Author's Note: Chapter uploads are resuming. I will try to upload a new chapter on the last Sunday of each month, until this story is finished. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Chapter 29 – Lightless Labyrinth (Corvo)
A vast, cavernous chamber sprawled out. The floor and walls were charcoal-black, and the distant ceiling was dyed a deep blue with speckles of light. Chilling wind whispered through, carrying echoes of crumbling debris. The atmosphere was charged by a scent of decay, reminiscent of deep, hidden catacombs.
"Ack!" Corvo shot up as he drew conscious breath. A rippling sensation cascaded through his limbs, as if his blood had been frozen and was now flowing again. Dim blue light barely illuminated him, as if he were somewhere outside late at night. He craned his head around, but couldn't see more than a few yards in the dark environment.
"Looks like we got in the dungeon," the Snivy said dryly. He waited for a response.
Distant rumbling and faint gusts of wind grazed his ears. Then silence.
He pulled his legs in, staving off cold shivers. "…Hello? …Anyone?"
"C-Corvo?" Someone answered.
Cautiously, Corvo stood and walked towards the familiar voice. "I'm here," he said. A few paces later a familiar face emerged from the dark. "Andrew?"
"Never been so glad to see you," the Axew said. Like Corvo, his scales were tinted blue in the chamber's light. "Thought I mighta been alone here. Where's everyone else?"
"I was about to ask ya the same thing, brother."
Andrew squinted into the dark. He cleared his throat. "Will?" he called. His voice vanished into the void. "Leon? …guys?"
Seconds passed. The darkness held steady, as did the silence.
"Guess it's just us," Corvo said.
"So we both got dropped off at… wherever this is," Andrew said. "But not the others. Where'd they wind up? Did they make it?"
Corvo shrugged. "That portal thing musta flung us to different parts o' the dungeon."
"I don't like this. This whole 'Mystery Dungeon' is bad enough, but being split up too?"
"All the more reason to get goin'. We won't find 'em by standin' around."
"Can't see a thing, though. You got a light?"
Corvo nodded and swung his bag around. He unzipped it and retrieved his brass lamp, setting it down on the ground. After feeling around the metal, he found its ignition knob and reluctantly turned it.
Chink. Chink. Chink.
"It needs a fresh spark."
"Here, I can help." Andrew popped the lid open, took a breath, and breathed out a small ember of draconic fire. Within the glass, oil turned to flame, casting a warm radiance on their surroundings.
All around them were enormous, deep-blue crystals, protruding from a curved wall. The wall of crystals formed an enclosed dome around them, save for a wide hole in the ceiling. Countless facets reflected the light, providing a soft luminance.
"Well, that's a helluva sight to wake up to," Corvo said. "Can you take that lamp, brother?"
"Sure," Andrew replied, picking it up.
The geode dome was too high to scale, even with Corvo's vines. Below their feet the ground was as black as night. The floor seemed to be swirling somehow, almost like they were standing on glass and liquid flowed below.
"What the hell is that?" Corvo said, pointing down.
"No idea," Andrew replied. "Let's stay focused. There's gotta be a way outta here."
He turned, shifting the light around their crystalline enclosure. Ahead of them laid a path carved through the crystals. On either side were dense walls with speckles of colors, frozen within their facets. As lamplight illuminated the walls, their colors began to dim and recede.
"What are those walls made of?" Andrew wondered. "Glass?"
"Maybe," Corvo said. "Or some kinda crystal, like quartz."
Cautiously, they stepped toward the corridor. More lamplight spilled onto the dark, swirling path. Corvo couldn't keep his eyes off the subtle, liquid motion below their feet. A few steps later they arrived at the corridor's entrance.
Ahead, jagged blue crystals gave way to shiny, milky-white walls. The path forward continued a short distance until it split, forking left and right.
"I think it's some kinda maze," Corvo said.
Andrew glanced around, casting the lamp's light in all directions. "And by the look o' things, it's the only way out." He glanced down, shaking his head. "This is messed up. We don't know anything about this dungeon, or how it put us here. What if there's something waiting for us in there?"
Corvo swept his gaze up the enormous walls, tracing his eyes over their smooth, hewn texture. Like the crystal dome, they were too high to scale. From where he stood, the passage looked like the yawning maw of an enormous beast. A shiver coursed through him from the top of his head to the tip of his tail.
"We can't stay here forever," he replied. "If we go slow and quiet, we oughta be fine."
Andrew took a deep breath. "Okay."
"Stick close, brother."
The two walked side-by-side into the labyrinth. Crystal walls towered over their heads, their facets shimmering in the lamplight. The light passed through the walls like prisms, splitting into colored beams. Those beams refracted deeper into the dungeon, producing a dim, fractured luminescence, mingling with the frozen light trapped within. It was difficult to tell which lights were close and which ones were distant reflections.
