Outside the entrance of the looming cave, the atmosphere was thick with tension.

Tribune hesitated for a moment, his eyes scanning Malone and Challenger. "Marguerite told me to tell you this phrase: Divine Law. It might not make much sense now, but once you're inside, things might become clearer."

Challenger, always the scientist, looked intrigued. "A password, or perhaps a clue?"

Tribune shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "Or maybe just some cryptic nonsense. Who knows? But from what I've gathered, this cave isn't straightforward. It's a labyrinth, a test of wits and resolve. If you wish to reach Roxton, you'll have to solve it."

Malone exchanged a worried glance with Challenger. "Then let's not waste any more time," he urged, the thought of their friend's peril pushing them forward.

Tribune paused before the entrance, a solemn expression settling on his face. "I've brought you this far, but I won't be joining you inside the labyrinth. This is where our paths diverge."

Challenger, eyebrows raised, shot him a questioning look. "Why?"

Tribune smirked, his sassy demeanor resurfacing. "Let's just say, there are some places even I prefer not to tread. The maze has its own way of dealing with intruders. I trust you'll figure it out."

Malone frowned, "That's convenient. You expect us to trust you now?"

Tribune shrugged nonchalantly, "Trust or don't, that's entirely up to you. But time's running out for your friend. Best of luck, both of you."

With that, Tribune turned away, leaving the pair at the mouth of the cave, the weight of their mission now even heavier on their shoulders.

Challenger and Malone, lanterns in hand, cautiously ventured deeper into the cave, their footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness.

They walked for a while until they arrived at a chamber with three imposing doors. Each door was adorned with Latin inscriptions, the ancient letters etched deep into the stone.

Challenger squinted at the writings and then looked over at Malone, "How's your Latin?"

Malone replied sincerely. "Not that great. I admit, I didn't pay much attention during my studies."

Challenger smiled, "Luckily for us, it's the language of science." He proceeded to translate the inscriptions aloud.

Fortuna Audaces Iuvat. Fortune Favours the Brave.

Abyssus Abyssum Invocat. Sin follows the sin.

Scientia Potentia Est. Knowledge is power.

But the translations didn't seem to provide a clear path forward. The phrases were cryptic, leaving them puzzled.

Malone, with a mix of uncertainty and intuition, said, "You know, in most tales and stories I've come across, it's usually the middle door that leads the way."

Challenger raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting we rely on folklore and fiction now?"

Malone shrugged. "I'm just saying it's worth a shot. After all, when faced with riddles and mazes, sometimes the most straightforward answer is the right one."

Challenger pondered for a moment. "Very well, we'll try the middle door, but let's proceed with caution." They both took a deep breath and advanced towards their chosen path.

They walked down a long corridor until they reached a chamber with two doors. The doors weren't marked this time, but between them, there was another Latin inscription and a map of the labyrinth under it.

"Usque Ad Conspectum Dei." Challenger mused out loud, then translated it as "Up to God's View."

Malone thought it sounded promising. "Does this mean I chose the right path?"

"Perhaps." Challenger replied, then studied the labyrinth map more closely and spotted seven connecting chambers.

Observing the same, Malone remarked, "Seven chambers we need to pass through."

But a particular detail caught Challenger's attention. "The map details our entryway, from which we came, but the right corridor is clearly absent. There's only a left corridor on the map."

Drawing a breath, Challenger ventured a hypothesis, "It's possible that this map only depicts the correct turns."

With a renewed sense of purpose, they made their choice, venturing further down the left passage.

Once more, they strolled along the elongated corridor, the muted sounds of their footsteps accompanying them. Before long, they were met with the familiar scene. Another chamber stood, virtually identical to the previous one, with two unmarked doors. Suspended between them was yet another map of the labyrinth, a pinpoint marking their current location.

This time, however, the inscription above the map read: Cupiditas.

Challenger paused, translating it softly as "Lust."

Malone tilted his head, reflecting. "Sounds a bit like Morrighan, doesn't it?"

Challenger nodded and a shared glance confirmed their course of action. Just like before, the right pathway was missing from the map. With a silent agreement, they ventured left, deeper into the unknown.

The scene was eerily repetitive. As they traversed another long corridor, they emerged once again into a similar chamber. This time, the inscription between the doors read "Avari," which Challenger quickly identified as "Greed."

Also the map now evidently lacked the left pathway.

"According to this, we should proceed to the right," Malone deduced.

As they ventured down the right corridor, Challenger's voice broke the silence, "Something about this place feels very off."

Upon entering the subsequent chamber, they were met with the word "Acidosi." Challenger translated it with a touch of apprehension.

"Wrath." He murmured.

It didn't take Malone long to connect the dots. "Lust, greed, wrath… These are the seven deadly sins, aren't they?"

"Exactly," confirmed Challenger. "We're not on the right path."

"But are you sure?" questioned Malone.

