Alexander and Lioness made their way to the section of the labyrinth where the Venus flytrap pathways were located. Curie had given them directions to the area where Coraline and Jackson were trapped while simultaneously informing them of the dangers in this section.

  The two now stood a safe distance from the trap that held Jackson and Coraline, preparing to aid in their escape. Lioness used all the metal she had on hand to create a massive circular shield, large enough to defend them both.

  Meanwhile, Alexander was preparing to utilize his Soul Incantation to release the fluid contained within the trap. They had decided on this approach based on the information Curie had provided.

  She had explained that, due to the trap’s characteristics and behavior, it likely contained acid meant to dissolve its prey. Because of this, Alexander and Lioness didn’t want to simply tear the trap apart, as doing so would put Jackson and Coraline in grave danger—akin to popping a water balloon, except one filled with a substance capable of melting flesh.

  Additionally, since they had no idea how Jackson and Coraline had managed to survive for so long, they didn’t want to disrupt whatever method they had found. This meant they had to take extra precautions for their own safety as well. Damaging the trap could release pressurized acid, engulfing the room, so they needed to carry out their plan in a controlled manner.

  ...

  Elsewhere within the same area of the labyrinth, a deafening whistling noise rang out, echoing throughout the space.

  The source of the noise was Sandro, who was blowing on the communication whistle while running alongside Curie. The two of them were being pursued by a horde of Venus flytrap creatures.

  This was the second phase of their rescue operation. They had used Lioness's Soul Incantation to modify the whistles so that, instead of producing sound at an inaudible frequency, they emitted an audible one at a considerable volume.

  The loud noise served to distract the Venus flytrap creatures, allowing Lioness and Alexander to operate without interference.

  Additionally, this section of the labyrinth was being used to reduce the horde’s numbers. Sandro and Curie accomplished this by looping around various areas, causing the Venus flytrap mechanisms to activate and ensnare the creatures. The traps' sensors were continuously triggered due to the creatures’ constant movement.

  However, the two had to be cautious about which pathways they revisited to avoid getting trapped alongside the creatures. This responsibility fell to Curie, who could easily identify the most dangerous routes.

  After quickly estimating how many creatures remained, she voiced her thoughts to Sandro. “I believe we’ve cut their numbers in half.”

  Sandro nodded upon hearing this before replying, “That’s good to hear. Now, let’s go take care of the other half.”

  ...

  Within the Venus Flytrap pathway, Jackson and Coraline’s situation continued to worsen.

  Although Ebony and Coraline had managed to destroy many of the sensors, quite a few remained intact. Not only that, but the trap was now so full that all Jackson could do was create shockwaves to displace the acid, preventing them from being engulfed. They no longer had the space to maneuver and still needed to deal with the remaining sensors.

  Jackson was exhausted, his face showing considerable signs of fatigue, yet he continued to keep them safe. Coraline was gripping Ebony tightly, but not in a comforting manner.

  Through their mental connection, Coraline knew that Ebony was desperate enough to consider risking his life by swimming through the acid to destroy the remaining sensors.

  To prevent this, she held him close, struggling to keep him from breaking free. He was just about to slip from her grasp when, suddenly, they all noticed the volume of acid within the trap begin to decrease.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  ...

  Curie copied Sandro’s movements as they dashed through a long passageway filled with strange balls of fluff.

  They weaved and maneuvered carefully, avoiding all the floating spheres while still being pursued by the Venus flytrap creatures. However, the horde’s numbers continued to dwindle.

  The creatures charged after them with reckless abandon, colliding with many of the floating balls in the process. As a result, the hair-like tendrils along the walls immediately reacted, firing dozens of needles into the swarm.

  By the time Curie and Sandro reached the end of the passageway, all the remaining creatures lay motionless on the floor, their bodies riddled with the sharp, hair-like needles.

  Sandro was about to celebrate when he noticed something that alarmed him.

  ...

  Alexander was using his Soul Incantation to carve dozens of wounds into the trap.

  While this steadily reduced the acid within, it also sent powerful waves of the corrosive liquid barreling toward them. Lioness had to use the massive shield to prevent them from being engulfed. However, this was more difficult than expected, as the acid immediately began eroding the shield upon contact.

  This meant she not only had to endure the force of the impact but also had to use her Soul Incantation to keep the shield from falling apart.

  She was reaching the limits of her endurance, fatigue beginning to set in. Bracing behind the shield in preparation for the next wave, she was surprised when the impact never came.

  Instead, both Alexander and Lioness were met with an eerily beautiful sight. The strange Venus flytrap structure suddenly opened and expanded, not unlike a blooming flower, in both directions.

  What greeted them was Jackson, using the last of his strength to redirect the remaining acid away from them.

  The deadly wave, though dangerous, shimmered with a unique bioluminescence, casting an almost mesmerizing glow.

  The reunited allies sighed in relief as they looked at one another, exhaustion evident yet victorious.

  However, their moment of peace was short-lived. Sandro and Curie rounded the corner, their expressions filled with alarm.

  Without wasting a second, Sandro spoke in an urgent tone, “The labyrinth’s layout has changed—we need to get back to the central chamber!”

  ...

  Although the members of the alliance had overcome many of the labyrinth’s obstacles and were finally reunited, they were not out of danger yet.

  The restructuring of the labyrinth signaled the imminent return of the muddy waves. If they were separated again, it was doubtful they would be able to survive the labyrinth’s threats and reunite.

  Wasting no time, they all sprinted toward the central chamber.

  Only Curie and Sandro knew the exact reason for this urgency, but they had no time to explain. The labyrinth’s shifting layout made navigation far more difficult.

  Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have been a problem, but the extra time required to reorient themselves allowed the waves of red mud to begin flooding the passageways.

  With the waves only a few corridors away, they finally reached the central chamber. Just as the flood threatened to engulf them once again, Curie turned to Jackson and spoke urgently.

  “I know you’re exhausted, but we need your strength. You have to smash the floor of the central chamber—right now!”

  Summoning every last ounce of strength his fatigued body could muster, Jackson charged ahead of the group and leaped into the air. He crashed down onto the chamber floor with both fists.

  Normally, his impact would have only left a massive crater. However, this time, the entire floor collapsed beneath them, sending the alliance plunging into the darkness below.

  The alliance members found themselves surrounded by nothing but darkness. They lay sprawled on the cold floor for several minutes, struggling to regain their bearings.

  Suddenly, the sound of a cord being pulled echoed through the stillness, followed by the glow of a single lamp illuminating a well-crafted wooden desk.

  Behind the desk sat Seline, absentmindedly scrolling through her communicator.

  A faint smile appeared on her face as she glanced up at the weary group. She spoke in an amused tone.

  “You greenhorns remind me of my younger days… Not that I’m old or anything. Anyway, I’m glad to see you’ve passed this trial.”

  Sandro grinned broadly at her words and, despite his exhaustion, spoke in a boastful tone.

  “That was nothing! I’m sure we could all do that again right now, right guys?”

  The others found the remark incredibly annoying, but they were far too tired to respond. Well, everyone except Lioness.

  She gathered a bit of the metal she had on her and shaped it into a small knife. Too drained to sharpen it, she simply settled for repeatedly jabbing it into Sandro’s side.

  While Sandro laughed at her half-hearted attack, he had to admit—it did hurt.