Corvo tried to keep his eyes forward, though the radiant glints kept drawing his attention. "I'm gonna get dizzy if I keep looking at this…" he mumbled.
"At least it's kind of pretty," Andrew said.
To distract himself, Corvo tilted his head back, gazing above. Wherever they were, the 'ceiling' really did look like the night sky, with speckles of starlight. Yet there was something else, something he couldn't identify. Near the center of the sky was a halo of blue light, with a black center that was darker than everything else, like an eclipsed sun.
"Ever see anything like that?" He pointed.
Andrew glanced up, staring at the halo. "No," he answered.
As they approached the split path, Corvo shifted his gaze down. The floor continued to ripple below their feet, like a river of dark venom. What was that stuff, and why was it swirling like that? He squinted. Was it polluted water, or something else?
"So, where do we go?" Andrew asked. "Left, or right?"
Corvo looked in both directions. There was nothing distinct about either path– each one was a straight shot into darkness, enclosed by the same prism walls.
"No idea," Corvo answered. "I reckon we oughta pick one direction an' stick with it. Like if we go left, then we go left at every fork."
Andrew formed a puzzled face. "Won't that make us go in circles?"
"No, it'll take us along the edges. That'll make it easier to find–"
He stopped. A quiet, sharp whistling caught his attention, like the air itself was being cut. He glanced up and spotted a silver glint from the ceiling– something plummeting toward them.
"Watch out!"
Corvo shoved Andrew and leaped away–
SSSHING!
Sharp steel pierced the floor they stood on a moment ago. Its impact resounded through the labyrinth as tremors echoed off the crystal walls. Light flowed over the walls as their lamp rolled around.
Corvo had landed on his side, propping himself up on his arm. "Andrew, you okay?!" he shouted.
"I… yeah!" the Axew replied, rising to his feet. He reached over and retrieved the lamp, shifting the lights on the walls again.
Corvo lifted himself up, too. He opened his mouth to speak, but he glanced at the steel between them. As he traced his eyes over it, he realized it was a sword. The blade's hilt had some kind of blue orb, matching a blue ribbon attached to it…
Suddenly, the sword lifted itself out of the ground, moving as though an invisible hand was grasping the hilt. A red glow appeared where it had pierced the floor.
Corvo recoiled as he gazed at the blue orb on the sword's hilt. It was no orb– it was an eye.
"That thing is alive…!" he gasped, taking a step back. Yet his eyes were transfixed upon that single, haunting blue eye staring back at him. It seemed to bore into him as the sword floated in his direction…
"C-Corvo! The ground!" Andrew called.
The red glow in the floor pulsed with light. Suddenly, it erupted with a blood-curdling shriek, growing into an arcing vortex of purple, red, and black. From the center of that vortex, an onyx-black abyss gurgled like hot tar.
The crystal walls flickered and flashed with reflections of the eruption. From its gurgling black center, shadows rose from the abyss. A ring of blue flames raced across the vortex, and the shadows' eyes were ablaze with a sinister shade of scarlet.
Two pairs of eyes stared Corvo down.
On the left was a four-legged creature, with long, curved horns on its head, ridges across its back, and a thin, whiplike tail. On the right was a serpentine creature on two legs, with an elongated collar and leaf-like protrusions on its back and on the tip of its tail.
Behind them, another pair of creatures had emerged and faced down Andrew.
"W-what are these things?!" Andrew yelped.
To Corvo, they looked like mons: Houndoom and Servine. But between the flashing lights, howling noise, and heat from the blue flames– all reflecting off the crystal walls– sensory overload threatened to overtake him. The phantom mons and the sword glared at him, their malevolence perfectly clear.
Instinct kicked in and Corvo readied his vines. As the shadowy Houndoom stepped toward him, he lashed out.
The creature instantly opened its maw, flashing two rows of ebony black teeth, then snapped shut.
Crunch!
Searing pain shot up Corvo's vine– a shocked gasp escaped his mouth. He tried to pull his vine back, but all he did was stretch it, amplifying his agony. Houndoom's fangs dug into his plant-like flesh and the phantom flailed, ripping and tearing with each swing.
Corvo hissed through his teeth, holding back tears. He yanked his vine again and again, despite his body's protests, then–
Snap!
–his vine retracted, freed him from the creature's grasp. He tucked it back into his collar, and a sickly warmth oozed within it.
Meanwhile, the walls flashed again as Andrew fired off a Dragon Rage. Purple flames washed over a shadow as it sauntered toward him.
"They're not stopping!" he exclaimed.
