"Here," the Red Knight grunts from nearby.

"Squire?"

No answer.

I push up and swat the fog from the spot where my squire would've fallen.

There's a black gap where the floor should be.

I can barely breathe. "We aren't gonna make it," I say, stricken.

"We will." The Red Knight hauls me up by my waist. "No matter what happens, you must stop this curse."

The world is dying and all its people with it. Choking on tears and smoke, I say nothing. He takes my hand and we start forward more cautiously.

The hallway is clogged with purple clouds emanating from the doorway at its end. I move towards it, not liking how much harder it is to breathe here than anywhere else in the castle. The sensations of being ready to pass out are creeping up on me. My pulse is racing, my ears straining for any sound indicating the ceiling above us is collapsing. My instincts are screaming for me to hurry, to discover some magical way to save the Shadow Knight's life.

"This is it," I murmur. We reach the door outlined in purple light. "God, I hope this works."

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"What do we do?" he asks.

"I'm not sure." I release his hand and reach for the doorknob only to discover there is none. I rest both palms on the rough wood lightly and trace them over it, seeking some other method of opening it. Finding none, I push.

The door swings open to reveal a torch lit room behind it.

"I see naught," the Red Knight leans past me.

"Me neither." Frustrated, I stare into the empty chamber. There's no source of purple smoke and gray fog, not even furniture.

The stone floor pitches again, the dying throes of a world about to cease to exist. I smack into the side of the doorway and brace my arms against it. There's no doubt this is where the fog is coming from.

"We go in," I decide.

The Red Knight takes my hand. "Agreed."

I glance up at him, tears blinding me. "You sure you want to do this?"

"What choice is there?" he replies.

Swallowing hard, I nod.

"Witch, do me one favor," he adds, uncertainty slipping into his shaky voice for the first time. "If you survive this, and I am trapped or lost, swear you will summon me."

Not about to tell him I have no idea how to do that, I nod. "Okay. I will."

"You will need my name."

"What is it?"

"Jareth."

"Jareth?" I squeak. It's the name of the Villain in the Labyrinth. For a split second, I experience a sinking feeling in my gut, one that tells him accompanying me may not be a good idea after all. With no clear-cut loyalties and a bizarre motivation to find LF that I don't understand, I may be helping someone I shouldn't get a leg up in a way that could backfire down the road.




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