Page 13 of Labyrinth of Broken Vows
I stood there for a moment, letting the question settle. How am I? I’ve been asking myself that very question and I still didn’t have an answer. “I’m sure you’ve heard,” I said quietly, stepping further into the shop, “Henry was taken.”
His expression flickered, his smile fading as the weight of my words sank in. “I did hear,” he said softly, setting the books down with care. “How are you holding up? Should we be celebrating, or mourning? You tell me, and I’ll be whatever you need.”
His words stung slightly, although I know he was just being a friend. The only friend I’ve had. His kindness was genuine, but I was tired of being the person people pitied. “That’s the thing, Alaric... I don’t know. I should be relieved, I think. But all I feel is...fear. I have no idea what to do next. No money, no food, and no one.”
Alaric stepped around the counter, his eyes softening as he came closer. “You’re not alone, Brielle. You know that, right? You can stay here as long as you need to. I don’t have much, but what I have, I’ll share. I won’t let you go without.”
His words struck me like a blow to the chest, and for a moment, I wanted to run, the Maze King's voice echoing in my mind.You’ve wrapped yourself in their sympathy so tightly that it’s suffocated your spirit.I swallowed hard, shaking my head as I forced a small smile. "I appreciate it, Alaric, truly. ButI can’t. I’ve been this town’s charity case for too long. I need to stand on my own now. I have to do this.”
His brows drew together, and he crossed his arms as he studied me. “Do what, exactly?”
I took a breath, steadying myself. “I’m going into the Maze.”
The words hung heavy between us, and I watched the color drain from Alaric’s face. His arms dropped to his sides as he took a step closer, disbelief washing over him. “The Maze?” His voice cracked, and he ran a hand through his hair, as if trying to make sense of what I’d said. “Brielle, no. You can’t. That place is a death sentence. You know what happens to the people who go in there. What it does to them.”
“I have to,” I said, my voice firmer than I felt. “Henry’s in there. If I’m the one who brings him back... maybe things will change. Maybe he’ll change.”
Alaric’s mouth opened, but no words came out at first. He blinked, stunned, and then slowly shook his head. “Brielle, you can’t seriously think—”
“I have to try,” I cut him off, my heart pounding in my chest. “If I can bring him back, if I’m the one who saves him, maybe he’ll finally see me. Maybe he’ll stop...”
“Stop hurting you?” Alaric finished quietly, his voice laced with sorrow.
I swallowed hard, nodding. “Yes. Maybe he’ll be the man he was before everything fell apart. No more rage, no more pain.”
The lie burned on my tongue, but it was the only thing I had left to hold on to. The only sliver of hope.
Alaric stepped closer, his eyes searching mine with a sadness I wasn’t prepared for. “And what if you’re wrong, Brielle? What if you risk your life for a man who can’t be saved? Or worse, what if he comes back even more dangerous?”
“He won’t be,” I insisted, but my voice wavered. “He’ll come back different. He has to.”
Alaric sighed deeply, his hand resting on the counter as if he needed the support. “And what about you?” he asked softly. “What becomes of the bruises on your soul, Brielle? The ones no one sees? What about those?”
I flinched at his words, feeling them cut deeper than I wanted to admit. The bruises no one saw were the worst ones, the ones I carried in silence. But I couldn’t afford to think about that. Not now.
“I’ll be fine,” I whispered, looking away. “I have to be.”
Alaric stepped even closer, his voice pleading now. “You don’t owe him this, Brielle. You’ve given enough. Don’t throw yourself into that Maze for someone who might never change.”
Tears pricked at the edges of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “This isn’t just for him,” I said, forcing my voice to steady. “I need to prove something to myself, too.”
Alaric looks at me, his eyes clouded with worry as if he’s weighing something heavy inside. After a long, tense pause, he sighs deeply, the kind of sigh that makes the air feel thick with unspoken truths.
"Well, wait... just stay here for a little while longer," he pleads, his voice almost breaking. "I’ll run out, grab a few things. We’ll have a proper lunch, something hearty. You can’t start a journey like this on an empty stomach, right?" He tries to keep his tone light, but I can hear the tremor beneath it. “Please, Brielle. This might be the last time I see you. Let me have that, just... stay a little longer. I’ll be right back.”
His words cling to me, pulling at the ache in my chest, but I nod anyway. “Alright. Just for a little longer.”
The relief in his smile is fragile, like it could shatter at any second, and with that, he hurries out the door. I stand there, still and uneasy, my thoughts churning like the storm I’m about to walk into. The Maze. I can’t afford to let myself hesitate now.
Minutes pass, long and thick with silence. I tell myself I’ll leave soon, that I won’t let the quiet lull me into staying any longer than I need. But something in the air shifts, a tension I can’t explain, until the door swings open, not with the soft jingle of the bell but with a loud, metallic thud.
Alaric stands there, but he isn’t alone. Behind him are three knights, fully armored, faces hard as stone. My heart drops into my stomach, the weight of their presence crashing into me.
Alaric’s face is pale, tears streaking down his cheeks as he tries to explain, “Brielle, I... I couldn’t... I’m so sorry.” His voice cracks with guilt. “I couldn’t let you do this to yourself. They won’t hurt you, I swear. Please, just go with them. It’s for your own good.”
It feels like the floor is giving out beneath me. No, no, no. Panic surges up, tightening my chest. I stumble back as the knights step forward, their heavy armor clinking with every step.
“Alaric, no!” My voice comes out desperate, trembling. “You said—”
