"What was that?" said Issen. "Was that Maereth?"
"You need to stay calm," said Ashar.
"You think I'm going to listen to you? The only reason I didn't kill you was because of her. Now get out of my way!"
Ashar grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall.
"We can't get split up anymore," said Ashar. "We no longer have that luxury. Do you understand?"
Issen glared at him. After a moment, Ashar released his grip.
"Stay close to me, Bethryl," said Ashar.
They walked further through the corridors, and once again they arrived at the same place as before. Ashar studied the symbols for clues but found none. He also retraced their previous path, trying to form some kind of pattern from the repetitions, but all he found was chaos. Even with the Eye of Sophia, there was nothing he could draw a conclusion from, all he saw were works which described light and dark and how they merged together.
"This place has no pattern for us to use," he said. "Why would someone design something in a way that we could perceive it but not possibly be solve it?"
"We're running out of time here," said Issen.
"You have to stay patient."
"Since when did you become the leader here?" Issen shouted. "You're just a hostage. Once the Shadow Clan meets us, you're finished. You know that as well."
"I am willing to meet the Shadow Clan and use their resources. But if you leave now and place us in danger, I'll have no choice but to kill you."
Issen smirked, then backed away.
Ashar glanced to his side and saw Bethryl standing with her eyes in intense focus. He smiled.
"What do you see, Bethryl?" he asked.
"This place has Axiom energy," she said. "It's like it's alive."
"Like the energy is… breathing?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I understand."
So the pattern was of a different kind altogether.
These corridors did not move according to any man-made logic or schema. The Alchemist had invented something completely different. The energy of the temple flowed according to a rhythm of breathing: expansion, pause, and contraction. Whenever they were transported, it was determined by the stage of that energy flow. Only someone who synchronized their movement with the rhythm could navigate the labyrinth.
This was the truth of the first trial.
Immediately, Ashar fell to the ground and began to meditate.
"What the hell are you doing?" said Issen. "We've got no time here. Get up, you idiot! I said get—"
Bethryl placed her hand on Issen's shoulder.
"Please give him some time."
Ashar remained motionless, almost lifeless, and sank deeper into another world. He became still and timeless, and in that state you could sense that he was now with the birds, and the trees, and the cycle of suns and moons.
He opened his eyes.
"I understand it now," he said.
They moved forward at once. At the first turn, Ashar glanced over at Bethryl.
"Hey," he said.
"What is it?"
"I need you to use your eyes soon. Are you ready?"
She nodded.
The loops had ended. For the first time in a long while, they were beginning to make real progress through the corridors. Soon the initial hieroglyphics disappeared, and the passages now showed the evening slowly turning into daylight. In these engravings, a demon travelled from flames to the sunlight. There were foes on all sides around him. On the other walls, the sun and moon was carved in a circle as if they cycled throughout eternity.
Eventually they found an entrance unlike anything they had encountered in the temple before.
It meant they had crossed the labyrinth.
They had entered an altar chamber. Around them were what appeared to be offerings to the deities once worshipped here. On the ceiling of the altar, lay a Serpent sprawled at the side of an Eye. Below them both lay an apple as if made from gold.
In several chests lay diamonds, in some bronze. They also found scrolls which taught various spells. And in one chest at the far end of the altar-
"Healing spells!" said Issen. "We found it."
"Yes," said Ashar quietly.
They approached the spells and began healing their bodies from the poison. Yet even as relief spread across their faces, Ashar remained in deep concentration. Beneath the smiles, the others were focused now as well. They stood still, every muscle braced.
"Bethryl?" asked Ashar.
She stared downward, her gaze fixed on somewhere far beyond the room.
"Now."
Three Faceless Soldiers appeared at the entrance.
"Axiom Arrow!" said Issen.
An arrow shot forward. It was too slow to strike the Soldiers, but just before impact it exploded, releasing a burst of white light that blinded them for a moment.
In that instant—
"Pendulum Blade!"
A motionless trail from Ashar's strike cut through the air. The blade crashed against the weapon of one Soldier, who had barely managed to guard the attack. Before the Soldier could react, Ashar struck him with his palm, pushing him back, then retreated to his original position.
"Damn it," said Issen. "Even with Bethryl's ability we couldn't hurt them? We don't stand a chance."
The Soldiers returned to their position at the entrance.
"It won't work a second time," said Ashar. "They've already adapted."
"So what do we do?"
Ashar glanced behind him and saw that Bethryl had already escaped, just as he had instructed.
"Two of our Soldiers have captured your other comrade," one of the Soldiers said. "There are others in the corridors. There is no use in resisting."
"Hey, Ashar," Issen hissed. "What do we do?"
Ashar smiled.
"The only thing we can do," he said.
"We surrender."