The Veiled Threads
Zafiri gently squeezed Stella’s waist. Cool as moonlight on dew-kissed silk, the fibers of Arachne’s creation shimmered like living stars in the silent, pitch-black maze.
“Amazing,” he murmured.
Hours inside the labyrinth, yet the spool in Stella’s hand had not diminished even a single thread.
“So, Stella.”
Zafiri finally set the silky strands aside and turned to her with a teasing smile. Tension, barely hidden, still crackled between them like static before a storm.
“Why me? Really. Why me?”
“…Really?”
She offered only the faintest smile, then fell silent again. The princess of Astraria was not one to waste words, especially not in a maze where silence pressed down like a living thing.
“Yeah. Earlier you said something about knowing a lot.”
Zafiri let the vines drop and glanced sideways at her. His voice stayed light, but the air between them thickened.
“So what I’m asking is… what exactly do you know? How did you find out? And how far does it go?”
The moment they entered the maze, Zafiri had felt the first prickle of doubt. Arkin and Nefetia had mentioned another kingdom allied with Igninof besides Lakelium. What if Astraria was that third partner? Could he trust her completely?
As if she had read his thoughts, Stella gave a soft, knowing laugh.
“Oh my, Zafiri. You really think too much. The reason is simple. I saw you touch the vines with Nefetia, and they reacted to you. I figured they’d be useful here. Today your fortune is especially bright.”
“Ah…”
So that was it. Zafiri rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly embarrassed. There was so much more he wanted to know, yet her calm words left him strangely tongue-tied.
How to ask? While his eyes followed the endless unraveling thread in her hand, Stella added softly,
“I suspected something powerful was happening inside this maze from the very start. I kept sensing an overwhelming flow of energy. Even within Credo Island, this place pulls the strongest starlight of anywhere around it.”
“Ah, so you knew about the ‘flow’ too…”
“Yes. I sensed it through the stars’ movements. You caught it with the vines, remember? We crossed paths. And then, ultimately…”
Stella’s dark eyes fixed on the endless corridor ahead.
“I wanted to know about Draconis and Serena.”
Zafiri’s shoulders tensed. He turned to stare at her.
“You knew that long ago?”
“Only in the last few days. Every morning I read the day’s omens, and something kept nagging at me.”
“So…”
“The red star is over the prince of Igninof. A harbinger of disaster, blood, and war.”
For the first time, Stella’s calm voice trembled.
“At first I thought it was just a bad omen, but the moment Serena grew close to Draconis… the star grew clearer, more alive. I became afraid. Even now that red aura still writhes just beyond the walls.”
Zafiri followed her gaze. Wet earth and blood seemed strangely alike.
“Anyway.”
Stella sighed deeply.
“I don’t know what they’re plotting, but it will affect us. The World Alliance will fracture. We must act quickly.”
Zafiri nodded. To steady himself, he unwound the spool faster. They rounded another corner. No matter how far they walked, the same monotonous walls pressed in.
He pressed a palm to the damp vines. Leaves trembled under his touch like startled creatures.
“Do you feel it?”
“Still nothing. We need to get closer.”
He plucked one leaf and flicked it away.
“These vines share everything through roots and stems. With walls this tall, they’re probably woven tighter than any city wall. I could have read every secret in here. But right now…”
The green leaf rolled limply in his palm. He frowned, brushing it off.
“Nothing. It’s sealed. Like someone forced their mouth shut.”
He stared at the wall as if trying to break through it, then turned away.
“Let’s keep going. You’ll see.”
The corridor stretched on and on. Same straight walls, same damp moss scent growing slightly stronger.
“Hey, Stella.”
At the end of the endless hall he asked carefully,
“Arkin, Nefetia, and I think there’s someone inside this island helping Draconis and Serena.”
“I think the same.”
“Really? Any feeling?”
“Nothing yet.”
Stella shook her head.
“I suspected the same. I looked everywhere. Nothing.”
“Hmm.”
“But Zafiri, someone who hides their presence without revealing it needs power far beyond any ordinary person. Holy power of that magnitude is rare.”
She drew the line carefully, then lowered her voice with meaning.
“Anything that powerful is built on magic… but in the end it still requires holy power. Only by borrowing the gods’ authority can such strength be wielded.”
“Then it’s probably a priest.”
“Who else in the island could wield magic power that far exceeds even the priests’? And who could send messages directly without going through anyone else? Someone of such rank…”
Zafiri’s eyes lit up. He accepted her words like a key turning.
“Someone who can bend even the island’s wards to their will.”
Their gazes met in the air. The conclusion was obvious without words.
“Which means…”
Zafiri began,
“I think it’s Valdemar.”
Stella shrugged, voice cold and certain.
“Of course. He’s the highest priest of Credo Island. He can set wards on his own body…!”
Suddenly Stella swayed. The solid ground beneath her feet gave way with a wet, sucking sound. She slipped ankle-deep into thick mud.
“What the—?”
She twisted, face grimacing. The next instant, a gurgling hiss rose from the mire. Stella yelped.
“What’s under my feet!”
At the same moment, something slithered. Mud snakes coiled around both her ankles with terrifying strength, dragging her toward the center of the tunnel.
“Zafiri!”
The mud snakes moved like starving beasts. One clamped her other ankle, yanking hard. Stella was flipped violently onto her back.
“Kyaa!”
Off balance, she began sliding helplessly down the tunnel at terrifying speed.
“Stella, stay calm!”
Zafiri ran after her, voice cracking. She was already disappearing into the distance.
“Damn it!”
He thrust out his hand without hesitation. Teeth gritted, he summoned mana. Green light burst from his fingertips and shot toward the vines. It never reached them. The explosion of power only made the vines rage harder.
“Damn… they’re using mana. I knew it.”
His violet eyes flashed. The vines had lost their mind; they ignored his orders completely.
Force it, then.
“Stella!”
“Wait, I’m coming!”
Her struggles slowed. Zafiri sprinted like the wind. He felt every twist and coil of the vines beneath his soles.
This is…
The vines that threatened Stella now shrank back the instant Zafiri touched them, as if startled. Even though they ignored his commands, their true nature recoiled at the anger of their true master.
“Stella!”
He reached the dead end. The vines had finally stopped their rampage against the wall, but they still wrapped her completely.
“I’ll save you.”
Gasping, he approached. The vines refused to let go.
He found her wrist, squeezed gently, and lifted his empty hand. With a flick of his fingers the twisting vines froze.
“Obey.”
His fist clenched in the air. The vines trembled violently, as if fighting their owner. Zafiri squeezed once more. A silent power struggle began. The vines writhed and thrashed.
“You dare…”
Veins bulged on his forehead. He pulled his fist toward himself slowly. The vines swelled and shrank in fury.
“Let Stella go.”
Veins stood out on the back of his hand, knuckles turning white. A crushing sound echoed.
Crunch. Snap!
The vines exploded into pieces and scattered. The ones that had been wrapped around Stella fell limp.
“Stella! Eyes open! Stella?”
He pulled her into his arms. Pale cheeks, trembling shoulders, he shook her and patted her face, calling her name over and over.
“Stella!”
Stella gasped, eyes flying open. Her chest heaved in ragged coughs.
“Are you okay? Breathe. One… two… one… two…”
He rubbed her back gently, checking for injuries. Nothing major.
“Anywhere hurt?”
“N-no… I’m fine…”
At last she seemed to realize where she was. She blinked around at the dark, muddy walls, the shattered vines everywhere, then turned to him.
“Zafiri… this maze… something feels wrong.”