A guttural roar echoed off the walls, and something sliced the air.
"Andrew!" Corvo called, clutching his own shoulder. The Houndoom and Servine advanced, red eyes staring right through him… "Run– just run!"
He turned-tail, tearing his eyes away from the monsters and sprinted down the crystalline corridors. His breath was rapid and blood pounded in his ears. The lights faded as he weaved right, and the demonic noises dampened as he immersed himself in darkness.
Soon the only lights in sight were the splintered fractals beaming through the prism-like walls. It was impossible to tell what those lights were or where they came from. For all Corvo knew, they could've been more phantoms hiding in the labyrinth. He didn't stop running, and slowed only to clutch his wounded vine, still tucked away in his collar.
Thud!
Suddenly a new pain burst from his snout and he fell back on his tail. On reflex Corvo lashed out with his other vine, striking a hard surface. Was it just the wall? It was, wasn't it?
He steadied his breathing, shaking off the daze of the impact. Then he rose to his feet and kept his vine extended, using it as a feeler in the dark. Pain surged through his other vine, and a slick wetness drizzled down his chest. As he slinked through the darkness, he fished out an Oran berry from his pack, chewing on the medicinal fruit. His pain dulled a bit.
While he navigated the dark corridors, more flashes phased through the crystals. Growls and roars echoed through the maze, ricocheting off the walls. Each flash and noise spurred Corvo, compelling him to speed up. Every time his vine detected a wall or an obstacle, he'd react accordingly.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Jump.
Roll.
A burning sensation welled up in his chest. His breathing tried to match the pace of his hammering heartbeat. His feet ached, legs wobbling under his weight and haste. The physical toll gradually caught up to him, and he stopped to rest. Once he found a safe-enough spot, he threw himself against the wall as his legs gave out.
"Oof… ouch…"
A minute passed as he huffed, restoring his breath and willing his heart to calm. His limbs gnawed with soreness, but the respite granted him time to think. His eyes adjusted to the vast darkness. By then the distant flashes and echoes ceased, as if they had stopped or were too distant.
Fear faded and an eerie calm took its place. Corvo checked himself. Snout and tail? No bruises. Feet? Worn out, that's it. Vines? The right vine looked normal, and the left–
He recoiled. The back of his head hit the wall behind him. It was gone. The tip of his left vine, gone. Torn off by that shadowy monster. A deafening pulse of his own blood rang in his ears. His heartbeat and breath raced each other. His chest tingled as an eerie wetness trickled down, like it was about to pop…
"You're fine," he uttered to himself. "You're fine, you're fine…" Despite his words, terror flooded his mind. Would it grow back? What if they found him again, could they just as easily rip the other vine? They'd probably do a whole lot more than that…
"Stop," his voice rang out. "Don't think about it, brother. Think about getting out of here. Gotta find the way out, gotta find–" His mind sparked. "Andrew!"
Corvo sprung to his feet and slithered out his right vine, using it as a feeler again. As he ran through the maze he kept himself focused, in case something popped up to attack him. Yet as he moved through the shrouded hallways, the only thing he encountered were more divergent paths.
"C'mon, Andrew," he whispered to himself. "Don't leave me alone in here. Be safe…"
He creeped around corners, searching for the light of their lamp. He craned his head, listening for noises, all while bracing for any sudden attacks.
Steady darkness.
Silence.
Nothing happened.
It seemed that Corvo was safe, but…
"What if they all went after Andrew?"
As if on cue, the wall ahead gleamed with red and yellow lights– distant flashes splitting into fractals as they phased through the labyrinth. Whispered shouts and roars followed soon after.
Corvo jogged toward the sounds, weaving around the twisting halls with his vine proding through the darkness. Around every corner the lights became clearer, and the noises became louder. Soon there was no mistaking it– the yellow light was Andrew's lamp, and through the prisms he could see shattered reflections of the Axew, running through the halls.
Wherever he passed, so did the splintered fractals of eerie red– monsters chasing Andrew. Corvo's mind raced. Was there any way they could beat those shadowy mons?
Suddenly a familiar whistling noise sounded off, and Corvo glanced up. Silver flashed from the false sky, plummeting to the ground.
"Oh shit," he uttered.
The blade rang out as it split the floor– Andrew yelped. Once again howling darkness cut the air and azure flames flickered in a circle. Another abyss opened, summoning more monsters into the labyrinth.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Corvo rasped.
Andrew's reflections raced through the crystal walls. Corvo ran after him, trying to keep pace. The first monsters were bad enough– taking on even more seemed impossible. But why did they target just Andrew? Corvo had been in the labyrinth just as long, running around without–
It sparked for him.
"Andrew!" Corvo shouted with all of his strength. "Turn your light off!"
