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“Cover me.” I sheath my knife and move toward the nearest wall.

Kelaros positions himself between me and the advancing stag, his borrowed knife held ready. “Whatever you’re planning, do it fast.”

Its antlers lower, crystalline points aimed straight at us. It paws the crystal floor, sending musical notes ringing from wall to wall.

I reach the wall and test a mirrored panel with my fingertips. It’s held in place by some kind of crystal growth, but the center flexes under pressure. Gripping the corner, I pull hard. The panel resists, then breaks free with a sound of tearing fabric.

The mirror is lighter than expected, its backing made of some thin, flexible material. I turn it in my hands, angling it to catch the stag’s heart-light. A beam of concentrated brightness reflects into one of the hollow cavities where its eyes should be.

The stag recoils with a violent shudder.

“Break off more panels,” I call to Kelaros. “We need to create a maze of light.”

Kelaros backs toward another section of wall, keeping his focus on the disoriented stag. He strikes the edge of a mirror with the hilt of his knife, and the panel cracks loose.

Working quickly, I position my mirror shard on the floor, angling it to catch and redirect the heart-light. The stag shakes its head, struggling to orient itself beneath the fractured light.

“Place yours there,” I point to a spot near the chamber’s edge. “We need to split the light into multiple beams.”

Kelaros follows my direction, setting his mirror at an angle that catches the refracted light from mine and sends it bouncing toward the ceiling. The effect multiplies instantly, prismatic patterns fracturing across every surface.

The stag paws the ground again, more agitated now. Its movements become less coordinated, head swinging from side to side as it tries to track the confusing patterns.

I smash another panel free, the wound in my side protesting with each movement. Ignoring the pain, I position the new piece to form another light trap. The chamber fills with dancing beams that cross and recross in a dizzying web of light.

“It’s working.” Kelaros breaks free a larger section, carrying it to the far side. “The light is its power, but also its weakness.”

The stag staggers, antlers thrashing as it searches for a way through the shifting pattern. It charges forward, crashing into a mirrored wall. The impact shatters dozens of panels, sending crystalline shards flying across the room.

I duck behind a larger mirror fragment, using it as a shield. The stag’s confusion grows, its movements becoming frantic. It spins in circles, trying to locate us.

“There,” Kelaros points to where the stag’s rampage has revealed a narrow opening in the wall. “A way out.”

The exit is half-hidden behind intact mirrors.

“Can you reach it?” I ask, still manipulating my mirror shard to keep the light trap intact.

Kelaros edges along the wall, careful to stay within the protection of our light maze.

“Almost there,” Kelaros calls, now only a few feet from the hidden exit.

The stag suddenly freezes, its crystal heart pulsing with increased intensity. The chamber temperature drops, and my breath fogs in the sudden chill. The creature’s head swings toward Kelaros, as if it can sense him through means other than sight.

“It’s locked onto you,” I warn. “Run!”

Kelaros sprints for the exit as the stag charges, antlers lowered. I grab another mirror shard and hurl it at the creature’s heart. The panel shatters against the glowing crystal, not damaging it but disrupting its light for a heartbeat.

The stag falters, and Kelaros reaches the exit. He turns back and reaches for me. “Come on!”

I sprint through our improvised light maze, zigzagging between the prismatic beams. The stag recovers quickly, wheeling to follow my movement. Each hoofbeat rings with a musical note, building into a discordant symphony that makes my head spin.

“Hurry!” Kelaros shouts, barely audible over the stag’s pursuit.

The exit looms ahead, a crack in reality leading to darkness beyond.

Twenty feet.

Ten feet.