CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35 : THE CENTRAL CHAMBER

---

The group walked through the labyrinth’s winding corridors. After a few minutes of walking, they finally saw it — the central chamber, their destination.

It stood literally in the middle of the labyrinth, where all the paths intersected. Four separate corridors led to it. They were almost at the end of their ordeal. All that remained was to enter that chamber, face the unknown, and find a way out of this portal.

The group approached the chamber, their footsteps echoing through the silent maze. When they arrived at the entrance, a wave of unease washed over them. The room seemed to emanate a dark, oppressive energy that made them hesitate.

They all felt a shiver just by looking at it. Still, they had to go in.

Even though Deon’s instincts screamed danger, he stepped forward bravely and tried to push the door open — but nothing happened. It was stuck.

"Hmm... do we need some sort of special key to enter?" he asked, turning toward his companions.

"Maybe there’s a mechanism we have to trigger first," Alexia suggested.

"I’m not sure, but that seems likely," Deon replied. "Maybe the solution lies in one of the other corridors leading to this place."

Together, they headed down the surrounding corridors, searching for clues.

In the first two, nothing seemed out of place. But in the third, they noticed a small hole — just big enough for a finger to fit inside.

"Is that a lock? Why do I have a strange feeling that someone’s supposed to put their finger in there?" Theo asked, visibly uneasy.

Even if they didn’t say it aloud, the others felt the same anxiety. The same question echoed in everyone’s mind:

"Who’s going to stick their hand in that thing?"

Theo clearly wasn’t willing, and Amelia seemed hesitant.

Alexia was thinking deeply, while Deon simply watched, slightly amused by the scene.

"Hah, this feels like one of those cliché moments where a group member gets sacrificed," he thought.

"I’ll do it."

After a long silence, Alexia finally spoke.

"You’re all here because of me, so I’ll take responsibility," she said, stepping forward to insert her finger into the hole — but Deon stopped her.

"There’s no need for you to do it. I’ll handle it," he said in a calm, almost cold tone.

Deon had the distinct feeling she was trying to manipulate him into making that decision. Earlier, Alexia had said it was her fault they were there — but that was a lie. They were all here because of him, because he wanted to level up quickly before the coming-of-age ceremony.

Hearing her say that made it sound as if she wanted him to take responsibility. Ironically, Deon didn’t mind doing so — but he disliked the implication behind her words.

Alexia had disappointed him. She could’ve asked if anyone else had ideas, but instead, she chose to play the victim card.

"Tch. All the same," he thought, inserting his finger into the hole without hesitation.

It wasn’t just because of Alexia’s words that he made that choice. On the contrary, after analyzing the situation, he concluded that nothing too serious would happen, even if he did it himself.

Worst case scenario, even if his hand got severed, he had ways to regenerate it — after all, this wasn’t Earth, but a fantasy world.

As he inserted his finger, Deon felt a sharp prick, like a needle piercing his skin, and a drop of blood fell. Then, the central chamber’s door began to tremble.

"Deon, are you okay?" Alexia asked, her face full of concern.

"Yes," he replied flatly.

"Hmm..."

It would’ve been an exaggeration to say Alexia truly knew Deon, but after all the time they’d spent together, she’d learned a bit about him. And from the tone of that answer, she could tell — he was angry.

"Why would he be angry? Did I miss something?" she wondered, troubled.

Just after he pulled his finger out, the door opened, revealing the darkness inside.

Despite their hesitation, they knew they had to enter. If they wanted to escape this portal, this was the only way — there was no turning back now.

"I hope we can kill the final boss without any casualties..."

They took a deep breath and stepped inside. The chamber was dark and silent, illuminated only by a faint glow that seemed to emanate from the walls themselves.

At the center stood a pedestal, upon which rested an object glowing with a strange light. The group approached slowly, their eyes fixed on it.

"What is that?" Amelia asked in a whisper.

No one answered — they had no idea either.

Suddenly, the light in the room began to flicker, and the walls seemed to close in on them. The group felt a presence behind them and turned around to see—

A shadowy figure standing there, its gaze fixed on the object atop the pedestal. A chill ran down their spines as the figure began to approach.

"Who are you?" Theo asked, trying to hide the tremor in his voice.

The figure didn’t reply. It kept moving forward, reaching out to take the object from the pedestal.

"Don’t be afraid, young one. Didn’t I tell you it was too soon to kill you?"

Amelia’s and Theo’s eyes widened in shock — that voice. It was the same as the invisible creature’s.

"You’re...!"

"Shut."

Theo tried to speak, but his voice froze in his throat.

The room was suddenly swallowed by darkness. They couldn’t see a thing. They heard the faint sound of the object being handled — and when the light returned, they were no longer together.

Or so they thought, because each of them now found themselves inside a white, empty room.

"A trial awaits you. You must face your own shadow," said the shadowy figure.

None of them could see her, yet her voice echoed like a whisper directly into their ears.

Soon, in their separate spaces, their shadows began to rise from the ground. They were about to fight their own reflections.

...

"Uh, miss... why am I the only one who’s not frozen?"

"Huh? You can see me?!" the dark figure exclaimed, visibly shocked.

"Yeah," Deon replied, nodding calmly.

If Amelia and Theo could see her now, they wouldn’t even recognize her. All the coldness and mystery that once surrounded her had vanished.

"How did you see through an illusion of this level? Hmm... I can’t even access your mental realm like I did with your friends."

She sounded thrilled — it had been a long time since anyone had managed to perceive her.

"I just used my Third Eye," Deon said plainly.

He could’ve refused to answer, but he didn’t see the point. When they’d first arrived, she had looked like a terrifying monster ready to kill them.

Now, her presence felt... different.

"Third Eye? What are you, kid — a mystic master?"