Cel's eyes snapped open to gray dawn.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHU7d8DhI3u
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL80ZmsRL2m
The nightmares had chased him through the entire night again - his father's fists falling like rain, the cultists' blades carving fresh channels in his flesh, his family's backs turned in unified rejection. Sleep had been no refuge, just another battlefield where his tormentors held dominion.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEcze1Yjip
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDGA2g6chj
At least he'd slept through. His body had demanded that much, dragging him under and refusing to let him surface no matter how his mind struggled against the dreams.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtyqI5D6jY
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENpAOaUQ8M
His throat felt like he'd swallowed sand. When he tried to work moisture into his mouth, his tongue scraped uselessly. The gnawing in his stomach had faded to constant ache, but thirst screamed with every attempted swallow.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAqndjuQIp
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mE7UNj8ve
He pushed himself upright, every joint protesting. The burns on his arms pulled tight. His feet throbbed. The empty leather pouches lay discarded nearby - no water, no food. Today he would venture out or accept slow death.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJf6LzC8Lz
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaafn27N97
Cel dragged himself toward the entrance, using the larger stones for support as debris scattered beneath him. Morning air pressed against his chest as he cleared the threshold.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSi7ZAiPa4
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNF0fWueijo
Then he stopped.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGuGdommwL
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnmXxRM4s0
Violet crystals ringed the hilltop.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2bJEFwO6I
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinzsaQIuK4
They rose from the ground in twisted formations that hadn't existed yesterday, creating an uneven barrier between the ruin and the void below.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm64R2NsgMx
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTDB3Emy0Z
His mind reeled. He'd circled this hilltop several times. Walked every inch of it. The ground had been bare stone, nothing more.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFxgiEvZIG
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7E680z6Ho
'When did these—?'180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj43oI2XrM7
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhcLll21WB
The thought died as he watched the nearest formation expand and contract in a slow, deliberate rhythm.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0S5WJiTcPY
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRdxnvASJg
'Is this how the crystals grow?'180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRpUG9P7Vf
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4ZW86YSC1
He descended and approached the crystal barrier. The surface was warm beneath his palm, humming with faint vibration. The crystals probably fed on heat from below, drawing up through stone in their alien expansion.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEEKj4ZxYZ
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2APhK9EEn
He'd seen stranger things in this maze. It was just another impossible property of this place, like passages that folded or reflections that haunted.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLIVf4zWZ9
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPcHpzPg6O
Beyond the crystals, the void remained perfectly still. The liquid darkness pressed against the hill's base as if held back by an invisible boundary.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Vxj91f8AM
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0wgVJvDdP
The crystals formed a complete ring, each moving in synchronized rhythm. They weren't tall - perhaps waist-high at their peaks - but dense enough to make passage difficult without fresh cuts.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGeyZ7A9bA
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZrtH6CcKp
His sanctuary had been the one place where the world held still. Now even that mercy had been stripped away.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyIJucVkfp
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjIJhX4jjf
Cel circled the ruin, examining gaps between formations. His throat contracted again. Without water, his body would begin shutting down within a day. The burns would fester. His blood would thicken.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcFca53P5B
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKfryL3wuf
There - to the east, two crystals stood slightly farther apart. The space looked like he could fit through without receiving fresh cuts.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVmwaSY4f9
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mM9rBfrDj
He moved toward the gap, feet crunching over loose stone. The breathing crystals flanked his approach, their expansion creating subtle groans he felt as vibrations rather than heard. Sharp edges jutted at awkward angles, forcing him to map his route carefully.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDxdFIv8T2
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLT8xWuxRV
He positioned himself between the formations and reached out, gripping the left crystal for balance. The warmth surprised him - almost body temperature. The vibration pulsed beneath his palm.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwirFEyr2E
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxbwGzVQVZ
Then, the ground shifted.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJThIjG1M4
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTKt0QXEVN
Not the grinding rumble of earthquake or a sudden lurch of collapsing earth. This was a lifting motion - smooth and deliberate, as if the entire hilltop had decided to rise several inches in a single breath.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpTLOV3bzW
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXfps3lwmX
Cel froze. Every muscle locked as the surface continued its slow lift. Three inches. Six. A foot.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSnraiffUB
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnX8LVIqh7E
Then it descended with the same measured pace.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJW7bZqBV6t
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVAtin5mGZ
The movement wasn't coming from the crystals.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQIaDEEiFp
