Episode 42 – Four in the Shadow of Trust

The silence after the battle was deafening. No more whispers. No more screams. Only the faint hum of the fragment glowing faintly in Kuro's palm—blood-red, cold as stone.

The Labyrinth of Forgotten Names had gone still. Its walls, once writhing with etched identities, had crumbled into black dust, leaving only an endless corridor stretching ahead into mist.

For the first time since stepping into Norvahel's depths, there was no immediate threat pressing against their throats.

And yet… the tension among them was heavier than the labyrinth itself.

---

Kuro's emberlight gaze lingered on Reina. She stood with effortless poise, daggers twirling in her fingers before vanishing into shadow. Not a bead of sweat touched her brow. Her emerald eyes shone calm, but not warm—calculating.

Akira scowled at her from the side, his hand still resting on his katana. "You knew exactly how to deal with those things. Care to explain why?"

Reina's lips curled into a half-smile. "You're welcome."

"That's not what I asked," he snapped, voice sharper than his blade.

Her smirk deepened. "And I answered what you deserved. If you want more, earn it."

Akira's jaw tightened, the air around him sharp enough to cut.

---

Elira stepped forward, frostfire shimmering faintly around her hands, though her control was steady. Her violet eyes narrowed, cool and distrustful. "You fight like you've studied Norvahel's curses before. Who sent you?"

Reina tilted her head, emerald gaze sliding to Elira. "You assume I was sent. Maybe I'm here for the same reason you are."

Kuro's hand rose, steady, a quiet command for silence. "Enough."

The word held weight—more than command. It carried the tone of someone who would not let division crack their fragile unity.

He looked at Reina directly, his emberlight calm but piercing. "…Why are you here?"

For a heartbeat, her smile faltered. Then it returned, faint but edged.

"I told you already. I don't kneel to kings. I don't worship crowns. But…" Her eyes flicked toward the Seal fragment in his palm. "Seals interest me. Their power. Their price."

---

Elira's frostfire flared faintly, her tone cold. "So you admit it—you're only here for power."

Reina's expression hardened, emerald fire glinting. "And you're not? Princess, don't pretend your hands are clean. You're chasing Seals to prove yourself to a throne that shackled you. At least I admit my greed."

The words struck like knives. Elira froze, violet eyes narrowing into a storm.

Kuro moved subtly between them, a shield of calm fire. "Whatever her reason, she fought with us. She broke the trial when we couldn't. That matters."

Elira's lips pressed tight. "…For now."

Akira's glare didn't waver. "Doesn't mean I'll trust her back at my side."

Reina chuckled softly, shadow flickering at her boots. "Trust me or not, swordsman. As long as the labyrinth keeps spitting monsters, you'll need me."

Akira looked ready to snap, but Kuro's presence was enough to steady the storm.

---

The corridor ahead pulsed faintly with shifting light. The labyrinth hadn't ended. The trial was complete, but the descent was far from over.

[System Update: Seal Recognition 38%]

[Remaining: Two Seals of Norvahel]

The voice of the system echoed only in Kuro's mind. He closed his fist around the fragment, feeling its cold weight seep into his palm.

Norvahel was bleeding its secrets slowly—and it wanted blood in return.

---

They began to walk.

The mist clung thicker now, black as tar, veiling the path ahead. Their footsteps echoed unnaturally, as if each step was stamped into memory itself.

Akira walked stiffly, every so often glancing back at Reina with sharp suspicion. His jaw was tight, but his hands never left his blade.

Reina noticed, of course. She let out a soft laugh, her voice teasing, almost melodic. "Careful, swordsman. Stare at me like that much longer and people will start to think you're interested."

Akira stopped dead, his ears twitching red as he snapped, "Tch—don't flatter yourself."

Reina's smirk was pure fire. "Oh, but you blush easily. That's a dangerous weakness."

Akira turned away sharply, muttering curses under his breath.

Kuro caught the exchange from the corner of his eye. He said nothing, but the emberlight in his gaze flickered.

Elira, walking just beside him, noticed too. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her frostfire humming with quiet disapproval.

---

They pressed deeper.

The walls began to change—no longer etched with names, but with scenes. Carvings stretched across the stone, murals depicting Norvahel's fall.

Cities burning. Thrones breaking. Kings drowning in their own shadows.

Elira stopped before one mural, her hand brushing the etched figure of a queen crowned in frostfire, her face carved in anguish.

Her voice was barely a whisper. "…This was my bloodline."

Kuro turned to her, quiet. His emberlight softened. "Not you. Don't carry their sins."

Her lashes lowered, violet fire dimming. "…If the labyrinth erases names, perhaps it is merciful."

He reached out, his hand brushing her shoulder. Warmth against the frost. "No. Forgetting is worse than sin. You're Elira Valenhart. That name won't vanish."

Her eyes widened slightly, catching his emberlight gaze. For a moment, the frost within her cracked, warmth seeping through.

"…Kuro," she whispered, her voice softer than the labyrinth deserved.

Behind them, Reina's emerald eyes glinted, unreadable.

---

The corridor widened into a chamber.

A pedestal stood at the center, empty, its surface cracked. Four paths stretched outward from it, each cloaked in mist.

[System Alert: Divergence Point – Choose Your Trial]

The system's voice cut sharp across their minds.

Akira cursed under his breath. "Of course. Split paths."

Elira's eyes narrowed. "It wants to divide us. If we split, we'll be weaker."

Reina smirked faintly, tilting her head. "Or smarter. Divide and conquer works both ways."

Her tone was calm, but her eyes lingered on Kuro. Testing him.

Kuro stepped forward, gaze steady, emberblade resting at his side. "…No. We stay together. The labyrinth feeds on separation."

The pedestal cracked further, mist swirling violently around the chamber as if resisting his choice.

Then—one path lit faintly, lined with murals of blades and duels.

[System Directive: Trial of Blades – Initiated]

Akira exhaled, a feral grin spreading across his face. "Finally. Something I understand."

Reina's smirk sharpened. "Then don't disappoint."

---

They stepped into the path of blades.

The chamber beyond roared to life, walls lined with endless weapons—blades of forgotten warriors, each whispering their own death.

Figures bled from the steel itself—duelists of shadow, swordsmen erased from memory, each bearing the perfected techniques of their era.

The air crackled with lethal intent.

Akira's grip tightened on his katana, his pulse steady, his smile wild. "Now this…" His eyes gleamed like steel under moonlight. "…this is where I shine."

---

[To Be Continued…]

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