The maze seemed to tighten around them, the walls looming closer and the ceiling pressing lower. The air carried a metallic tang, as though infused with ancient magic that had settled here like sediment in a forgotten riverbed.


    Kaelen paused at a junction where three paths diverged, each equally uninviting. The nymphryn sat on its haunches, gazing up at him with eyes that gleamed like twin moons. It tilted its head, waiting for him to decide.


    “Right,” he said, studying the paths. “Left feels too obvious, straight ahead is usually a trap, and right…” He trailed off, peering into the darkness of the right-hand tunnel. “Right feels like the sort of choice someone in a story would make because it sounds clever, and then they regret it.”


    The nymphryn made a soft chuffing sound that was suspiciously like laughter. It trotted toward the right-hand path, its tail swishing confidently. Kaelen shook his head. “Fine. Lead on, oh great arbiter of questionable decisions.”


    The tunnel grew colder as they pressed onward, the air thickening with a faint, otherworldly energy. The walls, previously rough and jagged, began to smooth, as though carved by tools or hands long forgotten. Strange patterns etched into the stone flickered faintly under Kaelen’s light—spirals, starbursts, and symbols that seemed to shift and change when viewed from different angles.


    “This feels promising,” Kaelen said dryly, though his hand moved instinctively to the hilt of his sword. The weapon, a masterpiece of starsteel and ancient runes, hummed faintly against his palm, resonating with the ambient magic of the labyrinth. “Promising in the sense that we’re probably about to disturb something that should have been left alone.”


    The nymphryn stopped suddenly, its ears swiveling toward a sound Kaelen couldn’t hear. It lowered itself into a crouch, wings half-spread, its luminous eyes fixed on a point further down the tunnel. Kaelen followed its gaze and saw the faint outline of a chamber ahead, a faint blue light flickering within.


    The chamber was larger than Kaelen had expected, its high ceiling disappearing into shadows. The walls were lined with intricate carvings, depicting scenes of battles and rituals, of beings both humanoid and monstrous. At the center of the room stood a massive stone statue of a Minotaur, its surface etched with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. The light emanating from it bathed the chamber in a cold, eerie glow.


    Kaelen stepped cautiously into the room, his sword drawn. “Well, this is suitably ominous,” he remarked, his voice echoing faintly. The nymphryn followed, its movements silent and deliberate. It sniffed at the air, its wings quivering slightly.


    The Minotaur was massive, its surface black as night but shot through with veins of blue light. It seemed alive, the runes shifting and twisting as though written by a hand that couldn’t quite decide on their final form. The air around it was thick with magic, a swirling vortex of power that made Kaelen’s skin prickle.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    “A giant stone Minotaur.” he muttered, circling the Minotaur. “Let me guess. It’s cursed, or imprisoned, or both. Because nothing this dramatic is ever benign.”


    The nymphryn chirped softly, its gaze fixed on the base of the Minotaur. Kaelen followed its line of sight and saw a series of small, jagged holes in the stone. Bones littered the floor around them—twisted, broken remains that gleamed unnaturally in the obelisk’s light.


    “Well, that’s not foreboding at all,” Kaelen said, his voice laced with sarcasm. He crouched to examine the bones, his brow furrowing. “These don’t look human. Or Fae. Something else lived—or died—here.”


    The nymphryn let out a sharp trill, its fur bristling. Kaelen turned, his hand tightening on his sword as the Minotaur’s light flared suddenly. The runes pulsed faster, their glow intensifying until the entire chamber was bathed in blinding light.


    “Ah, there it is,” Kaelen said, squinting against the brilliance. “The moment everything goes horribly wrong.”


    The ground beneath them shuddered, a low, resonant groan echoing through the labyrinth. The walls trembled, sending dust and small stones cascading from above. The Minotaur began to hum, a deep, vibrating sound that seemed to penetrate Kaelen’s very bones.


    “Time to go!” he shouted, grabbing the nymphryn by the scruff as the chamber began to collapse. The creature yowled indignantly but didn’t resist, its wings snapping open as Kaelen dragged it toward the nearest tunnel.


    The labyrinth was alive now, the walls shifting and grinding as though trying to trap them. The air was filled with the deafening roar of collapsing stone and the strange, almost mournful wail of the Minotaur. Kaelen ran, his light flickering as he navigated the twisting tunnels. The nymphryn bounded ahead, its swift, agile movements guiding him through the chaos.


    “Of course it’s collapsing,” Kaelen muttered as he ducked under a falling stalactite. “Because ancient magical labyrinths never just let you leave quietly. No, they have to throw a tantrum first.”


    The nymphryn chirped sharply, darting down a side passage just as a section of the tunnel collapsed behind them. Kaelen followed, his heart pounding as he stumbled over loose rocks and debris. The walls seemed to close in around them, the once expansive maze now a claustrophobic nightmare.


    Finally, they burst into a larger chamber, the air cooler and quieter. Kaelen skidded to a halt, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The nymphryn landed gracefully beside him, shaking dust from its shimmering fur.


    “Well,” Kaelen said, leaning against a nearby wall. “That could have gone worse. We’re not dead, so that’s something.”


    The nymphryn gave him a look—a pointed, unimpressed glare that said, That’s your measure of success? Not dying?


    Kaelen chuckled. “Don’t look at me like that. It worked, didn’t it? We’re alive, and—” He paused, glancing back toward the tunnel they had just escaped. A faint blue light still flickered in the distance “Mostly in one piece.”


    The nymphryn sat down, its wings folding neatly against its sides. It tilted its head, its gaze thoughtful. Kaelen sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Yes, I know. This isn’t over. Whatever that thing was, it’s not going to stay contained for long.”


    The labyrinth groaned faintly, as if in agreement. Kaelen straightened, his expression hardening. “But that’s a problem for future us. Right now, I’d settle for finding a way out of this forsaken maze.”


    Then, a faint chime rang out.


    Kalen froze.