Denizens of the Labyrinth

The sky was azure, the sky permanently locked in pale blue skies that syruped backwards into an amber dawn. One of the first effects of the labyrinth. He looked up to the stars and marvelled at them. they were just as they had been before the labyrinth appeared and even now, they seemed to glimmer with hope before him.

Then it appeared, right in the sky sat a planetary cube. The appearance of it had shaken the worlds and scientists sent probes of all kinds up into space. But nothing could pierce or land upon it and the cube remained, ever present. Thankfully, its presence did not affect earth in any way, but that was before the gates appeared around the world.

We can only hope that whoever sent us this gift, has a purpose for man in the far future … Jazmel remembered hearing this sentence on the news once and he sighed. He had not understood the words back then, but now he did, and it worried him.

It had been many years since the first adventurers entered the gates and when they returned, the came bearing news of untold wealth and riches. But they also bore down the truth of all the risks. So many did not return, even fewer returned hale. But the things they brought back lit a hunger in the world and soon everyone was sending their own into the gates.

‘Seekers’ as they were called, returned, and reported on everything they learned inside the labyrinth. As it was soon called, the labyrinth even had people who lived inside it. But luckily, those people rarely left the labyrinth.

Seekers shared that entire cities and civilisations thrived on the inside. Places where they built guilds began to expand and rapidly, soon enough. People from earth were returning less and less. The trading continued, but people were addicted to the labyrinth.

He hid a yawn behind his hand, tired was not even the right word for what he felt. He felt complete boredom of everything, he walked now on his way home. His hands clasped together atop his head, he sighed and slowly made his way through his small town towards his small home. Jazmel was one of the few who had not spent his entire childhood learning all he could in hopes of entering the labyrinth. He had thought about it, but he was not in a rush like the other kids around him seemed to be.

He had not grown used to the town in all these years and even now, sixteen years old and still he was just as uncomfortable with it as he had been from, he found out he was not born in the town. Tango, the man who had raised him. Told him that he had found him in the labyrinth and not knowing what to do, he took Jazmel out with him and that was all knew of Jazmel’s history.

But the labyrinth was a sight in the sky for all eyes. It was a primordial existence; nobody knew who had made it or what its actual function was for. It had appeared in the sky one day and then gates opened all around the world, beckoning people inside. The labyrinth was said to have many unusual places and each floor was as big as a continent, Jazmel could only imagine all the places he could explore inside. But Tango had made him promise not to enter the labyrinth until after he had turned sixteen. An odd request, but Jazmel obeyed Tango in all things. Tango had raised him.

Studying the labyrinth, it was a cube the size of a planet, the world had studied its external shell over the many years it had been here now and had found it to continuously be moving. Folding, twisting, and turning in on itself. to Jazmel it resembled a gargantuan rubix cube and this unnerved him, in a clever way. Just wondering about the labyrinth always made his heartbeat thump in his chest and he had to breathe deeply to calm himself. One day he would enter the labyrinth. Find out his history and where he came from. One day.

He smelt the smoke before he saw it, the acrid stench burnt his nose and the back of his throat. His hackles rose and he hacked a cough as he tried to rid his throat of it. He looked up and the twirling black coiling cloud rose. He ran, rushing forward and rushing towards the fire and he hope that it was not what his heart seemed to know. His tiny apartment was a crumbling husk and as he ran to it, he knew it was empty.

Jazmel had been living with Tango for all his known life and now at sixteen he could not imagine life without him. People had begun to gather and as he tried to enter, the smoke and ruin held him back.

“Don’t go in there!” He was grabbed from behind and he could not break the grip and relented.

He was turned around and looking up he saw who he had thought it was. Mary. She was a family friend of Tango and his and a well-known Ranker. Someone who sought the riches and reaches of the labyrinth and made her life duty to complete it.

As was the way of this world. The continent lived in thrall of the mighty labyrinth, nobody was not aware of it or had not entered it besides children. Nobody below the age of sixteen could enter the labyrinth, there was a barrier that forbid children to enter and only those who were denizens of the actual labyrinth and born inside were allowed.

As such Jazmel had never been allowed in. His birthday had been three days prior and so he had been thinking about taking the Seekers trial. He and Tango had thought about it but had resigned not to move on it yet. But here he was, staring at the ruin of his simple house. His guardian gone and nobody else to rely on.

Tango had raised him from a baby and spoke to him about it frequently, he never mentioned where he had found Jazmel, but just stated it was the request of an old friend and Tango being a good man took it on. Mary spun him round and drew him back to reality.

“Where is Tango?!” she asked.

“I don’t know, I came back and saw this!” he exclaimed. She nodded and without a thought, darted into the house.

Mary was a ranker, a seeker who had joined a guild and traversed the labyrinth for years. She had been into the labyrinth many times and had the strength to prove it. Tango had told him that every person who entered the labyrinth would synchronise with it and a system would appear in their mind. This was something many had spoken about, and it was here where their skills and levels could be updated. Mary had her own he imagined, and she was strong because of it. Others had come to try and put out the fires, but the damage had been done already.

“There are no bodies in there.” Mary confirmed as she came out, unscathed but covered in soot and smoke.

She looked at Jazmel, her features grim and she sighed.

“Come with me.” She said and pulling his shirt she pulled him with her heading to her own home.