The war was over—or so Den believed. He had taken everything in Aetheris. Every city was now under his control, and the people had no choice but to obey him. Those who resisted were killed. The rest were captured and forced into slavery, working endlessly in the mines to gather minerals for new weapons.
Den sat on Luz's former throne in Biringan, grinning as he looked around. His eyes landed on the statue of the Light God. He laughed mockingly.
With a single swing of his Sword of Oblivion, he shattered the statue into pieces.
Meanwhile, far from Aetheris, Luz arrived at the entrance of the Minoan Maze. He stood before a massive stone door, covered in ancient carvings.
"This place is quiet…" Luz muttered to himself as he pushed the door open.
What he saw inside took his breath away. The walls sparkled with gold, diamonds, and countless treasures. The maze was filled with riches beyond imagination.
Before he could take another step, the ground shook violently. A massive figure lunged at him—a Minotaur.
Luz barely had time to react, summoning a shield of light to block the attack.
"Why are you here, human?" the Minotaur growled. "You dare steal from this sacred place? I will kill you!"
More footsteps echoed through the maze. Two more Minotaurs appeared, their eyes filled with rage.
"Wait, wait!" Luz raised his hands. "I am a Light Descendant!"
The Minotaurs roared in fury.
"There are no more Light Descendants! Bin was the last one!" one of them shouted.
Before Luz could explain, the first Minotaur punched him, sending him crashing into a pile of gold. Luz groaned, shaking off the pain.
"Alright… you want to fight, huh?" Luz said, his body glowing with light.
He fired a powerful light beam at one of the Minotaurs, burning its chest. The creature roared in agony, stepping back in pain.
The other two charged at Luz. One of them lowered its head and struck him with its massive horns, sending him flying again.
Luz stood up, panting. "You guys are strong…"
The three Minotaurs became even more furious, their strength increasing. Luz could barely keep up now. They attacked together, overwhelming him with their power. They punched, kicked, and threw him around like a ragdoll.
Luz fell to the ground, beaten and bloody. The Minotaurs stood over him, ready to finish him off.
With his last bit of strength, Luz raised his hand. A blinding light formed in his palm, growing larger and larger. His eyes glowed bright blue.
Then—BOOM!
A massive light beam exploded from his hand, engulfing all three Minotaurs. Their deafening cries filled the maze before they collapsed, lifeless.
Luz fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Blood dripped from his mouth, but he forced himself to stand.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered, looking at their bodies. "You left me no choice."
Without wasting another second, he continued deeper into the maze, determined to find the Astral Crystal.
---
Back in Biringan, Den was relaxed, enjoying his victory. Hook was busy overseeing the enslaved workers, while Matthew worked tirelessly in his lab, creating new weapons.
As Matthew flipped through an old book, something caught his eye—an entry about the Astral Crystal. His eyes widened.
"This… this is it," Matthew whispered.
He rushed to Den's chamber and placed the book in front of him.
"Den, look at this. The Astral Crystal… It holds the power of all past Light Descendants. If you claim it, you will become truly unstoppable!"
Den's grin widened. Another opportunity to gain power. Another chance to destroy Luz for good.
Then, it hit him. He finally understood where Luz had gone.
Den stood up, gripping his sword tightly.
"Hook," he called.
Hook appeared instantly.
"We're going to the maze," Den said.
Hook smirked. "So, he's there, huh?"
Den nodded. "And I'm going to kill him."
Leaving Matthew behind to lead the Dark Army, Den and Hook set off toward the Minoan Maze.
The hunt for Luz had begun.