Slowly, she sat up. Her legs trembled slightly, but she moved forward, groping her way through the void, trying to get her bearings, to find a way out. It felt like she was walking on water—a fluid, shifting surface… yet her feet remained perfectly dry.

-Hello? Is anyone there? she called out, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

No answer. Nothing but thick, almost oppressive silence.

She walked on, for what felt like a long time, how long, she couldn’t say. Time seemed to have dissolved into the darkness, just like her memories. She tried to remember who she was, her name, her face… but nothing came. Nothing. A gaping void in her mind.

And that sensation…

As if she were drowning, without water, without air, without end.

She lifted her head toward the sky or what passed for one. Above her, bluish ripples danced, as if she were gazing up at the world from the depths of the ocean. The filtered light seemed unreal, otherworldly, and everything pulsed with a strange, almost sacred calm.

-Where… where am I? she whispered, eyes wide. This feels… unreal.

Suddenly, a voice rose, ethereal, layered over the silence, as if it came from everywhere and nowhere at once.

You’re finally awake, said the stranger.

She jumped, heart pounding, instinctively shifting into a clumsy defensive stance. Before her, a figure slowly emerged from the glowing mist. It was a human form, feminine… but faceless. And where a heart should have been, there was only a yawning void.

-What are you trying to do? Fight? Or summon something? asked the figure, in a calm yet uncanny voice.

And even without visible features, she was sure—that thing… was laughing.

-Oh! You scared me, she said, bringing a hand to her lips.

-Sorry… That wasn’t my intention.

Her gaze lingered on the strange figure. So many questions swirled in her mind. She let them spill out in a rush, hoping that speaking them aloud might conjure some answers.

-Do you know where we are? Who I am? Why I’m here? How do I get out? And… who are you?

The figure watched her for a long moment, expression unreadable, then answered in a composed voice:

-Shall we walk?

Without waiting for a reply, the figure turned and walked away with slow, deliberate steps. The woman had no choice but to follow, heart still beating with uncertainty.

-We are in the center of Caligo, the figure explained as they walked. A labyrinth of illusions. It holds twenty-seven doors. You must pass through all of them and face the trials within if you hope to escape. As for me… I am here to guide you.

-So I’m dead, she concluded, her voice trembling. And you’re here to take me… to the afterlife?

The figure stopped abruptly. Then, unexpectedly, she burst into open laughter, almost mocking.

-No. You’re still alive.

-Then… why don’t I remember anything?

-As I said, I’m here to accompany you. But the answers to your questions—you must uncover them yourself, by crossing the labyrinth.

Silence fell between them as they continued their walk. A gentle tension hung in the air, a sense of mystery in every step.

She had the strange feeling that this figure already knew everything:her identity, her story, the reason she was here. She seemed guarded, maybe even distant… and yet, for some reason she couldn’t explain, she felt she could trust her.

-What’s your name? she asked the figure.

-I don’t have one, she replied simply.

-And… what do the other guides call you, then?

-You are the first person I’ve ever met.

She frowned, surprised.

-You mean… you’re alone?

-All guides are.

Another silence passed between them. Then she asked, a bit hesitantly:

-Can I give you a name?

The other shrugged slightly, intrigued.

-If it pleases you, she said, with a hint of curiosity.

She thought for a moment, scanning the figure as if trying to read some hidden essence. Then a name naturally formed on her lips.

-What do you think of… Vantæra?

The figure turned toward her and stared for a moment, saying nothing.

-Why that name?

-I don’t know…” she murmured. “It just feels… like you.

-I see, Vantæra replied simply, resuming her walk.

But before she could say anything else, the guide stopped in her tracks.

-We’ve arrived. This is the first door of the labyrinth.

Before them stood a colossal door, so tall its top was lost in shadow. Its surface looked like a moving starry sky, speckled with shifting lights. In its center, a strange inscription glowed softly: S03 – E27.

-The labyrinth is divided into three sections, Vantæra explained. Each section holds nine trials. I must warn you: some will be difficult. If you fail, you will remain trapped in the room… forever.

She paused, then added:

-I can’t enter with you, but I can give you clues.

-You’re not coming in? she asked, her voice tense.

-Guides are forbidden from crossing the doors.

-Then… how will you give me clues?

A thin smile traced itself across Vantæra’s invisible lips.

-You’ll know when the time comes.

She gazed at the door for a moment, then pushed it. A low creak echoed through the air as the room’s darkness was revealed. The young woman hesitated, her eyes fixed on the gaping opening.

-At least tell me… what’s my name?

Vantæra looked at her one last time before replying:

-For now… your name is Oizys.

Oizys stared at her, then slowly nodded.

If she wanted real answers, there was only one path to follow.

Without another word, she turned toward the open door… and stepped through.