The labyrinth seemed endless. The reflections on its walls distorted reality, and each step of Eili and Lumis echoed back with a multi-layered resonance, sounding like the reverberations of their very thoughts.
— We must move together, — Eili said, squeezing Lumis’s hand. Her voice was firm, yet her eyes revealed a lingering sense of anxiety.
— But what if this place changes us from within? — he asked, gazing at his reflection in one of the mirrors. His face looked older, worn-out.
— It will change us only as much as we allow it to, — Eili replied, stepping closer to one of the mirrors.
The reflections in the mirror came to life once more. In one of them, a scene unfolded where Eili stood alone. Her eyes filled with pain, and her voice sounded distant.
— She will leave you, — the voice from the reflection echoed. — And you won’t even try to stop her.
— That’s not true! — Lumis shouted, and his voice bounced back a thousand echoes.
Eili placed her hand on his shoulder.
— Don’t listen to that, — she said calmly, though her voice trembled slightly too.
— How can we know what is true? — Lumis asked, his gaze locked on the mirror.
— Only if we trust ourselves, — Eili replied, touching the wall of the labyrinth.
For a moment, everything around them stopped. The mirrors ceased reflecting their fears; instead, a single word appeared in each of them: Choice.
— This place doesn’t want to break us, — Eili suddenly stated, her voice growing more confident. — It wants us to make a choice.
— But which one? — Lumis looked at her.
— How do we know which is right?
Eili paused and closed her eyes.
— There isn’t always a right choice. There’s only the one we are ready to make, — she answered.
The labyrinth began to change. The walls parted, revealing two paths: one leading to bright light, the other descending into darkness.
— What do you feel? — Lumis asked.
Eili gazed at both paths.
— It’s not about where we go. It’s about whether we can walk together, — she said, extending her hand to him.
Lumis took her hand, and they stepped forward, choosing a path. The labyrinth trembled; its walls began to crumble as the world around them shifted.
What awaited them ahead was unknown, but now they were certain of one thing: the main choice had always been within them.
With each stride they took, the echoes of their fears faded behind them.
Whether in light or darkness, they knew they would face it together, as partners navigating the intricate twists of fate, empowered by their shared resolve.