Then, out of the darkness, a creature lunged at him.

It was massive, and its hulking form made Adrian look like a dwarf as it charged toward him. The creature's body was covered in matted fur, and its muscles rippled beneath its thick hide. Its head was that of a bull, with sharp horns that curved menacingly from its skull.

"The Minotaur," Adrian whispered as he stared at it, charging towards him.

The Minotaur's eyes burned with a fierce, unholy light, and its mouth was twisted into a snarl, revealing rows of sharp, yellowed teeth.

Adrian barely had time to react.

He threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the Minotaur's horns as it charged past him. The creature skidded to a halt, its hooves digging deep grooves into the stone floor. It turned with a speed that belied its massive size, its eyes locking onto Adrian with a predatory gaze.

Adrian's heart raced as he drew his sword, the blade gleaming faintly in the dim light. The Minotaur snorted, steam rising from its nostrils as it pawed the ground, readying itself for another charge.

The creature lunged again, its massive form barreling toward Adrian with terrifying speed. Adrian braced himself, his muscles tensing as he prepared for the impact.

At the last second, he dodged to the side, swinging his sword in a wide arc.

The blade sliced through the air, but the Minotaur was faster than he anticipated.

It twisted its body, avoiding the strike with a fluid motion that seemed impossible for a creature of its size. The Minotaur's horns clipped Adrian's shoulder as it passed, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Pain shot through Adrian's arm, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand. The Minotaur circled him, its eyes gleaming with a savage intelligence. It was toying with him, testing his reflexes, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Adrian tightened his grip on his sword, his mind racing as he tried to formulate a plan. The Minotaur was fast—faster than he had anticipated. He couldn't rely on brute strength alone to defeat it; he needed to outthink it, to use the labyrinth to his advantage.

As the Minotaur lunged at him again, Adrian darted to the side, slipping between two narrow walls. The creature skidded to a halt, its massive body too large to fit through the gap. It bellowed in frustration, slamming its horns against the stone walls, trying to reach him.

Adrian didn't waste any time.

He sprinted down the narrow passage, the walls pressing in on him from all sides. The sound of the Minotaur's bellowing grew fainter as he put distance between them, but he knew it wouldn't be long before the creature found another way to reach him.

Adrian's breath came in ragged gasps as he sprinted through the twisting corridors of the labyrinth, the Minotaur's growl fading into the distance.

Soon, he slowed down to a walk. As he walked, his mind drifted to what Lilith had told him about the Minotaur—the creature whose actual name was Adrieus.

Adrieus was born from a cursed union and cast in the labyrinth as a child. He grew up and adapted to the maze's dangerous passages. Over time, he became one with the labyrinth, perfecting his senses and instincts within its twisting corridors.

The labyrinth was his domain, his home, and anyone who entered it was prey.

Adrian knew he had to be smart to outthink the beast that hunted him.

He came to a junction, pausing to consider his options. The labyrinth offered two paths—one to the right, and one to the left. Using his discretion, Adrian decided to alternate his direction, hoping to confuse the Minotaur—or at least to find his way to the heart of the labyrinth.

He turned right, moving swiftly but carefully. The passage was narrow, the walls pressing in on him from both sides.

Another junction—Adrian took the left path this time, his hand brushing against the wall to keep his balance. He focused on the rhythm of his steps and the pattern he was creating: right turn, left turn, right turn.

But the labyrinth was quite deceptive, with its passages winding and twisting in unexpected ways.

He made another right turn, only to stop abruptly. The passage before him looked familiar. Too familiar. He squinted at the walls, trying to remember if he had been here before.

A faint mark caught his eye—a scratch in the stone that he didn't remember making, but it was there, unmistakable.

A sense of dread washed over him as he realized he had somehow doubled back on himself.

Adrian cursed under his breath and turned to retrace his steps, but the path he had just come from was no longer there. The walls had shifted, and the passage was now a dead end.

Panic surged through him, but he forced it down, knowing he couldn't afford to lose his composure. The growl of the Minotaur echoed through the labyrinth, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down his spine.

Adrian faced the only remaining path, his mind racing. He couldn't rely on memory alone in this ever-changing maze. Drawing his sword, he began marking the walls as he moved, a thin scratch at each turn to signal where he had been and where he needed to avoid.

The hours dragged on, the labyrinth a maze of twisting corridors and dead ends. Adrian's frustration grew with each misstep, each time the walls seemed to close in on him, forcing him to backtrack.

The Minotaur's growls grew louder, more frequent, but Adrian couldn't pinpoint their origin.

He paused to catch his breath, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of the beast. His body ached from the strain, every muscle taut with tension. The labyrinth was a living thing, a predator in its own right, and Adrian was trapped within its grasp.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something moving in the darkness. It was fleeting, a flash of red eyes and matted fur, gone almost as quickly as it appeared. Adrian's heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline surging through his veins.

He tightened his grip on his sword, ready for the Minotaur to lunge at him once more.

But the creature didn't attack. It lingered in the shadows, watching him, waiting.

Another growl rumbled through the labyrinth, closer this time, resonating deep in Adrian's chest. He couldn't see the Minotaur but could feel its presence, like a force lurking just out of sight.

Adrian considered Lilith's words once more. The labyrinth was Adrieus' domain, and the Minotaur knew every twist, every turn, every hidden passage. He had to stop fighting the maze and start using it to his advantage.

His mind made up, Adrian decided to do the unexpected—he would follow the sound of the Minotaur. If the creature were trying to lead him, then he would let it. He would let the Minotaur believe it was in control while he found a way to outmaneuver it.

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