We continued to meander through a labyrinth of dank stone corridors. The stench of mildew and stale air made me grimace. I proceeded with caution in order not to twist my ankle again on the uneven cobblestone floor.

"This is the Maze of Horrors," the Shadow Rider said. "You will face your darkest fears in these halls. If you stay close to me, we can navigate through the trap unscathed."

"If I don't, I'll get lost?" I asked.

"It's a maze for your mind, not your body." He tilted my chin. "Those who are weak-willed can lose their sanity. You must stay strong and keep moving forward until we reach the end."

"I promise."

When we reached a heavy wrought-iron door, Lord Darius curled his hand around the handle. "Are you ready, Helena?"

I gave a silent nod.

"You must ignore whatever you see and hear," he said, "and keep going."

Sounds easy enough...

A bright blue light shone around the Shadow Rider's fingers. A sharp buzzing noise followed. A series of clicks and clunks released various locking mechanisms inside the door followed by a harsh clunk-thud.

As the door creaked open, I heard the horrendous sound for the first time.

Screams.

Terrifying, blood-curdling screams.

Visions of Mama. She stood before me, a bloody hand reaching for me. "Please, Helena. Stay with me. Heal me!"

I froze like a deer in the forest. Reaching down, I grasped her hand in mine. "Mama?"

"Just kill me!" Papa pleaded on the other side of an iron door. "Take me! Not Helena!"

His outcries morphed into gags and chokes. My blood turned to ice when he coughed and spluttered water--or worse.

"Papa!" I cried, banging at the metal door. "Papa, are you there?"

He gasped for air as though he'd almost drowned. My stomach churned in abject horror.

"Please!" Lena cried out behind me, her throat cut. Her eyes red like the devil. "They're trying to kill me. Help me!"

Lord Hesse pulled her up by the hair. "You're going to die, Little Lena."

I raced towards him. "Let her go!"

"Helena..." Lord Hesse sibilated as he spoke, black ribbons of shadow obscuring his face. "You'll never save her. You're a coward. You'd rather protect yourself."

"Let go of her!"

Lord Darius grasped my shoulders and forced me to look him in the eye. "Ignore the visions. They're not real."

"These ones are," I cried. "I can see them. Touch them. They're dying!"

"Oh? Look again."

When I turned back, everyone had vanished: Mama, Lena, even Papa's voice.  

Tingles traveled along my whole body, crawling like a thousand fire ants across my skin. Mama's and Papa's screams returned, echoing without mercy. 

My body told me to run. Fear had locked me in place like a startled fawn.

"Helena..." Lord Hesse's voice slithered in the air, coiling around me. "Come ... to ... me."

"Never!"

Lord Darius grasped my upper arms and gave me a light shake. "Fight it! Follow me."

My body refused to budge. "I will not join him."

I could almost feel the Shadow Rider's harsh stare behind his metal helmet. "Helena, you have to move, or it will only get worse."

"No!" Mama cried. I whipped around. She fell to her knees before Lord Hesse. "Don't turn my child into a monster. Please! I'll do anything."

With each passing cry, my soul shriveled just a little bit more.

"I won't make you torture or attack anyone," Darius said in a solemn whisper, turning me back to face him. "I swear to you. We need healers in our ranks. That's all you'll do."

Move, Helena. Don't be a fool.

I strained with all my might. It felt like someone had glued me into place.

"I can train you to do your mother's craft. You know I can. You saw my abilities yourself." He gave me a little shake. "But you have to let go and trust me."

My breath came to me in panicked gasps as Lord Hesse reached out his hand as if to grab me.

"Do you understand me, Helena?"he asked. "Nod if you do."

Lord Darius gave me another gentle shake. Frozen in shock, I simply stared at him, unmoving. Like prey before a predator. My throat spasmed and refused to speak. 

Shaking his head, the Rider guided me away from Lord Hesse. I stumbled towards a metal door. 

He clenched his right fist and opened it, spreading his fingers wide. When I took another step, I stumbled on bloody corpses. A whimper escaped my lips.

Lord Hesse stood before the door, blocking our path. A sea of dead bodies flooded the room like a tidal wave. 

"I killed them," he snarled. "I killed them all."

I shielded my eyes from the corpses, their faces contorted in terror.

"Darius!" I cried. "How do I make it stop?" 

Scooping me into his arms, the Rider strode forward. The dead corpses parted before him, allowing him to pass. When he reached Lord Hesse, he never stopped and strode through a cloud of black fog. I coughed. The smoke stank of struck matches.

