip. The curse was strong, a living force that pushed back against my magic, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to let it win.
"Be quiet and let me do this!" I snapped, my voice trembling under the strain. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I poured more magic into him, willing the blue to retreat. It felt like trying to hold back a tidal wave with bare hands, but I could see it working. Slowly, the icy glow began to fade, the color draining from his skin.
His breathing was ragged, his free hand gripping the hilt of his sword as if to ground himself. "You're going to burn yourself out," he muttered, though his voice had lost some of its edge. "You're reckless, Sage."
"And you're annoying," I shot back, my vision starting to blur. The curse was fighting harder now, pushing back with a fury that made my whole body ache. But I refused to let go.
Finally, with one last surge of energy, the blue light vanished completely, leaving his skin its usual tone. I staggered back, my knees giving out as exhaustion hit me like a wave. Xenos caught me before I could fall, his grip firm despite his earlier reluctance.
"Idiot," he muttered, his tone caught between exasperation and something softer. "You could've killed yourself."
"But I didn't," I panted, managing a weak smile. "And now you're not freezing to death. You're welcome."
He stared at me for a long moment, his golden eyes unreadable. Then, with a resigned sigh, he hoisted me back to my feet, careful to avoid touching my skin.
"You're impossible," he said, his voice low. But there was something in his expression—something almost like gratitude—that he didn't bother to put into words.
I shrugged, leaning on him for support as we continued deeper into the maze. "I get that a lot."
The tension between Xenos and me lingered as we pressed forward, the maze's towering hedges looming over us like silent sentinels. The air was still thick with the unsettling hum of magic, but now it was punctuated by the faint sound of footsteps behind us.
I turned just as Alohi emerged from the shadows, looking entirely too pleased with herself. Her dress sparkled faintly, remnants of her ridiculous "divine" act clinging to her like glitter that refused to leave. She dusted her hands off, strutting toward us with an exaggerated swagger.
"Well, well," she drawled, her grin widening. "Looks like someone forgot to invite me to the 'almost-get-cursed-to-death' party."
"Alohi," Xenos said flatly, his tone as icy as ever. "Why are you here?"
"To save your sorry butts, obviously," she said, flipping her hair dramatically. "Did you really think I'd let you two have all the fun? Please, you need me."
I sighed, exhaustion catching up to me. "We don't have time for this. Let's just keep moving."
Alohi's eyes narrowed, clearly displeased by the lack of enthusiasm. "Ugh, you're both so boring right now. What happened? Did the spooky maze suck the life out of you?"
"Something like that," I muttered, glancing at Xenos, who looked like he was about to snap.
The silence that followed was thick and awkward, the kind that made every rustle of leaves and crunch of dirt beneath our boots deafeningly loud. Alohi, of course, couldn't stand it.
"Oh, no, no, no," she said, waving her hands dramatically. "We are not doing this. I can't handle another second of this brooding silence. So, let's spice things up, shall we?"
Xenos groaned. "Alohi—"
"I have a question," she announced, cutting him off. "A very important one. Sage, if you had to choose between kissing Xenos or eating a live bug, which would it be?"
My face turned bright red. "What?!"
"Answer the question!" Alohi demanded, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"That's ridiculous!" I protested, glancing nervously at Xenos, who had gone very still.
"It's not ridiculous; it's hypothetical. You know, for science," Alohi insisted, completely unfazed by my mortification.
I hesitated, glaring at her. "I—what kind of bug are we talking about?"
"A crunchy one," she replied immediately, clearly enjoying herself.
"Oh, for the gods' sake," Xenos muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Can we focus on not dying, please?"
Alohi gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. "Xenos, are you avoiding the question? Does it make you uncomfortable to think Sage might rather eat a bug than kiss you?"
"Alohi," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
She wagged her finger at him. "You can't intimidate me, dragon boy. I've seen you get emotional over your tea being too cold."
"Enough!" I snapped, my face still burning. "Can we just focus on getting to the center of the maze?"
Alohi smirked, clearly satisfied with the chaos she'd caused. "Fine, fine. But only because I'm feeling generous. Lead the way, fearless leader."
I let out a frustrated sigh, turning to continue down the path. Alohi fell into step beside me, her grin refusing to fade. Xenos trailed a few paces behind, muttering something under his breath about "regretting every decision that led to this moment."
Despite the lingering embarrassment, I couldn't help but feel a little lighter. Alohi's antics, as ridiculous as they were, had broken the oppressive tension, and for that, I was quietly grateful.
The three of us pressed on toward the maze's center, the flickering light of our torches casting long shadows on the winding path ahead.
The air grew colder and heavier as we approached the heart of the maze. The oppressive silence settled over us, broken only by the faint crunch of our footsteps on the dirt path.
Finally, the hedges parted, revealing a small clearing bathed in eerie, pale light. At its center stood a towering, ornate door, its surface etched with intricate carvings of vines and ancient symbols that seemed to shimmer faintly in the dim glow.
"That's it," Xenos said, his voice low and steady. "The entrance to the castle's secret room."
I took a hesitant step forward, my breath catching in my throat as I stared at the door. The hum of magic was stronger here, vibrating through the air and sending shivers down my spine. This was it—the moment we'd fought so hard to reach.
Alohi broke the silence with a low whistle. "Creepy and dramatic. Classic ancient magic vibes. Love it."
I glanced at Xenos, his expression unreadable as he studied the door. Then, taking a deep breath to steady myself, I stepped closer. My heart pounded in my chest, the weight of what lay ahead pressing down on me.
"We've come this far," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "There's no turning back now."
Xenos and Alohi stepped up beside me, their presence grounding me as I reached out, my hand trembling slightly. The carvings on the door seemed to shift and ripple beneath my fingertips, and the faint hum of magic grew louder.
With a deep breath, I pushed the door open.
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