(This chapter will be from Doya's POV and will begin from the moment they came to the Labyrinth down to where they went to Balshak's fortress.)
Enjoy :)
Doya's POV
We stepped out of the portal and into the Labyrinth. Sunlight poured over the land, warm and almost deceptive in its calm. The sky was clear, bright blue, seemed so peaceful.
"Where should we go from here?" Dana asked me.
I turned to her, and my chest tightened.
She had not been herself since the loss. Every time I asked if she was okay, she said she was fine, always fine. But her eyes betrayed her. Those beautiful eyes held grief so deep it frightened me, layered with regret and something sharper, something dangerous.
"Let's go to my temple, we can get help there," I replied to her.
"No. I don't need help. I can handle Jephas myself. I just need direction."
Dana had always been adamant, fiercely so. Once she made up her mind, it was almost impossible to sway her. It frustrated me so much, but I understood it better. I had made reckless choices myself. I recognised the same storm building inside her.
"We can use this for a locator spell…" she continued reaching into her bag for what she needed.
A knot formed in my stomach. I didn't want her making a mistake, not now, not in this state. I tried to warn her, tried to slow her down, but she didn't listen. Anger flared across her face, quick and raw. She turned away, mounted her horse, and rode off without looking back.
I wasn't angry with her. How could I be? She was grieving. Anyone with eyes could see that. What scared me was the way she was unraveling, how close she seemed to destroying herself in the process. That fear sat heavy in my chest.
I let her go.
If she needed space, then I would give it to her. For now.
I turned to Giselle, who had remained unnervingly quiet the entire time. I didn't trust her. I never had. Still, I couldn't deny that she had her uses.
"Well," she said, breaking the silence, "she's obviously mad at you."
I met her gaze but said nothing. We walked together for a while, the silence stretching between us. Eventually, I made my decision.
"We're going to the temple." I grasped her hands, focused, and in an instant we were there, having stepped through the Veil.
The temple gates rose before us, familiar and comforting. The Bound of the Sanctum welcomed me warmly, bowing their heads in reverence. Giselle stood beside me as we were led to the Sanctum Ground.
I told them that Dana was here in the Labyrinth, and that we were on a journey to find the Cranium.
It was a lie.
Dana had already made it clear that she no longer cared about the Cranium, but I could not accept that. Not fully. I believed that with time, with space to grieve properly, she would remember her duty as its guardian.
"We want to meet her," one of the Bound said, his voice firm.
Their devotion was absolute. They were elated that Koliasis had returned, ready to fight once more. These men and women would lay down their lives for Dana without hesitation.
"In due time," I replied. "You will meet her."
I told them about Earth, about what had happened there with Dana and the Forsaken, though I left out the worst of it. Some things were not mine to share.
Giselle was taken to another room to freshen up. The Bound ensured she was fed and attended to.
Suddenly, I felt it. Dana. She was calling for me. The pull was sudden and sharp.
I went to the room where Giselle stayed and took her with me.
I was so relieved when I saw her. I moved closer and pulled her into a hug.
"Oh my God, Dana… I was so worried."
I begged her to come back to the temple with me, just for a while. She refused. Instead, she demanded that I perform the locator spell to find Jephas.
Everything in me screamed that this was wrong.
She was making a mistake, a terrible one, and I could see it clearly. But I couldn't leave her. I couldn't abandon her when she was like this. So I stayed.
I cast the spell.
Our search led us to a cliff, sheer and unforgiving. A dead end.
I felt a strange sense of recognition. I had heard stories about this place as a child. I had never believed they were real.
I muttered the old spell we used to recite back then.
But nothing happened.
Perhaps because I didn't believe or care to channel.
Then Dana spoke the same words, her magic threading through them effortlessly. The air shimmered, and a doorway appeared hanging above the cliff.
While inside the passage, I could see that Dana was nervous. I was also nervous, but I had to be strong for her. I didn't want anything bad happening to her. She was my priority, and I was going to protect her at all cost.
Leaving the dark passage, we entered an open field. It seemed empty at first glance, but apparently, we were surrounded by strange people.
My first instinct was to remove Dana from harm's way, but she held my shoulders, silently telling me she could handle herself.
Stubborn, as always.
She spoke to one of them, her tone sharp enough to spark violence. I stepped in quickly, calming the situation before it could erupt. Dana was burning with rage, but this was not the place for a fight.
After much indulging, the man led us to Balshak's fortress.
---
Dana was suspended in the air, helpless.
I couldn't reach her.
The forsaken swarmed me, overwhelming in number and strength. Fear clawed at my throat. I couldn't lose her. I wouldn't survive it.
She met my eyes, and that look shattered me completely. I could feel her being drained, her strength slipping away.
"Dana!" I screamed, hacking at the forsaken with my sword as they closed in.
When she hit the ground, something inside me broke. My focus slipped for just a moment.
Then a blade pierced my gut violently.
Pain exploded through me, but I forced myself deeper, reaching for my power. Wind burst outward, throwing them back.
With what little strength I had left, I ran to Dana, grabbed her hand, and veil-walked us away.
I didn't think about Giselle.
We landed in thick bushes, night had fallen. Thunder rolled across the sky, deep and angry. I pulled Dana close, clutching her to me as terror surged through my veins.
I tried to pull us out of the darkness, back to my temple, but my power faltered. The wound in my gut was worse than I had imagined. Blood gushed freely, warm and sticky, and pain slammed through me in a brutal wave, stealing my breath. I pressed my hand against the wound, trying desperately to hold myself together.
Rain began to pour, relentless. I lifted Dana and searched for shelter, each step weaker than the last.
One thought echoed in my mind.
Dana would be fine.
She had to be.
Just as I felt myself slipping away, a horse's neigh cut through the night. I didn't know whether help or death waited ahead, but I had no choice.
