Oh crap, I didn't expect that

"Run!" I shout. We run as fast as we can along the edges of the walls and jump from wall to wall. But the walls fall so fast that we crash down with one that's already tilted.

"Ahh... we shout as we fall into the rubble."

Ouch, that was a hard landing. The minotaur rises before us, panting.

Oh shit. I look around. The others have suffered scratches but appear otherwise unharmed. The minotaur raises his arm and swings his axe in our direction.

We quickly jump to the side and narrowly escape his axe blow.

"That was close!" I shout. But there is no time to breathe as the minotaur prepares to attack again.

"I will defeat this beast!" Shouts Knox.

"No! Save your strength for the battle with the mage. The exit is within reach!" I shout.

And indeed, the exit isn't far away. We can easily reach it through the collapsed walls. However, the minotaur is on our heels. That makes it less easy.

We get ready as soon as possible and run ready to fight in the direction of the exit. We jump above the rubble of the walls, but the minotaur is faster.

"Run to the right!" I shout.

If we run further straight ahead, the minotaur will certainly catch up to us. But if we dodge, we might be able to build distance.

Due to a tremor in the ground caused by the attacks of the Minotaur, I fall down on the ground.

Oh crap! The minotaur rises up before me. The others stop running as they realize that I am lost. But it is nearly too late. He strikes, and dust swirls around, obscuring the view.

"Aria!" the others shout, shocked.

But lucky me. In the last second I use my powers to push the minotaur back. He staggers slightly and hits the ground with the axe a few centimeters away from my head. Just two centimeters more and I would have lost more than a few hairs. That was too close. My heart nearly stopped. But how can I get away from the minotaur as fast as possible?

The minotaur launches a new attack, but then a vine comes out of the ground under me and throws me backwards to the others before the minotaur can hit me again. I fall into the arms of the running Lionel, who continues running unhindered like the others.

"Thank you, Sisli!" I shout.

"No need to thank..." Sisli tries to say something but stops talking because the ground suddenly starts to shake.

"We are almost there," Caspian shouts, out of breath.

But the minotaur seems to catch up with us.

"I will stop him!" Knox shouts.

"What are you planning to do?" Sili shouts.

Without answering, Knox stops, grabs a big rock, and throws it against a shaky wall near the minotaur. The wall crumbles and falls on the minotaur.

"That won't stop him for long!" Knox shouts and starts to run again.

And he is right. The minotaur, buried under the rubble, strikes his arm through the rubble and rises from it. But we won at least a little time. Lionel, I, and Caspian are already at the exit.

"Go in first!" Knox shouts with an unusually serious voice.

We jump through the transparent shimmering exit barrier. Lionel puts me down as we look tensely through the barrier. The minotaur is very close behind Knox.

"You go first!" Knox shouts, grabs Sisli from his shoulder, and throws her like a football through the barrier into my arms.

Sisli instantly gets up.

"If you die, I will never forgive you!" Sisli shouts.

Before the minotaur can hit Knox with his axe, he also jumps through the barrier and tackles Caspian a few meters away.

Directly in front of the barrier, the minotaur suddenly stops, turns around, and leaves.

"As we left the labyrinth, the minotaur seemed to have no interest in us anymore. Or maybe he can't pass the barrier?" I think loudly.

"Idiot!" Sisli says and jumps to Knox.

"I am sorry!" he says.

"You should be. When we die, we will die together. Understood?" she says to Knox with a resolute but still trembling voice.

They really have a sweet relationship.

"Thanks for asking, I'm fine. I was just tackled away by a cupboard!" Caspian says sulkily.

We are in an empty round hall with many windows on the walls. After I have healed our injuries, we look through the windows.

"Since when are we so close to the top?" Caspian asks, irritated.

"This tower is entirely made of the mages' magic. Nothing is like it seems, and the levels are not arranged linearly. So the next level can be lower or higher. We should just try to get through the levels!" I say.

Looking out of the window, it looks like we are already on top. As the ground and the reverse river look so far away. But this has no meaning.

Between all the windows is one door. A door made of stone, decorated with ornaments and symbols.

"I can't see any logical pattern. But some of the symbols look like buttons." Lionel says, thinking.

"Is this some kind of puzzle?" Caspian asks.

"Oh, I love puzzles!" Sisli shouts.

"Not this kind of puzzle. As there are many options to press. The wrong choice can end in a disaster." I say, thinking.

While the others look around, I think about the puzzle. In the novel they solved the puzzle. And I think I know how they did it.

I walk through the hall.

In the middle of the hall on the ground are also symbols and ornaments. Now I know how it was. The buttons and symbols on the door are a false start and only lead to a trap. No matter which button you press, the real puzzle is on the floor. If I remember correctly, you have to turn the symbol in the middle clockwise once and press it down.

After a click sound, the room begins to slowly rotate, causing the windows to move and another door to appear behind one of them.

"I didn't do anything!" Caspian says nervously, who was checking the door.

"There is the exit! Well done, Caspian," I say and walk to the door.

"Ah, of course. I am a genius," he says, obviously not sure if he did something or not.

But it is better for me if they think that Caspian solved the puzzle than trying to explain to the others how I solved it.

I open the inconspicuous wooden door.

"Be cautious!" Lionel shouts.

But fortunately nothing happens. Behind the door is a shimmering barrier. This must be the next exit.

"Then let's go!" I say after taking a deep breath.

But after passing the barrier, we lose contact with the ground and fall.

Oh crap, I didn't expect that.

"What did you dooo?" Sisli shouts while we fall down.