9. Chapter 9
nine
B rielle
I wake up with a groan, every muscle in my body protesting as I try to shift. The ground beneath me has left my back and shoulders stiff, sore in a way that makes me want to curl back up and pretend the world doesn't exist. But the harsh reality of the maze doesn’t allow for such luxuries.
"Let's get moving," Grom's gruff voice rumbles from somewhere nearby.
I open my eyes to see him standing over me, already packed up and ready to go. He’s cleaned up the makeshift camp as if it was never there. I scowl up at him, rubbing the knot in my neck.
"Okay, okay," I mutter, forcing myself to sit up. "I’m coming."
He’s already walking off before I’ve even gathered my things, forcing me to scramble after him. His long, lumbering strides eat up the ground as if the maze is his playground and I’m just some clumsy outsider stumbling in his wake. Which, I suppose, isn’t far from the truth.
“Do you ever wait for people, or is the whole ‘silent brute’ thing part of your charm?” I grumble, trying to keep pace with him. My legs, still sore from sleeping on the cold ground, threaten to betray me with every step.
He doesn’t even look back, just grunts. I roll my eyes and push forward, deciding to take a different approach. I might as well try to get to know him. Maybe if I can break through his thick skull, I can figure out what the hell his deal is.
“So… Grom,” I start, trying to sound casual. “You got any family?”
“Dead.”
Oh. Okay. I chew on my bottom lip, considering my next move.It’s going to be a long trek through this maze, and it seems like getting anything out of Grom other than grunts and one-word answers is going to be a challenge in itself.
“How much longer till we get to the castle?” I ask, already dreading the answer. My feet ache with every step, and I feel like I’ve been walking forever.
Grom doesn’t bother looking at me. “Another day or two.”
I stop in my tracks, incredulous. “Another day or two?!”
“Yes.”
I groan loudly, rubbing my temples in frustration. “You don’t know any shortcuts or anything?”
He just grunts, the same grunt that’s starting to get on my last nerve. I’m about to say something else when he suddenly stops dead in his tracks and lifts a hand, silencing me with a sharp shush. His posture shifts, tense, alert.
My heart skips a beat, confusion giving way to unease. "What? What is it?"
He doesn’t answer at first. His eyes dart around, scanning the twisted hedges of the maze, and there’s something in his expression that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Fear. Grom, the massive, stoic troll, actually looks scared.
“Stay here,” he says in a low, gravelly voice.
I open my mouth to argue, but then I hear it too. A sound, faint at first; a low growl that rumbles through the air like distant thunder. My blood turns cold.
Grom moves cautiously, walking slowly toward the corner of the maze where the sound came from. His hand hovers near the hilt of his knife, but something moves faster than I can register. A blur of black fur and snarling jaws lunges at him from the shadows.
It looks like a dog; but not like any dog I’ve ever seen. It’s massive, at least the size of a small horse, with shadowy, wispy fur that seems to shift and melt into the darkness. Its eyes glow a sickly green, and its fangs are long and jagged, dripping with saliva. This thing is no ordinary animal; it’s a nightmare brought to life.
“Run!” Grom bellows, his voice shaking the air. “It’s a Shade Hound!”
The Shade Hound snarls and snaps, its jaws closing around Grom’s arm as he struggles to push it off. I should run. I know I should. But I’m frozen, watching in horror as this monster tears into him. My breath catches in my throat, my instincts screaming at me to flee. But then I see it; the knife Grom always carries, the one that’s now lying on the ground just a few feet away.
Grom shouts again, his voice strained with pain. “I said run!”
The hound sinks its fangs deeper into his arm, and Grom’s roar of agony snaps me out of my paralysis. I can’t just leave him. He’s helped me survive this nightmare of a maze so far.
Before I can second-guess myself, I dive for the knife. My fingers close around the hilt, and without thinking, I rush toward the Shade Hound. Its back is turned to me, all its focus on tearing Grom apart. My hand shakes, my heart pounds in my chest, but I steady myself and drive the knife into its side with all the force I can muster.
The Shade Hound yelps, its body jerking in pain. It releases Grom and stumbles back, black blood oozing from the wound. Grom doesn’t waste a second. He grabs the knife from me, his face twisted in fury, and with one swift motion, he plunges the blade into the hound’s neck, ending its life. Even thought the beast was going to kill us, I still flinch at the sound of Grom’s final assault.
I stand there, frozen, my body trembling. The hound’s body collapses to the ground, its shadowy form slowly dissipating into nothing. I can still feel the weight of the knife in my hand, the sickening squelch of it sinking into flesh.
My stomach churns, and I struggle to breathe. I’ve never killed anything in my life.
“Are you okay?” Grom’s voice is calm, but I can see the tension in his eyes as he checks me over. His arm is bloodied and torn, but he doesn’t seem to care.
I just nod, unable to form words. My legs feel like jelly, and I can’t stop shaking.
Grom looks down at the dead hound, then back at me. “This isn’t right. This is all wrong.”
I blink at him, still trying to steady my breathing. “What do you mean? What is that thing?”
