Published: February 1, 2026
In the labyrinths of Astarnia, some had doors floating above the sea.
It was quite a rare sight, but in Sars, there was said to be a door submerged in the middle of a lake.
Why would it be placed there? Perhaps it was intended for the great invasion? The researchers of Sars scratched their heads, but seeking logic in labyrinths was probably pointless. No one had ever tried to uncover the mystery.
“This is it, right?”
“Seems like it.”
At the edge of Sars, floating on the lake, Rizel and the others exchanged glances in front of an old pier.
A small signboard erected at the base of the pier bore the labyrinth’s name, “Bazaar in the Lake,” and an arrow pointing to the end of the pier, all hand-drawn in a casual style. Stepping from the brick-paved path onto the pier, the thin wooden planks creaked underfoot.
Below the pier, the lake’s surface rippled gently. The water was incredibly clear, and at this hour, if there was no wind, one could faintly see down to the lakebed far below.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Which one?”
“Isn’t it that?”
Reaching the tip of the pier, Jill and Eleven leaned over to peer into the lake.
The door to the submerged labyrinth they were to dive into today wasn’t resting on the lakebed but was floating underwater. Though floating, it didn’t drift away; it simply hovered in place.
Rizel leaned over behind them, and sure enough, beyond the lake’s surface reflecting the blue sky, the upper part of the door was visible. This was the labyrinth closest to Sars’s mainland, at a depth of around four to five meters.
From the end of the pier hung a rope, allowing them to descend. Along the rope, little lamps resembling glass orbs were lit, ensuring it wouldn’t be lost even at night.
Every time the wind brushed the lake’s surface, the door’s outline quivered, more so than the window that had guided their audience the other day.
(It feels like a different world.)
Eleven took a step beyond the pier and, with a heavy splash, sank into the water.
Rizel moved to the edge of the pier where Eleven had stood and crouched beside Jill. From the rippling water below, a vivid red gleamed, wet and shining.
“Ah—it’s cold.”
“Told you.”
Eleven, skillfully treading water, shook his head irritably to clear his forehead hair that clung to his face.
Reaching out, Rizel gently stroked Eleven’s wet forehead, moving the fine hair aside with her fingertips. The shadow cast by her hand made his eyes narrow in a familiar, affectionate way.
“No monsters?”
“Who knows.”
Jill stood up next to her and plunged into the lake.
With a splash, droplets hit Rizel’s cheek. She instinctively reached to wipe them but stopped herself, reminding that she’d get soaked too.
Instead, she dipped her fingers into the water. Though she had avoided early morning to prevent freezing, the water was still cold.
“Leader, you too.”
Eleven tapped Rizel’s shoe with his finger.
Jill, hair plastered to his cheek, pushed it back and peered out. Watched by the two of them, Rizel sat down on the pier and dangled her legs. She hadn’t known if she’d be able to resurface after diving in.
Half her legs submerged, the wet gear clung strangely to her skin.
“Why so cautious?”
“Well, it’s like an unknown world.”
“What are you talking about? Isn’t it a bit late for that?”
“Maybe it’s our first encounter, in a way.”
Rizel stared intently at the lake.
Her reflection shimmered on the surface, beneath it her legs swayed underwater. Farther down, behind the labyrinth’s door, she could faintly see the lakebed through breaks in the water’s surface.
Shadows of decayed driftwood, swaying water plants, and schools of fish sliding by. The crystal-clear water made the depth feel more like height than depth.
And here they were, in their everyday clothes, about to plunge in. Though it was another world, breathing was possible and communication worked—all much different from the unusual surroundings.
“That’s the ‘Mermaid Princess’s Cave,’ right? It’s like that.”