Why was killing yourself different from killing others? Was it simply because you held yourself in higher regard, thus making your life more valuable?
Leonidas had once thought he knew the answer...but did he really?
He had lived through Art's entire life, seen his highs and lows. He probably knew Art better than he knew himself. He was Art, and Art was him. Yet Leonidas had killed the boy with his own hands.
He had let him grab onto the thin thread called hope, and then severed it without hesitation. He had, in essence, killed himself.
He had stained his honor as an aspiring knight; he had dirtied his soul with his own blood. Half of his soul had disintegrated the moment Art had let the clouds take him, yet his soul still remained whole.
Was Art truly the one who died? Am I sure that I, Leonidas Hector Aristeus, survived?
It was like mixing colored water with normal water. Even if you tried to pour them back into their original containers, you couldn't separate them. They were both colored — indistinguishable, inseparable, permanently one.
Art and Leonidas had been two different people before their souls merged, but afterwards, they were one and the same.
I don't want to think about this anymore. It's too taxing.
Even his thoughts were muddled with emotions.
Leonidas wasn't feeling regret for tricking Art; no, what he was feeling was something more profound. A feeling that never truly left. He felt grief.
Grief at losing a part of himself.
The once soothing darkness now felt unbearable. It felt suffocating, as if moving walls were trying to crush him into mush.
He opened his eyes, already squinting them in order to adjust to the light, but surprisingly, there was no need. He felt no burn or sting when he saw the shining rays of the morning sun.
Weird.
He kept the thought tucked in the back of his mind. Because nothing was weird or coincidental in the world of the Labyrinth.
I'm about to turn 17 today!
With hurried motions, Leonidas opened the tap, cold water streaming down in a steady stream. Cupping his hands, Leonidas splashed the gathered water, droplets seeping into his clothing.
While pulling it in the opposite direction...it broke. The entire thing simply plopped out of the hole it was fitted into.
The hell. What a cheap inn.
Ignoring the broken faucet—Seridius could pay for it—Leonidas walked outside his inn room to find Seridius waiting for him. He was dressed in a T-shirt that said 'My mom is my best friend' and baggy trousers. Other than the watch on his wrist, no visible accessories were on his person.
Leonidas smiled when he saw his impatient friend, his worries seemingly dissipating.
"You're 5 minutes late, Leonidas."
Leonidas clicked his tongue.
Always so stingy.
"It was an honest mistake. I was just busy fighting against part of my soul, trying to survive." With a smirk, he added, "I won, by the way."
Hearing Seridius sigh, Leonidas's smirk widened. With slow movement, he raised his arm and wrapped it around Seridius's neck, putting all his weight on him, just to annoy him.
Unlike him, Seridius was already a Pilgrim, standing at the first of six ranks, Enlightened. Meanwhile, Leonidas was going to become superhuman today.
The process was fairly simple. You entered the Labyrinth a day before you turned 17 through one of its many entrances that were spread across the world.
After that, you just had to wait for 24 hours. If you were destined to be a Pilgrim—people who had established a connection with one of the 27 Source Elements—then an Echo Gate would take you to your first trial.
If not? Then the Labyrinth simply threw you outside, back to the gate from which you entered.
"Hey...is the trial gonna be hard?"
Leonidas had heard little to nothing about the Echo Trials, despite his impressive background. Mostly because the Labyrinth didn't let Pilgrims divulge details of itself to others.
Seridius didn't respond for a moment, instead focusing on navigating his way to the nearest entrance.
"Yes."
That's it? Come on, dude!
"It will push you to your absolute limits, and then beyond. You'll see horrors beyond imagination, temptation no human should endure, choices no sane man can make."
Seridius stopped walking and turned to look directly at Leonidas, crimson eyes staring at him, devoid of warmth.
"The only way to come back sane is to become insane. But don't worry, after all, a crazy person doesn't know that they're crazy, but you'll know, therefore you won't be crazy."
He patted Leonidas on his back and then turned away, walking towards the entrance once more.
Become insane...he certainly seems insane, that's for sure.
Instead of giving actual advice, the asshat spoke useless bullshit and left. Still, Leonidas didn't dare take his words lightly.
On another note, it's cold.
Indeed, it was, pale snowflakes fell from above in never-ending streams. The ground below was frozen solid, snow crunching softly with every step. Massive walls of azure ice made the boundaries of the Circle, blocking off the elements beyond.
Despite the bone-chilling cold, people kept walking as if it was nothing weird. In the Circle Of Frost, snow was eternal; it was a sight most were used to, but for Leonidas, who had just come here, it was anything but normal.
Eternal warfields would have been easier to accept than this. Leonidas walked quietly behind Seridius, taking in the scenery while trying to calm his nerves.
Willingly walking to certain death wasn't on his checklist, but alas.
If only I could somehow awaken without taking the damn trial.
It was wishful thinking, but in situations like his, said wishful thinking helped beyond measure. Making hypotheticals that would never come true was an ardent hobby of his.
A few twists and turns through crowded alleyways that got lifeless the farther they went, they soon arrived at their destination.
Leonidas and Seridius stood in front of a watch tower of sorts. Like most things in the Circle Of Frost, the outpost was also made of azure ice.
On the walls were mounted cannons, massive beasts of metal, ready to unleash fiery hell on all those who approached without consent. Only that they were aimed inwards.
A pair of knights stood at the base of the tower, clad in sapphire armor, a snowflake engraved on their right chest.
Frost Knights.
Just as the name suggested, they were knights who worked under the 5 elders who ruled the Circle.
The knight on the right spoke, his voice tired.
"Halt."
They did as told.
"State your identity and purpose."
"Leonidas Hector. I need to enter the Labyrinth. I only have about 4 hours left." The guard nodded at him, then turned to his crimson-eyed companion.
"Seridius Morgan. I am accompanying Leonidas."
The guards looked at each other and proceeded to open the doors.
Nothing was in sight except the Labyrinth entrance and three other knights who were sitting in various positions near it.
Instead of the endless cold, it was hot, almost smoldering. A massive spike of black metal—easily twice as large as Leonidas himself—was radiating waves of heat, like a miniature sun.
The entrance.
He noted quietly.
The guard who had spoken to him pointed at the entrance and spoke in a subdued tone.
"This is one of the smallest entrances located in the Circle. As soon as you touch it, you'll be transported into the Labyrinth...think of it as a gate of sorts."
"Say your goodbyes, you have a minute. If I still see you here, I'm gonna throw you in there myself."
With that, he walked off, leaving Leonidas and Seridius alone.
Leonidas forced a smile; nothing else would work. He knew that anything related to the Labyrinth was a delicate matter, especially since there was a high chance he would either die or not awaken at all.
"Wish me luck. And don't die while I'm gone."
Seridius simply wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.
Still a man of few words, even until the very end.
Seridius pulled himself free a second later. He put his hand on his chest, and his palm ignited with flames. From the small silver fire, similar silver sparks emerged, which gave birth to a sword.
It was a thin blade, longer than Leonidas's body. The hilt was engraved with carvings of people worshiping some sort of god, while a crimson jewel was embedded in the pommel.
"My mom gave me this sword, you better bring it back with you, or else I'm gonna kill you myself."
"Tragic."
He looked around him for what might be the final time, the azure walls, the hot temperature, and far, far into the distance, the gigantic onyx wall.
With a confident smirk, Leonidas touched the black metal, and soon he was gone.