Celia's Perspective:
1/1/2018 - 10:14 AM
Kaiser suddenly stood up, brushing off the grass and rushing ahead with that quick stride of his. My eyes widened as I followed his movements—he looked oddly determined, like a man about to face his greatest rival in a sacred duel.
Just a few steps away, Lucas, wearing his usual long black cloak that swayed with every bounce of his step. His green-dark clothes always made him look so mysterious… well, mysterious and dramatic. The hood half-fallen off, his brown hair catching the late light—it suited him far too well for someone about to do something stupid.
And, oh, he did.
"Kaiiiiser!" Lucas grinned, running toward him with that same energy. Lily, trailed behind them helplessly, trying to keep up with two men acting like toddlers.
I blinked, tilting my head. "What are they doing now…" I murmured, though I couldn't hide the playful grin spreading across my lips.
They stopped right in front of each other.
"Rock, paper, scissors—GO!" Kaiser suddenly shouted, raising his hand with dramatic intensity.
"Loser does whatever the winner says!"
"Eh—wait, what?!" Lucas blinked, confused, but it was too late.
Their hands rolled through the air.
Lucas: paper.
Kaiser: scissors.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!"
Kaiser's grin widened, that smug look plastered on his face as he raised his hand in victory.
"CHEATER!" Lucas yelled, eyes wide, pointing at him like an offended noble.
"Don't make excuses, loser," Kaiser replied, crossing his arms with a proud smirk. "As the defeated civilian, you are hereby sentenced to perform… one hundred pushups!"
Lucas froze. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Kaiser said, feigning a serious expression. "A hundred. Now. Go on."
Lucas groaned loudly. "At least let me do it later, man. Like… at night. Or… maybe next year?"
"Scammer," Kaiser said immediately, deadpan.
"I'm not a scammer!"
"You just delayed your punishment."
"I'm being reasonable!"
I couldn't hold it anymore—my lips quivered, then I burst out laughing. "You two are so dumb!" I said, clutching my stomach.
Lucas turned to me, pointing an accusing finger. "It's not funny, Celia! He cheats! Every time!"
"Oh really?" I teased, brushing a strand of hair from my face, grinning wide. "Then why is it the 12th time this month you've lost?"
He blinked, utterly betrayed. "You're keeping count?!"
"Of course," I said proudly, hands on my hips. "Watching you lose is my new favorite hobby."
Kaiser chuckled, leaning slightly toward me. "She's got a point."
Lucas groaned, pulling his hood over his face. "You two are teaming up on me…"
"Oh, come on," I said, playfully nudging his arm. "It's too fun!"
He sighed. "Maybe a little."
I smiled faintly, glancing between them—Kaiser's calm, teasing presence and Lucas's loud, goofy energy blending perfectly. It was rare, really, seeing both of them like this.
For once, I didn't feel like the witch on the outside. I was laughing with them, part of their world.
I could live like this. Just like this. Watching them argue over nothing, and laughing until my chest hurts.
Maybe… maybe being myself wasn't so bad after all.
Lily finally caught up to us, her tiny wings fluttering frantically, face flushed and breath uneven. She hovered a little unevenly before landing, hands on her knees as she gasped for air.
"Why… did you start running?!" she managed, her voice half-pleading, half-exhausted, aimed directly at Lucas.
Lucas blinked innocently. "I don't know—bro started running first!" He pointed dramatically at Kaiser.
Kaiser looked over his shoulder, expression dramatic. "Uhh… I just felt like it."
"You two are not making sense!" Lily huffed, her tiny wings twitching in irritation.
Lucas crossed his arms with mock seriousness. "Anyways, didn't expect you two to be on a date so early." He glanced between Kaiser and me with a sly grin.
"We are not on a date," Kaiser said immediately, voice steady.
I followed a split second after, blurting, "We are not on a date!"—trying way too hard to sound calm.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, smirk widening. "Then why did me and Lily hear—" He stood taller, puffed his chest, and dramatically mimicked my voice:
"'KAISER IS MINE, MINE, MINE!!'"
My entire body froze. "Wha—whaaa—no way you two heard that!" My voice cracked at the end, and I instinctively grabbed the ends of my sleeves, fidgeting.
Lily nodded, eyes wide with innocent confusion. "I thought a monster entered the labyrinth and was hunting Sir Kaiser!"
Lucas lost it.
He doubled over, laughing uncontrollably. "Not a monster, Lily—his caretaker!"
