Lysander walked slowly through the halls of a luxurious house he did not recognize at all. Every corner of the room was decorated with the latest technology, machines that seemed to have their own consciousness, maintaining and caring for this large house without human intervention or magical power. Lysander watched everything with his sharp brown eyes, but his thoughts remained hidden behind an unreadable expression, even for Pieter, the clown who seemed to know everything.
Wearing simple pajamas did nothing to diminish the legendary aura that surrounded him. The long black hair that hung down to his shoulders was left loose, adding to his mysterious appearance. His bare feet stepped softly on the cold marble floor until he reached a large door leading to the outside of the house.
As the door opened, Lysander took in a breath of fresh air and looked around at the still natural and well-maintained environment outside the house. Although civilization had advanced to the modern era, the touch of nature he had once known was still present here, green grass, tall trees, and a lake with clear water. In the distance, magical water creatures emerged from the surface of the lake, gliding through the air in a graceful dance before plunging back into the calm waters.
Lysander enjoyed the sight in silence, but suddenly a familiar voice came from behind him.
"How are you? Do you seem nostalgic?" Pieter stood there, his white-painted face grinning, his clown eyes shining with a sly sense of humor.
Lysander turned his head slowly, looking at Pieter with a straight face but a faint, barely visible smile. "No. It's just a shame that this beauty can only be seen for the last time."
Pieter chuckled and rocked his body from side to side in an exaggerated motion. "Oh, my. Is this what a legendary mage feels like? So touching."
Lysander made no further reply. His silence was a weapon sharper than words, but Pieter's cheerful yet intriguing presence was beginning to test his patience. Not only was the man's modern appearance annoying, but so were his sick jokes.
Pieter suddenly clapped his hands and called to a girl named Clara, a beautiful maid who appeared from behind the door, dressed in elegant maid's clothing. Clara's face was the epitome of modern beauty, but there was something deeper than just looks.
"Very well," said Pieter in a cheerful, childlike voice, "since Master Lysander has resurrected, there will be a very interesting game. Of course, this is to test you, who have been asleep for a long time, like a sleeping beauty."
"Really," Clara smoothed her fringe with one hand and could only sigh softly, obviously not liking the direction this conversation was taking.
Lysander continued to listen to Pieter's chatter, though his face remained calm and unreadable. He knew there was a deeper game at play here, and Pieter would not stop until Lysander showed his true strength.
"Do you want to know what this game is?" Pieter suddenly brought his face closer to Lysander, with his annoying clown face and booming laugh. "You're not very enthusiastic again. All right, I'll tell you. The game is The Labyrinth of Arcane."
With surprising speed, Pieter pulled Lysander's hand towards a black box-shaped building on the edge between the mansion and the lake. The black box building looked gloomy, but radiated an aura of mystery that was both inviting and frightening.
Pieter twirled excitedly in front of the building's door, his enthusiastic clown face even brighter. "The rules of the game! The Labyrinth of Arcane consists of a series of levels, each of which tests your physical abilities, intelligence, and magic. This game will challenge not only your magical powers, but also your way of thinking and your ability to adapt to a new world full of technology and magic. How, are you starting to get excited?" Pieter raised his eyebrows several times with a mischievous smile.
Lysander stared at him with a flat look in his eyes. But in the next second he chuckled, almost inaudibly. "Very interesting. You want to find out my magic power."
Pieter's laughter suddenly stopped, his humorous clown face turned into a grim one, his usually cheerful eyes now filled with darkness. "So you understand."
But Lysander's smile only grew wider, feeling challenged by Pieter's insolence. Then Pieter returned to his cheerful face, as if the earlier change was just an illusion. "Alright, let's get started." He pressed a round button on the wall of the building.
A mechanical sound was heard as a wall split in two, revealing the entrance to a room. A puff of smoke came out of the opening, covering Lysander's face, which remained blank as he stared at the silhouette of light emanating from inside the room. The Arcane Labyrinth had opened and the game had begun.
Lysander turned his head back. The main door of the black box building he had entered had completely disappeared, as if it had vanished without a trace. Only silence filled the spacious room, accompanied by dim light reflecting off the cold floor. Each step of his bare feet on the black floor sent ripples of magic and technology merging in mysterious harmony. The faint glow of energy flowing beneath the surface of the floor followed his every step, revealing the intricacies of the system surrounding the room.
Lysander's brown eyes were focused on a single target at the far end of the room. His gaze was fixed, focused on something no one else could see. Anyone watching him through a small screen might be able to see his movements, but no one could penetrate his mind. The intentions and plans behind his eyes were unreadable, even to the most experienced.
Lysander paused for a moment to take in his surroundings. The room was spacious, with towering columns supporting two stories, but no stairs. As he stepped closer, another figure emerged from the shadows before him, himself, but no mere reflection. It was a perfect copy, with every detail of his physique and appearance exactly replicated. One glaring difference; the copy wielded two long swords that seemed capable of transforming into any weapon.
Lysander stood in a serious posture, one hand on his chest while the other rested on his elbow, a finger slowly touching between his lips and nose, an old habit when analyzing a situation. His brown eyes radiated calmness, even though the wheels of his mind were turning rapidly.
"A magical aura integrated into crystals as an energy source, combined with technology," he murmured in a flat tone, almost inaudible.
His imitation was perfect, even in his nightgown and barefoot. But Lysander saw it only as a challenge, not as a threat. He knew that he had been given no weapons in this fight. Maybe as a test or just bad luck in this first level.
"Whoever does not give me a weapon may be my bad luck in this first level," he whispered to himself with a very sad expression, as if parodying despair.
When his copy swung one of his swords at him, Lysander simply arched his back and dodged the attack with an almost mocking calm. Attack after attack came from his shadow, but Lysander continued to dodge with graceful movements, but without emotion.