Orion stumbled as he emerged from the portal, landing on a cold, metallic surface. The air smelled of ozone and something ancient, something forgotten by time itself. As he rose to his feet, he found himself in a vast, labyrinthine structure—a seemingly infinite maze of towering monoliths and shifting corridors, each passageway glowing with runes that flickered like dying stars.
A whisper brushed against his ear. "This is the Labyrinth of Lost Time. Here, the past, present, and future exist as one."
The voice was not the Echo's. It was softer, more melodic. Orion turned and found a woman standing behind him, her silver hair cascading down her back like liquid stardust. Her eyes held entire galaxies within them.
"Who are you?" he asked warily, gripping Eos tightly.
She stepped closer, unafraid. "I am Astraea, Guardian of the Forgotten One. You seek the truth, Orion Valerian, but are you prepared to face the weight of eternity?"
Orion's heart pounded. The Labyrinth seemed to pulse around him, shifting as if alive. A distant growl echoed through the corridors. Something else was here.
"What is this place?" he demanded.
Astraea extended a hand, and a section of the wall dissolved, revealing a vision—countless versions of himself walking through the same maze, making different choices, some succeeding, some failing, some never escaping at all.
"This is where time folds upon itself," she explained. "Only those who prove themselves may reach the Forgotten One. But beware—the Labyrinth will test you. It will drag you through your greatest fears, your deepest regrets. And if you falter... you will be lost here forever."
Orion swallowed hard. He had come too far to fail now.
Astraea gave him a knowing look. "The first trial begins now. Choose your path, Orion. And remember—time is not on your side."
Before he could respond, the ground beneath him cracked open, and darkness swallowed him whole.