The Echoes Of The Abyss
Chapter 20 - The Unexpected Meeting

Lian and Eris continue to explore the deadly labyrinth. They had passed through many obstacles and managed to overcome many challenges, but still had not found a way out of that underground world.

As they walked through the narrow passageway, they were suddenly faced with a large room. In the middle of the room, there was a female figure sitting on a majestic throne.

The woman looked extremely beautiful, with long black hair and sharp green eyes. She was wearing beautiful clothes, made of soft silk cloth and decorated with gleaming gems.

"Welcome to my palace" said the woman in a soft voice. "I am Queen Sariel, the ruler of this underworld."

Lian and Eris looked at each other, not believing what they saw. They knew that they had entered a very dangerous territory, and now they had to deal with Queen Sariel.

"We're not looking for trouble" Lian said softly. "We just want to find a way out of here."

Queen Sariel smiled. "Of course, it's the dream of everyone stuck here. However, the way out of this underground world was not easy to find. It takes courage and strength to achieve."

"Eris has incredible magic power" Lian said. "We are both confident that we can overcome all the obstacles that lie ahead of us."

Queen Sariel nodded. "I see great potential in Eris. He has incredible strength, which I have never seen before. However, that power also brought him greater danger."

Lian and Eris looked at each other, unsure of what Queen Sariel was saying.

"But you are not alone" said Queen Sariel. "I'll help you find a way out of here. However, there is one condition."

What'sthat?" ask Lian.

"You have to help me complete certain tasks" Queen Sariel said. "The task is very dangerous and can lead you to great danger. However, if you manage to complete the task, I will make sure that you can get out of here safely."

Lian and Eris looked at each other, knowing that they had no other choice. The way out of that underground world was extremely hard to find, and they had to take every chance they had.

"We will help you," Eris said in a steady voice. "What should we do?"

Queen Sariel smiled. "The task is very simple" he said. "You just need to find something that is very valuable to me. It was named the 'Crystal of Life', a gemstone hidden inside a very complicated labyrinth in the underground world. It's not easy to find it, but you have the ability and courage to succeed."

Lian was relieved to hear that. The task sounded much easier than he had imagined. "Where should I look for him?" ask Lian.

Queen Sariel handed her an elaborate labyrinth map. "Here," Queen Sariel said as she pointed at one of the sections on the map. "However, the labyrinth was full of traps and obstacles. You have to be very careful not to get stuck in it forever."

Lian nodded, feeling increasingly excited to complete the task. "I will do my best" he told Queen Sariel.

"Good," said Queen Sariel. "Once you manage to find the Life Crystal, bring it back to me, and you'll get a decent reward."

Lian exits Queen Sariel's palace and embarks on her adventure into the underground labyrinth. There, he encounters various kinds of ferocious creatures and dangerous traps. However, he did not feel afraid, as he had been trained and prepared to face everything in front of him.

After walking for several hours, Lian finally arrived at a large room with many interconnected hallways. He looked through the map and tried to figure out the best path to go through. However, he felt confused as all the paths looked the same.

"Please, give me a hint," Lian said to herself.

Suddenly, a soft female voice rang out in his ears. "Follow the road on the right, and you'll find what you're looking for" the voice said.

Lian looked around her, looking for the origin of the voice, but she saw no one. He shook his head and continued on his way following the instructions.

Lian continued walking until she found a small room hidden behind a trap. There, he saw a large gemstone shining brightly. Life Crystals. He grabbed it carefully and felt happy that he had completed his task.

However, when he turned to walk out of the room, he looked at Eris in front of him, looking at him with a cold and sharp gaze. "What are you doing here?" ask Eris.

Lian tries to explain about her duties to Queen Sariel and about how she found the Life Crystal. However, Eris did not look impressed. "Don't be stupid" Eris said in a stern voice. "You think that just by finding that thing, you can get out of here and return to the surface world? What makes you think so naively?"

Lian was offended by Eris' harsh remarks, but she did not want to get involved in the debate. "I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but I don't know what to do here other than trying to complete this task" he replied carefully.

Eris sighed, and suddenly she looked a little softer. "I'm sorry if I sound rude. I don't want you to die here because of your stupidity. Life Crystals are indeed precious, but that's not the only way to get out of here. There's another way, and I'll help you find it."

Lian was surprised to hear the words of Eris who suddenly turned around. He did not know what to think about this mysterious woman. However, he felt relieved that he was not alone in trying to get out of this underground world.

"Thank you, Eris," Lian said with a smile. "I'm grateful that I have friends like you."

Eris smiled faintly. "Don't be too happy first" he said. "The problem will not be easy, and we will face many obstacles in front of us. But we're going through it together."

Lian nodded. "I'm ready for whatever will happen" he said firmly.

Eris smiled gently. "Alright, first we need to get out of this room. I have a plan."

With that, Eris walked up to the wall and began a series of strange spells and produced a greenish-blue glow. The light enveloped the wall, and suddenly a secret door opened in front of them.

"Let's go" said Eris, clasping Lian's hand.

Lian nodded and they walked out of the room towards the next adventure in the underground world filled with wonders and dangers.

Lian fell silent, not knowing what to say. He felt like Eris considered herself a liar and a fraud. However, he knew that he had to prove the truth of his words.

"But, Queen Sariel has already given me this Life Crystal as proof that I have completed my task successfully" Lian said as she showed the crystal.

"Well, you can go now" he said. "But, I'll keep an eye on you and if I find out that you're lying, you'll receive the punishment you deserve."

Lian nodded, feeling relieved. He left the room and immediately went to the bathroom to rid himself of the mud and dirt that stuck in his body. After finishing the bath, she returned to her room and started thinking about what to do next.

