Felix kept moving forward, his footsteps calm and measured. The three students followed closely behind him.
Dominic had already begun preparing his power, even though he carried no weapon. Ether stirred beneath his skin, responding to his focus.
Felix had said he wouldn't let them get hurt, but Dominic couldn't stop himself from getting ready anyway.
What Dominic didn't know was that Sevran and Gaudia were doing the same.
Sevran's posture was loose, but his muscles were coiled, ready to spring at the slightest sign of danger.
Gaudia's breathing was steady, her hand hovering near her concealed weapon.
They weren't weak first-year students. All three of them already knew how to fight long before they ever entered the academy, without each of them knowing it.
Sevran had even revealed his martial arts ability earlier, despite his reluctance to show it, he was forced by professor Gilderoy.
What none of them realized was that Felix had already noticed.
He could see it in their steps, awareness, aura, and the way their eyes tracked corners and shadows.
They have courage, discipline, and instinct. That was one of the reasons he had chosen them, aside from everything else.
Felix continued deeper into the corridor, the triangle-shaped glass still held in his hand. Faint blue sigils glowed across its surface, pulsing softly in rhythm as he walked.
The light reflected off the stone walls, briefly illuminating old carvings before slipping back into shadow.
The silence stretched for a few minutes more.
"You're starting to feel it, aren't you?" Felix said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"Feel what?" Dominic asked.
"The ether here," Felix replied without slowing down. "It's getting denser."
Dominic focused, and then he noticed it. Gaudia and Sevran did too.
The ether around them felt thicker now. Still not visible, but heavy, like an invisible blanket pressing against their skin.
It clung to the air, filling the corridor until every breath felt slightly weighted.
Then something clicked in Dominic's mind.
"Wait," he said. "Isn't Labyrinth ether… corrupting?"
He remembered his journey before the academy. The wolves that had attacked his caravan, their bodies twisted and their eyes warped by Labyrinth ether.
Felix nodded. "Yes. It can be."
Dominic's chest tightened.
"But this area is fine," Felix continued calmly. "I wouldn't bring you here if the ether was corrupted, am I?"
Dominic let out a relieved breath. The logic made sense. Sevran's shoulders eased slightly and Gaudia's tension lessened, just a little.
They moved on.
Then suddenly Felix stopped.
He stood before a section of the wall covered in carved symbols, this one looks older and deeper than the ones they had seen before.
His expression hardened as he studied them.
"This shouldn't be here," Felix muttered.
"What is it?" Dominic asked.
"Stay back," Felix said sharply.
He didn't explain. He didn't need to.
The three students stepped away immediately with unease creeping into their chests. They did not insist on pushing forward when the most experienced member among them ordered them to stay back.
Felix murmured a short phrase under his breath again. The symbols shimmered then the wall split apart with a low rumble, revealing a dark opening beyond.
Felix reached into his coat and pulled out a one meter-length rod. He tightened his grip on it and stepped inside without hesitation.
"So my suspicion was right," Felix said, his voice echoing faintly from within. "There's monsters here."
He glanced back at them, his expression serious now.
"Stay there. All three of you."
Dominic, Gaudia, and Sevran exchanged glances.
"Monsters…" Sevran muttered, a grimace forming on his face. "So we're actually going to see real Labyrinth monsters!"
"And apparently not just one," Gaudia added, her gaze fixed ahead toward the dark opening that led into the newly revealed chamber.
"Let's just stay here," Dominic said quietly.
Gaudia suddenly turned to look at them, her sharp eyes gleaming faintly in the dim light. "But… don't you feel curious?"
She licked her lips without realizing it.
Dominic and Sevran looked at each other. It would be a lie to say they weren't curious too.
"I am curious," Sevran admitted after a moment, "but this could be dangerous."
"Just a little," Gaudia replied. "If it's only a quick look, I don't think it'll be a problem."
Before either of them could stop her, she began creeping closer to the opening, her movements light and careful.
Dominic hesitated, then sighed. "I think… she might be right. It shouldn't be a problem if we're just peeking. Besides, Felix is strong. I've already seen his power once."
He glanced at Sevran. "You should see how he fights."
Sevran remained still for a second longer, weighing the risk. Then finally he nodded.
"Alright, then. Just a little."
Quietly, the two of them moved to Gaudia's side, careful not to make a sound as they edged closer to the opening.
From the threshold, they peered inside.
The chamber beyond was wider than the one they had left behind, its ceiling arching high above. The air inside felt even heavier, saturated with dense ether that made Dominic's skin prickle.
Strange, organic-looking black things growths clung to parts of the walls, pulsing in irregular rhythms.
And then they saw the shapes moved in the darkness in front of Felix.
Large silhouettes shifted across the stone floor. Clawed limbs scraped against rock. Wet breathing echoed through the chamber.
Gaudia's eyes narrowed, focused and alert.
"Yeah," Sevran whispered under his breath. "Definitely real monsters."
At the center of the room, Felix stood alone, his posture relaxed but ready, the long rod held loosely at his side.
He hadn't drawn any sigils yet, but the air around him felt sharper already.
The creatures lunged. Three shapes burst from the darkness at once, their looks movements explosive and feral.
Those were the Spiderhorses, they leapt forward on eight jointed legs and closed the distance.
They were pretty terrifying when they saw them up close. Horse-sized torsos filled with veins bulging beneath dark flesh, eyes reflecting the etherlight.
But Felix didn't move. At least, not at first.
The instant the first Spiderhorse crossed an invisible line, Felix flicked his wrist.
The rod in his hand split apart with a sharp metallic snap, unfolding and extending in a blur of motion. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into twin glaives with curved blades.
Felix stepped forward and started to move.
The glaive swung upward. The Spiderhorse's head separated from its body before its jaws could even close, the corpse collapsing.
Felix spun. The second swing flashed sideways, slicing through legs and torso. The second Spiderhorse was severed in a spray of blood, its body hitting the ground in pieces.
The third also killed a moment later.
Felix charged with both blades crossing in a swift and controlled arc. The Spiderhorse was split straight down the center, its two halves sliding apart before crumpling to the stone floor.
Silence followed.
The entire exchange had taken less than two seconds.
The chamber was suddenly still, the only sound the faint drip of dark fluid hitting stone.
Felix stood among the fallen bodies, with a calm but also expression. The glaives folded back into a single rod with another smooth flick of his hand.
Sevran's eyes were wide and his jaw opened.
Gaudia didn't blink.
"That…" Sevran whispered.
Felix glanced back at them. "Amazing, right? He didn't even use his power yet."
Finally Sevran and Gaudia understood very clearly that this was what a Glyphmaster that always grinned and smiled looked like in action.
—