The team emerged from the oppressive corridors of the labyrinth into a grand hall that seemed plucked from the pages of a medieval fairy tale. The air was thick with an almost tangible sense of regality. Rows of lion statues flanked either side of a crimson carpet that stretched toward a gilded throne at the far end. Sunlight poured through an ornate stained-glass window behind the throne, bathing the room in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Viper let out a low whistle. "And here I thought we were still underground. How does this even fit in the labyrinth?"
"It doesn't," Shadow murmured, scanning the room. Her sniper instincts picked up subtle inconsistencies—the strange, flickering edges of the statues and the odd way the sunlight moved. "This isn't real."
"Real enough to kill us," Ghost said, crouching low as he studied the nearest lion statue. Its eyes glowed faintly, as though watching them.
Rook stepped forward, his boots echoing against the polished floor. "Stay sharp. This is a test—just like the others. But this time, we're all in it together."
As the team advanced cautiously, the lion statues began to stir. One by one, their stone forms cracked and shifted, revealing sinewy bodies covered in golden fur. Their glowing eyes burned with an otherworldly intensity, and low growls reverberated through the hall.
"Of course, they come to life," Bulwark grumbled, hefting his heavy artillery. "Can't we catch a break?"
The largest lion stepped forward, its massive frame dwarfing the others. Its mane shimmered like molten gold, and its voice boomed across the hall.
"Mortals, you have trespassed upon sacred ground. To claim the throne, you must prove yourselves worthy. Face the Trial of Courage."
The lions pounced simultaneously, their movements fluid and coordinated. Rook barked orders, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"Ghost, flank left! Shadow, take high ground! Bulwark, hold the center! Viper, with me!"
Bulwark unleashed a barrage of fire, the concussive blasts shaking the hall but barely slowing the lions. Ghost darted between pillars, his suppressed pistol taking precise shots at the smaller lions. Meanwhile, Shadow climbed an ornate balcony, her sniper rifle picking off targets with surgical precision.
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Rook and Viper took on the leader, their movements a seamless blend of offense and defense. Viper's combat knives flashed in the golden light as she dodged swipes from the lion's massive claws. Rook, wielding a tactical axe, aimed for the beast's legs, trying to bring it down.
Despite their efforts, the lions seemed endless. For every one they defeated, another emerged from the shadows.
"This isn't working!" Shadow called from above. "They're regenerating somehow!"
Rook's eyes narrowed as he glanced toward the throne. The stained-glass window behind it pulsed faintly, the colors shifting in rhythm with the lions' movements.
"The window," he said. "That's the key. We take it out, we end this."
"Cover me!" Viper yelled, sprinting toward the throne.
As the team unleashed their firepower, Viper leaped onto the throne, hurling one of her knives straight into the heart of the stained glass. The room exploded in a blinding light, and the lions froze mid-attack, their forms crumbling into dust.
When the light faded, the team stood in silence, the throne now empty.
"The Trial of Courage," Rook muttered, looking at the shattered window. "We passed. But at what cost?"
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Ahead of them, a hidden door creaked open, revealing yet another path deeper into the labyrinth.