Cel's eyes snapped open to gray dawn.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpqeFvaq6V
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5oKDzPRov
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqEv8NX70t
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyF6V2ry4OR
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFtHOJmNjS
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltx5wvxt6h
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXgTWIdW6H
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyRlrJ4Ym8
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHgOiBwgOO
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzR7DqWJUp
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZHDJY0JlE
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9oz4UOz5f
Then he stopped.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLQ2yBUvjm
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHh2NOZHVV
Violet crystals ringed the hilltop.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyQ1VAIurP
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvxOheaPwR
They rose from the ground in twisted formations that hadn't existed yesterday, creating an uneven barrier between the ruin and the void below.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQ6ZDZ9ejb
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXW8z4ZARh
His mind reeled. He'd circled this hilltop several times. Walked every inch of it. The ground had been bare stone, nothing more.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Vt9oXHf9X
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJffeY2uFWe
'When did these—?'109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWwsMP6kGW
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS552XKh7Qo
The thought died as he watched the nearest formation expand and contract in a slow, deliberate rhythm.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uTmJqrW0c
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2H2V5Mgde
'Is this how the crystals grow?'109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0K6pt8jBao
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVW53VrXwVp
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRj61qJlT0
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1g91ddZspo
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpz3gtXaTb7
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrna0MZuASQ
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOD7VuSOfgN
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJrjbf0sgr
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaRXA3BDuD
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXB3hV7Ica
His sanctuary had been the one place where the world held still. Now even that mercy had been stripped away.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYr28mVFm4i
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuqU6FAG02
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIrS6gIx0A
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5vt71CoTT
There - to the east, two crystals stood slightly farther apart. The space looked like he could fit through without receiving fresh cuts.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0oObS9O2f
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabi8GLzXFS
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7xcMIDTBI
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRHrrhTDfI
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpySkzXe0B
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHKeC3RtfF
Then, the ground shifted.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJ8Fc0rBJ2
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKKOWnQK4o
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskwj8hExGt
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1Lx9NHm4P
Cel froze. Every muscle locked as the surface continued its slow lift. Three inches. Six. A foot.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6gJJ7mqPl
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHgqckpVBn
Then it descended with the same measured pace.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQox1S3Q5to
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6oEFe47qH
The movement wasn't coming from the crystals.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6LMiYkwNO
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Af6bmpGAz
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6WlsP1rvm
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRPbwOO1qv
Something beneath the crystals was breathing.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgAZphQnEF
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJO4MGXChqa
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYdiA2eoaM
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9fpheYVs7
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAI1WxLgs8I
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMG9lGkIHzY
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTJuBDqGws
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB84eUeUBTA
The creature showed no sign of waking. Its breath continued in a measured pattern.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NslN81JLd
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbmELXEHb8
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lTUyR1atn
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgc0rTPHA1
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq44Jeb6hKf
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIUxZSXbrr
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. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1isXW4jaD
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JfxhvxUug
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCFUzDk4Z2
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6djSdFOAdn
He forced the thoughts aside. Whatever this thing was, it was sleeping. And his only hope was that it stayed that way.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JSgEGJbBl
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5quBEgeA0
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iZHXbjjF3
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2qwwToyhJ
Then, the rhythm changed.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4U6rciWqC
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKsuePUT6B
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMc4raGq8Qn
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyGxzQSH0f
The creature was waking.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgi31xQj5en
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAy77D9J2xo
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAMDzJMr26
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdQqN87SEl
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSvIgT7aWH
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsMwRui6my
Movement exploded beneath him.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sdknhhqUM
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwCUFDbR5v
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdv0MrWYWR
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4wyazQcH6
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3lc23cGat
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoPoT9yrNn
It was descending the hill.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoZfpGmpoD
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2opbHorwo8
Moving toward the void.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNXx6fFPPI
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSCVqHqTJk
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡto2b7LrxoT
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZ7zRCXe82
'No, not into that you damn—'109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7EIESfknA
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHwjaBnoOb
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaIcSjOwTQ
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei0zarQrix
The creature reached the hill's base and stepped onto the void.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwSWixJiUh
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bZnIuDKcG
The liquid exploded instantly.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLcHRTP9JB
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMVo71EZZH
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorAksumlMz
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdVJ9vgyQi
But the beast didn't stop.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZm5pxAxgIg
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB41vwSrjHS
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuaBICnxKM
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bgfjmnVb1
The creature pushed forward.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZ6KOfRNds
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsvQUAyNK0
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrPO7XxdJd
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5zeN0OHAb
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJx0qvObMZ
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdf5rf7D24
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTGktwNKhI
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUU5iaQwbI
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuQPrG2QHn
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgs0vk4Jqfp
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4dETPSRUN
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kArn4yftp
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4qrPNll3N
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CQspcqhzJ
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvauYucrusu
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4tUgtR83u
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuijPVoYz1
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIYwNOtf23
The creature took another step.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHMjy5xedv
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2G5bFAxJp
Then another.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomLUKXp5jo
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmidL7wdyb
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. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGlcGLupaM
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcb8193mVNF
They were going to die here. Both of them, claimed by the void that had waited so patiently.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmmkswgI5W
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6mniaMbX7
The crystal beneath Cel's grip turned white-hot.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3A2vt1YMv
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnT0M4B6tX
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9BLnZASML
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4Xw3BfYH9
The crystals shattered.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOHQqU2s6W
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XKJJZ6IsO
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. 109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCdvgjEW1b
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCXbikrq9P
The creature surged forward through the chaos, legs suddenly free.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYHml1we0r
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jekkzVr86
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprvr8Ma2lt
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIL1jq0Kamu
Violet crystals jutted from the ground ahead. The creature hauled itself onto solid ground with a final stride and exploded into a sprint.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJlxFxOSlN
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhHKW6hlpH
Violet crystals jutted from the ground ahead. The creature hauled itself onto solid ground with a final stride and exploded into a sprint.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjoBhbbC0l
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfn1cuWnpEH
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22Bc586DJL
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFTbDdZEgS
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrse59pYci
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn264blH4cN
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMByMwcn4Zy
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PkMtISLR4
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFtsRPnP3q
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2q2S60Jmct
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDosh5Nhy8
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5X675j2qe
They'd crossed the void. Both of them. Somehow.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUwrXu1ECA
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4PCkP1DPP
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOucMruVjG
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhVcr08aSl
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4WmYEUYp6
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02tMaGvNdc
But he was alive - for now.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLT9c6GgUE
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbGNHrIPc5
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrfGcVDpn8
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN36U5aSqhL
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqiM0pXTV9
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoPXXQPEJR
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFYyaX6quL
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLge44jM3H
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfE2pH9kN9
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRGOQRmA9x
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzDzdG5yYP
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡct8sBvUQSC
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.109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriOaDhIztB
109Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VktlZpgYG
He just had to survive long enough to find it.1234 copyright protection105ＰＥＮＡＮＡOX6jY0Bucw 尼

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