The morning's first trial had thinned the crowd.
From the dozens who had stood in the plaza at sunrise, barely half remained. The others were gone—sent home, wounded, or worse.
Levi stood near the back of the survivors, leaning against his staff. The crystal from the first trial sat heavy in his pocket.
He could still feel Kaela's stare on him, even though she stood across the square with the Crimson Wolves. Every time their eyes met, her expression flickered—half curiosity, half suspicion.
And Gami… Gami hadn't stopped smirking since they returned.
The Head Examiner stepped forward again. His silver-trimmed coat swayed in the wind, and his voice carried over the murmurs.
"Congratulations. You've survived the first trial. The second… will not be so forgiving."
The plaza fell silent.
"This time," the examiner continued, "you will not be fighting for a crystal. You will be fighting for each other."
A ripple of confusion moved through the recruits.
"You will be split into pairs," he said, "and each pair must reach the far side of the Shadow Maze. Inside, you will face traps, illusions… and creatures that hunt by sound. Fail, and you both fail. Abandon your partner, and you both fail."
The word Maze hung in the air like a curse.
Levi's stomach tightened.
The examiner lifted a hand. "Your partners will be chosen at random."
A scribe stepped forward with a small wooden box. One by one, recruits drew slips of parchment.
When it was Levi's turn, he reached inside, pulling out a slip with a single name scrawled in sharp ink.
Kaela.
Of course.
She walked up a moment later, eyes narrowing as she read her own slip.
"This is a joke," she said flatly.
"No," the examiner replied without looking up. "It's the exam."
Minutes later, Levi and Kaela stood at the entrance to the Shadow Maze.
It rose from the ground like a wall of black stone, its surface covered in twisting marks that seemed to shift when he looked too long.
A heavy mist clung to the base of the walls, curling around their boots.
Kaela folded her arms. "Don't slow me down, weakling. I'm not failing because of you."
"Then stay out of my way," Levi said, stepping into the shadows.
The air changed instantly.
The temperature dropped. The sounds of the plaza faded, replaced by an oppressive silence.
The path ahead split into three narrow corridors, each disappearing into pitch black.
Kaela conjured a small orb of flame, holding it above her palm. The light barely pushed back the dark.
"We go left," she said.
Levi shook his head. "Middle."
"Why?"
"Because the left path smells like blood."
She gave him a sharp look, but after a beat, she nodded.
They moved forward, their footsteps muffled on the damp stone.
Minutes passed in silence. The maze walls loomed high, their shifting marks watching like eyes.
Every so often, Levi caught movement in the corner of his vision—something slinking just beyond the light.
Kaela's voice was a whisper. "Do you feel that?"
"Yes," Levi said. "We're being followed."
The first trap came without warning.
A row of spikes shot from the wall, stopping inches from Levi's chest. He froze.
Kaela grabbed his collar, yanking him back. "Watch your step, idiot."
Before he could reply, a low growl echoed through the corridor.
Something stepped into the edge of the light.
It was tall—too tall—with limbs that bent the wrong way and a head covered in jagged, bone-like plates. Its eyes were hollow pits, but Levi could feel its gaze.
The examiner's words echoed in his mind. Creatures that hunt by sound.
The thing tilted its head, listening.
Levi and Kaela held their breath.
It took a slow step forward. Then another.
A pebble shifted under Levi's boot.
The creature lunged.
Kaela's flames roared to life, filling the corridor with light and heat. The creature recoiled but didn't stop.
Levi swung his staff, striking its leg. The blow made a dull, cracking sound, but the thing barely staggered.
It lashed out, claws scraping along the stone where Levi's head had been a moment before.
The voice in his mind stirred.
You could end this in seconds.
Levi ignored it, dodging another swipe.
Kaela thrust her flames forward, searing the creature's chest. This time it screamed—a horrible, high-pitched sound that rattled his skull.
It fell back into the darkness, vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared.
Kaela lowered her hand, breathing hard.
"That was too close," she muttered.
Levi didn't disagree.
They pressed on, deeper into the maze.
The air grew thicker, the walls closing in until the corridor felt like a throat swallowing them whole.
An intersection loomed ahead.
From the left path came the faint sound of running water. From the right… footsteps.
Kaela looked at him. "Which way?"
Levi hesitated. "Water. If there's a stream, it might lead to the exit."
They turned left.
The sound grew louder until they emerged into a small chamber. A black pool filled the center, its surface perfectly still despite the sound of rushing beneath.
Something moved beneath the water.
Kaela took a step forward, but Levi grabbed her arm.
The surface broke.
A pale, eel-like creature erupted upward, its mouth lined with needle teeth. It wrapped around Kaela's leg, dragging her toward the pool.
She kicked and cursed, flames sparking from her hands, but the thing's slick skin resisted the heat.
Levi's chest burned. He could hear the voice again, pressing closer.
Say it. Let me in.
He slammed his staff into the creature's head. It didn't let go.
Kaela's eyes met his, wide with panic.
Something in him snapped.
"Raze."
The mist came instantly this time, swirling up his arm and into the staff. It burst outward in a spear of shadow, piercing the eel's body.
The creature shrieked and dissolved into nothing.
Levi released the magic quickly, forcing the mist back inside before Kaela could get a good look.
She pulled herself to her feet, breathing hard. "What the hell was that?"
"Magic," he said flatly.
She stared at him for a long moment, but didn't press.
The rest of the maze was a blur of traps and near misses. Twice more they saw the tall, bone-plated creatures stalking in the dark, but they managed to avoid them.
Finally, a faint glow appeared ahead — daylight.
They stepped out into the plaza, both panting, clothes torn and streaked with dirt.
The examiner marked their names on a scroll. "You pass."
Kaela muttered something under her breath and walked away without another word.
Levi watched her go, his heart still pounding from the feel of Raze's power under his skin.
He didn't know how much longer he could keep it hidden.
From across the plaza, Gami caught his eye and smiled like he knew something.
The voice whispered again.
They will all know soon.
Levi wasn't sure if that was a promise… or a threat.