Escape to Freedom

Chapter 3: The Phantom’s Warning

The voice echoed through the chamber, low and haunting, as if it came from the very walls themselves. Alina’s heart lurched in her chest, her hand still frozen around the torch. She scanned the room, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow, but saw no one.

“Who’s there?” she called, her voice betraying the fear she had tried so hard to suppress.

For a long moment, there was silence, broken only by the soft crackling of the torch flame. Then, from the farthest corner of the chamber, a figure materialized—a figure cloaked in darkness, with no discernible features, as if made of the shadows themselves.

“I was once like you,” the figure said, its voice now clearer, tinged with sorrow. “A prisoner, seeking freedom. But the deeper you go, the more you will realize that this place is not what it seems.”

Alina took a step back, her mind racing. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“I am no longer anyone of consequence,” the figure replied. “Just a remnant of a soul lost to this place. I’ve watched countless others walk the same path you’re on now. Some fell to despair, others to the dangers that lurk here, but none have ever truly escaped.”

Alina’s grip tightened around the torch as she forced herself to stand her ground. “Then why are you warning me? If no one can escape, why not let me meet the same fate?”

The phantom-like figure seemed to shift, its form flickering as if caught in a breeze that didn’t exist. “Because you are different. You carry something within you—something that may give you a chance. But know this: the maze is only the beginning. If you continue, you will face challenges far beyond what you’ve imagined, and the price of freedom may be more than you are willing to pay.”

Alina’s mind whirled with questions, but before she could speak again, the figure began to fade, dissolving back into the shadows. Its final words echoed in the chamber, lingering in the air like a warning, or perhaps, a promise.

“The deeper you go, the more you will see. But beware, Alina—for not all freedom is what it seems.”

And then it was gone.

Alina stood alone, her heart pounding in her chest. The weight of the warning pressed heavily on her, but there was no going back now. She had come too far. With a deep breath, she lifted the torch high and pressed on, deeper into the maze, knowing that whatever lay ahead, she would face it—alone.

But the shadows around her seemed to whisper, as if watching her every move.