Within the dark confines of the abyss, a light is cast, making light present in this suffocating abyss. Blood and Death's pungent aroma swept this land. On the singular radiance of this depressing landmass, a small group of lively and willful souls lies indifferent to the nature of their predicament.
"Okay, folks, let's play a little game. How about a round of 'What comes to your mind'? Okay, first round, what comes to your mind about... The End..." A man joyfully spouted amongst his group
"The opposite of beginning," said the husky old man.
"The death of all living things," replied the blood-drenched maiden.
"Humanities' stupidity," Spoken by the indifferent lad, bruised and bandaged to the brim, with his soulless hundred-yard gaze.
"Correct, right, and most importantly, the unfiltered truth. I'm quite pleased with your participation. Heck, even the new guy joined in. Well, that's all the games we have. How about you guys hear the novel I was writing, Kill The Labyrinth." The man joyously declared as if this was the only time he could speak of this topic, where everyone else had no option but to stay by his side.
"Lucius, are you fucking kidding me? Now's not the perfect time. We shouldn't be making any noise-" Her voice was cut short the moment the jolly man turned and met his gaze.
"Sandra, you're killing me. This is the only time I could tell this story. Once we're back at base, I'll get a ton of paperwork. Just let me have this one," Lucius begs to relay his story.
"I, too, would like you to shut your blabbering. But our only survivor over here looks lost and broken. Maybe hearing your story might help him. But may I correct you, Lucius? You can't call something a novel when it's just based on your experience; that's an autobiography,"
"It is a Novel, Mathis. It may be based on my real-life experience. But there is a but, that's what makes this story a Novel, and that's because I overly exaggerated everything. And isn't most Novels inspired by real-life events, like the jeffstein list, world whore trilogy, and Garry Kettle, the boy who's alive-" As soon as Lucius got off track, the loner of the party intervenes and gets him back on topic
"For fucks sake, get on with it, will you?" Sandra infuriatingly replied.
"Sorry! I tend to get so defensive about my Novel. Listen carefully, newbie," He says as he points at the child whom they managed to rescue from that god-awful massacre near the entrance. "They say history repeats itself. But who could've guessed it happened again? That the incident from back then occurred just a while ago,"
"That tragedy you've faced, well. It's a tamed version of what I went through. Let's say that it only happened during the golden age of recruits. Where the new batch of sacrifices may have the highest potential to kill this massive eldritch freak of a structure," Lucius stood from the ground and walked near the flames as his shadow loomed over everyone present, eyes glowing in the dark, and his voice deepened, speaking in a manner so sinister and unsettling.
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There was a time when life was simple, and working a minimum wage job wasn't the end of your life. However, humanity has fondled the world's balls for far too long. Having no repercussions for the damage they caused. Polluting their resources and cutting down their lush greenery.
But Lady Luck no longer spreads her legs for the denizens-
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"I'm sorry, but can you please take this seriously? This is the reason why we aren't so fond of your story. It feels more like a long shit post than a proper story. All of us are curious about your past, but we can't get past your phrasing of things." Sandra's face contorted into an expression riddled with her deepest disappointment and a hint of disgust
"I agree with Sandra. Can you properly express your trauma dump, without making it sound like a pile of shit?" Mathis remarked.
"TRAUMA DUMP!!! I am so deeply offended. I just want to speak about a tragic tale in my Novel. But I will take your words as a criticism. Fine, I'll change my wording. Even though ones wording is special to a writer."
"Your wording is shit!" Sandra states, but Lucius ignored her and went back to redo his introduction.
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There was a time when life was simple, and working wasn't the end of your life. However, humanity has met its end for its uncaring nature. Having no repercussions for the damage they caused. Polluting their resources and cutting down their lush greenery.
The world they inhabit no longer feels their now-absent love, and as they continue to live without a single care, the world struck back. The melted ice brought forth the towering waves. The polluted air, sea, and forest naturally made it hard to breathe, losing their means of resources as well as their means of living without the presence of clean air.