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lDPF8gxt0
His fingers slipped from the formation as understanding crashed over him. The rough texture beneath his feet. The way crystals suddenly emerged in organic patterns. The warmth radiating through his soles.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBeTKadjr2
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorz97VgGR1
Something beneath the crystals was breathing.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NR31Q5kCE
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4WKNj0wPD
Every instinct screamed to move, to run, but there was nowhere to go. The void surrounded him completely, and movement might wake whatever creature he'd been climbing on.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyher1x2Wpo
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEZ5608VEl
Beneath him, the breathing continued its steady rhythm. Rise. Fall. Rise. Each cycle lifted him from the darkness below, then lowered him back - steady and undisturbed, like breath in dreamless slumber.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XErWxOw05
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUClNJtShw
Cel's hands trembled as he slowly pulled back from the crystals. His weight shifted with glacial care, trying to avoid sudden pressure. The burns and cuts screamed as he adjusted stance, but he bit down on any reaction.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhfdWJehFG
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8t0zppL7E
The creature showed no sign of waking. Its breath continued in a measured pattern.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfB4WKsYQ2
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWyZRGzHkk
His legs trembled - whether from terror or the strain of moving so carefully, he couldn't tell. He'd been climbing on something large enough to mistake it for terrain. And now he had to climb back down again without waking it.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8s8AiIeNi
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8joMFA8a2
Had this thing followed the void to the hilltop during the night? How had he not woken when it arrived? He'd been exhausted, yes, but for something this massive to settle around the ruin without disturbing him seemed impossible.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvq2JIGYom
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNN21OyhSX
The parchment sketch flashed through his mind - the creature with fairy-like wings and crystal growths covering its body. The crystals matched. He twisted carefully, searching the creature's back for any sign of wings, but saw only more crystal formations jutting from its spine in irregular patterns. Perhaps the wings were folded beneath, hidden from view. 180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8pa0rFppY
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjUO64jMqV
If this was the same creature from the illustration, wings like those could have brought it here in perfect silence, lowering it around the ruin so gently he'd never woken.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaI1NSckZio
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDyU0m4eLV
He forced the thoughts aside. Whatever this thing was, it was sleeping. And his only hope was that it stayed that way.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0FN6GvDqi
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJI6vKdVKH
Cel began his descent with glacial care. Each shift of weight deliberate and measured. His burnt hands found purchase on crystal edges. His torn feet searched for stable ground. The breathing continued beneath him - steady, undisturbed.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQRSk7ArJI
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWfEEpRQO4
Then, the rhythm changed.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR48Mh6RdiH
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHEqRzPvPx
The breath that lifted him held longer than the others. The descent came slower. Cel froze halfway down what might have been the creature's flank.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6Em7CaTmG
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRHga3YqqG
The creature was waking.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjST3B1pki
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jd2DnblDe
His fingers dug into the crystal growth beside him. His jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached. Should he climb faster, try to reach the ground before it fully woke? Or freeze and pray it drifted back to sleep? Both gambles. Both likely to fail.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwq8igLAkIT
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcwNprAO35
The breathing shifted again. Deeper. More deliberate. The surface beneath his feet tensed, muscle moving under skin he'd mistaken for stone. The crystals trembled with building energy.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYFXlah78R
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3NgCiCqZW
Movement exploded beneath him.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8YrSop8HM
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCg7TkkYVg
The creature surged forward in a single massive stride. Cel's stomach lurched as the world tilted violently. His grip on the crystal saved him from tumbling as the beast's back tilted at an impossible angle. The ground that had been horizontal seconds ago was now a steep slope threatening to slide him toward the void.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeh2ibTj62j
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoAtCzue2L
He pressed himself against the crystal outcroppings, arms wrapped around their base, legs scrambling for purchase on the rough hide. The creature's next step sent shockwaves through its body.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ShMgEWfei
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0d5Ot6Xzn
It was descending the hill.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIV2ZtsQu1J
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kVd4Q7GeK
Moving toward the void.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8pnBnkqdr
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7n3v8mSB2k
Horror flooded through Cel's chest. His hands moved without thought, pulling desperately at the crystals as if he could somehow steer the massive creature away from the liquid darkness. The formations didn't budge. The creature didn't slow. His efforts were as meaningless as a fly trying to redirect a charging horse.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hH81uYEhp
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JPyLNPpzI
'No, not into that you damn—'180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmC4rRB09Xa
