INSIGNIAS: THE LUX SIGNIFER ACADEMY

Darkness swallowed the eight young warriors when the two doors suddenly slammed shut, starling them. The air was cold and the atmosphere was heavy. It was getting harder to breathe because of fear. Before Aria could produce fire, lit torches appeared around them. It wasn’t enough to see everything but Aria noticed that they were a few feet in front of a wide and tall doorframe. Two tall torches stood beside it. Smaller torches lined on the walls beside the two. She turned to her right and found another doorframe but on the floor. Small torches surrounded it. There must be a staircase leading down. Aside from the torches and doorframes, it’s absolute darkness.

“We have to separate now,” she heard Aubree say. She was standing in front of Aria beside Skhy, Ellie, and Hunter while Lei, Nate, Tessa, and Savvier stood behind her. The rest stayed with Tessa’s father outside. Storm arrived with one of the fallen Mortemian before the eight could go inside. He said that there’s no threat outside. He decided to stay outside to grill Tessa’s father for information.

Aria turned her to the doorframe in front. A cold wind coming from the direction of the doorway hit her. Chills run on her neck.

“That will lead underground?” Skhy asked while staring at the doorframe on the floor.

“No. Upstairs,” Aubree answered. “There’s no law of physics here. Be careful.”

“Are you sure that you, Aurora, Ellie, and Savvier are going to be fine?” Skhy asked. “One of us can go-”

“This is our mission,” Aurora cut him off. Aria kept staring at the doorframe. She could feel that whatever’s inside is sinister.

“Time is still the same here,” Ellie said. “We have to get out before it darks outside.”

“Three hours then,” Hunter said. Hunter’s voice made Aria remembered that his elemental is electricity. She just hoped that he won’t use thunder and lightning. The two groups separated. Aria’s group waited for Aubree, Aurora, Ellie, and Savvier to descend on the stairs before moving. Skhy entered first. Aria took a deep breath before walking inside. She felt a ringing in her ears as she walked through. She looked around and found more torches on the walls. There were two paths. She looked up. There was nothing above the walls.

“Which of the two?” Nate asked.

“What happened if we chose the wrong one?” Lei asked. Skhy looked at each of the paths. Tessa’s father said that he too doesn’t know how to go past the traps. If you’re a Mortemian, the castle’s inside shifted to its normal interior. Maybe the architect is the only one who knows…

“Let’s go,” Skhy said then walked toward the path on their left.

“Trial and error?” Hunter mocked.

“We have to do something, right?” Tessa mocked back. Hunter didn’t answer. Aria was glad that Clyne wasn’t with them. He’s too noisy wherever he goes. They continued walking until they saw another path on their right. Aria eyed it curiously but there’s only darkness inside. So they continued moving forward.

“What the,” Skhy exclaimed. It was a dead end. The torches stopped.

“So the right path was the one on the right?” Nate asked. What is this? Hunter turned around. Everyone followed him. They passed the doorway without light then continued to the other path.

“Dammit,” Hunter exclaimed. Another dead end. The right and left paths led to walls.

“We’ll be stuck in this area,” Aria said then looked around. Then she remembered.

“The path without light,” she said.

“The one there?” Lei pointed toward the direction where they came from. Aria nodded. Everyone rushed toward it.

“What if it’s a trap and we’ll fall into nothingness?” Tessa nervously asked.

“Then we’ll be stuck forever?” Hunter suggested mockingly. Aria sighed. They’re like Storm and Hanne.

“I’ll go first then,” Aria offered. She silently took a deep breath then stepped through. Suddenly the torches appeared on the walls. She heard sighs behind her.

“Thank you, Aria,” Tessa said then patted her shoulder.

“Now, which one?” Nate asked. Aria looked around and realised that there were twice more paths than earlier. Two paths were through the wall in front of them while the other two stretches to their right and left.

“Where are we?” Skhy asked in a low voice. “We’ve been in there for 15 minutes.”

“How many paths are there?” Nate walked toward one of the two paths with light inside. The other two were dark.

“Choose the one with light,” Lei suggested. Everyone nodded then followed Nate. A few seconds after they walked inside, Aria heard something cut through the air.