In the crystal walls, three reflections of Andrew stared at Corvo.
"W-what?!" Andrew called back, exasperated.
"Turn, your light, off!" Corvo repeated. "It's how they're tracking you!"
Andrew's reflections faded as the lamp was extinguished. In its place, several red glows blitzed through the crystals.
A guttural growl yanked Corvo's attention to the right. A pair of crimson eyes glared at him. Beneath those eyes were two rows of sharp, ebony teeth, glowing with ghostly-blue flames.
No time to waste– he spun and ran as fast as he could. The next corner blitzed by as he nearly collided with the wall– and cyan fire grazed his back. Flames crashed against crystal, spraying hot embers in all directions. Even from a distance a wave of wicked heat washed over Corvo.
He didn't stop to check if he had been hit, he just kept running. The monster's footfalls spurred him on, quickening his pace. Once again he rushed through the maze's winding corridors, with no destination in mind other than away from those demons.
Scarlet and cerulean lights lanced through the prismatic walls. Their brilliance darkened Corvo's vision, dizzying him as the facets flashed. Echos of unnatural roars rattled the air, and a sickening smell of decay clung to the shadows. Between the lights, noise, odor, and his own panic, sensory overload tugged at Corvo again. He forced his gaze down and formed a mantra to stay focused.
Don't stop. Keep running. Don't stop…
Something shot out of the dark and grabbed Corvo by the arm. Before he could react, he was yanked to the left.
"Gah!" Corvo flailed, lashing out with his right vine. "Get off!" He struck something solid.
"Shh, it's me!"
Corvo blinked. His vision adjusted to the darkness. "A-Andrew?"
The Axew nodded, barely visible. "Stay low," he urged. "Keep quiet."
The two slumped against the wall. Corvo struggled to stay silent, gulping down air to catch his breath. His chest and feet burned with exertion, and his head pounded with a searing ache.
Crimson fractals flickered through the prisms around them. A low, gut-wrenching snarl echoed off the walls. Then footsteps, each one louder than the last, drummed in their ears.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Corvo and Andrew held each other close, sharing shivers. Demonic lights wavered across the crystals, racing until they converged on the right, forming a brighter whole.
They froze.
A pair of blood-red eyes floated in the air, as if attached to an invisible body. They cast a grim luster on the walls. A throaty growl swept through, carried by cold wind.
Was it staring at them? Could it see them?
Corvo and Andrew stopped breathing. Their hearts beat like ticking clocks, counting down. Seconds stretched into the expansive, eternal dark. The monster lowered its head, blew out a breath… and turned around. It moved down a different part of the labyrinth, away from its prey.
Corvo silently counted the seconds as the red eyes faded through the prisms again. After ten, he brought a hand to his mouth and gasped, out of breath once again. Beside him, Andrew caught his own breath, too.
"I… think… we're safe," Corvo whispered. "You okay?"
"Had some… close calls," Andrew said between breaths. "But… I'm fine. You?"
"I'm…" Corvo thought of his left vine. Panic flowed back into his mind, and he reached up to his shoulder.
" …Hurt," he answered.
"What happened?"
"Left vine. They…" Corvo went silent. The words were stuck in his throat. He slithered his vine out, hissing from the pain, and presented it to Andrew, who gasped. Corvo gestured to his shoulder and chest as well, showing speckles of dried blood.
"That… It'll grow back, won't it?" Andrew asked, uncertain.
"I have no idea," Corvo admitted. "Never happened before."
"Well, hang on." Andrew kneeled down, pulling around his backpack and sticking a hand through the top flap. After a couple seconds he pulled out a speckled Oran berry.
"Here," he offered the blue fruit. "It's better than nothing."
"Thanks," Corvo accepted the berry and took a bite. Berry juice flowed over his tongue, and after chewing and swallowing, his soreness faded further.
As Corvo ate, Andrew knelt and retrieved a cloth from his bag. He dampened it with his canteen and dabbed Corvo's wound, cleaning it.
"You feeling better?" Andrew asked.
"As okay as I can be," Corvo said mildly. "Kinda goes without sayin', but we gotta get the hell outta this place. There's gotta be an exit somewhere."
"But there's also those… things, everywhere." Andrew nervously glanced down the corridor. "They look like mons, but they're not ferals."
"Definitely not," Corvo agreed. "I've seen actual ghost-types that weren't as scary as these guys."
"And those swords. Living swords. They even had eyes! I've never heard of an object turning into a mon, have you?"
"Nope," Corvo shook his head. "Whatever's goin' on in this 'Mystery Dungeon,' it ain't natural."
"What do we do?"
Corvo thought about their options as he finished the rest of his berry. He glanced up at the ceiling, staring at that strange, deep-blue halo looming over the maze.
