The Mage's Path: Chapter 40

Hi all, 

Here’s the next chapter. This was a nightmare to write. The Ash Ascendant chapter is still coming.

Chapter 40

Wearing the crown in the darkened corridor made a huge difference. Harry could see everything clearly, as if it were daytime. But the crown showed him more than just that. He saw a shimmer on the wall ahead that looked like a doorway.

"There," he said, pointing toward the disturbance. "A concealed doorway."

Celeste squinted. “You're going to have to guide us. I can’t see anything.”

Harry stepped forward, his hand passing through what appeared to be solid stone. The illusion parted like morning mist, revealing a narrow staircase spiralling upward, with torch brackets adorning the walls.

They ascended the steps, surprised by how long it took. Sixty steps became eighty, then one hundred. When they finally emerged, the sight stopped them cold.

They stood upon what could only be described as the ceiling of an inverted world. They stood on a platform, but above—or perhaps below—hung an entire woodland suspended in impossible defiance of natural law. Massive oaks, elms, and ash trees grew downward from the cavern's roof, their gnarled trunks thick as house pillars, reaching toward darkness that swallowed the floor's depths.

"The whole forest is upside down,” Harry breathed.

Jeanie frowned. “I’m not going to do much help on this floor. What’s even the objective here?”

“Maybe Harry needs to turn into a monkey and swing from tree to tree, searching for the next gem,” Celeste suggested. 

Harry looked down, judging the gap between each tree. “I have an easier solution.”

“I know what you’re thinking.” Celeste pointed. “Do you think they will get in your way?”

Harry looked in the direction she was pointing. Between the hanging branches, movement caught his attention—small forms emerging from their concealment. Their shapes proved difficult to distinguish from the trees themselves until they shifted, bark-like skin rippling with each subtle motion.

The creature stood roughly three feet in height. A humanoid body was covered in bark-like skin, with thorny spikes protruding from its arms and torso like natural armour. When it turned to face their platform, its eyes were empty sockets, and its face bore a demonic resemblance, evoking the Lesser Imps.

"Scan," Harry murmured.

======Thornling  | Level: 26 | Type: Normal | Demonic | HP: 550/550 | MP: 220/220 

Primary Attributes: Agility: 40 | Vitality: 40 | Willpower: 35 

Defence: 25 

Primary Skills: Thorn Volley: Launches a barrage of razor-sharp thorns at distant targets. 

Thorn Volley: Launches a barrage of razor-sharp thorns at targets. 

Root Entangle: Summons roots from nearby trees to immobilise opponents. 

Bark Armour: Hardens skin to reduce incoming damage by 50% for thirty seconds. 

Demon Seed: Throws seedlings that stick to targets and slowly drain their health until they grow into new Thornlings attached to the target.

Monster Traits

Territorial Guardian: Becomes aggressive when approached within ten feet of their host tree. 

Camouflage: Becomes nearly invisible when motionless amongst trees. 

Plant Regeneration: Slowly heals whilst in contact with its host tree.

Firewood: Receives 50% extra damage from fire-based attacks.

Exp: 96 [Base 70 + 1 per level] 

Loot: 50 pounds; Sharp Thorn; ???? 

Bestiary Entry: 0/10 defeated 

Description: Demonic guardians bound to the reversed woodland. Their bark-like hide provides natural armour, whilst their intimate connection to the trees grants them enhanced abilities within their territory. While their thorns require caution, it is their insidious ability to infect others with seedlings and turn them into hosts that demands careful attention. =======

Harry frowned as he browsed through the monster's information. The Thornlings seemed fairly standard creatures with one glaring exception—their Demon Seed ability. A vivid image flashed through his mind of dozens of Thornlings sprouting from his body. His stomach lurched.

"I think I should mention—" Celeste began.

"Don't say it," Harry cut her off.

"Killjoy." She pouted. "Can I sit this one out?"

"Not a chance. I'm assuming we need to find another treasure chest for the next gem. Then we need to locate the exit."

"Do we have to search every tree?" Jeanie asked.

"Not necessarily." 

"Can you go back? I won’t be much help here. I need to recover my resources as well."

"Alright."

He activated the Golem Subspace skill. The dimensional gate shimmered into existence. Jeanie stepped through, disappearing into the pocket dimension where she could rest and regenerate her resources. The portal snapped shut, leaving Harry and Celeste alone amongst the hanging trees.

