As I begin to walk, I sense Cupid striding into place behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see an amused expression on his face.

I frown and focus straight ahead, concentrating on the steps in front of me.

"What?" I say "Something amusing you?"

He lets out a light chuckle.

"You're brave for a human" he says "I've never seen someone so eager to descend a dark staircase into a mysterious labyrinth full of unknown perils before..."

The high walls on either side of the stairway seem to get closer together as we make our way downwards and send thick shadows across our path.

"Have you ever seen anyone descend a dark staircase into a mysterious labyrinth before?" I ask.

There's a pause behind me.

"I suppose not" comes Cupid's light response "But it is dangerous you know?"

I don't reply for a moment, concentrating on a particularly high step. I look up at him once I have lowered myself down, my palms still flat on the stone stair above.

"I know that" I say "But I assume we're on a deadline here – what with our actual selves awaiting trial back in the Matchmaking Service..."

The corner of Cupid's mouth quirks upwards into a half smile.

"Don't worry too much about that" he says "Time in the Sim passes differently to time in reality. Hardly any time will have passed at all...which is a good thing too, because I don't know if you've noticed – but this labyrinth is pretty bloody huge..."

He trails off and I resume my journey downwards – supressing a smile despite the grim circumstances.

There must be a thousand steps or more and we move slowly, the stairs so thin and steep that on a number of occasions I stumble. Each time I do, Cupid reaches out and grabs my arm – pulling me back.

When I finally stagger out onto flat ground I feel a small wave of relief. The muscles in my legs are aching, and I feel slightly breathless, even though rationally I know that this is all just a simulation.

Nothing can hurt me in here, right?

But then I think back to what Cupid had said in Venus' dungeons.

If we die in here, then we die in real life.

I push the thought from my mind, and turn around just in time to see Cupid jump down from the last step – his face half hidden by shadow. Looking up over his shoulder I realise with a pang of panic that I can no longer see the entrance to the labyrinth.

Cupid looks at me curiously then follows my gaze up the narrow stairway. He meets my gaze; his ocean eyes a stormy blue in the dim light.

"Only one way out now lovebug" he says, raising an eyebrow.

My heart pounds in my chest.

"The exit in the centre of the labyrinth" I whisper.

He nods.

I take a deep breath and look around – wondering if the path to the centre will be obvious.

We're at a corner point in the maze where two wide paths extend in two different directions. The walls are so high that I can't see the top – they're made of grey stone with black and silver ivy creeping up them. The air is stagnant, lightly scented with must and damp.

"Which way do we go?" I ask.

Cupid, stepping into place beside me, frowns.

"I half expected my brother to build in a clue for us" he says. "Have a look down there for anything that might look out of place."

He moves towards the wall and runs his hand along it. He looks over his shoulder at me.

"But make sure I'm always in your vision. If you stray from my sight" he adds darkly "I may never find you again."

Swallowing my alarm I make my way slowly along the path to the right – letting my eyes wander over the walls and the cracked concrete ground.

I wish I knew what I was looking for.

As I walk onwards I don't think I have ever experienced such an overwhelming lack of sound. It's dark too, and I keep glancing over my shoulder to make sure Cupid is still there – the feeling of being alone surrounding me.

When he starts to look small in the distance I stop.

There's nothing here.

I turn around – deciding to head back. As I do something catches my eye – carved into the ground.

I frown and crouch down, brushing aside some rubble.

"Cupid" I call.

The silence of the maze swallows my voice and he doesn't look up from the stretch of wall he appears to be studying.

"Cupid" I shout "Does this mean anything to you?"

His gaze jolts towards me and I watch as he starts to jog along the path. As he approaches I turn my attention back to the carving.

It's so small I almost missed it; a small, three dimensional looking cube carved into the stone.

"Looks like..." I begin.

"A box" says Cupid looking down over my shoulder.

There's a triumphant tone in his voice and I look up at him curiously.

"My brother may be incredibly dull but he does know how to leave a good clue!" he says "Come on, this way."