"…I think all we can do is avoid 'em," he said. "They can't see us without light. So long as we keep the lamp off, an' stay quiet, we can slip by 'em."
"I hope that's true. Assuming it is, how are we gonna find the exit?"
"Not by sittin' around and waitin'." Corvo shakily rose to his feet. Soreness permeated his whole body, but he was still in one piece.
"I guess you're right, but…" Andrew tapped his fingers together. "What if the others are in the maze, too? Any chance they could find us?"
Corvo considered it. Waiting to be rescued sounded all-too appealing– he was already winded and wounded. But so far they hadn't seen a trace of their teammates.
"Don't think that's worth the risk," Corvo said. "We have no idea if they're even here in the maze. Even if they are, hell, they might need more help than we do."
Andrew hesitated, but rose to his feet, too. "You're right. it's just that…" His eyes trailed off, along with his sentence. An idle pause lingered between them.
"…I know," Corvo replied. "I'm scared too, brother."
Andrew turned to Corvo again. "…We gotta find a way out. Not just for our own sake, but the others, too."
Will, Leon, Chase, Enzo, and Jacob. Wherever they were, Corvo could only hope they weren't in as much trouble as he and Andrew were.
"Stick close an' keep quiet." Corvo said. "We'll get through this. Together."
Andrew met his eyes. He nodded. "Together."
Corvo and Andrew slowly traversed the winding crystal canyon, with its twisting corridors and eerie, vast emptiness. Corvo checked every corner with his vine, ready to turn tail in case a monster jumped them. The only notable change was that, as more time went on, more white flickers appeared in the crystals.
Every now and then they would slow down after hearing distant, dusty rumbling, or whispering wind. When the walls would light up with red fractals, they'd stop. Corvo had lost track of time, but since Andrew kept the lamp extinguished, they hadn't encountered any threats. Occasionally they'd find a small, empty room with divergent paths.
But eventually, they found one that wasn't empty.
"Wait a sec," Corvo said as he felt something with his vine. "There's something in here."
"What is it?" Andrew asked.
Corvo cast his gaze toward the middle of the room. There was a faint blue light, though that was all he could see.
"Dunno. I'm gonna take a closer look. Watch my back."
Step by step Corvo ventured into the dark room, with Andrew sticking close behind him. As he got closer, he could make out two round objects.
"It looks like a berry and a seed." Corvo concluded.
"And they're just laying here?" Andrew asked.
"Just laying here," Corvo confirmed. He knelt down, reaching for the berry.
"Corvo, wait," Andrew cautioned. "This feels off. How'd they get here? What if this stuff is just bait, or they're not really what they look like?"
Corvo paused. They had every right to be wary– this dungeon was full of things that were trying to kill them. It wouldn't be surprising if this was some kind of trap, too. But at the same time, these items could save them in a pinch.
"Only one way to find out," he said. He reached out with his vine, tapping the objects, feeling them. They felt the same as any other berry or seed in his backpack. He lifted them up, and found that it was an Oran Berry and a Blast Seed.
"I'll hang onto these." He opened his bag, placing the salvage inside.
"If you're sure," Andrew said.
Corvo stood up again. While he readied his vines, his eyes were drawn to the next passage. Trace amounts of white light flickered through the walls, spilling onto the floor. Those monsters were attracted to light, so taking that path would be risky. But then again, if that were the case, wouldn't the monsters already be there? Wouldn't they have already noticed hints of their presence? Besides, the alternative was to keep wandering through the dark passages, probably going in circles.
"Let's head that way," he pointed toward the lit corridor.
"That one? Are ya sure it's safe?" Andrew asked.
"Nowhere's safe. But I got a hunch that this'll give us a change o' scenery."
After a moment of reluctance, Andrew nodded. "Okay."
The sprawling mineral maze continued through the dimly-lit passage. Light wavered on the crystals like reflections from water. The black liquid below the floor became visible, flowing under their feet like a river. The further they traveled, the brighter the fractals in the prisms became. After a minute of walking, they arrived at a new chamber.
"What…" Andrew began, sweeping his head up. "Is that?"
Above the new chamber was a vast, white portal, looming high above the center. It swirled with flickers of light and dark, just like the portal that had whisked them into the dungeon itself. Its luminescence cast shimmering light across the walls, enough for them to see the whole chamber.
"That might be a way outta here," Corvo said.
"I… to be honest, I was expectin' some stairs," Andrew said. " Not sure why. What about all the other stuff here?" He gestured around the chamber.