“Down!” she shouted then dropped to the ground. The others followed. Countless arrows hit the wall behind them and the ground.

“Trap!” Nate exclaimed. When there were no more attacks, Aria quickly stood up. Suddenly five men with bow and arrows appeared and surrounded them. They had a mask on their lower face. They simultaneously grabbed an arrow and released it. Aria blocked the attacks using her sword.

“They move so fast!” Lei exclaimed. Aria noticed her struggling to counterattack because the enemies release their arrows every millisecond. She moved in front of Lei to give her time to load her arrow but not too close to interrupt her. She tried to use her fire while concentrating on cutting the arrows. It was hard.

“Arrghhhh” she shouted. Then a ball of fire cut through the arrows in front of her and hit the man. He quickly turned into a shadow and disappeared. She used the same fireball to kill the four other men. Everyone was gasping for air after.

“Thanks, Aria,” Skhy said. That wouldn’t be their first trap. They encountered witches and monsters. There were bastions, a raised pathway – and passageways – an area with two entrance and exit points which force them to either go forward or back. After the fifth trap, they were already breathless and tired.

“We can’t go on like this,” Skhy said between breaths. He looked at his watch. “We have an hour and a half left.”

“There must be signs that can lead us,” Nate said then looked around. Aria sat on the ground. She thought that there was no way that the one who designed and created the labyrinth will give clues.

“How about this?” Nate shouted. Skhy, Hunter, Tessa, and Lei walked toward the wall he was looking at. Aria stood up.

“A bowl?” Lei asked.

“A pot?” Skhy asked.

“Maybe a bread,” Nate offered. Aria stood behind them. She looked closely at the drawing. It’s about the size of a palm. She focused on the calligraphy design. Red. Curling upward.

“It’s D,” she said. Her eyes widened when the memories flashed before her eyes.

“What?” Hunter asked.

“Inverted D,” she pointed out. “I know where we are.” She couldn’t believe it. Why is it here?

“What do you mean, Aira?” Tessa asked. Everyone was looking at her with a confused stare. If they are where she thinks they are, they were in the wrong place. She looked around trying to remember the map of the place. They passed through six paths, five traps, and seven dead ends. Okay…

“Aria?” Lei called her. She turned to her team.

“This maze is designed like the one we have at home. Dad’s design,” she slowly revealed. They didn’t look convinced.

“Why would this maze be the same?” Skhy asked with confusion written on his face. Aria shook her head. That she didn’t know but she was sure. She hadn’t noticed it because of the darkness.

“The witches earlier have the letter ‘U’ on their clothes,” she said. “So the path that we took has the same sign on the wall.” Skhy turned toward the drawing on the wall.

“Are you sure about this?” Hunter asked. Aria nodded.

“So where should we go?” he asked. She turned toward the path where they came from.

“Back. All the paths here are traps,” she explained. “We only have to run and get pass through the witches.” Hunter still didn’t look convinced.

“I hope you’re right,” he said. She wanted to tell him that if he didn’t want to trust her, it’s fine with her but she didn’t want to initiate a fight.

“Why would they copy your Dad’s design?” Lei asked. She had no idea but it dawned to her that her dad must have had reasons why she let her memorize the paths and rules of the maze. Maybe he knew that I’ll end up here. But why is it here? How did he know? She had many questions but they will have to wait until they get out of here alive. It had been so long since she had been inside it. She couldn’t because it made her remember her Dad but she remembered every detail.

“We’ll find out,” she replied.

“Alright,” Nate said. He stretched his arms and legs. “Get ready to run!”

“Do not touch the walls. Do not touch anything you see. Do not be tempted,” she instructed them.

“That’s the fastest I heard you say,” Nate beamed.

“And follow me at all times. Do not go on your own,” she added. The others stretched their limbs too.

“By the way, what are the letters for?” Skhy asked when they positioned themselves near the pathway.

“To know if you’re in the right and wrong path,” she replied while staring at the path they have to traverse again.

“So the right letters, do they form something?” he asked. Aria nodded.

“Aria Arkingrave.”