Once upon a time, the realms of Chance and Men lived in peace and harmony. The balance of the worlds was perfect. Unfortunately, the thirst for power and magic is an inevitable poison, as insatiable as the noble families of chance. Their thirst led...
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Chapter 13
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I can't ignore the sideways glances from the few strangers sharing our path. I won the first trial, and I'm still standing. We stay together, away from the rest of the survivors. Killian hasn't left my side since he saved me from the abyss. He still looks shaken; I can see him trying to hide it, but his gaze doesn't deceive me.
"We're all going to die," a trembling woman whispers. She collapses from exhaustion, but no one pays attention. I can't ignore her distress, so I step away from the group, earning their disapproving looks. I gently place a hand on her shoulder, and she lifts her head, tears threatening to fall. "It's okay, we'll find a place to spend the night, but we can't stay here." I notice that everyone has stopped, not just my companions. I can feel each pair of eyes on my back. I push away the uncomfortable feeling and extend my hand to her. "My name is Alice."
"Natalie," she murmurs as I pull her towards me. I notice that her leg is scraped along its entire length. It needs stitches. If only I had my sewing kit, maybe... Killian's arm brushes against mine, and Xavier approaches Natalie to support her against him.
"She won't survive the next trial, Alice. You can't save everyone." His tone is sad as he whispers in my ear. I know he's right, and yet, "I can't leave someone behind. I have to try." I look him straight in the eyes; they flicker slightly, but he immediately looks away and releases my arm.
We start walking again in silence. We head straight towards the next trial, the one to be avoided at all costs. I think back to the conversation in the tavern. Each edition, a trial with "rabbits" is organized. There have never been any survivors. The labyrinth is a peculiar form, giving the illusion of a choice of paths. I should have suspected that we couldn't postpone the inevitable.
My ankle still hurts from being thrown to the ground. I fear that I won't be able to run anymore, and a shiver runs down my spine at the thought. What if the next trial is similar to the previous one? Running to escape the abyss only made the problem worse, and each step is costly. The others haven't seemed to notice yet, and I keep silent about it, pushing myself to put one foot in front of the other.
The road feels endless. The walls hide the view on both sides, but I know the lake is nearby. Everyone remains silent, afraid to alert its inhabitants to our presence. If we hear their voices, if they start singing near us... I shudder at the thought and continue the journey in silence.
The night is now in full swing. I look up at the hundreds of stars sparkling in the night. The path opens into a forest, and Philippe discreetly glances at the map. "It's the forest that leads to the meadow. It should take about a day's walk." We look at each other in silence. The lake is now at a good distance to prevent the songs, and if we continue walking at this pace, we will be too exhausted to have a chance.
