There was nothing stranger or more unsettling than being in a world regarded as hell, navigating one of its mazes, and encountering nothing but silence.
It would make even the most experienced warriors uneasy.
Azriel and Yelena found themselves victims of that very disquiet, moving wordlessly through the labyrinth.
They walked on, endlessly shifting from one corridor to the next.
If the void dungeon was designed to kill Azriel, this maze felt like its paradox—no threats approached him at all.
"Are we destined to wander forever, trapped here without an exit?" Yelena's voice carried a dark edge, her face shadowed with worry.
Azriel chuckled softly.
"You're exaggerating. It's barely been a day since we entered. Besides, if we're not back on Earth in six more days, my mother will send the best soldiers."
Perhaps she should have from the beginning, he mused. Yet Mira's presence had been deemed sufficient, especially with one of the four Great Kings among them. Joaquin wasn't alone; Malcolm and others stood by his side. The Great Kings weren't ones to be shielded—they were the danger others needed protection from.
"Even if you say so, we've nearly died more than once already. Who knows what we'll face next?"
Yelena's anxiety was palpable, and Azriel couldn't blame her.
He shrugged, offering a faint smile.
"Then let's hope we—"
His words were cut short as the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor ahead.
Both Azriel and Yelena froze, tension tightening their muscles. Azriel's grip on Void Eater grew fierce, and Yelena drew her bowstring back, eyes locked forward.
A cold bead of sweat traced down Azriel's cheek as he stared without blinking, nerves coiling tighter. The shape that emerged brought him a fleeting breath of relief—it wasn't a void creature.
But his guard didn't lower, and neither did Yelena's bow. The figure before them, Cole, looked just as startled. Dried blood and grime marked his face, the black military uniform clinging like a shadow.
By Cole's side prowled a wolf-like creature, its fur as dark as Void Eater, bristling with needle-like sharpness. The eyes were pits of black, reflecting nothing but malice as it bared sharp, white fangs. A faint white glow outlined its massive form.
Azriel's eyes narrowed.
'A void wolf… his soul echo.'
But this wasn't any void wolf. It was a breed Azriel didn't recognize. He channeled mana into his eyes, searching. His gaze met the mana core within the creature.
Uncomfortably, memories clawed at him—the day a void wolf nearly tore his arm off. The echo's growl deepened, rumbling like distant thunder. Azriel's pulse quickened.
"Easy, girl. You can't eat them… not yet, anyway."
A crooked grin spread across Cole's face, as if savoring a private joke.
Yelena's eyes narrowed further as she kept her bow trained on the echo. Cole's grin vanished as he met her glare, his voice like ice.
"Lower that weapon, kid, before I destroy it."
Yelena pressed her lips together, shooting a questioning glance at Azriel. He nodded subtly, and she, with reluctance, lowered her bow. Cole smirked.
"Sir Cole… it's good to see you alive," Azriel said quietly.
Cole nodded, his echo staying put as he stepped forward.
"Likewise, Prince Azriel."
He stopped a mere arm's length away, releasing a breath as if shedding a burden. Yelena's eyes stayed sharp, watching him with suspicion. Azriel's expression remained neutral, but the air between them bristled with tension.
Cole's gaze flicked between them, confidence unshaken.
"Prince Azriel, Cadet Yelena, was it? You should stick with me. I'll ensure we get out of here alive."
Azriel's eyebrow lifted at the boast. Yelena scowled, but a small smile played at Azriel's lips.
"Spoken like a true hero of humanity, Sir Cole. The Crimson Clan would owe you greatly… if you uphold those words, of course."
Cole nodded, unbothered.
"Of course. The void realm is like a second home to me. What happened outside this maze was unforeseen, but here, I can keep you safe."
Azriel inclined his head.
"Then we're in your care."
Yelena shifted beside him, the question unspoken but loud in her eyes: Why trust him?
The enmity between Cole and Jasmine was well known.
Still, they followed, footsteps echoing into the maze. Yelena leaned closer, voice low and wary.
"Are you sure? My [Instinct] warns me to stay cautious of him."
Azriel glanced at her, reading her unease.
"We're safer with him. Protecting me and boasting about it to my father will bring him far more than harming us would."
She exhaled, reluctant but accepting, and they kept pace behind Cole and his wolf echo.
Hours passed in silence, their journey uninterrupted. But then, once more, footsteps not their own whispered from ahead.
All three froze, eyes locked on the corridor ahead, bodies tense with anticipation. What was coming this time?
Azriel found himself hoping for the former. The eerie calm had worn on his nerves, the absence of danger unsettling. Yet if it were a familiar face, relief might wash over him.
As they waited, the sound of footsteps grew louder, closer. Suddenly, a suffocating pressure descended upon them. It was as if the air had solidified, pinning them in place. Even the soul echo whimpered, paralyzed by the invisible force.
Azriel's skin prickled, every hair standing upright. A chill of pure dread swept through him, sinking into his bones.
Cole's face contorted with panic.
"Damn it! Girl, stop cowering and attack!" he shouted at his soul echo, but the demon didn't budge, eyes wide with fear.
Azriel's jaw clenched as he met Yelena's pale, stricken gaze. Neither spoke; there was nothing to say.
They could only watch as the source of their terror revealed itself.
Their eyes widened in unison, breath caught in their throats.
It was a figure none of them recognized.
Azriel's voice was barely a whisper, strained with disbelief.
"Grandmaster Malcolm…?"