NOVEL WEB Chapter 9: Chapter-9
A ghost of a smile plays on my lips. The voice, the labyrinth, its demands… all amusing attempts at intimidation. They clearly haven't encountered someone of my caliber before. My enhanced senses pick up the faintest tremor in the air, the arcane energies of the barrier reacting to my unspoken defiance. The reedy voice, clearly surprised by my lack of fear, sputters, "You… you dare?"
"Dare?" I echo, my voice low and amused. "My dear, insignificant voice, I am daring. I dare you to try to stop me." I take a step towards the indicated patch of ground, the amulet pulsing with a newfound intensity. The skeletal hand retracts into the vortex, its clicking joints echoing in the oppressive silence that follows. The swirling vortex itself seems to hesitate, the chaotic colours dimming, as if unsure of how to react to my blatant disregard for its threats.
The voice returns, this time laced with a hint of… respect? It's a subtle shift, almost imperceptible, but I am keenly aware of it. "Very well," the voice rasps. "Your… confidence is… impressive. The Labyrinth will test you, traveler. But know this – its hunger is insatiable. Even the most powerful… are not immune to its influence." The vortex slowly begins to dissipate, revealing a clear path leading towards what I can now recognize as the entrance to the Clockwork Labyrinth: a seemingly ordinary archway woven from the same twisted, gnarled wood as the surrounding trees. But this time, I sense something different. The air itself is somehow cleaner here, less corrupted. The path before me is not a path of easy triumph, but one of immense potential. The amulet's pulse intensifies. It senses my strength. It senses the power that is about to unravel the mystery of Wonderland. The game, it seems, is about to enter a new phase.