Labyrinth of Crete Part - 8

After reading the contents of the yellowed sheet, Kane let out a long sigh and placed it back on the wooden table.

He felt almost nothing as he read what it said on the sheet, as his memories of his mother were very blurry. He only remembered her calling him "Lucien" with a loving smile; the rest seemed hidden in a dense fog.

'I don't have time to remember my past,' he thought, sighing.

He left the room and saw Rachel surrounded by people asking for a potion.

'Please, I need a potion. I haven't been able to recover, and if things keep going like this... I'll die."

"I need a pain potion. My body is... cof, cof... in pieces. Please give me just one potion."

Rachel looked at them with a cold and indifferent expression, causing some to feel a shiver run down their spines.

Tired of listening to them, she spoke:

"I won't give you a single potion, so get lost."

"You... You! Who do you think you are? Why don't you share the potions with us? Who needs them? How can you be so selfish, being a player! I have family and children waiting at home..."

"¿Y? You think I care about your family...?" said Rachel coldly, putting the potions away in her inventory and unsheathing her sword.

"I don't feel like listening to all your bullshit anymore, why don't you look for the potions in that room yourselves?"

She turned and walked towards Kane, standing next to Theo and Lucius.

"You fucking bitch! You'll pay for me once we get out of here. I'll make you regret this."

Many people began to murmur as they stared at Rachel's back. But before they could react, she supernaturally turned around, sword in hand, and attacked one of them.

"Arghh! What are you doing, you fucking bitch?!!" cried a man in pain, clutching his shoulder, which had been cut cleanly.

Rachel ignored his shout.

"Why are you asking what I'm doing? Weren't you going to make me regret it?"

The man was silent, cold sweat running down his forehead. He hadn't expected to be heard. He looked up and met Rachel's cold, indifferent eyes, not knowing what was going through his mind.

As he tried to say something, his world began to turn upside down. His thoughts became sluggish, and, in the distance, he saw his headless body. Seeing this, he understood what had happened.

The man's head rolled across the floor, leaving a line of blood on the rustic floor. People looked at Rachel in shock, unable to process what had just happened; it all happened too fast. No one could believe that such a beautiful woman could be so cruel: she killed a person simply because she heard a minor threat.

They realized she was as dangerous as the man with delicate features, long jet-black hair, and a few intertwined white locks, who called himself Merlin Hermes.

'We'd better not provoke those two.'

They all thought as they watched Rachel walk away from the crowd.

Kane looked at Rachel for a moment before asking:

"Are you done?"

"Yes."

"Good, then let's continue."

After those words, they advanced again through the labyrinth that stretched before them. The place revealed itself to be treacherous and merciless, taking people who were not very fortunate.

Every corner presented a new death trap: sharp blades emerged from the walls, slippery floors threatened to plunge them into dark waters, and false doors led them to even more dangerous places.

They spent hours immersed in a sea of difficulties and dead ends. As they progressed, more people continued to die, reducing their numbers even further.

After overcoming a series of deadly traps and precisely dodging dead ends, they finally arrived before an impressive stone door covered with strange symbols.

Standing at the door, Kane turned around and looked at everyone.

"As you can see what's behind this door is the final boss. If you don't want to die, stay out here; my group and I will take care of it. If we all go in, you will simply die, as the space would be too cramped."

The survivors were relieved to know that they would not have to face the boss monster of this historical void scenario, and began to see Kane in a new light.

Kane turns to Theo, Lucius, and Rachel to discuss the strategy for dealing with the monster. As they debate what formation to adopt, Kane believes it will go well but isn't distraught.

After discussing the plan, they approached the door that was slowly opening before them.

The door opened fully, and the group moved forward, showing severe and tense expressions. Once they were all through the door...

BAM!

The heavy doors slammed shut, making a shocking sound so the entire group visibly trembled.

The great hall before them stretched vast and majestic, enveloped in a gloom that seemed to absorb the light of the torches scattered along the stone walls. Shadows danced in the corners while a deep, almost reverent silence permeated the air.

In the center of the room stood Asterion, the Minotaur, an imposing beast, half man and half bull. His muscular body, covered with short dark hair, stood on two powerful legs. His face was that of a bull, with large horns curved forward. His eyes, a deep red, glowed with an ancient fury. Despite its terrifying appearance, there was a hidden sadness in its gaze, a melancholy.

'Asterion was not just a monster, but a victim of fate, doomed to eternally wander this labyrinth,' Kane thought as he looked into the Minotaur's red eyes.

Kane would step forward calmly with a slight smile.

"I never imagined I would see you so close one day, Astreion. But here we are, face to face in this cursed labyrinth."

Everyone looked in surprise at Kane, who was talking to the minotaur as if they were old friends who had known each other for years. To everyone's surprise, the rage-filled eyes calmed down and were replaced by a gleam of sadness!

And to even greater surprise, the minotaur began to speak!

"I have walked through this labyrinth so many times that I've lost count.... My only company are the walls that imprison me and the echoes of a family that preferred to forget me".

Kane let out a small smile and continued as if it were a dialogue in a turn-based game:

"It's Easy to carry a fate you didn't know, I know. But I'm the only one who knows your story, Astreion. The betrayal, the loneliness... I can understand why your gaze is so bleak."

The minotaur sighed deeply, staring blankly.

"This labyrinth is my prison and my home, but, above all, it is my curse. My mother, my sister... They all condemned me to this fate, forgetting that I was once a loved one, a brother, a son. Now, I am only the beast in their horror story."

After saying this, the minotaur's eyes filled with rage again, and he let out a furious roar.

"ROOOOOOAAAAAHHH!!!!"