17 Across the Labyrinth (Part 2)

Isidore continues to walk forward across the dark path. He's having mix thoughts if it's the right thing to let Chaneri go all by herself. He knows that Sofia can protect her, but how long? A guide's essence don't exceed an hour and anytime soon, they will fade and eventually return to the other dimension, the afterlife.

As he continues to tread the empty and dark passage, he heard a loud bang on the other side of the wall. Holding the scorching torch, he tried to approached it and placed his ears attach to the brick wall to listen for the sound. There was it again, and again. Someone was stuck behind and was trying to break out.

"Hello! Is anybody there?" He shouted desperately. The banging paused for a while then continues nonstop. Determine to know who was on the other side, Isidore tried to look for an opening behind the wall. However, he couldn't see any open doors or holes that leads toward the other side. He remembers what Jeruzen relayed to them about the switches and buttons beneath the dungeon. He tried to look for a knob or a button on the wall but there is nothing. He also tried to look some on the floor and the ceiling but it's hopeless. Fortunately, he caught a glance of an unlit torch at the furthest end of the wall. He approached it and tried to pull it, yet it did not work. Then he got an idea. He inverted it upside down and miraculously, the wall opens up. He tried to bring the torch he's holding, closer to the open wall. A ragged woman appears crawling on the floor. Her dress were torn, severe wounds all over her body and a broken leg.

"Marjorie!" Isidore gasped. He quickly ran towards her to aid. "How did this happen to you?" He asked as he looked her face that he could barely recognize.

It took time for her to answer the question as she was having a difficult time talking. "There's something unknown inside this labyrinth, and it's killing people. We managed to get out of the chambers. We were running away, but accidentally I fell in a hole. After that, a creature approach me with its heinous eyes glaring from the darkness. Luckily I was able to run away from it and falls again in this room."

"Where's Zhia?" Isidore asked.

"I don't know, we've got separated the moment I fell. She should probably be somewhere up there." She tried to stand but her foot only hurts more.

"Come, lets get out of here fast." Isidore lifted and carried her on his back.

Then he continues to marched onward across the dim path with only the torch in his possession to bring forth light on their way. This time, he's more attentive and cautious about every single detail he come across. Whether it's just a crack of sound or a minimal movement of rats and mice running back and forth among the remains scattered on the floor.

Meanwhile, on Mizuki's perspective. It was all quiet. The place were calm yet noxious. He continues to follow the path in front of him as the fowl odour gets stronger and stronger. He almost throws off as his nose cannot handle the smell. He tried to cover his nose by stripping one of his sleeves into mask, yet it's futile. Suddenly, he made a stopped when the way split in all four directions. Using only his intuition, he took the passage on the right and follows the awful smell as it gets fetid, eventually he come across a huge gap on the ground.

'It was like someone had dug it beforehand, or something.' He thought.

Out of curiosity, he jumps down the gap without any sign of hesitation drawn on his face. As he landed, he notice something odd. The floor was wet and sticky, and the place was so eerie. He saw bunches of torches clinging on the wall and lit them up one by one, revealing the atrocious scenery that he had never expected. There are huge claw marks on the wall. Not an ordinary animal could do such thing. There were also piles of human bones laid on the corner.

'This must be where it was nesting, whatever it is.' He thought.

He tried to search for clue around the place, hoping that he could find anything but there was nothing aside from the human remains. The room were also enclosed in all of its wall. There was not a single opening aside from the hole above from where he had fallen. Then he realized that it was a pit for all the humans who were lost inside this labyrinth and ended up as a food of something unknown hidden behind these walls.

Meanwhile, on the furthest side of the labyrinth, Chaneri and Sofia was about to come across into something. Something that is foreign, but is not.

"What does that means?" Chaneri asked Sofia vaguely.

"What?" Sofia asked her back.

"That symbol on your forehead." She pointed towards the lotus symbol on Sofia's head.

"This is the symbol of wisdom bestowed upon me by the deities." She answered.

"How do you exactly became a guide?" Chaneri asked again.

"The reason is not quiet stated when we were first appointed by the deities. Some of us did not fully accepted the offer, however the gods still insist and leaves them the mark of the guides they were appointed to be. When the time we have fully accepted are fates as guides. We will lose are physical bodies and turns into essence. Those who are appointed will also directly became guides once they die from this world. Either way, we accept are fates or we die, we cannot escape the destiny the deities had bestowed upon us." Sofia explained.

"That's too much to process but I think I got it. So you're saying that there are others who also became guides." Chaneri said.

"There are twelve of us, however only seven of us officially became guides. The remaining five is somewhat alive roaming somewhere above the earth." She stated.

"So the seven of you are in possession of Isidore, am I right?"

"Not really. There are only four of us sealed within his book. Wisdom, Affection, Purity and Liberty. The other two — Determination and Patience were someone's possession, however I cannot tell who it is as it was one of the rules not to dwell in other guide's possessor. The last guide is Compassion who had not yet serve any master and has been residing somewhere above the earth. The remaining five who were still alive were Courage, Protection, Intelligence, Strength and Speed. They were beyond my reach as they have not been yet visited the afterlife and not officially commited to their selves as guides."

"I shouldn't have asked. I have not understand any single thing. Wisdom, affection, purity?" Chaneri just scratched her head in confusion. "Nevermind let's just get go---."

Something swoop right through her that interrupted her words and made her frozen in fear. She look towards the dark shadows but there was nothing there. Sofia was cautious as well when she felt the presence of something.

"Stay behind me!" She warned Chaneri, to which the she immediately obeyed.

There is it again, a strong gust swoop against them as if someone was passing by in tremendous speed. Sofia tries to locate the enemy when a disturbing screech of claws scratched against the walls, revealing a heinous beast with eyes filled of intense desire to kill. To her surprise, a symbol of a lightning bolt was drawn on its body. She immediately knew it was a friend from a long time ago, yet it was unaccustomed to recognize her.

"Krios?" She uttered with disappointment and pity.