#### ***Jareth's POV***
Mortals always think they can bargain with the unknown.
I had seen it time and time again—humans stumbling into my world, believing they could escape the consequences of their desires. Y/N was no different. She thought she could resist, that she could fight the pull of the Labyrinth, but she had already fallen into its web. She just didn't realize it yet.
And I had to admit, she intrigued me. There was something about her spirit, something defiant, that set her apart from the others. Most mortals broke much sooner, but Y/N still held onto her sense of self, despite the cracks I could see forming.
I had pushed her, of course. The Labyrinth was not just a maze of stone and walls, but a reflection of the mind itself. Every twist, every turn, was designed to reveal a person's innermost fears, their desires. And Y/N—she was a fascinating subject. The way she fought against the truth, the way she resisted even when the Labyrinth showed her what she didn't want to see—it amused me.
But there was something else about her that I hadn't anticipated.
She had a way of drawing me in, in ways I hadn't allowed myself to be drawn in for a long time. Not since Sarah. That old wound was still there, though I kept it buried deep, beneath layers of control and power. Y/N was stirring something in me, something I couldn't quite define. It was a dangerous game, and I was playing with fire.
But that was the nature of the Labyrinth, wasn't it? To push the boundaries of reality, to break down the walls we built around ourselves.
As we walked through the shifting corridors, I could sense her growing weariness. The Labyrinth was draining her, just as I had intended. She would be forced to face the truth soon enough. The longer she resisted, the more painful the revelation would be. And when that moment came, she would have no choice but to turn to me.
That was the way it had always been. The Labyrinth was not a place of mercy. It was a place of transformation, and transformation was never painless.
I glanced back at Y/N, watching her as she stumbled slightly, her energy fading. She was close to breaking. But there was still something in her eyes—something that kept her going.
"I can feel you thinking," she said, her voice cutting through the silence. "What are you planning, Jareth?"
I smirked, turning to face her fully. "You give me too much credit, my dear. The Labyrinth has its own agenda."
"Stop pretending you don't control this place," she snapped, surprising me with the venom in her voice. "Everything here bends to your will."
"Not everything," I replied, my tone deliberately vague.
Y/N's eyes narrowed, and I could see the wheels turning in her mind. She didn't trust me, and rightly so. But trust was not what I needed from her. What I needed was for her to break.
"Why don't you just tell me what you want?" she asked, her voice quieter now, as if she were too tired to keep fighting.
I stepped closer, closing the distance between us. "What I want is simple, Y/N. I want you to understand."
"Understand what?"
I tilted my head, considering her. She was on the verge of something, but she wasn't quite ready yet. "In time, you'll see."
She shook her head, clearly frustrated with my cryptic answers, but she didn't argue. Not this time. She was too exhausted, too worn down by the Labyrinth's constant pressure.
I turned and continued walking, knowing she would follow. She didn't have a choice.
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