Verena didn't hesitate. The moment the massive gate creaked open, revealing the swirling, spiraling descent deeper into the Labyrinth, her eyes stayed fixed on the fractured floor where Vivienne had vanished. Isolde, ever the composed one, had already stepped toward the path forward, but paused when she noticed Verena standing still.
"Verena," Isolde called, voice low with warning. "Don't be stupid."
Verena didn't answer right away. Her fingers twitched at her sides, threads of her Zodiacal Mimicry humming faintly beneath her skin as frustration and worry tangled inside her like a knot of coiled wires.
Isolde's gaze sharpened. "I know what you're thinking, and no—getting separated is exactly what this labyrinth wants. You can't chase after every lost duckling."
"She's not a duckling," Verena muttered. "She's… Vivienne."
"Exactly my point."
