The third dawn at the Celestial Convergence Arena arrived not with thunder or spectacle, but with a strange, weightless stillness—as if even the stars were holding their breath.
Zeref stood at the edge of the observation platform, his gaze fixed on the colossal structure slowly assembling itself in the center of the arena. Fragments of cosmic stone floated upward from the void below, rotating and interlocking as if guided by an unseen will. Cubes, platforms, bridges, and spiraling corridors formed layer by layer, glowing runes igniting across their surfaces like constellations being drawn in real time.
The Astral Labyrinth.
It was nothing like the open battlefields of the previous days. This was a thinking ground. A crucible designed to break teams that relied only on strength—and elevate those who understood unity.
Around him, the other members of the Heavenly Blade Academy gathered.
Ren Huoran adjusted his sleeves calmly, eyes narrowed as he studied the shifting structure. Lin Yuexin clasped her hands together, excitement and tension mingling in her expression. Mei Lian stood slightly behind them, quiet as always, her presence steady and reassuring—already sensing the complex spiritual currents flowing through the maze.
And then there was Darius Huang.
For once, he wasn't smirking.
He stood with his arms crossed, jaw tight, eyes fixed forward—not on Zeref, but on the labyrinth itself.
Zeref noticed.
It was subtle, but unmistakable.
The arrogance that had once defined Darius's posture was muted. Replaced by something heavier. Something more restrained.
Perhaps defeat had a way of sanding down even the sharpest edges.
From the high celestial dais, Elder Shufen of the Cloudsong Sect stepped forward, her robes flowing like mist caught in moonlight. The murmurs across the arena gradually faded as her voice echoed outward, calm yet resonant.
"Day Three of the Astral Sovereign Championship," she announced. "The Team Trial—Astral Labyrinth."
The floating maze pulsed brighter in response.
"This trial will test strategy, cooperation, perception, and resolve. Strength alone will not carry you forward. The labyrinth will shift. Paths will close. Illusions will mislead. Beasts will emerge. Puzzles will bar your way."
A pause—just long enough to let the tension sink in.
"Only three teams will reach the core and retrieve the Astral Key. Those teams will earn the highest points for this trial."
A ripple of unease spread among the participants.
Zeref inhaled slowly.
This was it.
Elder Shufen's gaze swept across the teams before settling briefly—almost imperceptibly—on the Heavenly Blade Academy.
"Remember," she said, "the labyrinth responds not only to your actions… but to your harmony."
The arena floor beneath the teams shimmered, then vanished.
And in the next heartbeat, the world fractured.
Zeref felt weightlessness engulf him as space twisted. Light folded inward, stars streaking past his vision. Then—impact.
He landed lightly on a stone platform etched with glowing runes. The air here felt denser, charged with astral pressure that pressed against his senses.
"Everyone here?" Ren's voice cut through the haze.
Zeref looked around.
Yuexin landed beside him, steadying herself quickly. Mei Lian appeared moments later, calm despite the sudden transport. Darius dropped down last, boots scraping against the stone.
"All five," Darius said, his tone clipped but focused.
Already, that was different.
The platform they stood on was suspended in open space, with multiple glowing pathways branching outward like spokes of a wheel. Each path pulsed with a different hue—blue, gold, violet, crimson.
Above them, floating glyphs rearranged themselves constantly, forming symbols that dissolved before they could be fully read.
"This place is alive," Yuexin murmured.
Mei Lian nodded softly. "The energy flows change every few breaths. If we rush blindly, we'll be separated."
Ren studied the paths. "This is a selection puzzle. The wrong choice will trigger traps—or worse."
Silence fell.
In the past, Darius would have charged ahead.
Instead, he exhaled slowly.
"Then we don't rush," he said. "We decide together."
Zeref turned to look at him.
Their eyes met.
There was no challenge in Darius's gaze this time. Only resolve.
Zeref nodded once. "Ren, you read formations. Yuexin, watch the glyph patterns. Mei Lian, stay central—alert us if the energy spikes."
"And you?" Darius asked.
Zeref smiled faintly. "I'll take point—but only when we move."
Darius hesitated… then inclined his head.
"Understood."
They chose the violet path.
The moment they stepped onto it, the platform behind them dissolved into stardust.
No turning back.
The corridor ahead twisted sharply, walls sliding and reshaping as they advanced. The ground beneath their feet pulsed in time with their heartbeats.
Suddenly, glowing symbols flared on the wall ahead.
A puzzle.
Three rotating discs hovered in the air, each marked with constellation fragments. Lines connected them faintly, but the pattern was incomplete.
Ren stepped forward, eyes scanning rapidly. "These are star sequences. We need to align them in the correct order—or the path collapses."
Yuexin traced the air with her finger. "The glyphs above… they're showing the cycle. Birth, Ascension, Collapse."
Zeref watched as Darius reached out—then stopped himself.
"Go on," Darius said instead. "You see it."
Together, Ren and Yuexin rotated the discs carefully. The fragments clicked into place, lines glowing brighter until—
The corridor stabilized.
A new path opened.
Before they could relax, the air trembled.
From the shadows ahead, figures emerged.
Starbeasts.
Creatures formed of condensed astral matter, their bodies shifting like nebulae trapped in flesh. Their eyes burned with cold intelligence.
"Formation," Darius said sharply.
Without hesitation, they moved.
Zeref took the front, blade humming as Aetherion flowed through him—controlled, measured. Ren flanked him, precise strikes targeting weak points. Yuexin moved with fluid grace, disrupting the beasts' movements. Mei Lian stayed just behind, her hands glowing softly as healing light followed every injury before it could deepen.
And Darius—
Darius watched them all.
Then adjusted.
Instead of charging, he covered openings. Redirected attacks. Called warnings.
"Left—two incoming!"
"Zeref, duck!"
"Mei Lian—behind you!"
For the first time since the championship began, the Heavenly Blade Academy fought as a single entity.
The beasts fell, dissolving into motes of light.
Breathing hard, the team regrouped.
No one spoke at first.
Then Ren broke the silence. "That… was clean."
Yuexin smiled, a little breathless. "We're getting better."
Zeref looked at Darius.
"Good call back there."
Darius looked away, jaw tightening—but there was no bite in his reply. "We don't win otherwise."
The labyrinth shifted again.
Walls rotated. Paths split.
Ahead, a vast chamber opened—its center dominated by a suspended crystal gate locked by multiple sigils. Around it, floating platforms drifted unpredictably. Beneath them, darkness stretched endlessly.
Mei Lian frowned softly. "This one's dangerous."
Ren's eyes sharpened. "Multiple mechanisms. We'll need to split roles."
Zeref felt something stir deep within him—not the surge of Aetherion, but a quiet pull. As if the maze itself were watching him.
Testing him.
From somewhere far above, unseen eyes observed.
And deeper within the labyrinth, the Astral Key pulsed faintly—waiting.
Zeref clenched his fist.
"We've come this far," he said. "Together."
The labyrinth responded.
The first platform lurched violently.
And the next trial began.
To be continued