Echoes Of The Hidden Gate

Kieran's boots scraped against the rough stone as he stepped into the heart of the labyrinth. The air was dense with mist, and the walls—massive, twisting structures of ancient stone and thick, unmoving vines—stretched endlessly in every direction.

A strange hush blanketed the space. No wind. No rustling leaves. No chirping creatures.

Just silence.

Kieran swallowed hard. He had seen this place in his vision, but standing here now, it felt *wrong*. It felt like something was *watching* him.

*"Find me before it's too late."*

Elara's voice echoed in his mind again, just as urgent as before.

He had no choice. He had to move.

---

Kieran walked cautiously, tracing his fingers along the stone wall. Every passage looked the same—narrow corridors of stone, twisting and turning with no end in sight.

Minutes passed. Then hours.

Still, he found no exit.

Still, he found no sign of Elara, Andrea, or Rebel.

Then—

A whisper.

A familiar one.

*"Kieran..."*

He spun around.

No one was there.

He took a step forward—then another. The moment his foot landed, the ground beneath him *shifted*.

The walls twisted.

The path behind him vanished.

The air pulsed, and suddenly, dozens of voices surrounded him. They were hushed, some laughing, others sobbing. They overlapped, forming an eerie, incomprehensible melody.

*"Lost... lost... lost..."*

Kieran's heart pounded. "Who's there?" he demanded.

Silence.

And then—

The vines moved.

They slithered across the walls like snakes, creeping toward him. Kieran's instincts screamed at him to run, but as soon as he tried, the vines lashed out. One wrapped around his wrist, another coiled around his ankle.

The whispers turned into laughter.

The vines yanked him backward—toward the wall.

Kieran struggled, but they were *too strong*. His powers had been flickering in and out since entering Natuka, and now, when he needed them most, they refused to answer his call.

The stone behind him *shimmered*—then turned to liquid.

It was swallowing him.

He gritted his teeth, thrashing wildly. "Let go of me!"

The vines tightened.

His vision blurred.

And just before he was pulled under, he heard it again—

*"Find me."*

---

#### **The Other Side**

Kieran woke up gasping.

He was lying on cold stone.

But it wasn't the labyrinth floor.

The sky above him was dark, swirling with violet and black mist. The stars looked *wrong*—as if they were shifting, moving too quickly.

He sat up. His head was spinning.

The labyrinth was gone.

The vines were gone.

And before him stood a massive, crumbling tower.

At the very top—

A faint, glowing figure.

Elara.

Kieran's breath caught in his throat.

She was *alive*.

And she was waiting for him.

But between them, the land stretched endlessly, filled with strange ruins and eerie shadows.

He wasn't sure if this was another trick of the labyrinth.

But he didn't care.

He had come too far to turn back now.

Gritting his teeth, Kieran pushed himself to his feet.

It was time to end this.