The corridor after the Shadow's Trial sloped downward, cool air spilling from cracks in the walls. Their boots echoed sharp. None of them spoke for a while.
Riven tried first, voice too loud. "Well, that sucked. Ten out of ten, would not recommend." He rubbed at his arm where the shadow had climbed him. "At least I'm still pretty."
Kael gave him a dry look. His throat burned too much to waste words on sarcasm.
Seren scribbled fast and shoved the note at Riven: Shut up before you jinx us.
Riven read it and grinned anyway. "Tch. She likes me. That's what this is."
Kael almost smiled. Almost.
The corridor opened into a small square chamber. It was empty — no pedestals, no bells, no chains. Just a single stone bench and walls covered in faint scratches.
Kael stepped closer. The marks weren't random. They were lines. Names, again, though most too worn to read. But a few were sharp and fresh. Some were crossed out so hard the stone bled dust.
The system whispered:
[Rest Chamber Detected] Rule: Sit and hold silence. Condition: Speak, and a name is erased.
Riven's grin vanished. "The fuck kind of rule is that?"
Kael touched his throat. Of course it had to be silence. The Labyrinth loved mocking him.
Seren sat first, back straight, eyes calm. She pulled out her scraps, then hesitated. Slowly, she tucked them away. No writing. No words at all.
Kael followed, sitting on the other end of the bench. The silence pressed in fast, thick and heavy. It wasn't peace. It was weight.
Riven lasted about thirty seconds before shifting in place. His leg bounced. He looked at both of them with wide eyes. "What if I sneeze?" he whispered.
The wall shivered. One name scratched itself out.
Riven's face drained. "Oh, shit."
Kael glared. His jaw hurt from holding the word back.
Seren's pencil flew. She wrote one word, bold: Idiot. Then she ripped the scrap in half and tossed it aside.
Riven slumped, groaning quietly but not speaking again.
The silence stretched. Kael felt it crawling under his skin. He wanted to cough, to rasp something out, even if it hurt. His throat itched. The Burden of Silence throbbed, mocking.
He dug his nails into his palm instead. The Key sat in his pocket, cold and steady, but useless here. This wasn't a trial he could twist. It was one he had to endure.
The walls seemed to lean closer, listening for any sound.
Minutes crawled by. Maybe hours.
Then, faintly, from deep in the stone, came a low sound.
BOOOONG.
The gong rolled through the chamber, long and patient. The names on the wall trembled but did not vanish.
The system spoke again:
[Condition Met] Silence kept. Reward: +2 Tokens. Warning: Ledger interest increased.
Kael let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Seren looked steady, calm. Riven sagged back like he'd survived torture. "I swear," he muttered once they stepped into the corridor beyond, "if I ever make it out, I'm yelling for a week straight."
Kael's throat burned, but his voice was flat when he rasped: "Can't wait."
Seren shoved a scrap at Riven: No one else can wait either.
"Pfft." Riven grinned, shaking his head.
They walked on. Behind them, the names stayed carved into the wall, silent and waiting.