Anywhere? The notion was tantalizing. I longed for the comfort of home, the warmth of familiar faces, and the sound of my family's voices. I hesitated, then took another cautious step closer, as if approaching a skittish deer that might bolt at the slightest movement.

  Kaylie's voice, tinged with concern, cut through the stillness. “I don’t think that will get you home. In fact, it might push you even further from where you wish to be.”

  I didn’t take my eye off the prize but still replied, “What do you mean?”

  “That is an uncontrolled door. It will drop you into the Labyrinth in a random spot. The only thing you will know for sure is that if you survive, there will be two endpoints. One in this world and one in another world.”

  “So it could be a door to my world?” I asked with hope.

  Instead of reassurance, it was Sana who replied, “Trying to find your world through that portal is like looking for one special grain of sand on an endless beach."

  “It’s a better chance than I have staying here, though.”

  “That's not accurate," Sana corrected gently. "This world acts as a bridge between all other worlds. Once you leave, the only way to access a different world would be to come back here first. I'm not saying it’s impossible to find your way back to this world, but the scarcity of travelers indicates it's highly unlikely. And even if you did manage it, you'd essentially be starting from scratch.”

  I really wanted to go through. If what Sana said was true, then the odds were infinitesimal, but still better than none at all. However, if I were to end up in some random world, I might never find my way back.

  Rabbit, seeing my indecision, finally chimed in, “As much as I would love to see another world, your best chances are here. That Ancient had promised you a path home, and I don’t think this is it. It might take some time, but if you really want to get home, this might not be the right way.”

  More than anyone, Rabbit's words rang true. This door was a small chance, but even though the Ancient gave me another path, I knew the odds were better. I took a step back and looked away. It seemed everyone was tense and worried for me.

  I didn't let that bother me. Instead, I thought about the new information. “You mentioned this is an uncontrolled door. Are there ones that are controlled?”

  Sana chimed in before the others' worry left their faces. “Yes. There are three types of labyrinth points. This one is an uncontrolled door and drops you randomly in the Labyrinth. I surmise that this is how all of the doors in the universe were at one point.”

  Right away, Rabbit had a bunch of questions bubbling in my mind, but I pushed them aside. This was more important.

  “The second type of door connects major cities on this continent. They're like shortcuts between places. The third type is dungeons, like this one we're in,” Sana explained.

  The first two didn’t seem helpful, so I focused on the last one. “Dungeons? How are they different than the Labyrinth? Can this place get me home?”

  “I told you before, Dungeons are fragments of another world pulled into ours. The Labyrinth is the opposite of that. I think it is those same fragments put together, made to build a bridge between the worlds. This place can’t get you home as it doesn’t go anywhere. My bet is this place was made to store something, as that is why you were sent this way.”

  I frowned. “Why not just use a regular vault?”

  Sana thought for a moment. “There could be many reasons. Perhaps the labyrinth's magic helps ward off something from spoiling. Or maybe it's for extra safety. Using the labyrinth's endless power might have been easier for the Ancients. If we knew all their secrets, they wouldn't be so mysterious to us now.”

  “Should we check out the other door?” Kaylie tried redirecting.

  Off to the left, there was another stone door, less impressive than the first. Crafted from dark granite, it showed clear signs of damage. The large cut that marred the cave had chipped away part of this door, leaving it visibly scarred. As I approached, the door began to emit a soft violet glow, mirroring the light from my new ring. In response, the door silently lifted, ascending straight up to reveal a staircase leading downward.

  "Down again?" Kaylie moaned.

  "Shh! We don't know what's down there. There could be more spiders," Sana whispered. "Alf, you go first." As usual, I groaned internally.

  Sana handed me her light stick, and Kaylie and Jack did the same. I stowed them all in my bag since there was already light below. The stairs themselves weren't illuminated, but they led to a place bathed in some form of artificial light. Keeping the light sticks tucked away was a strategic move. Carrying them would have signaled our approach to any lurking enemies. Now, we had only the faint glow from the destination to guide us down the stairs.

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  With our attention fixed on the dimly lit steps, we couldn’t watch our backs. Fortunately, having thoroughly scoured the tunnels earlier, I was logically confident that no spiders would ambush us from behind. However, they were not our only concern. The others insisted I take the lead to check if the staircase was trapped.

  I approached the first stair hesitantly, my breath caught in my throat. With each shift of my weight, I half-expected the heat of flames to soak me. I tentatively placed my toe down first, testing the cold, unyielding stone. When nothing happened, I gradually lowered the rest of my foot.

