Tunnels twisted into the depths that lay beneath Crescent Moon's End, a feeling of dread creeping into Raymond Filch's bones as he walked.
The entrance they had descended from had long since vanished, the only guidance being that of the white-haired girl who led the group.
Stein had relaxed, a calm smile beaming from his lips, yet not a word spoken from his large and irritable mouth.
"How much farther do we have to walk?"
Raymond's navy hair gleamed black in the magical glow cast by the staff in Esme's hands, and his voice echoed through the brightened cavern like cannonfire.
Esme turned around slowly, a tired look plastered across her face as she responded to the commander's question.
"We have entered the Labyrinth of Delphin~."
She paused, pointing her tiny finger up at the dimly illuminated ceiling.
Instead of bare rock, a delicately mapped star chart graced the rooftop, strings of light triangulating their location in real time.
"Without this map, we would never return alive~"
Her words rang out ominously, freezing Stein where he stood and making Raymond sigh in disapproval.
This cave structure wasn't natural; instead, it was crafted by an ancient civilization renowned for its architecture.
The unknown race and its builders had spread their technology far and wide throughout the world, forming elaborate cities and structures around the planet.
High above the rockiest of peaks in the Sea of Souls, the hanging city of Dendrali overlooked the land, fully relying on its mana supports, which locked it in a never-ending cycle of floatation.
On the driest islands of the Sea of Mystery, the once opulent and graceful Library of Nautilus had been handcrafted by this society, a testament to their prowess.
And last, but certainly not least, there was the labyrinth, unfurling around them like an inescapable web—a treacherous place sealing away the unthinkable.
It was a well-made tomb, built to withstand even a complete meltdown of the other three seals.
Running kilometers in depth, the structure was believed to stretch even below the sea floor, another number unknown to science.
Even if Nidhogg's chains were weakened to the brink of destruction, this place would not falter nor crack.
However, when met with the duality of time itself, all mechanisms begin to show signs of wear, this one oozing a mysterious chemical into the soil.
So as the trio descended deeper into the underground tunnels, a thick gloom settled over their bodies, draining mana from their cores.
"My body feels so stiff!"
Stretching out wide, the silver-haired gambler patted himself on the back, slowing his pace to a light walk.
Raymond looked back at him, distaste evident on his expression as he opened his mouth to speak.
"We aren't natives. The miasma will harm us no matter our strength."
As he spoke, the navy-haired man scratched his arm while looking at Esme, who had begun to tremble.
The group had come to a larger chamber, one with hundreds of paths leading in various directions, whether it be to death or salvation.
"This way~."
Pointing her staff towards a tunnel on the left-most side of the room, she walked ahead without even a sliver of hesitation.
Curling his lip slightly, Stein hopped forward, the lunacy in his eyes returning faster than he could move.
Jagged rocks were etched into the walls, drawing thin layers of blood from the golden-eyed man's arm.
The commander could only scoff at the younger man's weakness; someone who wasn't immune to a mere rock wasn't fit for a place among the Order.
Esme seemed to notice her teammate's injury, a small incantation being cast underneath her breath.
Instead of the normal Nordic chants recited by any spellcaster or healer, she uttered something strange that echoed through the cave like a curse.
Raymond could only turn his gaze away as the tongue-master spoke a language beyond humanity's grasp, one that was a standard, but also an outlier.
Perhaps she was the only one of the modern era who could understand it, and that, despite her contributions to the Order, irked the navy-haired man to no end.
His father had once told him that he was spiteful, full of resentment for anyone, no matter how petty the reason.
Trying to prove that man wrong, Raymond had devoted his life to the one man who had believed in him.
However, despite the long years of loyal service, he only truly understood his father's words when Adam appeared in his life.
Raymond was a perfectionist at heart, and whether he truly liked a person or not didn't matter—he would shape them into an idealistic version.
Sculpting that red-haired man was the pride of his career, a task that had garnered him further respect among the elites.
On the other hand, Stein Brevmore was the epitome of a mistake, one that had imperfection after imperfection, someone who infuriated him to no end.
I'll kill him if he gives me the opportunity.