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHLRmry454
His fingers dug into the crystals until blood welled from his torn palms. Every instinct screamed to jump, to throw himself free, but there was nowhere to go. The slope was too steep, the void too close. He would tumble straight into that hungry darkness.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcyK7IbqtT
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tNdBPVRem
The creature reached the hill's base and stepped onto the void.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUSl0xjOCl
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtujcT1qx47
The liquid exploded instantly.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rMEFd2Ldu
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gtWofJNu1
Tendrils of darkness shot upward, wrapping around the creature's forward limb. They coiled like serpents, layer upon layer of nothingness binding to flesh and crystal alike. Where they touched, the surface seemed to drink light itself, creating wounds of absolute black against the creature's dark hide.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAoTaSkJ0u
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykUllRvfYl
But the beast didn't stop.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2O4Zpvvn2z
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVzrdRPhUv
Its next step sent tremors through Cel's bones. The void writhed in response, more tendrils erupting upward. They grasped at legs, wrapped around the creature's underbelly, and climbed toward the crystal-crowned back. Each new contact point pulsed with hungry intent, trying to pull the creature down into itself.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhv6XlFF63
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwO9128lNd
The creature pushed forward.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbw4bdsMA5y
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmUbSsMMXo
Cel watched the liquid climb higher with each stride. The tendrils moved with terrible purpose, wrapping tighter, pulling harder. The creature's breathing grew labored. Its steps slowed. Yet it continued crossing the void's surface, muscles tensing and releasing beneath Cel's desperate grip.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuP8D3YMDX
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm34dnka8o1
The crystals along the creature's spine flared brighter. Violet light pulsed through each formation in waves, starting from the base of the neck and traveling backward. When the light reached the crystals Cel clung to, heat bloomed against his arms. Not the killing heat of the maze, but warmth that pushed back against the void's cold hunger.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuK0d8ex5W
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiR7cym7no
The liquid recoiled from the illuminated crystals. The tendrils loosened slightly, though they didn't release. The creature took advantage, surging forward with renewed strength before the void could recover.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQr7YMMqYN
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2wZtrJ7yh
They were moving deeper into what had been the maze. Cel risked a glance over his shoulder and saw the hill receding behind them, the ruin perched atop it like a crown. The sleeping giant was awake now, and Cel was trapped on its back while it waded through a sea of hungry nothingness.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCciSiYgDYg
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpEbCXOrPV
His fingers ached from gripping the crystal. Blood from his torn palms made the surface slick. The creature's movements grew more violent as the void's resistance increased - sharp lurches that nearly tore Cel free, sudden drops when a leg sank deeper into the liquid, explosive rises when it pulled itself forward again.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8SWGGLJDM
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QNwkwfsNl
The void surged higher. Tendrils now reached past the creature's shoulders, grasping at the lower crystals on its back. One tendril stretched toward Cel's leg. He jerked his foot away just as the darkness brushed his heel, leaving a cold burn where it had almost made contact.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEvuYaJiCL
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7wZZWnGbs
The creature's breathing came in deep, rattling gasps. The crystals pulsed faster, brighter, but the light seemed strained. The void was winning through sheer persistence, adding more tendrils with each passing moment, creating a web of emptiness that dragged at every movement.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoym9v5Mvrh
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PCEucAwK2
Cel's arms trembled. His grip was failing. The creature's next violent lurch would throw him free, and then the void would have him. After everything - the torture, the imprisonment, the maze's horrors, the mirror realm's torments - he would end as nothing more than another reflection swallowed by darkness.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkTxrM4SK1
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7In7QLqN0
The creature took another step.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIdv22CsWF
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEWNCg1Udd
Then another.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3T4BYemQi2
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKo058mcpw
Its legs moved slower, pushing through the clinging mass like wading through mud. The liquid had risen to its chest, tendrils wrapping around its neck, pulling its head down toward the hungry surface. 180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyNHNRExXl
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPXnmE9oII
They were going to die here. Both of them, claimed by the void that had waited so patiently.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBqKDhJgNd
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMJSg0s4IS
The crystal beneath Cel's grip turned white-hot.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMwyQVFJnk
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6BzFx4m7t
He jerked back with a gasp as every formation along the creature's spine ignited simultaneously - violet to blinding white in a single breath. The air shimmered. Heat slammed into him like a physical blow.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKRRPjHuPl
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnUY7suzmQ
The crystals shattered.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcQrxaWJDe
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjgFTO0YcH