Challenger's brow furrowed. "Do you recall the inscription on the first door we passed? Abyssus Abyssum Invocat. The sin follows the sin. We are clearly on the wrong track. We must turn back swiftly."

The echoing footfalls of their retreat led them back to the cavern's entrance, exactly where they had begun, where the three ancient doors stood imposing and inscrutable.

With a raised brow, Challenger paused, taking a brief moment to tease Malone for choosing the wrong door based solely on what he had read in fictional tales.

He gestured with a sweeping arm toward the third door. "If you were truly committed to following the storybook logic, it would be the third door, my friend. In stories, it's always the third – the third door, the third brother, the third little pig," he mused. "And just look at its inscription," Challenger added, pointing to the words painted above the entrance, "Scientia Potentia Est. Knowledge is power. Now that's a sentiment I can get behind."

Malone shot him a pointed look, brushing off his comments. His mind was racing as a sudden realization came to his mind.

"Challenger," he started, his tone serious, "how do you express 'Divine Law' in Latin?"

Challenger rubbed his chin thoughtfully, contemplating. "The Latin expression for 'Divine Law'... Hmmm… There are a few variations that come to mind: Lex Divina, Lus Divinum… But if you're looking for a more concise expression, there's 'Fas' which connotes divine law or divine command."

"FAS! That's it!" Malone's eyes quickly darted between the inscriptions, catching onto a pattern. "Take a look at these. The initial letters of these proverbs are F, A, and S."

Challenger looked up. It was true.

Fortuna Audaces Iuvat.

Abyssus Abyssum Invocat.

Scientia Potentia Est.

A moment of clarity washed over them. With clear understanding, they realized 'F' was the first letter in 'FAS'. So, they picked the door that had a phrase starting with 'F' - Fortuna Audaces Iuvat, ready to face whatever lay beyond.

The same familiar corridor unfolded before them, leading them into a chamber that looked identical like the ones they'd passed before. Yet, there was a distinct difference: between the two doors, above the labyrinthine map, in bold and elegant script, was inscribed the word "FAS."

Challenger and Malone exchanged triumphant glances.

"We're on the right track," declared Challenger.

As they contemplated their next step, an ethereal light illuminated from the left corridor. A voice, silken and hauntingly feminine, intoned, "Only those deemed worthy can solve the puzzle and find a way."

Their attention snapped to the source – they saw a vision of a woman with fiery red hair that Challenger immediately recognized. Malone, with urgency pulsing through him, took a step to pursue her. But Challenger's firm grip halted him.

"Patience, Malone," Challenger cautioned, his eyes narrowing. "How do we know she leads the right way?"

"It's the perfect chance to catch her and have her show us the way," Malone argued.

"Or to get hopelessly lost," Challenger countered. "We must follow the markings. Come on."

They examined the map closely and deduced that the door on the right was the right way forward.

Moving through the chosen corridor, Challenger shared a chilling account of their earlier encounter with the red-haired woman.

"She introduced herself as the Grim Reaper," he began, the weight of the memory evident in his voice.

"The Grim Reaper? As in the embodiment of death?" Malone questioned, disbelief edging his words.

Challenger continued, "Indeed. She assumed the role of a dark temptress, hell-bent on claiming our souls for her collection. Roxton was her primary target. She transported him to her bleak realm – a vast, desolate wasteland, where the rules of our world did not apply. To escape, he had to confront and overcome a series of impossible challenges."

Malone's eyes widened, imagining the terror of such an ordeal. "That sounds like a nightmare."

"It was," Challenger replied gravely. "But what made it worse was her cruelty. She toyed with Roxton, raising the stakes by involving all of us. With every challenge, she shifted the rules, making escape seem more and more elusive. She goaded Roxton, trying to break his spirit, to abandon his friends for the sake of his own salvation. And to our horror, one by one, we were taken. First me, then Veronica, and in the end, even Marguerite."

Malone let out a deep breath, processing the revelation. "So, now she serves Mordren?"

Challenger nodded, "Precisely. She's a sorceress in his employ, no less treacherous and deceitful than our first meeting. This maze, this game, it's all a part of her sadistic pleasure."

Once more, they arrived in the familiar chamber, the map before them just as recognizable.

Malone pointed, "This strange mark suggests we should turn right again. Are we sure this isn't some kind of a trap?"

Challenger, eyes focused on the symbol, explained, "That's not just any mark. It's a monogram from the time of Aria. It originated from a combination of two Greek letters: Chi and Rho, the first two letters in Christ's name. According to legend, Emperor Constantine saw this symbol in a dream on the eve of a major battle. It was revealed to him as a sign to be drawn on the shields of all his soldiers as a symbol of divine protection. He did so, and emerged victorious."

Malone, analyzing the symbol, replied, "I understand, but on this map, the mark doesn't curve as the letter Rho does."

Challenger nodded, "True, but notice the gradual curve. At the next intersection, it curves even more. Once it fully closes, it'll indicate that we've found it - the end of the maze. We're on the right path. Let's move forward."