"Celeste, can you send some of your shadow creatures to search this floor?" Harry asked.

"They're getting a good workout in this dungeon." She crossed her tiny arms. "Should I demand a salary for them?"

"Sure, it can come out of your paycheck."

"Never mind." 

Celeste's expression shifted to concentration. Dark energy coalesced around her small form as she summoned three shadow sparrows. The creatures took wing immediately, their inky forms darting between the hanging branches.

Harry watched them disappear into the forest depths before turning his attention to the nearest tree. A single Thornling clung to its trunk roughly twenty metres down from the platform.

"Alright, let's get started." 

Harry activated Gust Leap, launching himself across the gap. His boots struck the tree trunk with a solid thud, and he quickly wrapped his arms around the rough bark to secure his position.

Celeste followed, hovering in the air beside the tree.

The Thornling had noticed his arrival. Its empty eye sockets fixed on Harry as it began climbing upward with disturbing expertise.

"Hey, buddy,” Harry said. “You leave me alone, and I leave you alone. You don't want your tree to go up in flames, do you?"

The Thornling chittered and continued its ascent. 

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Harry activated his Flame Cloak, and protective flames erupted around his body. The moment he hugged the tree closer, fire spread across the bark where his cloak made contact. 

The Thornling shrieked. It launched itself upward with renewed fury, thorns bristling along its arms as it prepared to unleash its attack.

Harry released his grip on the trunk and dropped several metres, using his enhanced agility to catch himself on a lower branch. The Thornling's thorn volley whistled through the space he'd just vacated, embedding themselves in the burning tree above.

"Shadow Catalyst!" Celeste called out, dark energy washing over Harry. His reflexes sharpened immediately, each movement becoming more fluid as the enhancement took effect.

The Thornling pursued, bounding from branch to branch like a monkey. Harry positioned himself defensively as the monster lunged, claws extended. He twisted sideways, the Thornling's attack missing his face by centimetres. 

He immediately countered by summoning four flame darts onto his hand. 

The darts streaked through the air. Three struck the Thornlin’s chest whilst the fourth caught it in the shoulder, flames erupting across its bark-like skin. The creature shrieked as fire consumed portions of its natural armour.

The Thornling retaliated despite its injuries, launching a barrage of thorns in Harry's direction. He flattened himself against the branch as razor-sharp projectiles whistled overhead, several embedding themselves in the tree behind him.

Fire continued to spread across the tree. The Flame Cloak had come back to bite him in the ass. He cancelled the skill, but smoke began obscuring his vision, so he scanned for the nearest tree.

The Thornling sensed his intention and moved to intercept. It positioned itself between Harry and his escape route. Harry feinted left, then activated Gust Leap, launching himself toward the gap. The Thornling's thorn volley followed his trajectory, but Harry twisted mid-air, letting the projectiles pass beneath him.

He struck the oak branch with both feet, absorbing the impact through bent knees. The Thornling shrieked in frustration as its prey escaped, then began climbing higher in the burning tree, seeking a position for another attack.

"Nice move," Celeste commented, following him to the new tree. "But you've got a problem."

Harry looked back at the burning tree, understanding immediately. The flames were spreading faster than natural fire should. Within minutes, the entire structure would be a blazing pillar threatening the surrounding forest.

"Maybe using fire skills wasn't such a brilliant idea," he admitted, watching embers drift toward nearby branches.

As if responding to his thoughts, a notification window materialised:

The dungeon has shifted into the Weapon Phase.

"Things just got a lot more complicated," Harry said.

Using fire skills caused problems, but fighting the Thornlings up close was even worse when he didn’t have solid ground beneath him.

"Maybe we should return to the platform and wait for the dungeon phase to change again," Celeste suggested.

At that moment, the platform above them moved. The entire structure tilted, then plummeted into the darkness below like a stone dropped into a well. 

"You had to say it," Harry groaned.

"Shut it." Celeste paused, her expression shifting to concern. "My shadow sparrows have just been destroyed."

"There goes that plan. We'll just have to search the old-fashioned way."

Harry and Celeste began their methodical exploration, moving from tree to tree in an expanding pattern toward the forest's centre. 