The room was circular, with crystal walls on all sides. There were four entrances carved through the crystal, one for each direction– including the one they had emerged from. The floor was as clear as glass, and dotted with large, quartz pillars jutting out of it. Straight white lines spanned across the floor, connecting the crystals like a spiderweb.
"It looks all orderly," Corvo said. "Someone musta built this place." If that was true, then who built it, and for what? It had to be those Eidolon guys. He squinted and spotted something in the center of the room, beneath the portal. "Over there, what's that?"
In the center of the glass floor was a metal circle that looked like bronze or brass. It was more than large enough for him and Andrew to stand on. The platform had some kind of pillar with a panel on top, as well as a lever on one side, and several gears jutting out of the other. There was also a shiny globe laying next to it.
"Maybe it's some kinda machine," Andrew guessed. "But if it is, what does it do?"
The portal above pulsed with light, brightening the chamber for a moment. Corvo glanced down at the floor, spotting something that glimmered beneath the glass. A dark liquid churned below, circling around the chamber like a whirlpool. The black water converged toward the center, draining into the depths.
"You seeing this?" Corvo asked.
"Yeah…" Andrew shuddered. "Kind of wish I wasn't."
Corvo turned back to the passage they came from. More liquid flowed in beneath the clear floor, converging onto the whirlpool below them. "It's like a river. I saw this earlier, when we set foot in this maze."
"A river?" Andrew repeated. "When those swords fell, they made holes that those monsters came out of. That dark water… Did this 'river' make them?"
"I don't think I wanna find out," Corvo replied. "Let's get closer. See if we can use that lever over there."
Andrew nodded. "I've got your back. Just be careful."
Cautiously, they crossed the threshold, stepping onto the glass floor. Corvo's attention darted between several things at once. The portal, the metal plate, the web of crystals, the black whirlpool. He couldn't even begin to imagine what this place was, or what it was for. The only thing on his mind was using that portal to get them out of this labyrinth… And hope it didn't dump them someplace worse.
The portal mirrored the dark whirlpool below the glass. A chill ran down Corvo's back, all the way to his tail. "This glass better hold…"
"I'd rather not find out where that drain goes," Andrew added.
The glass showed no signs of stress under their weight. Over time, they quickened their pace and they reached the metal island in the middle of the chamber. Up close, the control panel was almost as tall as they were. The gears jutting out of it were proportionally big, and flanked by a coil of clear tubes. Up top were a series of knobs and switches that looked purely alien. And to the opposite side of the gears and tubes was a bulky, heavy lever, shifted upward.
"I'm gonna assume you don't know how to work this thing, either," Corvo said.
"You'd be right," Andrew said, giving a puzzled look to the machinery.
"Well, I know how to work a lever." Corvo moved toward it, wrapping his hands around the metal rod. He braced himself and pulled, grunting with effort… But the lever wouldn't budge. Corvo heaved, bracing his feet against the pillar. Still, the metal wouldn't yield. "Okay," he huffed. "Maybe not."
Andrew tried to move the lever as well, but it was equally futile for him. "Gah, did they glue this thing in place?"
Corvo turned his attention to the last object: the shiny globe laying on the floor. It was deep red, with a glowing core that made it look heavy and dense. He reached for it and found it was lighter than it looked. As he held the orb, a pleasant warmth radiated from the within. The portal's lights washed over the glass in waves.
"Be careful with that," Andrew cautioned, taking a step back. "Bisharp had one of those, remember? He blew up the mineshaft with it."
"Actually, I… think it's safe," Corvo said. He stared into the red orb, basking in its oddly comforting warmth. Its mere presence made him feel as though he was more than himself. As if the orb loaned him extra strength. "Here, feel it."
Andrew warily eyed the orb. Slowly, he raised a hand to touch it. But then his eyes darted up and he gasped. "Behind you!"
Corvo spun around and spotted crimson splinters flashing through the crystal walls. They raced through the labyrinth, and one of them appeared at the chamber's entrance: a pair of red eyes, belonging to a shadowy monster.
"Oh shit, move!"
They spun towards another exit, only to find that monsters were approaching from there, too. All four exits had monsters emerging from them, darkening the chamber with their presence. Their crimson eyes beamed as they stalked Corvo and Andrew.
Andrew threw himself at the lever, trying to pull it with all his might. "Come on, come on…!" The metal refused to move.
Corvo tightened his grip on the red orb, which seemed to glow brighter as the monsters approached. He stared into the glass, still feeling a sense of rising strength. A whisper graced the air, and he could've sworn that something was calling out to him. He had no idea what was going on, but he knew one thing: doing anything was better than nothing.
He began shaking the orb.
