The next day, dawn had barely begun to stretch its threads across the city of Valory when I stepped out of the inn. The streets were still nearly empty, save for a few adventurers walking with steady strides toward the Starting Square. Everything was steeped in a kind of anticipation, as if the entire city was holding its breath, waiting for an irreversible moment.
When I reached the square, I found it overflowing with people.
Hundreds... maybe more.
Some were heavily armed, others moved lightly, as if their bodies were weapons themselves. I saw mages, fighters, hunters, and even some who didn't seem to fit any clear category. They moved in groups, or stood alone in silent tension.
I walked among them slowly. Watching. Reading faces.
No one was here without a reason. And no one was here without a scar—visible or buried deep.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rose above the murmurs:
"Adventurers!"
It was the same announcer from last night, now standing on a raised wooden platform in the center of the square. He raised his hand, and the crowd fell silent.
"Daimas is unlike anything you've ever known. Entering it is no stroll, and exiting it isn't a reward. It is a test. And its test cannot be passed alone."
He paused briefly, then added:
"One of the conditions for entry: you must be part of a team—no fewer than two. If you don't have a partner, you won't be allowed in."
A moment of surprise spread… followed by organized chaos.
Some turned to the people beside them, shook hands, and formed a team. Others scrambled to find a partner. Soft voices floated through the air offering alliances, assessing strength, and handing out hope in haste.
As for me, I remained silent.
I wasn't looking for a companion. I was looking for someone I could lead easily, someone with a clear purpose. I didn't want risks, or partners with dreams larger than their abilities.
Then I saw him.
A child.
He looked around ten years old, moving with relatively confident steps among the crowd. His clothes were simple but clean, his back straight, and his eyes scanning faces like someone who knew exactly what he was searching for.
He approached a standing group.
"Can I join you?" he asked.
One of the men chuckled lightly. "You? Go home, kid. This isn't a playground."
He tried again. And the same answer followed, just phrased differently: "This isn't daycare," "Go back to your mom," "Daimas devours kids like you at the first turn."
I watched him silently.
At first, I ignored it. I didn't intend to waste my time on a child. But when I looked again, I found him standing in front of me.
He spoke in a calm voice, without hesitation: "Are you looking for a partner?"
I looked at him without replying.
He repeated the question, more precisely: "Do you want someone on your team?"
I studied him slowly. He stood firm, despite the stares around us. He didn't stammer, didn't show fear… but something in his eyes said more than enough.
I said, without changing my tone, "What's your name?"
He answered immediately: "Neil. I'm ten years old."
I raised an eyebrow. "And you think this is where you belong? In a labyrinth that crushes grown men?"
"I don't think. I know it's dangerous."
"Then why?"
He paused for a moment, then replied in a softer voice—but not a quiet one:
"My dad died when I was six. My mom was strong… she took care of me on her own. She never asked for anything. Never complained. But a year ago, she caught a rare illness. She can't move. The doctors said there's a cure… but it's expensive. I started saving money doing small jobs—gathering medicinal herbs for the guild, cleaning courtyards, accompanying the elderly on trips. Everything."
Then he sighed and continued:
"But time's running out. That's why I decided. I heard that whoever comes out of Daimas with the pendant… receives a reward that changes their life. That's why I'm here."
His words weren't dramatic. He wasn't begging for sympathy, nor pretending to be a hero. He simply spoke the truth… in a clumsy order, but honestly.
I was silent, then asked:
"Do you have any abilities?"
He answered with slight hesitation, as if he knew what he'd say wouldn't impress anyone:
"I'm good at tracking magic. I can follow trails, identify directions. That's it. I don't have combat or defense magic."
I studied him again.
Then, suddenly, something old surfaced in my mind. A very old memory… of a woman who was the only one in my tribe who didn't look at me as a threat or a stain. A woman who asked if I'd eaten, if I slept well. My mother. And the kindness I once saw in her eyes… I now saw reflected in his tragedy.
I looked at him slowly.
"Neil."
"Yes?"
"I don't need a companion. I don't want a partner who'll complicate my path. But you… you'll come with me."
His eyes widened. Before he could speak, I raised a finger in warning:
"But on my terms."
He nodded without hesitation.
I said, "First, you follow me in silence. No questions. Don't interfere in my decisions. Second, the pendant is mine. But the reward… it's yours. All of it."
My tongue paused for a moment. I nearly added a third condition, but there was no need.
Neil said, with gratitude and excitement, "Deal!"
Then he smiled… a light, tired smile, but completely genuine.
We moved together toward the entrance of Daimas. Among the crowd that had begun to form lines in front of the gray-robed guards, their eyes covered.
All around, I heard whispers, heartbeats, hurried prayers, and sometimes… strange silence, as if someone knew they wouldn't return.
As for Daimas, it stood before us just as it did yesterday.
A living being. A pulsing path, with shifting doors and breathing walls.
But this time, I didn't stop.
Neil and I… crossed the threshold.