The Weapon Phase restriction transformed every encounter into a brutal melee. Without his Flame Dart spell, Harry found himself relying entirely on his dagger, which made combat significantly more dangerous. Each Thornling required close-quarters engagement where their natural advantages—razor claws, thorn projectiles, and roots—gave them every edge.

The creatures' thorns didn't inflict massive damage individually, but they hurt like hell. Each barbed spike that found its mark burned with acidic poison, creating persistent pain that accumulated with every hit. Harry's fighting efficiency suffered as he struggled to maintain his grip on tree trunks whilst engaging in combat, his movements constrained by the precarious footing.

His fear of the Demon Seed ability made him overly cautious. Every encounter raised the possibility of seedlings taking root in his flesh and growing into new Thornlings. The psychological pressure affected his timing, making him hesitate when aggression might have served him better.

Celeste compensated for his limitations by acting as a distraction and support. She flitted around the Thornlings, drawing their attention while applying her support abilities. Her Shadow Catalyst spell proved invaluable, boosting Harry's speed and reflexes to make up for his disadvantages.

As they eliminated more Thornlings, both gradually adjusted to the rhythm of combat. Harry learned to use his environment, swinging from branch to branch to confuse his opponents whilst striking from unexpected angles. Celeste perfected her timing, applying buffs at crucial moments and positioning herself to break enemy concentration.

The process consumed enormous amounts of time. The suspended forest seemed endless, its canopy stretching in all directions without visible boundaries.

Eventually, they reached the forest's heart, where a massive tree dominated the landscape. Its trunk dwarfed every other specimen, easily fifty metres in circumference and stretching both upward and downward beyond sight. Towards the middle of the trunk, a treasure chest sat nestled within a hollow niche. 

"Well, it looks like we found the gem," Celeste said.

"But it won't be easy to get." 

Harry pointed toward the hollow where several Thornlings had emerged from concealment. The creatures positioned themselves around the chest like sentries.

"What do we do now?" Celeste asked.

"No idea." 

Harry counted at least six Thornlings visible around the treasure, with probably more hidden in the trunk's deeper recesses.

"Can you levitate the chest from here?"

"Nope." Harry studied the situation. "The only thing I can think of is to get in there fast, grab the loot, and leave before they can react."

"I see where you're going with this."

"Yep. Cause a distraction." Harry grinned. "Just say something annoying. You're good at that."

"I don't think they will appreciate my brand of humour. Or understand what I'm saying."

"Only one way to find out."

Celeste flew toward the Thornlings, positioning herself within their visual range but beyond their effective attack distance.

"Hi there, bark-brains!" she called out cheerfully. "Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?”

The Thornlings tracked her movements.

"Oh, don't give me those looks. I know you’re smart enough to understand me. You just look stupid." 

Several Thornlings began moving toward her position.

Harry seized the moment. He activated Wind Dash, feeling his Agility surge upward, then chained together a series of Gust Leaps. It carried him through the air in great bounding arcs, each leap carrying him closer to the massive trunk.

He landed on the tree's surface just metres from the hollow niche. The remaining Thornlings reacted immediately, but Harry was already moving. He lunged toward the chest, fingers closing around its lid.

Harry grabbed everything without examining them, cramming the contents into his inventory.

The Thornlings finally coordinated their response, launching a massive deluge of thorns from multiple angles. 

Harry threw himself backwards off the tree. As he fell, he chained more Gust Leaps together, bouncing through the air like a ricocheting projectile. The wind rushed past his face as he gained distance from the furious Thornlings.

Then a lurch startled him, breaking his concentration. The world seemed to shift sideways, throwing off his trajectory. Harry yelled as he lost control, tumbling through space.

He felt dizzy as the whole floor seemed to tilt on an invisible axis. The suspended forest rotated like a massive gyroscope, shifting gravity itself. Harry stopped falling toward the darkness and began falling toward the trees, which were no longer inverted.

He gained his bearings and slowed his descent with another Gust Leap, managing to grab onto the top of an oak tree before he crashed into the canopy. He clung desperately to the swaying branches, breathless and disoriented.

"I'm sick of this dungeon already," Harry gasped. "This Thornton is fucking with me."

Celeste arrived beside him a minute later. "That was a nasty trick."

"Well, it will be easier to look for the exit, at least."

He climbed down the tree. The forest floor felt reassuringly solid beneath his boots after the aerial acrobatics. Harry settled against the trunk, taking a moment to catch his breath.