Only a few lands remain uncorrupted by greed and monopolization, yet instead of nurturing those lands, they opted for war to claim them as their own, even when facing their possible end, their greed ran deeply, which resulted in soiling the very last hope for a fresh start for this ruined civilization, in the middle of the raging conflict.
Hope was lost. In the end, humanity faced its end. Only a few days left for their rations to disappear, their water to run dry, and the oxygen they so painstakingly saved is running empty. Old and young, in their supposed final day, humanity stood united for once and wished for a miracle.
And would you believe it, that wish came true... That day, the ground rumbled, and with it came the rise of an ancient superstructure that they collectively referred to as the labyrinth. The arrival of this monument reversed all of their mistakes, and as its gates opened, it wailed a message for everyone in the world to hear, translated into their mother tongue.
|The gate is open; I shall provide you with the blessing of nurturing the lands you carelessly ignore. But those whom I deem as chosen shall stand and conquer this Labyrinth and free me. I am God... All of your collective prayers have awoken me|
|My creation, I shall share my power with you... In exchange for my blessing, is that the saviors I chosen are to embark on the expedition to free me on the start of the first day of the year. If not, then the demons guarding me here may invade this world I love dearly as well as my creations|
The denizens didn't heed the message at first, blaming it all on their hallucination from their starvation, but as the new year came, the doors leading to the labyrinth were plagued by grotesque monstrosities that easily killed millions in their wake.
If not for the bravery of those chosen as the labyrinth arrive made a move on that day, then, a second catastrophe would've befallen once again. So, by the time the threat was resolved, most of the chosen left to embark on their respected entrance scattered throughout the continents.
A few remain on earth as a means to foster the newly chosen, training, nurturing, and preparing them when their time comes.
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As Lucius began to relay his part of the story after that short introduction of the worlds setting, the timid boy whom they rescued began to recall the past hour when his group momentarily entered the Labyrinth, only to meet a silhouette of a person, and the massacre that came after.
Their first mistake was being careless and running for a closer look at their supposed survivor of the hell hole, only to encounter its appearance shifting to a blob of flesh, pouncing on anyone foolish enough to get any closer.
The doors of the entrance closed, and the room grew dark. Screams echo as one by one, a body was snagged and dragged into the dark. Their numbers dwindled with every second passing. Although they were trained, the lack of light brought forth confusion.
In panic, they swung their blades, fired their guns, and thrust their spears, hoping that anything from the darkness wouldn't reach out and kill them where they stood. Yet even with their powers, they died, all their training for naught. No hope was to come, only death.
Their information betrayed them; their opposition was unlike anything they've ever heard of. The deeper you go, the atrocities will grow stronger, but as they witness currently, it was that of a roaming catastrophe. The walls contorted, and the cement formed the shape of a maw.
Flesh-like tendons rose from the walls, a light glimmering gave false hope, and anyone daring to walk forward was crushed. As the false salvation of an exit became a mouth that devours all that we're slew from their greed. That's when they knew it was all for naught.
"For this place holds no God..." At the end of Lucius's tale, which went similarly to the boy's experience, he spoke of a phrase..."Only revenge, as the farther we venture down below. The Labyrinth shows its true form. That of the stomach of this world. Who grew to hate and resorted in eating its denizens to regain its former vigor. The monsters and traps are no more than its acid and teeth, dissolving us into fine mush." The boy shakes in realization for what he heard, whether it was the truth or the wailing of a crazy person in denial.
"It's okay if you don't believe it for the first time you've heard of it. Believe me I denied it as well. But if you desire to escape this hellhole, then all that I've spoken up till now is the truth that you'll come to accept," Lucius spoke as he stared deeply at his eye.
"I'm Lucius, by the way. The leader of this group of stragglers. Would you like to join our party? It appears we have an opening for a range support specialist. We lost a member of ours on our way to fetch you newcomers, what do you say?"