"Shut up, Lucas!!" I covered my face, my cheeks burning red.
Kaiser, of course, just had to make it worse. He chuckled softly, that teasing grin tugging at his lips. "Probably half the labyrinth heard it, Celia. You were screaming."
"I wasn't that loud!" I argued, stomping lightly, though I didn't sound convinced. "I didn't even scream that loud!"
Lucas straightened up, grinning ear to ear. "Oh, you did, Miss Mine-Mine-Mine. I think some fairies stirred awake because of you."
"Lucas…" I muttered in warning.
He kept going. "You should've seen your face, all red and sparkly-eyed—"
"Do you want to die?" I snapped, my voice trembling between flustered and threatening.
"Hey, don't look at me like that!" He raised both hands defensively. "You started it!"
Kaiser sighed, chuckling under his breath. "She was acting like my wife again, so I had to deal with it somehow."
"WHAT?!" I whipped toward him, eyes wide.
Lucas fell to the ground laughing, clutching his stomach. "Knew it! I knew it! You two are hopeless!"
I lightly slapped Kaiser's arm. "Shut up!" I turned my glare to Lucas. "And you—stop laughing, or I'll tie you upside down with my chains!"
"Ermm—" Lucas took a step back, still grinning. "I have legs. I can run too."
"You'd better," I muttered darkly, crossing my arms.
Then Lily suddenly giggled, her laugh delicate and sweet like wind chimes. "You three are perfect," she said softly, eyes gleaming with warmth. "So close… it's wonderful to see."
For a moment, the teasing stopped.
Kaiser smiled faintly. Lucas grinned. I felt my lips curl into a small, shy smile as I looked at them—these two ridiculous men who somehow made my world brighter.
"Well," Lily said after a moment, brushing her hair back, "I heard you three were departing today, so I came to lead you all out of the Labyrinth."
I raised a brow. "Didn't you all promise to teleport us to Sylvaris? For helping to eliminate the Frost Crawler?"
Lily's expression dimmed with guilt. "Unfortunately… The teleportation machine broke. It'll take a week to repair."
"So we did all that for nothing," I muttered under my breath.
"Yeah," Lucas said, hands on his hips. "We got scammed."
"Life," Kaiser added with a dry tone.
"I'm so sorry for this! From all of the fairies—I apologize!" Lily bowed deeply.
"It's alright," Kaiser said gently. "It isn't your fault. Now, should we go see Her Majesty and ask for a better route?"
The moment he mentioned her, my jaw tightened. My stomach churned. That woman.
Before I could speak, Lucas suddenly said, "I think it's best if we pack our things and leave as soon as possible."
That surprised me. Lucas? Choosing to move instead of rest?
"Yes," I agreed quickly. "We don't need to see her again. Helping them was enough."
"Yeah," Lucas added. "Waiting a week is not an option."
I didn't know why he, of all people, would prefer walking a few miles over waiting.
But my reason was simple—
I didn't want Kaiser to see her.
Kaiser sighed. "Time waste it is."
"Good," I said under my breath, feeling the tension in my chest fade a little.
Lucas shrugged. "It is what it is."
"Alright," Kaiser said, dusting off his coat, "you three go pack your things. I'll head out early and take a look outside the Labyrinth."
"What?!" Lily said immediately. "You'll get lost!"
Lucas and I exchanged surprised looks. "Why though?" we both asked at once.
Kaiser looked back with a small grin. "Just want to make sure nothing's waiting out there to attack us."
Lily still looked worried, but he reassured her, "I'll be fine. Just meet me outside when you're ready."
I quickly stepped forward, grabbing his shoulder before he could take another step.
"Kaiser—wait."
He turned, calm as ever. "Lily will guide you two out," he said. "And if she forgets, Lucas can always track me down and find the route."
"I will not forget the path!" Lily puffed her cheeks, wings twitching in protest. "That's impossible!"
Kaiser chuckled softly. "Well sure thing, counting on you."
Lily huffed, crossing her arms.
"And how do you plan to leave?" I asked, unable to hide the edge in my voice.
"I've memorized the exit. From the time we left to fight the Frost Crawler."
I didn't answer. I just stared at him—because something in me refused to relax.
He noticed. His hand came up, gently resting over mine still on his shoulder.
"I'll wait for you outside, Celia."
That tone… steady, quiet, final.
A chill ran down my spine.
My chest tightened. This feeling again.
It was the same as that day in Levinton— The day Kaiser went out with Emma,
And never came back.