The exhaustion wasn't purely physical. Hours of navigating the suspended forest, fighting Thornlings in precarious positions, and constantly adapting to the dungeon's shifting mechanics had worn him down mentally. He was beginning to think he'd made a mistake coming here so soon.

There was no way he would complete the dungeon today, the way things were progressing. At this rate, he would be lucky if he made it to classes tomorrow. He had been too impatient to find Adam, too eager to pursue the lead whilst it remained fresh. But there was no going back now. Even if he was late tomorrow, he would find an excuse to get himself out of trouble.

Harry opened his inventory and retrieved the two items he'd grabbed from the chest during his dramatic escape. The first was the enchantment gem, this one a dark green colour. 

He examined it with Appraisal.

======Pazuzu's Tempest | Level: 25 | Epic | Effect: Enchantment Gem 

Description: A malevolent gem infused with the essence of Pazuzu, Lord of Storms and Master of the Four Winds. The ancient Mesopotamian demon's power courses through this dark emerald crystal, granting mastery over atmospheric forces at the cost of exposing the bearer to infernal influence. 

*Agility +5 

*All wind-based abilities deal 20% increased damage. 

*All wind-based abilities cost 15% less MP. 

*Warning: Prolonged use may attract the attention of a wind demon. ======

“That doesn’t sound ominous at all,” Harry muttered. 

“You wanted this,” Celeste reminded him.

He took off the crown and watched as the gem socketed itself automatically when the two items came within proximity. Harry put the crown back on, pleased that he had received a more practical improvement from this gem. The True Sight skill from the first gem was only useful in certain places, although it did provide a boost to his Perception.

The crown was an accessory, and he could only wear two at a time. He had to remove the Gate Walker's Talisman to equip it, because he already wore the Oculumens Ring. He was fine with that arrangement—he didn't need the talisman whilst inside the dungeon.

He examined the second item, a piece of armour. The vest was crafted from dark leather, with thin metal plates strategically placed across vital areas. Intricate stitching held the supple demon-hide together, and the entire piece emanated a subtle aura of menace despite its deceptively lightweight construction. It looked both practical and intimidating at the same time.

He used Appraisal on it.

======Abyssal Twilight Vest | Level: 22 | Rare | Type: Light Armour | Set: Abyssal Twilight Armor (1/5) 

Description: Lightweight armour worn by the demon forces in the Abyss. Crafted from supple demon-hide, this vest prioritises mobility over heavy protection. The dark leather is treated with abyssal oils that provide resistance against light magic whilst maintaining flexibility for stealthy movements. 

*Defence: 15 

*Durability: ∞

*Resistance to light-based attacks: +20%

*Improves stealth by 20% during the night.

*All stealth skills cast on the wearer while this is equipped last twice as long.

*It repairs itself slightly each time the wearer makes a kill.

*Set Bonus (1 piece): Blindsided: has a 5% chance to blind the target when hit.

*Set Bonus (3 pieces): [LOCKED] 

*Set Bonus (5 pieces): [LOCKED] =======

"This is the first time I'm seeing an equipment set," Celeste observed, floating closer to examine the armour.

"Not true. I'm betting there are some amongst the Fairy Queen's armoury we found.”

"That's true. I need to hurry and reach level thirty."

"You and me both."

Celeste hesitated. "I don't want to be a killjoy, but do you really want to wear this armour? It's associated with demons."

Harry looked up from his examination. "What do you know about them?"

"Not much. But the monsters we've encountered aren't exactly the friendly type."

"The same can be said of other monsters," Harry pointed out. "Besides, this armour has an awesome perk."

"What is it?"

"Resistance against light-based attacks. Do you remember the Cherub we encountered?" Harry's expression darkened at the memory of Lydia's devastating white flames. "If I manage to get the whole set, I wouldn't lose so miserably against her next time."

"I can't argue with that."

Harry removed his cloak and equipped the armour. The material felt warm against his skin, conforming to his body in seconds. Although he was losing some benefits from removing the cloak, they were balanced out by the new gem he'd found. 

He inspected himself, running his hands over the armour. "Don't I look awesome?" 

