The walls were breathing.
At least that's what it felt like as Kael stepped into the newly revealed corridor in the eastern wing of the base.
The League's Labyrinth was now active.
It wasn't designed to trap enemies.
It was designed to reveal intentions.
---
The group was separated in the very first hallway.
Kael had tried to keep everyone together, but the moment they passed through an amber-lit arch, divisions began.
He remained with Nikita.
The others were quietly, wordlessly directed down different paths.
Communications were disabled.
The hallways shifted behind them.
— The League wants to test us, — Nikita said as she walked beside Kael.
— And you, — he replied.
— Why?
— Because you see what others don't speak.
She didn't deny it.
---
Elsewhere, Helena and Elizabeth entered a circular chamber lined with mirrors.
But the reflections... weren't theirs.
They were alternate versions, of lives they hadn't lived.
— I... had children? — Elizabeth whispered, watching a version of herself surrounded by laughter.
— And I... was executed by the League. — Helena stared at her still reflection, marked on the chest.
The floor pulsed beneath them.
— It's not real, — Helena said. — But it's possible.
— What if it's a warning?
— Or a choice.
---
Marie and Claudia walked in silence.
They passed through a hallway full of sound, but empty of people.
Voices from the past.
Laughter, screams, memories.
Claudia heard her mother's voice.
Marie heard the crowd from her cabaret days.
— This is cruelty, — Marie murmured, eyes glassy.
— No. This is the League.
---
After nearly two hours, Kael and Nikita reached the core.
At its center, a golden artifact floated: a cube engraved with age-worn symbols, surrounded by suspended metal rings.
Kael touched it.
The rest were transported to the same room.
They stood silent.
Sweating. Tired. But standing.
Kael looked at them.
— That was the beginning.
Helena asked:
— Did we pass?
Kael looked to the ceiling.
No response from the League.
But the door leading back to the heart of the base opened.
—
End of Chapter.
---
Enjoying the mission? Power Stones keep the Command alive.
Each stone brings us closer to truth.
---