  I glanced back and noticed everyone else had kept their distance. Given the narrow confines of the staircase, I couldn't blame them. Using ropes seemed wise in open spaces, but here, one wrong move could send us all tumbling down. I briefly considered hurling myself down the stairs to trigger the traps quickly, possibly outpacing any damage. Though this could result in a few broken bones, it might also save us. If a trap were triggered, I resolved to lean forward rather than back to minimize injury.

  As I pushed my full weight down, I almost breathed out in relief. However, every stair from here forward represented a double threat. I had to be wary not only of the step I was about to take, but also of the one I was leaving behind. The traps could trigger both when I placed my foot down and when I lifted it off.

  With my senses heightened, I moved cautiously, my ears straining for the slightest sound out of place. The possibility of a trap activating upon release added a menacing rhythm to my descent.

  I stepped down.

  I paused.

  I lifted.

  Each step was followed by a heartbeat of suspense.

  The silence that followed each movement was as nerve-wracking as any sound could have been.

  Each cautious step brought me closer to the light that faintly outlined the end of the staircase, a beacon amidst the shadows. The growing brightness allowed me to relax slightly, easing the fear of traps with each descending step. As I took the final step, the narrow confines of the stairway opened into an unexpectedly vast space.

  I let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My whole body sagged as the pressure drained away. There had never been any traps. All that fear, all that careful, nerve-wracking caution for nothing. And yet, the relief was overwhelming. My chest finally loosened, and I almost laughed at how shaken I’d been.

  I lifted my gaze, taking in the vast chamber ahead. A massive, segmented room unfolded before us. It was nothing like what we had anticipated at the end of the cave. The walls, towering about four stories high, were supported by massive pillars. Each 'room' was enclosed by these walls, blocking our view of what lay beyond them. About a hundred yards ahead, a door framed so narrowly that only one of us could pass through at a time stood waiting.

  The worst part were the spiderwebs that blanketed everything. The smell was horrendous, a pungent mix of mildew and rotting flesh, intensifying as we ventured deeper. Clearly, the spiders had been here.

  However, the strangest thing was how this giant room was lit. The ceiling shed a diffused, ethereal glow as if the air itself were alight. There were no bulbs, no lamps, nothing that could explain the source of this soft luminescence that bathed the room. I tried to pinpoint where the light was emanating from, but it was impossible. The light seemed to simply exist, an ambient glow without a discernible origin.

  As I absorbed the eerie ambiance, Sana slapped my arm and pointed toward the door. She was eager to reach a safer location before we discussed our next move. I began to inch forward cautiously, yet apparently not silently enough. After about six steps, Sana caught up and placed her hand on my shoulder. Although my movements were smoother than on the staircase, in a room this vast, every step echoed.

  Sana paused and silently pointed at my feet, then gently tapped her ear, indicating the noise I was making. With a swift motion, she mimicked walking with her fingers above her other palm, emphasizing the need for stealth. She glanced at the rest of the group, then back at me, placing a finger to her lips before pointing at the others, signaling that they would proceed without me. Her eyes locked with mine, conveying a clear message of caution and strategy.

  I got the message. I was too loud. She wanted me to stay put while the others, who possessed Stealth skills, moved ahead. She would signal when it was safe for me to follow, or at least, that was what I hoped. There was also the unnerving possibility that she meant, 'Stay here and be the bait while we advance.' I wasn't entirely sure, but it was clear she didn't want me taking another step.

  “It sucks not having any skills,” I complained to myself, while the others moved forward.

  “Stop whining,” Rabbit replied. “You want too much. Your healing has been far more useful here than any stealth you could have picked up.”

  He was right, though I hated to admit it. My healing had carried me further in this dungeon than any other skill would have. I was just bitter because I wanted skills too. I supposed I needed to be satisfied with what I had instead of being jealous of others.

  We then lapsed into silence, my gaze following the shadows until Rabbit’s voice jolted me back to the present. "What is that?" he asked sharply.

  I scanned the room but initially saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then Rabbit drew my attention upward. The room was filled with pillars, beams, and walls, creating numerous blind spots. From behind one of the beams, Rabbit spotted something large descending stealthily. At first, I mistook it for a part of the room itself, perhaps a closing mechanism behind the others. They were near the door, and this massive object was looming just above them. It was round and moved with a slow, deliberate motion.

  “Is that a spider?” Rabbit asked, but it was a ridiculous comment, seeing as the ones we encountered were smaller than me. This object was gigantic, and I’m guessing it was about twice as wide as I was tall. From a distance, it was hard to tell. But then I noticed how it rounded out to be a circle as it moved closer toward Sana and the group, and then its legs began to unfold, poised to pounce at any moment.

  In a split-second decision, I yelled out, "Run for the door!" and immediately sprinted after them.