My throat felt tight. "…Will you wait for me? Outside?" I asked, my voice barely steady. My posture slumped slightly, muscles stiff, neck tense.
"I will," he said. "And besides—Lucas here can always navigate his way to me."
"Do I look like a personal map to you?" Lucas said.
Kaiser smirked. "Nah, man. You've gotten us lost too many times. Calling you a map would be an insult to maps."
Lucas rolled his eyes. "Wow. Thanks."
I still couldn't shake my unease. My fingers curled slightly around his sleeve.
He looked right at me again. "I promise, Celia. I'll be waiting outside."
"…Okay," I said softly, finally letting go.
Then, right on cue—
"Aww, look, Kaiser!" Lucas said with a teasing grin. "Your wife is sad you're leaving."
My entire face heated up instantly. "You—!"
One of my cursed chains shot out instinctively, lashing toward him—
But Lucas blurred, vanishing in an instant, his laughter echoing down the park.
"Told you I'd run!" he yelled, already thirty meters away, pointing at me.
"UGH, THIS GUY!!!" I shouted, sticking my tongue out at him in frustration.
Kaiser's low chuckle echoed behind me.
Then slowly… we parted ways.
Kaiser's figure faded ahead toward the Labyrinth's exit maze—steady, unhurried—while Lucas and I turned back to pack what little we had left behind. Lily fluttered beside us, her small lantern-like glow tracing faint golden light against the dim stone walls.
Even so… my heart felt heavy.
Not the kind of weight you could explain with words. It was a quiet ache that pressed against my ribs—like the world was whispering that something was wrong.
By the time we were done, I was holding Kaiser's bag in my hands. His scent lingered faintly on the fabric—subtle, familiar, grounding. And yet, it only made that hollow in my chest deeper.
Lucas stretched his arms lazily, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "Alright, Lily, lead the way before I get impatient."
"Follow me," Lily said, wings fluttering as she drifted ahead. Her voice was soft, almost cautious.
The crystalline glow from her wings cast long shadows along the walls as she entered the twisting maze first.
We followed her through the main gate—the one that led into that unnerving expanse of shifting stone and echoing whispers.
My steps slowed. A strange chill crawled up my spine.
The walls felt tighter than before, the corridors darker. Even the air itself seemed to breathe with unease.
I pressed my palm over my chest. My heartbeat was faster than it should've been.
Why again?
That same dread from before—unseen, unreasonable—gnawed at me like a warning.
In the quiet of my mind, a voice stirred.
"We're all prepared, my Queen. Don't worry."
It was Crownless—his tone deep and assuring, echoing from the depths of my realm.
Then came a low, guttural roar from Veil, rumbling like distant thunder, ready to tear apart whatever dared to threaten us. Mirage and Ronan followed with their silent readiness, an invisible formation gathering behind me.
My companions… my demons. Always watching. Always ready.
I took a slow breath, eyes narrowing forward into the darkness ahead.
"Kai…" I whispered, fingers tightening around the strap of his bag.
"I'll protect you this time."
The maze around us groaned softly, as though alive—stone shifting under unseen weight. Lily's glow flickered for a moment, and Lucas stopped humming beside me.
The air thickened.
Something unseen was watching.
And still, I walked on—my steps echoing softly behind Lily's light—guided by nothing but instinct and a silent vow that no matter what awaited us within this maze…
Kaiser will not be allowed to leave me.
————————————————————————————————————————————
Sylaphine's Perspective:
My footsteps rang hollow against the cold stone—an echo that seemed to obey me, answering back with a rhythm I'd taught these halls long ago.
This route is quick and secret; only I remember every crooked turn, every collapsed arch. Only I know how the labyrinth will bend to let me pass.
My dress moves with me, a soft whisper against the dust: a sleeveless gown of pale white, cut close at the waist with a ribbon of spring-green that gathers at the chest and fans into scattered, embroidered butterflies across the chest. The fabric catches the faint light and turns it to green veins. Along my forearms the sleeves extend like slender bands—more ornament than glove—lace that touched my skin and ends just before my fingers, leaving them free.
A thin golden tiara rests above my brow, catching a stray gleam; my hair, the color of fresh leaves, glows faintly in its own right, as if the forest itself leans in close to watch me walk.
Butterflies trail behind me—a green constellation of wings—lighting my path through ruined corridors and rubble. They map the dark with living points of emerald. The labyrinth answers; passageways open and close, stones sliding like sleep-heavy lids.