“A Shade Hound,” he says, his voice grim. “From the northern quadrant. They aren’t supposed to be here.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, my voice shaky. “What’s going on?”
Grom looks around, his eyes scanning the maze with a newfound urgency. “Something is wrong. The maze… it’s changing. We need to move, now.”
“What do you mean, changing?” I ask, still catching my breath, my mind racing to make sense of everything that just happened.
Grom keeps his eyes scanning the maze, his usual stoic expression twisted into something more troubled. “Each quadrant of the maze has a lord. That lord rules over the creatures and beings that live in their quadrant.”
I frown, my forehead creasing. “I thought the Maze King ruled over the entire maze.”
“He does. The Maze King rules all,” Grom says, his voice low, almost reverent. “But the lords oversee their quadrants. They keep order, keep things… contained. Everyone still answers to the Maze King in the end.”
I nod slowly, trying to piece together the puzzle he’s laying out. “So, what does that have to do with the Shade Hound?”
Grom’s jaw tightens. “The Shade Hounds are under Nyria’s control. She’s the northern lord, well northern lady. There’s no reason why one of her hounds should be here, in the southern quadrant. This isn’t right. Something’s gone wrong.”
My heart skips a beat. “What could have gone wrong?”
He shakes his head, looking even more uneasy. “I don’t know. But we don’t have time to figure it out. I need to get you to the castle and out of here as fast as I can.”
I stumble as we continue walking, the shock of the fight and exhaustion finally catching up with me. Grom’s hand shoots out, steadying me before I can fall. He holds onto me for a second longer, looking down at me with an expression I hadn’t seen on him before; concern, almost something softer.
“You didn’t have to save me back there,” he says quietly. “I told you to run.”
I smile up at him, still feeling a little shaken but relieved that he’s okay. “I know. I chose to save you. You’re my friend, Grom. You’ve helped me survive this far. I wasn’t about to leave you behind.”
For a second, he just stares at me like I’ve said something in a foreign language. Then, slowly, the corner of his mouth quirks up in a smile, a smile that looks odd and out of place on his usually gruff face. “Friends?”
“Of course,” I say, nudging his arm playfully.
He pauses, his brow furrowing as if he’s trying to understand what this whole ‘friend’ thing really means. “I’ve never had a friend before.”
I smile softly. “Well, now you do.”
Grom’s smile widens, and before I know what’s happening, his large hand comes down on the top of my head, giving me a solid bonk. “But next time I tell you to run, you listen, understand? You trying to get yourself killed or something?”
I laugh, rubbing the top of my head where he hit me, even though it didn’t hurt. Grom turns around, already walking again like nothing happened, but I can’t help but smile to myself as I follow him.
“I’m serious,” he calls over his shoulder, his voice gruff but lighter than before. “No more heroics. You let me handle the monsters.”
I roll my eyes but don’t argue. “Got it.”
As we walk on, the tension from the Shade Hound encounter slowly fades, but Grom’s words linger in my mind. Something’s wrong in the maze.
The silence between us stretches on, thick and tense. My legs ache, my throat is dry, and I can still feel the adrenaline pulsing through me from the Shade Hound attack. Grom walks ahead, his broad shoulders shifting beneath his tunic as if nothing happened, but I know he’s on edge. I can tell by the way his hand stays close to the knife at his waist. We haven’t spoken since he explained the lords of the maze, and the longer we walk, the more I feel like the maze itself is pressing down on me. Twisting, endless, suffocating.
We stop for water when we find a small pool nestled between the massive roots of some ancient tree. The water is cold and bitter, tasting faintly of metal as I drink it. I splash some on my face, hoping it will clear the fog from my mind. Grom drinks, too, but doesn’t say a word. I try to push down the growing unease in my chest, but it’s hard. Everything about this place feels wrong, like the walls themselves are watching us.
As we continue on, the silence is broken by the uncomfortable fullness in my bladder. I try to ignore it, but the pressure is growing unbearable. I roll my eyes at myself. Of all the things to worry about in a deadly maze, I have to pee. “Grom, I, uh, I need to stop,” I say, shifting awkwardly as we step over a root the size of my leg.
He doesn’t respond at first, just keeps walking like he didn’t hear me. His huge frame is moving through the maze with such ease while I’m barely keeping up. “Grom!” I call again, louder this time.
He grunts in acknowledgment but doesn’t stop, so I try again. “Seriously, I need to… you know.”
He finally halts at a fork in the maze, three different paths stretching ahead. One looks like more maze walls with dense, dark roots curling into the stone. The second is an open clearing with towering trees, and the third is a wide corridor lined with statues and stone archways. Grom crosses his arms, still clearly annoyed.
“Fine,” he mutters, waving a hand toward the trees. “Go squat somewhere, but don’t wander far. I’ll stay here.”
I huff, irritated at his dismissiveness. “Such a gentleman,” I mutter under my breath, making my way toward the trees. The clearing feels oddly peaceful compared to the rest of the maze, but I keep my eyes on the twisted trunks and shadows just in case. Dropping into a squat behind a tree, I take care of business quickly, relieved for the brief break from walking.