The door slammed shut behind the Rider, shutting all the visions away. 

Now they existed only in my mind.

"What...happened?" I asked.

Kneeling on the ground, the Shadow Rider rested me against the wall. "Helena, you made it through the Maze of Horrors. Don't be ashamed. Not many can endure the visions." 

My vision blurred in front of me as my eyes struggled to focus on the Shadow Rider. "It hurts," I slurred. "My heart actually hurts."

"Use your inner strength to heal," he said as he supported my lolling head in his hands. "Think of a powerful memory to help you. That's what I do."

"A memory?"

"Yes, a joyful one. Can you do that for me?"

I nodded. A joyful memory. Happiness seemed so far away, but I had to try. Closing my eyes, I pictured the first thing that came to mind.

It was the middle of winter. Mama and Papa were huddled together on the leather sofa under a fuzzy blanket. I sat in the rocking chair reading my favorite book near the fireplace. 

The log Papa had put on the smoldering embers roared to life, crackling as it caught fire. A gentle warmth radiated from the hearth, making me somnolent and calm.

"That's it," the Shadow Rider cooed as he cupped my face, momentarily bringing me back to the harsh realities of the dank dungeon. "Good. Now take that memory and siphon power from it."

"How?"

"Use your powerful imagination. I know you can. I can sense it." He took a deep breath. "I'll help you the first time."

Sinking deep into my memory, I fell into a trance. A dream state in which I had returned to my parents. I was only vaguely aware of my actual surroundings.

A young man in his early twenties walked into the lounge dressed in Halcían garb. His hair reminded me of snow. His skin held the same pale blue-gray hue as his eyes. 

Like the lake in summertime. 

Tall and lanky, the young Halcían man eyed a metal bucket near the fireplace. He picked it up and scooped all the flames into it.

"You'll burn yourself," I cried out. "What are you doing?"

"Drink it," the young man said, his voice deep and guttural. "The flames will heal you."

None of the flames remained in the hearth. He'd gathered them all for me. When he handed me the pot, I shook my head.

"Drink the flames," he insisted. "Please."

"I'll die!"

"Trust me, Helena."

"Mama! Papa!"

When I turned around, they'd disappeared.

"Drink," he commanded in a firm tone.

I grazed the side of the container with a tentative touch of my fingertips, but it felt cool. The flames roared and exuded heat even without their fuel source. 

"This is a dream," I said. 

"Yes, of sorts," the young man replied with a nod.

Like a parched woman dying of thirst, I raised the pot to my lips. The fire turned into a viscous red liquid. I gulped the fiery lava until I'd swallowed the last drop. 

It tasted like the chili peppers Papa grew in the summer.

Warmth built up in my chest, pushing away the cold. It raced through my whole body and burned into my soul. Gazing down at my bodice, my chest glowed like flickering candlelight with every heartbeat.

"Now stand," the young man said as he extended his hand towards me. "Be the strong, brave woman I know you are. Face your fears."

Grasping his hand, I stood. "Darius, is that you?"

"You will wake now," he whispered in my ear as he drew me close.

"You smell like snow. You smell like him."

"Wake up, Helena."

"Helena!" Darius yelled in the dank corridor.

With a start, I found myself in the dungeon once more. I leaped to my feet. 

"What happened?" I asked, shirking away from Darius. "What was that?"

"Your first glimpse into inner magic," he replied.

"Was that you?"

"What?"

"In the dream."

"I'm not the master of your dreams," he said. "You are."

"You were there. I saw you." I furrowed my brow. "I think ..."

"I can't tell you what you saw," he said, his voice deep as rumbling thunder. "I can only tell you that it worked. You've begun to heal your psyche using magic."

"But how can a dream ..."

"If you decide to train with me, I can teach you." He rose to his feet. "For now, let's go."

"But ..."

"There's no time, Helena," he insisted. "We're late as it is, and Lord Hesse has no patience for fools." He extended his hand to me. "Walk with me. Do not stray this time."

Once we'd passed the Maze of Horrors, the Shadow Rider led me through the narrow passageways towards the throne room. To face the Death Bringer himself.

Lord Hesse.

___

A/N: Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this chapter, please vote and/or comment. I also like to know where there's room for improvement, so please let me know if you have any feedback or constructive criticism.

This is a raw draft and subject to substantial changes. Thanks for your patience.