Felix walked at an easy pace in front of them with hands clasped behind his head as if they were strolling through a garden rather than the most dangerous structure beneath the academy.
"The Labyrinth doesn't have a confirmed origin," he said.
Those words alone made the three students focus harder.
"Most scholars believe in the most well known theory that it's the remains of an ancient lost civilization," Felix continued. "A civilization that existed long before the current nations, before modern ether theory and before academies like this one were even a concept." He glanced back briefly to make sure they were listening and confirmed that they were.
"But that's only a theory," he said. "No one has ever found a core, a control room, or any clear proof that it was built by mortal hands or any other kind of creature. And there were a lot of secrets still being kept from us by the Scarlet Council."
Their footsteps echoed softly as they moved deeper.
"The Labyrinth is alive in its own way," Felix went on. "It can change its shape, rearrange the corridors, create new paths, or seal off old paths and chambers whenever it wants. That's what makes exploration so dangerous. Maps become useless in some areas and even experience only helps so much."
Sevran frowned. "Then how does the academy even use it?"
"Because not all of it is so dangerous like that," Felix replied. "Some areas are stable. Fixed. Either because the Labyrinth allows it, or because something anchors those sections in place. Those are the zones we can manage."
He lifted a finger. "And to keep things organized, the Council divided the Labyrinth into ranked zones based on danger and structural complexity."
The corridor widened slightly, the symbols along the walls growing more faded and worn.
"From lowest to highest, the danger ranks go from F to S," Felix said. "Creatures, environmental hazards, ether instability, mental pressure. All of it factors into the ranking."
He tapped the wall lightly as they passed. "Right now, we're in the Outskirts area. Also called the entrance area."
Dominic glanced around again. The place was unsettling, but nothing felt immediately hostile.
"This place has danger rank F," Felix finished. "This area is used for training, testing, and controlled exploration. As long as you don't do anything stupid, it won't try to kill you."
"That's supposed to be reassuring?" Sevran muttered.
Felix laughed. "In the Labyrinth? Yes. It should be very reassuring when you know enough information. It can save your life. And now you're with me so it will be alright."
Dominic had seen what Felix was capable of doing so he was not anxious at all.
The black-and-white-haired girl kept her eyes forward, memorizing every detail. She looked at the structure, the symbols, etc. This was real knowledge she could use for later.
Dominic listened just as intently. The Labyrinth had so much depth, and he needed to know more about his power. Therefore, he needs to know more about the Labyrinth.
This wasn't just a dungeon. It was something ancient that holds so many mysteries.
Felix slowed his steps slightly and stopped in front of another stone wall.
At first glance it looked no different from the others, with same rough surface and faded markings carved deep into the stone.
"These symbols aren't decoration," Felix said, turning slightly.
He traced a few of the carvings with his fingers. The lines curved and intersected in strange, uneven patterns.
"They're a navigation system if you can read them," he continued. "The Labyrinth doesn't give directions like normal roads. If you can't read these, or don't have someone with you who can, you'll get lost. Permanently, in some cases."
Sevran leaned closer despite himself. "You mean these tell you where to go?"
"They tell you what kind of place you're walking into," Felix replied. "You can tell that there will be danger shifts, structural stability, even behavioral tendencies of nearby creatures. You'll have a subject on this later."
Sevran nodded.
Felix muttered a low string of unfamiliar words. The air pressed inward. The symbols along the wall glowed faintly, then split apart as the stone itself folded sideways.
The passage opened. Cold air rolled out. They stepped inside.
The chamber beyond was wide and low-ceilinged. At its center lay a massive creature, easily as large as a horse. Its body was thick and with brown fur, but that was where the resemblance ended.
Eight long, slender legs stretched from its torso, each ending in curved black claws that dug into the stone. Its head lolled to the side, mouth slightly open, revealing rows of jagged teeth shaped like saw blades.
The thing was dead.
Sevran froze. The black-and-white-haired girl went pale, her jaw tightening as she stared at it. But Dominic didn't flinch.
Felix walked closer without hesitation.
"The reason I brought you here is this," he said, reaching into his satchel.
He pulled out three large knives and handed them over, one by one.
"You're going to help me dissect it. We're looking for something specific."
Sevran looked at the blade in his hand, then at the creature, horror written across his face. "You've got to be joking."
The girl swallowed, her grip tightening despite the fear.
Dominic didn't flinch, but his expression darkened slightly. He wasn't scared. But the thought of cutting into that thing made his stomach twist.
"Hey, remember that you're being punished, alright?" Felix said with an easy smile.
Dominic, Sevran, and the girl grimaced at once.
He wasn't wrong. And compared to whatever that academy warden named Rekto would have done to them, this was better.
"What is this thing?" Dominic asked, stepping closer to the corpse despite the smell.
Felix nodded and rested a boot against one of the creature's clawed legs.
"Creatures from the Labyrinth don't have names officially. We name them based on appearance or behavior. Whoever saw it first gets naming rights."
He gestured to the body. "This one's called a Spiderhorse."
Sevran looked like he might be sick. "That's… disturbingly accurate."
"Before we begin," Felix added, "you should know each other's names. You'll be working together from here on."
"My name is Dominic," Dominic said while looking at the girl. She was the only one who hadn't known his name.
Her expression didn't soften. If anything, it looked permanently sharp. Dominic started to think that it was her neutral expression.
"Gaudia," she said flatly.
"Sevran," Sevran added quickly.
Gaudia gave a brief nod to both of them, nothing more.
Felix smiled. "And I'm Felix. Head of the Research Department of Crimson Arcanum Academy."
The words landed heavily and made all three freeze.
Dominic looked at him with wide eyes.
A department head. Personally dissecting a Labyrinth creature with first-years.
This punishment was starting to feel a lot less simple.
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