The thought had coursed through his head multiple times, yet only now, at the edge of an endless drop into the jaws of the earth, did he remember these words again.
Rushing water reverberated faintly in the distance, a waterfall draining into the depths signaling their arrival at the next stage.
Opening her mouth, Esme addressed the group quietly.
"We are at the second layer of the maze~."
Her smile was bland, one obviously faked to fool the two men who replied in a dry manner only fit for such a message.
"That's great and all…"
Stein's mouth moved faster than Raymond's, his abhorable voice like a grinder in the navy-haired man's head.
"But how many floors are there? I want something fun to happen!"
Throwing up his hands like a performer in an overly dramatic play, his exasperated smile faded into a frown, seriousness appearing in a flash.
Esme noticed the seamless change in his personality, an odd feeling settling into her bones as she replied quietly.
"Over the years, the challenge has waned~"
She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"So now we only have another forty-eight layers~."
…
Floating on a vessel high above the artificial cave system, Akari was surrounded by strange creatures, ones that looked living, yet dead.
She trembled slightly, the zombie-horror stories from Sea Fallen resounding through her head.
The only reassurance she had in her heart was the words of the Sea King, to escape at all costs.
Surely, if he had wished for her to give the message to Camilla, then he must've sent her somewhere safe.
Right?
Attempting to slow her breathing as the ghoulish humanoids paced around her, she exhaled deeply and spoke with confidence.
"I need to get to Corvassa."
There was no immediate reply, only the sound of a small chuckle somewhere above her.
Whipping her head skyward, she realized she had been standing under the helm, a place where a more living-looking man stood.
"Eh, lass? Ya think dis a tour vessel or somethin'?"
Adjusting her eyes to the foggy darkness that had begun to come over the horizon, the pink-haired girl zeroed in on the man's features.
He had short black hair, eroded by streaks of white that painted his scalp like a zebra, a clash of two opposites.
The man's eyes were gray while his skin was a darkish-tan, one familiar to the girl who had been born in Strava.
His clothing was similar to the Sea King's, a leather jacket covering little of his chest, two swords tied loosely to his back.
Each groove of his coat was adorned with small skulls of various shapes and patchmarks showing signs of wear and tear.
A silent thought emerged in Akari's head as she blushed slightly.
Why is Lord Droskyn's dress code so… goth…?
Pondering the thought for the moment, then discarding it out of respect for the powerful man, she addressed the man above her.
"Your captain told me to get back to Corvassa fast…"
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the parchment he had sealed, raising it high for the man and the ghouls to see.
Furrowing his brow in confusion, the man squinted, speaking again.
"Cap said that? That ain't like him…"
In a movement nearly as fast as the Sea King's, he vanished from his perch, appearing again only a few meters from Akari's face.
"Hmm… Ya don't seem like da type to lie to me…"
Scratching his chin slowly, he raised his hand into the air, a green-ish burst of light blasting out like a projectile.
The ghouls swarming around the two vanished in an instant, leaving only piles of bones and dust in their wake.
Sighing with relief, the pink-haired girl looked up at the man with a smile, watching him return the gesture with one of his own.
"Lil miss. I can get you to Corvassa within da day if we leave now."
As he spoke, his lip twitched slightly, resignation and annoyance tugging at every fiber of his being.
Akari's eyes widened at his response, a flurry of questions bombarding her head.
D-Doesn't he have to stay here with Lord Droskyn? H-He told me to just steal a ship, not his own!
Concern shot through her body, an evident sight to the trained professional who stood ahead of her.
"Don't worry, lass. Vael trusts me and my helm to da fullest extent!"
Obviously misunderstanding her worries, he slammed his hand against her back in a friendly gesture.
Then, similar to how he had descended, he appeared back at the helm, a strange device in hand.
It was a cylindrical object with the design of an hourglass, yet it lacked the sand needed to tell time.
The glass was a pale red, and scratches of ancient writing were scribbled into the wood, glowing a mystical green.
With a slim smile, the man pointed into the distance, his mouth opening wide as he shouted at the top of his lungs.
『Aventus』