As I stay squatted, I can’t help but think about how far I’ve come. A few days ago, I was alone, lost, and terrified. Now, I’ve stabbed a monster to save Grom’s life. He’s helped me more than I ever expected, and despite his gruffness, I can’t help but feel grateful. I’ve already done things I never knew I was capable of. I could be withering away, struggling in a town that turned its back on me so many times. I wonder if they would still see me as sad Brielle if they saw me take out that shade hound thing.
Just as I start to smooth down my skirt, I hear it, a low, rumbling growl. But this one sounds different from before. My heart stutters in my chest, and I freeze. I don’t want to turn around, but I have to. As I slowly stand, more growls follow, multiplying. Fear spikes through me, and I spin around to see shadows moving through the trees. Shade Hounds. More than one.
“Oh no,” I whisper, my voice trembling.
Before I can react, they’re charging. I scream and run, bolting through the clearing, my feet barely keeping pace with my panic. “Grom!” I yell, sprinting back toward the fork where I’d left him. I can hear the hounds snapping at my heels, growling like they can already taste my blood.
Grom is there, knife already in hand, his eyes wide as he sees the pack of creatures closing in. “Go, Brielle! Go!” he shouts, grabbing my arm and shoving me toward the path with the statues and stone.
I stumble forward, my breath ragged, but I can’t leave him. I stop at the entrance of the stone corridor, turning just in time to see Grom throw himself into the fray. The Shade Hounds are on him, jaws snapping, teeth tearing at his skin. He slashes at them, his knife a blur of silver, but there are so many of them. Too many.
I should help. I want to help, but there are so many, and I have no weapon. My body shakes with indecision as I crouch behind one of the statues, my heart hammering so loud I swear the hounds will hear it.
The sounds of growling, snarling, and Grom’s grunts fill the air, wet thuds following each attack. The scent of blood is sharp, metallic, thick enough to make me gag. I close my eyes, praying for him to survive, praying that it will be over soon.
Then, the silence. Heavy, tense, suffocating. My breath catches in my throat, and I wait, afraid to even peek around the corner.
“Brielle,” Grom’s voice finally breaks through the quiet, weak but alive. “Brielle, it’s over.”
I stand slowly, my legs shaky beneath me. When I step out from behind the statue, my eyes fall on Grom, leaning heavily against the stone wall, covered in blood, panting. His face is pale, his arm hanging at an odd angle, but he’s alive.
I rush toward him, my hands trembling. “Grom—”
Before I can reach him, the stone wall shifts, groaning as it begins to close. “No!” I scream, running faster, but it’s too late. The wall seals shut, trapping me on the other side.
“Brielle!” Grom’s voice echoes faintly through the stone. “It’s okay. I’ll figure this out.”
“Grom!” I bang on the stone, panic seizing my chest. “What if the hounds come back? What if they find me?”
His voice is faint, but I hear him. “It’s okay… I’ll get to you…”
His words trail off, weak and distant. I press my hands against the cold stone, tears prickling my eyes as the realization sinks in.
I’m alone again.
I feel the panic bubble up inside me, my heart racing as I glance around the clearing, the statues looming over me like silent watchers. I’m alone. Again. It’s a feeling I thought I’d escaped with Grom by my side, but here I am, just like when I first stumbled into this maze. How did it come to this? I had no idea what I was walking into, but I certainly never expected to find a friend in the midst of all this madness. Now, it’s just me, and the weight of that thought is suffocating.
The fear grips me tightly, and I shake my head as if I can physically throw it off. No, I can’t fall apart. I have to keep moving, just like I did when I first ran in here, terrified but determined. I take a few hesitant steps, the ground beneath my feet feels unsteady, like it might shift at any moment. What if those hounds come back? What if I’m cornered again?
As I wander deeper into the clearing, I catch sight of the statues, there are so many of them, each one covered in thick, black vines that twist and curl around the stone like creeping fingers. They seem to watch me, their empty eyes filled with shadows. I keep moving, my breath quickening with every step, until I reach the center.
And there he is—the towering statue of a man. The Maze King. The one who put me in this twisted nightmare. His jaw is chiseled, body thin yet muscular, and two imposing horns jut from his head like a crown. I should feel disgust, hatred bubbling up in me for all the chaos he’s caused, and I do. I really do. If I could, I’d spit on this stone representation of him, but it would only feel like a hollow gesture.
Yet, as I study the statue closer, something catches me off guard. He’s… handsome. There’s no denying it. The sharp angles of his face, the way the light hits his stone features; it’s enough to make my cheeks flush, despite everything. Why does he have to be like this? Anger surges through me, mingling with the confusion in my chest. How could he trap me here, in a place so beautiful yet so terrifying?
But I can’t dwell on that now. I need to focus. I need to find a way out, and if Grom can’t help me, then I’ll have to do this on my own. I can’t let fear consume me. I take a deep breath, grounding myself in the moment, determined not to let the shadows around me win. I glance back towards where Grom disappeared, wishing I could see him, hear his voice reassuring me that everything would be okay.
I started this journey alone. I can finish it that way too. I turn back to the statue, anger coursing through my veins. You think you can keep me here? You’re wrong. I will find a way out.