"Yes, yes. You're amazing," Celeste replied. "Now let's find the exit and get out of here."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Harry and Celeste stumbled into the room, exhaustion dragging at their steps. Jeanie followed them inside, looking far more composed despite the blood drenching her spectral form. A satisfied expression graced her features, as if the violence had been precisely what she needed.

A notification appeared, revealing that they had entered the safe room.

Harry collapsed onto the couch with a groan. They had just retrieved the gem for the fourth floor, but it had been the most challenging trial yet. After climbing from the third floor, they had spent several hours clearing the next two levels. It had to be evening already in the real world, and he was likely being missed by now. Hopefully, his friends wouldn't panic and would cover for his absence.

Before they headed for the next floor, he needed to rest. It wasn't about his resources. This was an exhaustion of the mind that no potion could fix.

"I thought I was going to die," Celeste said, settling on the armrest beside him. "My HP was in the single digits before I managed to take a potion."

Harry frowned. The floors were getting more dangerous the further they climbed. The fourth had been bad enough, but three floors remained. At least he was acquiring excellent equipment from the trials. He had found two more set pieces for his demon armour, which had increased his survivability considerably.

He removed his armour pieces and used Appraisal on the two new additions to his collection.

======Abyssal Twilight Boots | Level: 22 | Rare | Type: Light Armour | Set: Abyssal Twilight Armour (2/5) 

Description: Lightweight boots worn by demon scouts in the Abyss. Crafted from supple demon-hide with reinforced soles, these boots prioritise silent movement over heavy protection. The dark leather is treated with abyssal oils that muffle sound whilst providing resistance against light magic. 

*Defence: 5

*Durability: ∞

*Resistance to light-based attacks: +10% 

*Silent footsteps during the night.

*Agility + 5 

*It repairs itself slightly each time the wearer makes a kill.

*Set Bonus (1 piece): Blindsided: has a 5% chance to blind the target when hit.

*Set Bonus (3 pieces): Desperate Times (Usable once per day): Spend 100 Experience points to restore 1% of your HP.

*Set Bonus (5 pieces): [LOCKED] ======

======Abyssal Twilight Leggings | Level: 22 | Epic | Type: Light Armour | Set: Abyssal Twilight Armour (3/5) 

Description: Flexible leg armour worn by demon infiltrators in the Abyss. Crafted from supple demon-hide with strategic leather reinforcement, these leggings prioritise agility over heavy protection. The dark material is treated with abyssal oils that enhance stealth capabilities whilst providing resistance against light magic. 

*Defence: 10

*Durability: ∞

*Resistance to light-based attacks: +10% 

*Improves falling damage resistance by 50%

*It repairs itself slightly each time the wearer makes a kill.

*Set Bonus (1 piece): Blindsided: has a 5% chance to blind the target temporarily when hit.

*Set Bonus (3 pieces): Desperate Times (Usable once per day): Spend up to 10,000 experience points to restore health. Every 100 EXP restores 1% of your HP.

*Set Bonus (5 pieces): [LOCKED] ======

The armour had already proved incredibly useful during their ascent through the dungeon floors. The stealth enhancements worked brilliantly with his existing Sneak skill, allowing him to ambush monsters that would otherwise detect his approach. Combined with Jeanette's abilities and Celeste's support magic, the three of them navigated most encounters with ease. Only the last stretch gave them trouble.

He assumed the “during the night" specification referred to actual nighttime in the world outside the dungeon. He would need to keep track of the time inside the dungeon to know when the effect was active.

His thoughts turned to Lydia. The forty percent resistance to light-based attacks represented his best defence against her light magic. She had overwhelmed him completely during their last confrontation. This resistance wouldn't make him immune, but it would level the playing field enough for him, as long as he could gain some more levels to match hers.

Two more pieces of the Abyssal Twilight set remained somewhere in this dungeon's depths. Logic suggested gloves and a helmet, following the standard pattern for most complete armour sets. Whatever bonuses the five-piece completion offered would dwarf the current benefits. 

The Desperate Times was a godsend. Trading experience points for health created a safety net when he was backed into a corner. The exchange rate seemed steep at first glance—one hundred experience points for a single percentage of health restoration—but compared to the alternative of death, the price was more than reasonable. 

Aside from the armour, he had obtained two more gems. Each gave him a boost to his Spirit and enhanced his fire and water spells. It was like the enchantment gems were made just for him. Both were like the wind gem, carrying a demon's name and including odd conditions that balanced out their advantages.