He steps over the carving and heads down the shadowed path behind it. I push myself to my feet and stumble into step beside him.

"How's that a clue?" I ask. "What is Cal telling us?"

He grins again.

"He's letting us know that this path leads to one of the Myths" he says "If I know my brother as I think I do – he's telling us that Pandora lies this way."

I raise my eyebrows as something from our classics lesson at school comes back to me.

"Pandora...as in Pandora's box?" I say "She's real? Didn't she open a box that let out all the evil in the world? I think that's how the story goes."

Cupid laughs.

"Allegedly..." he says "According to you humans anyway. Come on – we must be close now."

He quickens his pace and I find myself half jogging to keep up with his long strides.

A few minutes later we reach a large black door.

It is covered with carvings. Some are cube shaped like the one we just saw in the ground. Other images depicting monsters and beasts are curled around the heavy door frame.

Cupid stops in front of it and looks down at me. The line of his jaw is hard, and there is a dangerous look in his eyes.

"The Sims that the Myths have been put in have been created to torture them" he says "They're designed to turn their own power against them."

Almost subconsciously, it seems, he caresses one of the arrows in the quiver over his shoulder.

"Pandora was very powerful" he says "She could control the evils – the sins her box was said to contain. She could draw them from others, store them in her box, use them as weapons. One of those sins was lust – Venus felt it was too similar to our Ardor. That's why she had her captured."

A dark look passes his face.

"She's been in here a long time." He says "And whatever her power has conjured up for her– I don't think it will be pleasant..."

I nod and take a deep breath.

"It's OK" I say in a voice that is stronger than I feel "I'm ready."

His face lightens for a moment and I notice an impressed look pass his features before he is serious once more.

"Stay close to me" he says "Whatever we're faced with – don't lose sight of me. And do as I tell you – whatever that may be. Do you understand?"

There's a burning ferocity in his eyes that I have never seen before and I nod – a little taken aback. Then he turns his back on me and pushes open the door.

It screeches against the stone floor – briefly filling the labyrinth with sound.

My heart races: if there is anything in there, I'm sure it will have heard us.

Cupid glances at me and I nod. We walk onwards into darkness.

I look about me.

We're in a long tunnel – stretching out to a small square of light far at the other end. Where there was sky above us before, there is now a low ceiling; the top of Cupid's hair brushes against it as he begins to walk slowly down.

I follow him. The walls are closer together than the ones before, and I learn that if I stretch out my arms I can touch both at once; they're damp and metallic – cold to the touch. The air in here feels hard to breathe.

I can't help but feel slightly claustrophobic.

As we get close to the middle of the tunnel Cupid suddenly stops and shushes me.

"Listen" he whispers – carefully pulling one of the black arrows from its case.

For a moment I hear nothing.

Then I feel my body tense as a faint scream sounds from faraway.

I'm about to ask Cupid about it when I hear something worse; something that sends a chill down my spine.

Coming from the end of the tunnel is a low, rasping noise – followed by a grotesque squelching.

Cupid's body tenses.

It sounds inhuman.

I shiver as it sounds again.

Whatever lies at the end of this path - I don't want to encounter it.

"What is that...?" I whisper urgently.

Before he can reply I notice another noise; this time coming from all around us.

It's a loud screeching – like the tunnel door scraping against the stone.

Cupid's gaze flicks up over my shoulder; his face confused.

Then his eyes widen.

"The walls" he whispers in horror.

I furrow my eyebrows, reaching out to touch them again. I find I don't have to stretch my arms so far.

Then I feel the vibrations inside the slippery metal and the full force of our situation hits me.

The walls are moving.

Slowly, but purposefully, the walls on either side of the tunnel are closing in on us.

I look ahead to the small space of light where the horrible, rasping noise came from – it must be about two hundred metres away.

I look up at Cupid – a cold panic filling my body.

Get crushed to death here – or face whatever lies at the end of this passageway?

"What are you waiting for?" he bellows - grabbing my arm forcefully "RUN!"