Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, each one dragging as if time itself were conspiring to test the endurance of the competitors. The obstacles became increasingly severe.
Water pooled in deep, churning pockets, swallowing boots and splashing unpredictably with every misstep. Jagged rocks shifted beneath feet with sudden, treacherous angles, threatening to send the unwary tumbling into shallow streams. Magically infused gusts of wind whipped through the field at irregular intervals, sharp and unpredictable, forcing participants to brace themselves or risk being thrown off balance entirely.
The air was thick with the smell of wet earth and ozone from residual elemental enchantments, mingling with the sharp tang of sweat and exertion from hundreds of struggling students.