Harry checked his supplies, noting that they were becoming dangerously low. He hadn’t expected the dungeon to be this complex, so he hadn’t restocked before entering. Due to his inventory limitations, he couldn’t bring in supplies to make more. Well, not without sacrificing any loot he found inside the dungeon. 

He closed his menu and leaned back, shutting his eyes. Hopefully, the next three floors would be void of drama, and he could get back to Hogwarts before sunrise.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Harry stepped onto the fifth floor with Celeste and Jeannie beside him. The sight that greeted them made Harry stop dead in his tracks.

The floor opened into a massive chamber that defied comprehension. The walls, ceiling, and boundaries stretched beyond his vision. But what dominated the space were the mirrors—hundreds upon hundreds of tall standing mirrors arranged in deliberate patterns throughout the room. Each mirror stood roughly eight feet high, its ornate frames adorned with polished silver.

Their surfaces were pristine, reflecting infinite versions of the three companions as they moved. Harry could see a clear break in the mirror formations ahead—an entrance that led deeper into the labyrinth.

"Haven't we seen this before?" Celeste asked.

Harry nodded, memories of their encounter with Goliath flooding back. The mirrored chamber where they'd fought the massive creature had been confusing enough, but this was on an entirely different scale. 

"I'm not likely to forget it. What fresh devilry has Thornwood conjured up?"

"Should I try and scope the room out?" Celeste offered.

"Go ahead."

Celeste concentrated, dark mist coalescing around her small form as she summoned three shadow sparrows. The birds took wing immediately, their inky forms flying over the maze. 

The sparrows had barely cleared the first row of mirrors when a change occurred. The mirrors tilted towards the ceiling. Brilliant beams of light emerged from hidden sources in the walls, striking the mirror surfaces with blinding intensity. The light reflected and refracted between the mirrors, creating a sizzling network of energy that filled the air above the maze.

Harry threw his arm up to shield his eyes from the overwhelming brightness. The intensity was so great that spots danced across his vision even through his closed eyelids. When he finally lowered his arm and blinked away the afterimages, the shadow sparrows had completely vanished, destroyed by the devastating light display.

Celeste shuddered. "No flying over the mirrors. Got it.”

"It wants us to follow the maze," Jeanie said.

"I was afraid of that," Harry muttered. He couldn’t rely on his mini-map to navigate the maze, as it had disappeared from his HUD as soon as they entered the floor. “Let's get this over with."

They entered the maze proper, the mirrors towering above them on both sides. The passages were wide enough for them to walk comfortably, but the constant presence of their reflections created an unsettling atmosphere. Every step they took was mirrored countless times, creating a hypnotic effect that made concentration difficult.

The maze proved more complex than Harry had initially assumed. They encountered dead end after dead end, forcing them to backtrack and try different routes. The passages twisted and turned without apparent logic, leading them in circles before suddenly opening new paths. Harry found himself relying heavily on his memory to remember the confusing network of corridors they'd already explored.

As they ventured deeper into the maze, Harry began experiencing a creeping sense of paranoia. Movement caught his attention in his peripheral vision—subtle shifts in the mirrors that didn't correspond to their movements. At first, he dismissed it as tricks of the light or distortions from the reflected images. But the occurrences became more frequent and more distinct.

The figures he glimpsed weren't their reflections. Something shadowy and indistinct lurked in the mirror surfaces, always disappearing the moment he turned to look directly at it. The shadowy presence seemed to watch them from multiple mirrors simultaneously, tracking their progress through the maze with unnerving persistence.

Harry chose not to mention his concerns initially, hoping the phenomenon would fade as they progressed. But the opposite occurred—the shadowy figures became more distinct and more frequent with each corridor they navigated.

Celeste brought up the subject before Harry could steel himself to voice his observations. 

"I've been seeing a shadow of myself in the mirrors," she said, her usual cheerful demeanour subdued. "But it's indistinct.”

"I've noticed similar things," Jeanie confirmed. "Something watches us from the mirrors, but it's not our reflections."

The admission sent a chill down Harry's spine. Knowing that his companions were experiencing the same phenomena eliminated any hope that his mind was playing tricks on him. Something genuine stalked them through the mirror maze, growing bolder and more distinct as they pressed deeper into the labyrinth.

