⚔️ Chapter 46
"Some truths are buried not to be forgotten… but to protect those not ready to remember."
🌫️ Scene: Inside the Living Labyrinth – The Crownless Echo
The Crimson Labyrinth pulsed like a living heart. Each corridor Aeren walked twisted behind him, never remaining the same. The deeper he went, the less time seemed to matter. Minutes turned into hours. Or were they seconds?
Voices whispered through the crimson mist.
"Crownless King…"
"Breaker of Realms…"
"Do you still not remember who you are?"
Aeren shook his head. He couldn't tell what was dream and what was real anymore.
But ahead of him, glowing faintly, was a mirror made of smoke.
And inside it, not a reflection—but a past life.
🌀 Scene: The Vision – The Mind King of Crosnic
Aeren stepped forward, and suddenly—
He stood on the peak of a mountain.
Ten monstrous beings knelt before him—some winged, some shadow-bodied, others with entire galaxies inside their eyes. At their center stood a woman with glowing chains around her wrists, whispering something in an ancient tongue.
And behind them… stood the cloaked man again.
This time, Aeren heard it clearly:
"You were the last King of Thought, the Mind Sovereign of Crosnic. You sealed yourself to protect this world. But the seal is weakening…"
"...and the monsters remember."
Suddenly, Aeren was back in the Labyrinth. But something felt different.
"I… know how to move. I know how to fight. But I've never trained for this… What is this feeling?"
⚔️ Scene: Anshi's Trial – Heart of Shadows
Meanwhile, in a completely different section of the Labyrinth…
Anshi was trapped in a corridor of illusions. Each path she chose led her to painful memories—of her past, her family, even moments where she almost lost Aeren.
But the worst part? Every illusion attacked her physically.
She was bleeding, panting, fighting—and then the voice came.
"If you want to survive, let go of your heart. Become like the monsters."
But she didn't.
"I am human… I bleed… I fear… I protect."
And with that, a silver phoenix mark awakened on her palm.
"Your bloodline… has evolved."
🧠 Scene: The Labyrinth's Sentience Awakens
Back with Aeren, the ground split open beneath him. He fell—not onto spikes or monsters—but into a throne room made of memories.
There were portraits—some half-burned, some missing faces. And one showed Aeren himself—but older, eyes closed, chained to a star.
Then, a voice emerged—not the cloaked man.
But a girl's.
"So, the Mind Sovereign awakens… unbalanced and unstable."
A figure stepped out of the shadows. A young girl, maybe 16, her hair black as void, her eyes shifting colors like galaxies.
"I am Liira. Guardian of the Throne. You were sealed by me… long ago."
Aeren's breath caught.
"Why?"
"Because you were powerful enough to end Crosnic—and kind enough to refuse."
She smiled faintly.
"But that kindness is your curse. The monsters won't wait forever."
Suddenly, the walls cracked. The Labyrinth roared.
"The other ancient bloodlines are awakening. The Crimson Fang was just a messenger. You… you are the storm."
⚠️ Scene: Outside World – Chaos Begins
Back at the Academy, the teachers realized something.
The Labyrinth… wasn't just a test.
It was feeding off power. The more the students fought, the stronger it became. Its true form hadn't even awakened yet.
"If it reaches Phase Three… it could merge with Crosnic itself," said the Headmaster, fear flashing in his diamond-tier eyes.
And far in the distance…
A massive eye opened in the sky, watching the world.
🧠 Coming Soon — Chapter 47:
"The Mirror That Remembers"
The Labyrinth breaks into multiple dimensions
Aeren begins to remember pieces of his sealed power
Anshi unlocks the Silver Phoenix Form, but at a heavy cost
A new figure enters the story—a false king who wants to replace Aeren