Free Creeping Shadow (The Rise of Isaac, Book One) by Caroline Peckham

said with wide eyes.
    "You'll find out shortly. If you wish to exit the challenge at any time you need only ring one of the bells."
    "Bells?" May questioned.
    Ely nodded. "There will always be one close by."
    "But what do we actually have to do in this challenge?" Oliver asked.
    "Put simply, my boy, survive it," Ely said, his face darkening. "So, who's first?"
    Before Oliver could consider volunteering May piped up.
    "I'll go first," she said. "I'm the one who's caused all of this."
    "May, it's not your fault," Oliver said earnestly.
    "I know but, I'd feel better about it if I go first," she said, her gaze dropping to her feet.
    Oliver chewed the inside of his cheek as he watched her turn away from him.
    "Off you go then, May. Good luck," Ely said, gesturing for her to go through the door ahead of them.
    "Good luck," Oliver mumbled, his pulse quickening as he watched her.
    May opened the door and Oliver tried to catch a glimpse inside but it was pitch black. May stepped forward and Oliver saw her pale face and bright, green eyes glancing back at him as Ely shut the door.
    "She'll be fine," Ely said, catching Oliver's eye. "You can go in in a minute."
    Oliver nodded and his stomach fluttered.
    The minutes stretched on. Oliver couldn't think of anything to say so kept silent. He gazed around at the chamber and eyed the twinkling gemstones that were inlaid in the thick, gnarled roots that formed the Gateway to another world. The magical light that Ely had cast above them barely penetrated the heavy darkness of the earthen room.
    The air was cool and held a dankness to it that Oliver assumed was to do with being underground. He could smell the damp soil and was suddenly filled with the uneasy feeling of being in a grave. He shivered and was grateful when Ely finally addressed him.
    "In you go, Oliver. Good luck," Ely said encouragingly.
    Oliver swallowed to wet his increasingly dry mouth as he stepped across the threshold and Ely shut the door, plunging him into darkness. He reached out with splayed hands and found a solid wall in front of him which he trailed his fingers along, discovering he was in a narrow corridor.
    He followed it, keeping contact with the wall as he went.
    " Oliver ."
    He froze. The voice was no more than a whisper, spoken too quietly for him to tell if it was male or female.
    "Hello?" Oliver called.
    He waited, moments stretching on into minutes but no one answered. Cautiously, he continued onwards and emerged high up on a ledge overlooking a large cavern. The colossal roof was tinted navy blue from minerals in the rock that twinkled like stars in the night sky.
    Burning torches illuminated a stone maze that stretched out below him the size of a football pitch. Its towering walls were moist and green with algae. Somewhere nearby, water dripped in a continual stream with a rhythmic splat, splat, splat as it hit the wet floor.
    Oliver spied a dark set of stairs winding down towards the maze, leading to a tall, rectangular entrance where firelight flickered and danced. He steeled himself and started to make his way down the steps, keeping an eye on the amber glow emitting from the maze.
    He moved into the light and approached the gap, gazing up at the walls. They seemed monstrous now that he was on the ground, perhaps twenty feet in height.
    Oliver eyed the entrance to the maze where a corridor ran forward several feet toward a burning torch, before turning sharply to the right. A wind picked up and howled as it travelled through the narrow corridors of the maze, making the flames flutter in a frenzy.
    A gust rushed through the gap with the sound of a sighing beast, ruffling Oliver's hair as the icy breath swept over him. He shivered and crept hesitantly inside towards the fire.
    A grinding of stone made him swing around to find the gap in the wall closing. He dove towards it, colliding with the stone just as it shut.
    Oliver turned and leant back against the rock taking a deep, calming breath. He knew he was