As the cue echoed through the chamber, a frenzy erupted among the participants, each one darting towards the yawning passageways, their gems glinting and weapons poised at their hips.

Cithara's pulse quickened with anticipation as she strode towards the labyrinthine corridors, her spirits buoyed by the thrill of the challenge ahead.

With every step closer to the coveted Victory Gem, a cacophony of chaos surrounded her: arrows whistled past from unseen archers, spells crackled through the air, and the distant echoes of screams mingled with the clamor of battle.

"Easy, Cithara," she murmured under her breath, her voice a gentle reassurance amidst the cacophony, as she sought to anchor herself amidst the tumultuous chaos.

The path ahead narrowed, engulfed in darkness. Towering bushes, their verdant foliage swaying eerily in the night, cast long shadows that seemed to pulse with a life of their own.

Suddenly, one of the bushy walls shifted, parting to reveal a hidden passage. Cithara found herself caught between two diverging paths, the original route closed off by the enigmatic foliage. An ominous structure loomed in the distance, beckoning to be explored.

After a moment's hesitation, weighing her options, Cithara opted for the newly revealed passage, stepping forward with determination along the path ahead, leaving the mystery of the other route behind her.

In the dim light, a figure dashed towards her, drawing Cithara's gaze. Her eyes widened as she recognized one of the other participants hurtling in her direction.

Reacting swiftly, she raised her small bow, its string taut as she aimed it towards the approaching figure. But just as she was about to release the arrow from her quiver, the man halted in his tracks, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender, palms outstretched in a plea for mercy.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" The man's urgent shouts pierced the air, his pace gradually slowing as he approached.

Cithara hesitated, her mind racing with uncertainty. "Please don't harm me!" The man's plea echoed through the stillness, his fear palpable in the trembling of his voice.

"But..." Cithara began, her own words faltering as she processed the unexpected plea for mercy. "That's actually what I was about to assure you," she replied, her voice softening with empathy as she lowered her bow, the tension between them easing in the shared moment of understanding.

Taking in the man's disheveled appearance, Cithara's gaze lingered on the absence of his gems and weapon, stirring questions within her curious young mind.

"There's a monster... There's a monster in there!" The man's warning was urgent, his eyes wide with terror. "I saw it, with my own eyes. I'm lucky to have escaped its deadly grasp."

His torn clothes and multitude of scratches lent credence to his tale, yet a nagging doubt tugged at the corners of Cithara's mind. Could there be more to this story?

Even before the game commenced, she had meticulously studied its background and rules. Interparticipant combat was commonplace, a means to secure victory. The game was perilous, particularly within the maze where magic held no sway.

"I'll press on in search of the gem, to hasten our escape," the man declared, his resolve unwavering despite the ominous warning.

In the blink of an eye, the man vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a chilling emptiness, his whereabouts shrouded in mystery.

"Alright, that's... strange," Cithara murmured, a shiver running down her spine as she pressed onward towards victory.

The wind howled restlessly, whipping through the maze with an icy intensity, enveloping the night in a cloak of mystical silence.

"I still possess my three gems, but..." Cithara's voice trailed off into a whisper, her thoughts tinged with unease. "Let's just hope they don't run out, because this bow will be useless if they do."

The darkness swallowed her path, the night mist swirling around her, her three gems casting feeble beams of light that served as her sole illumination and, in her current predicament, her only beacon of hope.

As she prepared to veer left, an unexpected sight halted her in her tracks. Two players emerged in the pathway ahead, their voices carrying desperate pleas for help. Despite the distance separating them, Cithara strained to make out their words, unable to discern their faces clearly in the dimness of the maze.

The participants, engrossed in their efforts to target something beyond Cithara's view, suddenly collapsed to the ground, their bodies seized by an unseen force, rendering them motionless.

Intrigued by the strange occurrence, Cithara edged closer for a better look. But before she could take another step, a sharp projectile whizzed past her, narrowly missing her by inches.

With a swift dodge, Cithara avoided the arrow, but not without consequence. The projectile grazed her hood, causing it to fall back and revealing her identity.

"Cithara?!" The man's astonished voice rang out, his features contorted with recognition.

"So it was you all along, eh?!" The boy's accusation hung heavy in the air, his gaze accusing.

"Evreux, let me explain," Cithara began, her voice tinged with urgency as she prepared to clarify the misunderstanding.

"What are you doing here anyway? You know this is not a joke!" he demanded, his sword aimed squarely at her.

"I know, Evreux. I know!" she replied earnestly, meeting his gaze with determination. "I just want to make my aunt proud. I want to give her the prize emeralds as a gift for her coronation."

"It doesn't matter! All I know is that only men can play this game, and you are too weak for this!" Evreux asserted, closing the distance between them with each step.

Suddenly, a radiant glow illuminated the path ahead, capturing both their attention in an instant.

"The Victory Gem!" they exclaimed simultaneously, their previous dispute momentarily forgotten in the face of the coveted prize.

As a tremendous quake rumbled beneath them, Cithara and Evreux stumbled, their hearts racing with adrenaline. When the ground finally stilled, the once benign bushes behind Cithara morphed into a menacing wall of thorns, closing in with deadly intent.

Driven by instinctual fear, they both sprinted towards the gleaming Victory Gem, the encroaching thorns nipping at their heels with every step.

"Has this happened before?" Cithara shouted over the din of their hurried footsteps.

"I don't know! This is my first time playing this game!" Evreux's voice trembled with uncertainty.

In a fleeting moment, a thorn snagged Evreux's pants, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Help!" Evreux's plea echoed with raw fear.

Cithara hesitated only briefly before rushing back to his aid, heedless of the imminent danger.

Wrapping her fingers tightly around him, she closed her eyes, bracing for the inevitable onslaught of thorns. Yet, miraculously, the sound of rustling leaves gradually faded into silence, leaving behind the echo of their harrowing encounter.

Drawing upon the energy of her white gem, Cithara unleashed a shot towards the bushes, the light from her arrow momentarily paralyzing the thorns in their tracks.