Inside the dark carriage, only the old man remained, watching the few remaining projections. He was intrigued by which of them would survive, since, based on what he had seen and felt through his spell, most of those left possessed strong mental power, although one of them stood out noticeably above the rest.
"It is quite rare for someone his age to have such mental strength. If he already shows this level at such a young age, I can imagine how far that boy could go. He will be a suitable candidate for the Gehena plan, but he is still too young for that. I hope his magical aptitude is adequate," said the old man, focused on the figure of Eric moving across the bridge like a golden lamp.
The old man gave a brief glance at the other projections, where he saw a tide of Ouroti sweeping through the labyrinth's corridors, like a swarm of ants devouring everything in their path.
"Fortunately for some children, these only come from the corridors that lead away from the exit, except for the Ouroti guarding the bridge. That way, reaching the end will be easier for them and this will end more quickly. I should thank those foolish children for not wasting my time," murmured the old man in a calm voice, as he watched the tide descend through the passages and the projections gradually disappear, making the carriage grow darker.
Inside the labyrinth, two cloaked figures, one in black and the other in red, moved through the dark passages. Despite being surrounded by pale creatures, they remained unfazed and continued on their path without paying them any attention. The pale creatures, perhaps out of fear or some other reason, did not dare approach them. Instead, they cleared the way and let them pass freely.
"It's been years since I last entered this place, but no matter how many times I do, I still dislike it completely," said Lanira, showing a look of distaste on her beautiful face.
"I understand you. This place doesn't bring good memories. But despite everything, we can't do anything about it. It's a necessary place, and we don't have the power or authority to interfere with it. We are replaceable resources," said Adam with a distorted voice, ending with a sharp click.
"Let's hurry. I don't want to stay here longer than necessary," said Lanira, unhappy with what she had remembered.
"I agree. We must be ready to stop them before they kill everyone. As for the punishment, I suppose it will be the same as last time," said Adam with continuous clicks.
"Yes, that's what we'll do," said Lanira in a cold tone. Both advanced through the confusing labyrinth, a kind of giant puzzle that seemed to have a life of its own. As they moved forward, the walls reorganized themselves as if an invisible architect were redesigning the space. It was as if the labyrinth adapted to their pace, opening a straight path toward the breach and avoiding any obstacles. What was most intriguing was that they never had to turn at any point. They simply moved forward in a straight line, as if the route had been predestined. The path was clear, except for the presence of hundreds of pale creatures that seemed to appear out of nowhere, watching them without expression.
After a while, they reached the entrance to the bridge and simply observed the scene before them, where the children were being held by those creatures and slowly devoured. Some were screaming, while others could only emit faint whimpers of pain.
As the minutes passed, the cries of pain began to fade. Some even ceased entirely, as they were completely devoured by the Ouroti. Among those who remained, there were eleven children, including Blair and Aiden, but they were in a horrifying state. Blair was missing her right arm and part of her face, exposing parts of her skull, and had a tail impaled in the left side of her abdomen. Aiden wasn't doing much better, as his entire lower body was gone and his shoulder had been pierced. Compared to the other children, they were slightly better off, since they had been among the last to be caught by the Ouroti.
"If things continue like this, they will all die. Let's choose those who are in the best condition to survive. The others can die. Besides, I think Lord Aldric will be satisfied with this punishment," commented Adam in a shrill voice.
"I agree. A glorious or dark future awaits them," said Lanira with a cold voice.
Thus, both advanced across the bridge and approached the children, selecting those who did not have fatal wounds to release a cloud of green light over each one, so that the Ouroti would retreat and leave them alone. The creatures continued devouring the unfortunate ones and, once finished, returned to the bottom of the lake, although most went back the way they came, toward the labyrinth.
On the cold stone of the bridge, only three girls and two boys remained, including Aiden and Blair. All were severely wounded and missing body parts. Fortunately, the green cloud prevented more blood from flowing from their wounds and slowly closed the most serious ones to keep them from dying. Those who were still conscious and had not fainted from the pain could only hear a harsh voice before darkness enveloped them.
"You are the fortunate ones who endured until the end. But since you did not complete the trial, your lives now belong to the Tower of Eternal Night forever," said Adam with strong, continuous clicks.
Outside the labyrinth stood a strange circular arch made of black and gold stone, engraved with various glyphs and strange patterns. Nearby was a large carriage with ornate details. At the carriage door stood an old man in a black cloak with a prosthetic in his left eye, watching the arch. Suddenly, blue particles approached the arch. The inscriptions, once dark, turned into a bright blue light. Its interior filled with blue particles, forming a kind of blue wall. When this happened, a young boy with pale skin and black hair emerged from the portal.
"So you finally came out. Get in, I've been waiting for you for quite a while," said Aldric calmly to Eric.