Harry found himself tempted to destroy every mirror they passed. The urge to lash out at the watching presences became nearly overwhelming, but logic restrained him. Destroying the mirrors would likely result in immediate retaliation from whatever force controlled this floor. Their only option was to complete the maze and hope they could find the exit before whatever lurked in the mirrors decided to emerge.

They reached another dead end, but this one differed dramatically from the others they'd encountered. The floor was littered with fragments of shattered glass from broken mirrors. 

Beyond the wreckage, reality itself seemed wounded. A jagged tear split the air, its edges crackling with unstable energy as chaotic patterns swirled within the rift. The sight brought back unwelcome memories of the dimensional rifts they'd encountered in the Shadowlands dungeon.

He remembered the gate's description of the dungeon. It mentioned temporal distortions among the hazards, but since they hadn't encountered any previously, he'd pushed the warning from his immediate concerns. 

"What the hell happened here?" Celeste asked.

"I don't know, but we don't want to get any closer," Harry replied, "Who knows where it leads?"

“It could be somewhere better than this maze.”

"Unlikely. Let's go back to the intersection and continue.”

They retraced their steps and chose a different path. Despite the absence of his minimap, Harry could sense they were heading toward the maze's centre. The passages seemed to flow inward, guiding them toward some central destination with increasing inevitability.

Celeste's scream shattered the oppressive silence. Harry spun around to find her retreating from one side of the mirror wall, her tiny hand shaking as she pointed at a specific mirror. The reflection it showed wasn't Celeste as she appeared in reality. This version was much larger, with curved horns sprouting from her head and a sinister expression twisting her features. Her eyes glowed red, and she pressed against the mirror's surface as if trying to break through the barrier separating the reflection from reality.

Harry glimpsed movement in the mirror behind Celeste, and his blood turned to ice. Another demonic version of the fairy had somehow penetrated through the mirror's surface—its arm reaching through the glass, grasping fingers extended toward the real Celeste.

"Celeste, watch out!" Harry shouted.

Celeste recoiled before the mirror creature could grab her, her face pale with shock. "This is not cool beans. I want out of here."

Harry immediately tried to scan the demonic reflection, but his skill completely failed to provide any information. Whether these were actual monsters or elaborate illusions designed to mess with their minds remained unclear, but their apparent ability to interact with the physical world made the distinction largely academic.

"I don't think we want to stick around," Jeanie said. "This witchcraft is something else."

"Right. Let's not linger here any longer," Harry agreed.

They rushed to continue through the maze, but the dead ends continued to impede their progress. 

More demonic reflections appeared, and the phenomena expanded beyond Celeste. Harry and Jeanie also began appearing in the mirrors, but these versions bore only a superficial resemblance to their real selves. The mirror-Harry looked thoroughly corrupted, his features twisted with malice. Most disturbing was the crown on the reflection's head—all the gem sockets were filled, suggesting this was some version of Harry from a possible future.

The demonic reflections began emerging from the mirrors entirely, stepping through the glass surfaces. Harry attempted to scan them repeatedly, but no descriptions appeared.

Soon they had accumulated over two dozen followers—demonic versions of Harry, Celeste, and Jeanie, all wearing expressions of wicked anticipation as they pursued the real trio through the maze. 

"We can't keep this up," Celeste said, glancing back at their growing entourage. "They're going to corner us at the next dead end."

"If we have to fight, then so be it," Harry replied. "I'd rather have our backs to the wall than fight them in this corridor."

They reached the next intersection and turned left without hesitation, desperation driving their decision-making. The passage led them to another dead end, but this one also contained broken mirrors and a rift. 

The demonic versions of themselves caught up quickly, but as soon as they saw the temporal distortion, their advance slowed dramatically. They seemed genuinely hesitant to approach the anomaly, clustering at the entrance to the dead-end passage but refusing to venture closer.

Harry, Celeste, and Jeanie backed up against the distortion, feeling the air vibrating against their backs as the chaotic energy swirled just inches away..

Suddenly, Harry felt something wrap around his torso. Its grip tightened with inexorable strength as it began pulling him backwards into the rift.

He heard Celeste call out to him, but her voice seemed to come from underwater, distorted and distant. The world around him began to fade as darkness filled his vision.

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Harry finds himself in the Abyss realm.

Thanks for reading.