He still had not found a way out of that underground world and he felt increasingly trapped within it. However, he felt lucky to have met Eris. The woman may look cold and distant, but she has extremely powerful magic abilities and can be a valuable ally to Lian.

Lian decided to go to the palace library and look for books that might help her find her way out of that underground world. He felt that he had to take advantage of every opportunity available to find out more about the place.

After walking for a while, Lian finally arrived at the library. He was surprised at how large and vast the library was. The walls were filled with bookshelves and in the middle of the room were tables filled with open books.

Lian started looking for books about that underground world. He read about the history and myths of the place, about the creatures that were there, and about the labyrinth that surrounded it. He learned that there were many menacing dangers in that underground world, and that few people managed to get out of it.

However, when Lian tried to find information about the exit, she found that there was almost no information available. The books gave only a few hints of a way out, and Lian felt even more desperate.

He spent several hours in the library, reading a 10-volume book and searching for information about a way out. However, when he left the library, he did not have the answers he was looking for. He felt increasingly trapped within that underground world

Lian continued to struggle to find a way out of the mysterious and dangerous underground world. He explored every hallway and room he encountered, looking for clues or signs that might help him find a way out.

However, the longer he was there, the more desperate he felt. There were no clear clues, no signs of leading in the right direction. Lian began to doubt her ability to get out of that place.

That was when, he met a guard who explained about a hidden cave that led to the surface. Lian felt surprised and excited, there was finally a clear clue about the exit.

But there's one problem. The cave is located in enemy territory which is very dangerous and difficult to access. Lian felt desperate again, but she would not give up. He would figure out a way to find a way out of that underground world, even if it meant facing an enemy stronger than he had ever faced before.

With a strong determination and unwavering spirit, Lian and Eris prepare to face the dangers and challenges that lie ahead of them. They prepared carefully and gathered all the strength they had. They are convinced that together, they can overcome all obstacles and find a way out of that underground world.

When they arrived at enemy territory, they attempted to sneak undetected. They passed through the traps and avoided the lurking enemies. When they reached the hidden cave, they felt relieved and excited.

However, their victory did not last long. In the middle of the road, they were ambushed by a group of extremely powerful enemies. Lian and Eris tried to fight back, but their enemies were too many and too powerful.

When everything seems bleak, Eris uses her powers to protect Lian and ensure that she survives. However, the act sacrificed itself. Lian was shocked and sad, but she knew that she had to keep going.

Finally, after going through many obstacles and dangers, Lian managed to find a way out of that underground world. He returns to the surface with a heavy heart, contemplating Eris' sacrifice and realizing how precious true friendship is.

When Lian reached the surface, she was greeted by the rising sun in the eastern horizon. He felt a sense of warmth and freedom that he had never felt before. He knew that his adventure in the underground world had ended, at least for a while. However, something continued to plague his mind - Eris. He feels that he must return to the underground world and find Eris. He couldn't leave her there alone.

Lian took a deep breath and turned to look down into the crack on the ground where she had descended earlier. He recalled the path he had taken and calculated how long it would take to get back there. After making sure that he was mentally and physically ready, Lian began to enter that crack of the ground again.

He re-navigates the dangerous labyrinth and takes care not to get caught or injured. After a while, he reached the location where he left Eris. He searched around the place, but found no trace of Eris. He began to feel anxious and confused. Maybe Eris has gone looking for the thing that Queen Sariel asked for.

However, as he turned around the last corner in the hallway, he saw the shadow of someone in the distance. He started running towards the shadow, and the closer he got, he felt his heartbeat speed up. He felt like he saw a flash of light when he finally got near the shadow and realized that it was Eris.

"Eris!" shouted Lian happily. "Are you okay?"

Eris turned towards Lian and smiled. "Of course" he answered. "I'm just looking for the thing that Queen Sariel asked for. How did you get here?"

Lian tells about her desire to find Eris and make sure that she is okay. Eris looked moved and smiled. "Thank you, Lian. I'm really lucky to have a friend like you."

Lian felt her heart melt as Eris called her friend. He could not hold back his feelings anymore and tried to express his feelings to Eris. However, before he could say it, Eris suddenly fell silent and gazed towards the distant corridor before them.

"Something is not right" Eris said in a serious tone.

Lian raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Eris pointed towards that corridor. "I felt the presence of a strange and unknown person there. We have to be careful."

Lian felt a little bad. She and Eris had already gone through a lot together and she knew how powerful Eris' magic ability was, but she could not shake the unpleasant feeling in her heart.

"Well, let's go get that thing and then we get out of here as fast as we can" said Lian.Eris nodding in agreement, and the two moved towards the exit. However, they suddenly came to a halt when there was the sound of footsteps in the corridor. Lian and Eris looked at each other, and they were trying to find a place to hide.

A moment later, a group of soldiers came towards them. They wore armor and carried sharp weapons in their hands. Lian felt her heartbeat speed up as they got closer. He didn't want to get involved in the fight, but if that happened, he was ready to protect himself and Eris.

However, to their astonishment, those soldiers passed by them just like that, as if not seeing them there. Lian and Eris looked at each other, confused by this situation. What the hell's going on?

Suddenly, a door opened near them, and out came a man wearing a black robe and an elegant fur hat. He glanced towards Lian and Eris, and then nodded politely.

"I see you looking for a way out" he said in a low voice. "However, you are trapped inside a circle of charm. I can help you get out of here, but I need your help for a mission."

Lian and Eris looked at each other, and then nodded in agreement. They were ready to do anything to get out of that underground world.

"Well, what should we do?" ask Lian seriously.

The man smiled. "I need something very valuable for Queen Sariel" he said. "It's in the hands of our enemy, and I need your help to take it back."

Lian and Eris looked at each other, and then nodded in agreement. They were ready to do anything to help the man and to get out of that underground world. Their new adventure begins.