Chapter 150: The Trial (9)
[Novel undergoing editing]
The staircase spiraled down into darkness, but the faint glow from the zodiac tiles above clung to the walls like distant stars. Verena’s grip on Vivienne’s hand tightened—not just for balance, but a quiet reassurance. Even if the girl was a walking disaster zone, she wasn’t about to leave her behind.
At the bottom, the chamber opened up into a vast cavern, lit by ethereal blue light radiating from crystal clusters embedded in the walls. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and magic simmering just beneath the surface.
Isolde smirked. "Welcome to the Heart of the Labyrinth. This is where things get really interesting."
Verena raised an eyebrow. "Heart of the Labyrinth? Sounds like a bad romance novel title."
Vivienne peeked around nervously. "So, what’s the trial?"
Before anyone could answer, a deep rumble shook the cavern. The crystals pulsed, and from the shadows emerged a massive creature—a chimera made of swirling astral energy and fragments of constellations. Its lion’s mane blazed with starlight, wings of shimmering mist spread wide, and eyes like black holes sucked in the ambient light.
"That’s a Zodiac Guardian," Isolde said, voice steady but excited. "We have to defeat it. Or at least survive it."
Verena groaned, dropping into a defensive stance. "Guess it’s fight time."
The beast roared, a sound that echoed like thunder across the cavern, and charged.
Vivienne closed her eyes, reaching deep into her Dreamtide magic. She summoned illusions of crashing waves and drifting clouds to confuse the creature’s senses, buying precious seconds.