Andrew threw a glance at him. "Corvo, what are you–"
The red orb flashed, unleashing a wave of energy. Intense radiance washed over Corvo and Andrew, making them stumble. Heat rose within Corvo, instilling him with overflowing strength. His body glowed and his vision sharpened– everything around him became more vibrant. He glanced at Andrew, and he too shimmered with empowerment.
"Can you feel that?" Corvo asked.
Andrew glanced down at his own glowing arms. "What is this…?"
A ghastly snarl caught Corvo's attention. He spun around, spotting the spectral Houndoom sauntering toward him. Red eyes, black teeth, blue flames. A cerulean fireball erupted from the creature's maw, racing toward him.
Survival instinct flared within, clashing with the strange strength. Part of him wanted to duck and run, but he tried something else.
The Snivy spun and whipped his tail around. A howling gale of white wind coiled around him as a Twister formed, stronger than ever before. Houndoom's blue fire struck the Twister– and the wind deflected it, scattering flames into spiraling embers. Those stray sparks landed on a few of the quartz pillars, and those crystals began to glow blue.
"How–" Andrew said, but their attention was drawn toward the now-glowing crystals.
The minerals flashed, and energy within drained like water. It spilled into the white lines connecting them– the web on the floor– which also began glowing. As the monsters approached, the web flared and the monsters stumbled back, as if they had been struck.
Corvo couldn't even begin to understand what this whole apparatus was, or how it worked. But he now knew it could keep those monsters back, and that's all that mattered.
"The crystals, light 'em up!" Corvo said.
Andrew nodded and straightened his stance. With a quick inhale, he spat out a Dragon Rage– a yellow and indigo fireball– brighter than any he had ever shot. The draconic flames washed over one of the pillars, and it too had caught fire.
Just as a shadowy Banette approached, Andrew shot another fireball at a nearby crystal. Like before, the crystals absorbed the energy and it drained into the web on the floor. The white line between the crystals flashed yellow, and as the monster tried to move over it, it reeled as a wall of energy materialized.
"That actually worked!" Andrew exclaimed.
"Don't stop," Corvo encouraged. "Keep firing!"
The monsters quickened their pace, scrambling to run past the energy shields formed by the crystal web. Some kept their distance, shooting Andrew and Corvo with ranged attacks– like a Shadow Ball from Banette, aimed at Andrew.
"Get down!" Corvo warned, and he leaped in front of him.
Once again Corvo whipped up an empowered Twister, scattering the shadows to the wind. And like before the projectiles were absorbed by the crystals, flowing into the floor and forming an energy wall.
A violet barrier formed, blocking a shadowy Fraxure from advancing.
"Good catch!" Andrew said, then turned to fire another Dragon Rage.
"Here, gimme a fireball!" Corvo said. "Shoot it into my Twister!"
In sync, Corvo and Andrew combined their powers: Twister, and Dragon Rage. They formed a blazing cyclone, a storm dragonfire sparks. The flames scattered in all directions, lighting up several more crystals like a ground-level meteor shower. And as the crystals ignited, more barriers powered up, forming a web of lasers.
Try as they might, none of the demons could pierce the barriers. Not even those possessed swords, who appeared not long after the shadowy monsters. They threw their bladed-selves against the walls of energy, ringing like metal banging on a shield. But the barriers never cracked.
"It's working!" Corvo remarked. "Let's–" His voice gave out. The radiant glow he had began to wane, as did all of his energy. Whiplashed, his legs buckled and he fell forward, catching himself with his hands. He felt as though he just ran a marathon.
Beside him, Andrew lost his glow as well, and fell over just the same.
"W-what now?" Andrew said. "Why am I so tired?"
"That orb," Corvo said, picking himself up. "Whatever it did, I think it's wearing off!"
Though most of the crystal web had been activated, some remained dormant. Meanwhile, the monsters navigated around the miniature maze of light, closing in on the two of them.
"There's gotta be something else we can do," Andrew replied. "I'll try this panel!" He threw himself at it, fiddling with its foreign knobs and switches.
"Whatever you're doin'," Corvo said, "better do it fast!"
A series of clicks sounded off as Andrew tried to work the machine. More crystals around the room began glowing, spreading energy throughout the web. The panel beeped in response, uttering signals they could scarcely comprehend. Nonetheless, the web of energy shields expanded, holding the monsters at bay.
All but one of them.
Corvo spotted something weaving around the light walls: Houndoom. Its piercing red gaze locked onto him, and the shadowy beast uttered a bone-chilling growl, flashing its dark teeth.
"Come on, come on, come on," Andrew sputtered, urging the machine to align with his will.
Corvo stood his ground, his heart pounding wildly as he waited for the inevitable fireball.
It never came. Instead, the monster roared and sprinted– straight towards Corvo.
A rush of panic seized him. In desperation, he whipped his tail around to summon another Twister in front of him– but the winds were nowhere near as strong as before.