Malone and Challenger, following the curving path of the Ro letter, from corridor to corridor, chamber to chamber, eventually found themselves in a slightly larger room. Before them again stood three doors, each with an inscription like at the beginning of their journey.

"Festina lente. Ad Astra Per Aspera. Sapere aude," Challenger read out each Latin phrase.

He then translated, "Make haste slowly. Through hardships to the stars. Dare to be wise."

Malone pondered a moment, then remarked, "We've gone through F, so A is next. That would mean 'Ad Astra Per Aspera', wouldn't it?"

Challenger agreed, but when they took a closer look at what lay behind the doors, they noticed that the F and S corridors led to ascending staircases, whereas the A corridor revealed a descending staircase and it appeared to be partially flooded.

Malone remarked, "I think this might be a trap. We should go upstairs."

Challenger responded firmly, "We have to stick to the rules and patterns. We go down."

Knee-deep in the chilly water, Malone and Challenger made their way forward. They soon entered a chamber that, to their surprise, didn't have the usual labyrinth map. Instead, there was a table where each row bore the inscription "Anima usque an conspectum dei", with each word contained in a separate cell.

Challenger quickly translated, "From the soul to the sight of God." He then paused, deep in thought.

Malone observed the table, "This is clearly some sort of schema."

Challenger nodded, "It's not a labyrinth in the traditional sense, but it has similarities. It's a confined space with passages."

"You're right!" Malone's eyes lit up with realization. "Anima. Usque. An. Conspectum. Dei. The words are chambers and the lines between them are passages. It's a sequence. It's a guide! We just need to follow the passages according to this sequence."

Challenger pointed towards a narrow path, "Then, we go in there."

Malone nodded eagerly, "Let's go."

The water level continued to rise, and with each step, the water grew colder, swallowing more of their legs, then their waists, and now their chests. Following the pattern they'd established, they reached a corridor that was completely submerged. The dim light of their lanterns made the water shimmer ominously.

Malone, panic evident in his voice, declared, "I knew this was a trap. Let's go back. Maybe we can make it if we hurry."

Challenger's face was grim but determined. "We're not going back. We move forward."

Malone was hesitant. "How? The whole corridor is underwater! Our lanterns will go out."

Sacrificing lanterns and taking a deep breath, both Malone and Challenger plunged into the flooded corridor. Pushing through the murky water, they navigated by touch alone, feeling the walls and guiding each other as they swam forward. After what felt like an eternity, they finally emerged on the other side. Gasping for air, they found themselves in a larger room slightly elevated, with the water level now only reaching their knees.

The soft glow of candles on the walls lit the entire room, revealing three new doors. Inscribed above each door was a Latin proverb:

Fortis et liber.

Acta non verba.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Malon, pointing towards the doors, said, "Look, we've already passed through the doors marked with 'F' and 'A'. Now it's the turn of 'S'."

Challenger nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on the door with the inscription "Sic transit gloria mundi". "Indeed," he said, "but let's not forget the meaning behind these inscriptions. They're not just mere directions."

Malone, curiously, tilted his head, "How so?"

Challenger continued, "The first door, 'Fortuna audaces iuvat', told us to be brave, and bravery brought us through. The second, 'Ad astra per aspera', urged us to persevere despite difficulties, and by doing so, we overcame the waterlogged path. Now, 'Sic transit gloria mundi' reminds us that the world's glory is fleeting. It means we should be cautious and not let any seeming success blind us from the dangers that might still be ahead."

Malone, considering Challenger's words, took a deep breath. "So, you're suggesting that even if this door leads us closer to the exit, we should be prepared for an unexpected twist?"

"Exactly," Challenger replied, a stern look in his eyes. "We can't let our guard down now. Not when we're so close."

With a determined nod, Malone pushed the door with the "S" inscription, and both of them braced themselves for whatever lay beyond.

As Challenger and Malone stepped cautiously into the chamber, the immediate sight that met their eyes was the chilling image of Roxton, bound and gasping for breath as the water level ominously rose around him. His frantic attempts to free himself from the chains echoed eerily throughout the stone confines.

From an elevated rock perch, the red-haired woman looked down, her amusement evident. Her crimson hair cascaded over her shoulders, contrasting starkly with her pale skin, which the flickering torchlight accentuated, making her green eyes gleam with malevolence.

"Well, well, well," she drawled, relishing in their evident distress. "Congratulations on proving yourselves worthy by solving the maze. Truly, you've earned the right to claim your prize."

Malone, anger evident in his eyes, retorted, "Then let Roxton go!"

Her smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. "I'm afriad I cannot do so. I cannot release John Roxton until Marguerite fulfills her end of our agreement."

As the chilling echoes of the red-haired woman's words lingered in the chamber, Malone and Challenger exchanged a determined glance, realizing the gravity of the challenge that lay ahead.