They exploded outward in a cascading chain, molten fragments raining down on the void. Each impact detonated with brilliant light. The liquid darkness recoiled, tendrils snapping back as if burned. 180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOkLKL5ULE
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicoqOQ1hJ8
The creature surged forward through the chaos, legs suddenly free.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuZg9QXN7i
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNtm0sPDxI
Cel pressed himself flat against bare hide between the superheated sockets, fragments whistling past his head. More crystals fell from the creature's flanks - each one exploding on contact, pushing the void back in violent bursts of light.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8L2AsWtwjd
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZ4DEiN9Nj
Violet crystals jutted from the ground ahead. The creature hauled itself onto solid ground with a final stride and exploded into a sprint.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBDMVXewIl
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uC4zSUnmO
Violet crystals jutted from the ground ahead. The creature hauled itself onto solid ground with a final stride and exploded into a sprint.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHjgDfIXc6
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcXxc3xI79
The acceleration slammed Cel backward. Only his desperate grip on the remaining crystal kept him from sliding off the creature's flank as it surged forward with terrifying speed. Wind tore at his face. His injured body protested every jarring impact as the creature's feet hammered against stone and crystal.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmSPsqvq4G
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjulmoZRRK
The maze blurred around him - violet edges streaming past like falling stars. He squeezed his eyes shut against the rushing air, unable to watch the deadly formations they were racing through. All he could do was hold on, muscles burning, lungs fighting for air in the wind-whipped chaos.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEE8KhXpiP
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiaBWl4V3l
Time lost meaning. There was only the creature's pounding rhythm, the heat rising from its exhausted body, and the screaming pain in his arms as he clung to survival with weakening fingers.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLwlqReXvI
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOf3NHqfrLC
When the creature finally began to slow, Cel's relief was so profound he nearly released his grip. The sprint faded to a stumbling run, then a heavy trot. Eventually, the creature staggered forward several steps before stopping entirely, its massive form trembling with exhaustion. Smoke still rose from the empty sockets where crystals had been, and the remaining formations pulsed weakly, their light guttering like dying flames.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgx7vAJCzKT
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtK8VByHk8
Cel remained frozen against his anchor point. His arms were locked around a crystal, muscles cramped and screaming. His breath came in ragged gasps that matched the creature's labored panting.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2evkPH77l
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnC9nOlkHf
They'd crossed the void. Both of them. Somehow.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOo0EiK9djP
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21hFQhS2aQ
The creature stood motionless for a while. Behind them, the liquid's surface had already smoothed once more, perfectly still as if nothing had disturbed it. The hill rose in the distance, the ruin still perched atop it, impossibly far away now.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsKBqojWOl
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQADOUApRVH
Ahead stretched the crystal maze - razor sharp formations filled with heat and horror. The creature had carried him from one trap into another, from the void's patient hunger into the maze's active malice.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzNoFikcBH
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiT2ITC8ASm
But he was alive - for now.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTBlmzM29V
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHzsBnqV6K
Cel's grip on the crystal loosened slightly. His fingers were numb, his palms raw and bleeding. The creature's breathing gradually steadied, though it didn't move. Perhaps it was gathering strength. Perhaps it was dying. Cel couldn't tell and didn't have the energy to care.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMetwK2Qag
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoZlvvfHwP
He closed his eyes and let his head rest near the warm crystal base, careful to avoid the sharp edges. The four suns burned overhead. His throat still screamed for water. His body still carried its catalog of wounds.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGkJZ5jSn1
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtb0OMB7jq
He'd needed to return to the maze to find the moon - but not like this. Not clinging helplessly to a creature he didn't understand, dragged toward an unknown destination. The ruin had been his sanctuary, his one safe place in this nightmare. Now it was lost to him, separated by a sea of hungry darkness he could never cross again.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4DvISgBm2
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGU91euUvED
The creature took a single step forward, almost gentle compared to its previous violence. Then another. It was moving deeper into the maze, carrying Cel along like unwanted luggage on its crystal-crowned back.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNXLGOoLq8
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xKTpZQFdx
He didn't try to escape. Where would he go? The void waited behind. The maze stretched ahead in formations he couldn't navigate on foot in his weakened state. And somewhere in this nightmare, the moon remained hidden, waiting for him to complete a trial that seemed designed only to find new ways to kill him.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kjXOeEdPo
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmkI004S13
So, Cel maintained his grip and let the creature carry him forward, into whatever fresh horror the crystal maze had prepared. At least he was moving toward his goal, even if he'd lost all agency in how he'd get there. The moon was somewhere ahead in this labyrinth.180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbtjfx6MQw
180Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwmz64kVqf
He just had to survive long enough to find it.1234 copyright protection176ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeyPmfmRwq 尼

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