The Houndoom leaped, soaring through the meager Twister with its razor teeth flashing.
Corvo tired to leap back–
Thud!
The beast landed on top of him, pinning him to the floor. All Corvo could see were hideously sharp teeth, and all he could hear was furious snapping as they chomped together, aiming for his throat. The only thing holding them back was Corvo's arms and vines, pressing Houndoom back with all of his might.
The flashing web grew ever brighter. The control panel made a cacophony of clicks and beeps, and Andrew–
"Get off him!" he yelled.
The teeth above Corvo's face vanished– Andrew rammed into Houndoom, knocking him away. The beast tumbled across the glass floor.
Corvo scrambled to his feet, taking in the scene.
All of the crystals were alight, shining like braziers. Shimmering, colorful barriers stood between the crystals, arcing with energy. The monsters threw themselves against the shields, but to no avail. One crystal in particular was blindingly bright…
BOOM!
It exploded in a burst of flaming shards. The glass below cracked, spreading across the floor like slow-motion lightning. The growing fissures reached two more white-hot crystals–
BOOM!
They both detonated, spreading a hail of sparks and shards. The cracks in the glass floor spread further, then fractured.
The floor collapsed, caving and falling into the black whirlpool below. Shockwaves rattled the metal island Corvo and Andrew stood upon. They embraced each other, steeling themselves against the quakes.
The monsters tried to retreat, yet the shattering floor outpaced them. Glass and shadows rained upon the abyss, shards of the former echoed with roars of the latter.
A few yards away, Houndoom rose to its feet. Imminent collapse raced toward the beast, and as the floor gave out, it leaped toward Corvo and Andrew once more. Jaw wide, it clamped its teeth onto the edge, flailing its claws and snarling.
Corvo's blood ran cold, and the sight of those teeth evoked a phantom pain in his torn vine. But he steadied himself, powered through the tremors beneath him, and approached the Houndoom.
"Get off!" Corvo stomped its snout. "Get off!"
The monster growled through its teeth, and its red eyes flashed. Blue embers flaked from its maw, singing Corvo.
Andrew joined Corvo, stomping the monster alongside him. "You're… not… welcome!"
One last synchronized stomp, and the two dislodged the false Houndoom. The bloody glow of its eyes faded as it fell into the black vortex. Its agonized howl echoed with the others as damnation claimed them all, drowning in the deep.
As the screeching dissonance faded, so did the cacophony of rumbling, shattering, and explosions. Corvo collapsed, splaying himself onto the platform. His head swam with dizziness, dark spots clouded his vision, and his ears rang. The white portal above was all he could see.
Beside him, Andrew mimicked his motions, falling onto their floating island above a black sea. They drew in deep breaths, chests rising and falling. Their backs rumbled as the quakes dulled and the catastrophe subsided.
"…You okay, Andrew?" Corvo asked, turning his head.
"…As okay as I can be," Andrew replied. "And you?"
Coming down from an adrenaline high, Corvo's exhaustion had snuck up on him. The strain in his collar doubled, especially around his wounded vine. "I've been through worse. But not by much."
Propping himself on his arms, he sat up and surveyed the damage. The crystals, their web, and the glass floor were all gone. A vast emptiness spanned between them and the doorways back into the maze. They were stranded amidst a sea of shadows.
"Now what?" Corvo wondered. "What even was all that stuff? The crystals, the fire, the light, all that jazz?"
Andrew shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine. One thing led to another, and the next thing I knew, everything was exploding!"
Corvo turned toward the panel Andrew had used. It was still beeping, and he hadn't noticed until now. A red light on top flashed in sync with the sound, until the light turned a steady green.
Beside it, the lever groaned and billowed a stream of steam. A series of mechanical clicks followed.
"What's it doin' now?" Corvo wondered aloud.
Andrew picked himself up and approached the lever again. He wrapped his hands around it, and with a grunt, tried to pull it down.
The lever moved.
More metallic clicks sounded off. Between the gears, the clear coil filled with a brilliant, golden liquid, illuminating the gears beside it. Those gears began to turn, and in response the ground rumbled. Finally, the platform began to rise.
"We're moving?" Andrew asked, glancing up. "We are! We're gettin' out of here!"
Corvo crawled over to the red orb that empowered them earlier. It now seemed dark and hollow, as if whatever was inside of it was gone.
"This better take us someplace safe," Corvo said.
"Anyplace is better than here," Andrew replied. "…I hope."
The portal drew closer. The light washed out his vision. It hummed with unknowable energy– a promise of ambiguity. Nonetheless, Corvo was more than ready to leave this place.
"…We'll be fine, Andrew."