When the golden light enveloped them and the grassland vanished beneath their feet, Lyana and Boren found themselves not in open skies or endless fields like others had, but in a realm that felt colder, heavier, and far less inviting.

As her vision cleared, the first thing Lyana noticed was the smell, a damp stone mingled with something stale and ancient, as if air had been trapped underground for centuries without ever seeing sunlight. The second thing was the sound: water dripping somewhere in the distance, slow and steady, echoing softly through a long stretch of unseen corridors.

As her eyes adjusted to the dimness, she realized they stood within an underground labyrinth carved entirely from dark stone. The walls towered high on either side, rough and uneven, with faint carvings barely visible where moss hadn’t yet claimed their surfaces.

Ahead of them lay a corridor stretching into darkness, illuminated only by faint green crystals embedded irregularly along the walls; each crystal glowed weakly like dying embers.

The floor beneath their boots was uneven and cracked in places, lined with dust that clearly hadn’t been disturbed for ages. The air felt thick, not suffocating, but heavy enough to remind them they were no longer in the open world.

Above them arched a cavernous ceiling that had fractured slightly in several places; thin cracks spread like spiderwebs across its surface, giving an unsettling impression that one strong impact could bring it all crashing down. It was quiet, too quiet, and that silence pressed against their ears like a warning.

Lyana paused for a moment to scan the corridor ahead before glancing back at the narrow passage behind them. Gone was the golden light; there was no portal or exit, just endless stone.

Her heart raced faster than usual, though she maintained a controlled expression. Beside her, however, Boren’s demeanor told a different story. He gripped her leather armor tightly as if she were his shield; his large frame nearly pressed against hers while his breathing came shallow and uneven.

If not for his size, he might have tried to hide entirely behind her; sweat poured down his forehead, making him look less like a seasoned adventurer and more like a confused child who had stumbled into danger.

He wiped his face repeatedly with the back of his glove only for fresh sweat to return, soaking into his collar and adding to his discomfort.

Lyana turned her head slowly to regard him with disbelief etched across her features. "Aren’t you supposed to be the man here?" she asked dryly, her voice echoing faintly down the corridor. "You’re meant to protect me, not hide behind me."

Boren blinked rapidly, but there was no hint of embarrassment on his face. In fact, he looked genuinely offended by the accusation. "Who made that rule?" he whispered harshly, though a slight tremor betrayed his voice.

"Who decided men have to protect women all the time? Men can be scared too, you know? We all bleed the same color. Fear doesn’t discriminate. Besides..."

He swallowed hard and lowered his voice even further. "I’m afraid of death. I’m still a virgin."

Lyana stared at him for a moment before slowly raising her hand to her forehead and pressing her palm against it in disbelief.

"You’ve truly mastered the art of shamelessness," she muttered. "Looks like you’ve been taking lessons from the Guildmaster."

At this, Boren’s eyes sparkled with pride instead of shame. He puffed out his chest slightly, causing the leather armor around his midsection to jiggle noticeably.

"I’m still just a junior compared to the Guildmaster when it comes to shamelessness," he said earnestly. "I have much to learn; I’m not perfect yet."

Lyana shook her head, too stunned to continue that line of conversation. The corridor around them remained silent, but as they stood there longer, the air felt increasingly oppressive.

"We should move," she finally suggested, stepping forward cautiously. "Standing here feels worse."

Boren tightened his grip on her armor and followed closely behind, his boots scraping against the stone floor as they walked. The corridor stretched ahead in a straight line for some distance before branching into two separate paths: one sloping downward and the other curving gently to the left.

Faint green crystals embedded in the walls cast just enough light for visibility while deepening shadows created dark pockets where anything could lurk unnoticed. The sound of their footsteps echoed uncomfortably loud, each echo returning with a slight delay as if the labyrinth itself were breathing around them.