Mercy is not for those who commit sin.
They think they can leave my domain after spilling my blood and poisoning my kin? They imagine they can walk out of this labyrinth without me noticing the broken thread. Especially that cursed witch and her infected hands—murdering my fairies, stitching a virus into my people.
Even that annoyance, Lucas, who hid truth beneath jokes—he might be ignorant out of fear or loyalty, but ignorance is no excuse here. I have worn patience long enough.
Now its their time to bid goodbyes.
They will see what an avatar can do. I will bury them beneath the walls they tried to flee, and when the earth closes over them, they will understand the true shape of power.
What annoys me, most of all, is the false ranker—one of them who thinks he can be our savior.
Celia and Lucas's goals were obvious; one tried to destroy us and other saved us to pretending to be a hero.
But that other—Kaiser who confessed his love to me—what game is he playing? Does he think soft words can lower my guard? That devotion will shield them? I am not a child to be softened by flowery plea.
I could taste his dishonesty in every forced word. They will learn that mercy is a currency I do not spend.
I had planned to spare them—at first. Their lives were small, insignificant; they would not reach Leviathan, let alone our Lord Myriacron. But forgiveness is no longer sensible.
A silhouette waits in the corridor ahead. Even cloaked in shadow, he is a line I recognize: a black overcoat falling like night around a man who seems to have been carved from moonlight and steel. His hair parts cleanly at the center.
He sits on a broken rock as if he's been waiting for me in the same way a king waits on a throne.
A small, dry laugh escapes my lips. "What a surprise," I say, letting the amusement show. "I did not expect to see you here, Sir Kaiser Everhart."
He rises without haste. There is no bow from him—only the simple economy of a man who knows what he is.
"Drop the formalities," he says, looking straight into my eyes. "You and I both know the truth about each other."
A faint smile curls at the corner of my mouth. "So you wish to stop me by sacrificing yourself? For your pathetic companions? From giving your life so they may run free?"
"No," he says. He pulls two daggers from his coat—blades that catch the dim light like twin answers.
"I'm here to end your life."
The words are blunt. The kind that force a reaction, test a resolve. I had expected bravado, perhaps a plea. I had not expected such cold honesty.
It is amusing.
"Oh?" I step forward, the butterflies shifting closer, their light turning the stone green and pale. "You wish to try? Very well." I let the taunt hang between us.
"Let us see how quickly your conviction rots in the ground where you fall."
There is something in his posture—something deliberate—an acceptance of his worth. He knows the outcome of this battle yet challenges me, a weight to the way he holds the daggers.
He is no naive boy; he maybe an E-rank. But its too odd...
Still, the audacity to come alone—alone to me—stings like a challenge.
"False genius," I murmur, the words like a verdict. "You come to cut down an avatar with just two daggers? How clumsy of you—to attempt such a heroic action."
"Unfortunately I won't spare you the humiliation."
"After you're deep in the ground, dead," I say, voice low as a blade, "I will go after your companions. Both of them will learn what it means to cross the Sylaris."
He doesn't flinch. He steps closer, the air between us tightening like a wire. "Careful now," he says quietly. "Don't get too impatient. This is only the beginning."
"Beginning of an awful waste of my time," I retort, every word a cold comet.
"You come here with your knives and your determined eyes, and you think you can stop the inevitable."
"Oh you think so? Stick around and find out." Kaiser said shifting.
He moves into a stance that narrows the posture, and I realize I have never seen that stance from any race or human ever.
It maintained both offense and defense equally, assassin build.
I laugh softly—an amused, dangerous sound. "You mistake my restraint for fear." Butterflies lift around my shoulders, a living collar of green light.
"I do not enjoy these silly games you're playing." I let the syllables fall: conclusions, ends, ash.
His eyes narrow.
"Stick around and find out," he says.
"Bold," I say, stepping forward.
"Brave. Foolish. Which should I call you, Kaiser? The world has many names for those who rush forward for their own demise."
"Then stop talking and choose a side: stand down seeking forgiveness, or stand in my way."
"I am tired of waiting."
My smile deepens—there is a pleasure to be had in watching a weakling talk high and mighty.
"I give you certainty: I will not stand down. The Sylaris will rise, and Myriacron will be the sun that crowns us. As its avatar I'll ensure it. Your efforts are a child's threat to a god."
"You'll pay big for calling yourself an avatar." His reply is a small, sharp sound—half-breath, half-laugh.
"We will see about that" I said.
Then the hunt began.