From there, the walk continued, though silent this time.
All five behind Ignotus were extremely terrified, trembling from fear.
The maze stretched onward, long, uneven, and blacker than before.
Though creepier, that felt like progress—finally some in a place that had none.
Their soft footsteps became the only noise.
Tap... tap... tap...
The sound of walking, breathing, and sometimes, nothing at all.
Minutes passed, then more, and of course, even more.
It became impossible to tell how far they'd gone.
The turns had stopped; everything moved in a single direction now.
This was a path that didn't twist or lie no longer; it was just long.
Way, way too long.
Gaia stumbled once, her boots scraping the black floor.
Aur caught her arm, steadying her, and no one heard a thank you.
There wasn't enough energy for that anymore; Gaia was barely functioning.
Nobles, unused to walking so much, had their legs start to ache.