The rider came into view. Not Forsaken.
"Please," I whispered as the darkness crept in. "Help me."
Then everything went black.
---
"Dana. No. Dana."
I woke up shaking, uneasy, my dreams replaying the moment Dana was being drained.
I didn't know where I was. I tried to stand, but the pain in my gut was excruciating, so I stayed in place.
I was no longer in my robe. It had been stripped away while my wound was wrapped in clean white cloth, leaving me dressed only in my hose.
How long had I been asleep?
I scanned the room, dread creeping in, and then it hit me — Dana was gone.
Immediately, panic set in.
Ignoring the pain, I forced myself up and staggered outside the hut. The moment I did, I saw someone, and his face flashed in my memory. He was the one I saw before I passed out.
"Where is she?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
"The girl you were with?" He smirked before continuing. "Oh, she's fine. Come on, she's in the other hut."
The village was made of small huts set close together, and people moved easily between them. It felt less like separate homes and more like one shared space. They had dark brown skin, glowing softly as if kissed by the sun. They wore loose cloth in different colors, some tied at the waist with leather, others strung with beads that clicked softly as they moved. Their hair was braided close to the head or twisted into knots, often held with bone pins, copper rings, or small carved charms. There was strength in their frames. Their eyes were calm and steady, watching me quietly, eyes old and knowing, like people who listened to the land, the stories, and the world itself.
He led me to her. The moment I entered the hut, I sighed in relief. She looked pale. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of her.
"Dana," I whispered.
She still hadn't woken up. I was worried. What had Balshak done to her?
"Will she be fine?" I asked the woman beside her as she pressed a cool cloth to Dana's head.
"I'm preparing a potion for her now," she replied calmly, "and a spell to wake her."
Who were these people? And why were they helping us?
I knew I needed help, but I had never believed kindness came freely. There was always a cost. Life had taught me that much.
The guy who helped me earlier stood outside the hut. I looked back at the lady tending to Dana and said gently,
"Please, take care of her."
I stepped outside and approached him.
"How are you holding up?" he asked.
"How long have we been here?" I asked desperately.
"Oh come on, relax. It's only been a night. I saw you last night, you were hurt, and you asked me to help you, so I brought you to my village. You're welcome."
"Where is this place?" I asked further.
"You're a paranoid one, aren't you?" He smirked again.
God, that smirk annoyed me.
"This is Krythmoor," he finally said.
Krythmoor? I had never heard of this place before. Perhaps.....
"Inside the invisible cliff?"
"Yup, you've got that right."
We were still here. That meant Balshak was close by. I thought I had taken us farther away.
"Who are you people?" I finally asked.
He hesitated, as if searching for the shortest explanation. "We are a small village who don't like trouble, but if it comes to us, we will respond."
I had heard that sentence before, and then it clicked.
Were these the same people we met yesterday?
"Can I speak to the leader here?"
"We have no leader. We live communally and have been at peace that way."
"There was a man," I said. "A man I spoke with yesterday. If he is here, I'd like to speak with him."
He squinted, then grinned. "Come with me."
We stepped into another hut, and there he was — the same man from yesterday. If they truly had no leader, he at least spoke for them.
"Do you need something?" he asked, his tone calm but commanding.
"I want to thank you for helping me last night," I said.
"You should thank Kumbuye," he replied, nodding toward the man who had brought me here. "He was the one who saved you."
"Anyway, I have some questions, if you can answer them."
"Ask away," he said.
"First, who really are you people?"
"We're a small village…"
"I know that," I cut in. "What I want to understand is why and how you're here."
"You must be surprised that we share borders with the forsaken, yes," he said.
I waited.
"Our forefathers found this land and claimed it. We've lived peacefully ever since. You must wonder how the forsaken leave us alone despite sharing borders."
He paused, then continued.
"Long ago, we had a feud with Balshak. The war dragged on and became pointless. Many died. In the end, a spell was forged with the blood of our brothers who died in the war, to protect this land. No one can attack us here and leave unpunished. That spell has kept the forsaken away ever since. We don't fight them, and they don't come for us."
I still had many questions, but one mattered most.
"How do I get out of here?"
"The same way you came in, through the passage."
I planned to take Dana and leave at once. These people were too kind, too willing. Something about it felt wrong. They could not know who Dana truly was. They could not know she was the guardian. We had to be careful.
When the conversation ended, I left the room and went back to Dana.
Kumbuye sat beside her, gently brushing his fingers through her hair.
My blood boiled. For a moment, I almost struck him. Then I remembered where I was. I held myself back and growled,
"Take your hands off her face."
He turned, that same smirk on his face. "She's beautiful. I couldn't help myself."
I glared at him.
"She looks familiar though," he added. "Like I've seen her before."
"Where's the woman who tended to her?" I asked.
"She went to get some roots to finish the potion. What happened to her anyway?"
I ignored him, pushed past, and sat beside Dana. I wasn't leaving her again.
I held her face. She was beautiful, no doubt. I hadn't realised how deeply I cared until I nearly lost her. That moment had shattered me. I would never leave her alone again.
As my thoughts spiralled, she stirred.
"Dana..." I whispered, careful not to startle her.
Her eyes fluttered open, revealing those beautiful emerald orbs. My heart skipped a beat.
"D-Doya?" she murmured.
"Don't speak," I said softly. "Save your strength. You'll be fine."
She tried to sit up, her gaze scanning the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Where are we?"
"Just relax," I urged. "We're safe."
Her eyes drifted past me to the guy standing behind me, and something in her expression changed.
"Bear guy…" she muttered, then slipped back into unconsciousness.
"Dana!" I shouted, panic rising.
At that moment, the woman returned with the potion. All we could do was wait, hoping she would wake soon enough.