The sound of the gong echoed through the Garden of Echoes, signaling the start of the Midnight Games.
Shadows danced along the labyrinth walls as the moonlight reflected against enchanted mirrors positioned across the maze's perimeter.
Students gathered in tight clusters, buzzing with excitement, none more so than those about to enter the maze themselves.
Aranea stood just outside the glowing archway that marked the maze's entrance. Her fingers fidgeted against the edge of her robe, her thoughts unusually scattered.
She glanced at Leonel beside her. He offered a steady smile, his usual calm radiance somehow grounding.
'I don't know why… she thought, but right now, I just want to be beside him.'
It wasn't strategy, or a desire to win—it was instinct. Leonel had always been quiet, but gentle, someone who offered support without asking for anything in return. Zann was her chaos, her fire. But tonight… she needed calm. She needed water to steady the tide inside her.