"I can’t believe we got separated," Boren murmured as they walked on. "I thought that even if Vault entrances are random, once a group enters together, we stay together. Looks like our knowledge about Vaults is still pretty basic."

Lyana nodded slowly in agreement. "Vaults have always been unpredictable. Maybe the others are somewhere else inside; we just need to survive and find a way to regroup."

"Easy for you to say," Boren replied nervously glancing over his shoulder. "You’re not imagining giant beasts hiding around every corner."

Lyana didn’t respond right away; truthfully, she was picturing those same terrifying creatures herself. The silence felt too complete, no insects buzzing or small animals scurrying about, not even wind filtering through cracks in the ceiling, just that steady drip of water echoing from somewhere deeper within the maze.

She took a moment to steady her breathing and clear her mind. "Let’s take the left path," she decided after some thought. "The downward slope might lead us deeper underground. If there are stronger creatures lurking here, they’re likely in the lower sections."

Boren hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded. "Yes, left sounds safer. I completely agree."

They carefully turned into the left corridor, their steps cautious. The stone walls were narrower here, forcing them to walk closely together. Strange markings were carved into the rock at irregular intervals, symbols neither of them recognized right away. Some resembled ancient scripts, while others looked like crude drawings of beasts or weapons.

As they moved deeper, the carvings increased, as if this part of the labyrinth held a forgotten story etched into its very surface.

After what felt like several long minutes of silence, Boren broke it with a quiet question. "Do you think the Guildmaster is worried about us?"

Lyana’s expression softened slightly. "Of course he is. Gregor, Valeria and Mina too. All of them will be worried about us. But worrying won’t help either them or us. We need to stay focused."

Boren nodded but continued to glance nervously from side to side. "When we get out of this place, I’m never stepping foot in a Vault again."

"You said that about Dungeons too," Lyana replied calmly.

"That was different," Boren insisted. "Dungeons at least follow some logic."

Suddenly, the corridor trembled beneath their feet.

Both froze in place.

A low vibration coursed through the stone, subtle at first but quickly growing stronger. Dust began to fall from the ceiling in small amounts, settling onto their shoulders. Instinctively, Lyana grabbed Boren’s arm and pulled him closer to the wall as she looked up anxiously.

The vibration intensified into a heavy rumble that seemed to resonate from deep within the labyrinth itself, like something massive shifting in its sleep.

Just then a something terrifying shook the entire place.

A loud, beastly roar erupted from somewhere ahead, so powerful and raw that it felt more like force than sound. The roar echoed violently through the stone corridors, bouncing off walls and returning from every direction all at once.

The ground shook harder; cracks spread rapidly along the ceiling like spiderwebs as small rocks began to fall around them with sharp clacks.

Boren’s face went pale; his mouth opened and closed without sound for a moment before he managed to whisper hoarsely, "W-what was that?"

Lyana’s heart raced against her ribs, but she forced herself to remain calm despite losing some color in her face as well. "I don’t know," she admitted honestly while scanning the corridor ahead. "But it’s close."

The roar came again, louder this time and filled with an insatiable hunger.

Dust began to fall in thicker clouds, and larger stones broke free from the ceiling, crashing to the ground and shattering on impact. The walls themselves seemed to quiver under the weight of an unseen force moving somewhere within the maze.

"Come on," Lyana said sharply, grabbing Boren’s arm and urging him forward. "We need to get out of here. Now."

Boren didn’t hesitate; he followed her without question, stumbling slightly as they sprinted down the corridor. The beast’s roar still echoed behind them, shaking the very foundations of the labyrinth.

As soon as Lyana and Boren left the spot where they had been standing, a massive silhouette emerged from the deep darkness. It was striking, with vibrant violet and red lines pulsating along its form.

The figure seemed to turn its head in their direction before it slowly melted back into the shadows and vanished without a trace.

All of this unfolded in less than a second, the silhouette appeared and disappeared so swiftly that it felt like nothing had happened at all.