The following morning, Rhea woke once again to hear the mellow toll of bells echoing in her mind. Somewhere in Eryndor Academy was a low, resonating sound pulsing through the tightly enclosed earthen walls with the pulsing sound contoured in and out like the mountain itself throbbing along. She pushed off the thin blanket, sitting up, the mind still fogged up trying to separate the images from the self-tormenting sleep of frayed dreams of the Convergence Stone.
Washing quickly, Rhea donned her academy robes and attached the pendant to her neck. The stone's burden was heavier against her chest, making her feel like it carried some ominous warning. She shoved the feeling out of her mind and stepped outside the dormitory.
The corridors scintillated with students already rushing to attend the first lessons of the day. The academy came alive with the buzz of voices, the crackling pops of elemental magic discharging from wands and fingertips, and the thudding rhythm of boots on stone. Even so, a kind of tautness gripped Rhea; it was as though the academy itself was not in any way breathing.
"Frosty!"
She tilted her head back to find Lena weaving through some throng of people and immediately caught the lavish silver light of her hair in the dim glow of lanterns before reaching Rhea with that same look of a bright, beaming star.
"Did you hear?" asked Lena in a near whisper, but her voice dripped with excitement.
"Hear what?"
"They're opening the Labyrinth today," Lena said, practically bouncing on her heels.
Rhea frowned. "The Labyrinth?"
"It's a huge, deep underground maze that lies beneath the academy," Lena explained, eyes alight with mischief. "It's used for very advanced training. Elemental traps, moving walls, and sometimes monsters, are all meant to push you past your last limits. Entry is normally restricted to upper-years, but apparently, a few of those first years are going to be allowed a chance to prove themselves."
The idea of a maze full of traps and monsters wasn't very appealing, but Rhea couldn't deny the flicker of curiosity that sparked within her. "Why now?" Rhea asked. Lena shrugged. "Maybe they want to see who has potential and who are just dead weights." These words sent chills running down her spine, but her face gave nothing away. "So, we're just supposed to survive it then?" Lena added with a smirk, "Pretty much." But rumor has it there are rewards hidden in the labyrinth supply relics, maybe even convergence artifacts. If your luck holds and you find one, it could give you an advantage at the trials.
By midday, the first years had gathered in huge underground caves beneath the academy. The air was humid and heavy, and the stagnant smell of earth and stone lingered overhead. It was dominated by a gargantuan circular door carved on the rock wall: its surface was etched with runes that appeared to pulse faintly with silver light.
Magister Elara stood before the door. Her sharp features looked even more severe under the flickering torchlight. "The Labyrinth is not a game," she began, her voice slicing through the growing murmurs of the assembled students. "It is a test of your abilities, your instincts, and your resolve. Within those walls, you will face challenges designed to push you to the brink. Some of you will excel. Others will falter. And a few…'' Her gaze swept over the crowd and lingered for just a moment on Rhea. ''A few will not make it out."
A ripple of apprehension coursed through the students.
Elara continued, "The goal is simple--survive, adapt, and find your way to the center of the Labyrinth, where your prize awaits. Those who make it will be rewarded. Those who do not..." She let the silence say what's needed.
A sweeping wave of her arm had the thick circular door grind open to reveal a dark tunnel tapering into the bowels of the earth. Cool heavy air flowed into the tunnel, tinged with that damp stone scent and a sharp metallic hint-so steeped in as the scent of blood itself. "Enter," Elara commanded. There the students stood hesitating, looking from one to the other. Rhea set her shoulders and stepped forward as the pendant warmed at her chest. The magic itself seemed to hum out of the Labyrinth's entrance, pulling her in with fine, seductive terror: Lena stepped in beside her, with smile still stuck at her lips, "This may be a blast." "You speak for yourself," Rhea muttered.
The door clanged shut behind the students in a way that was final enough to send shivers down Rhea's spine as they entered. Beyond the students, lies a dark tunnel dimly lit by faintly glowing runes carved into the walls with light passing barely enough to illuminate the shrunken path. They moved cautiously, and were not unaccompanied; their steps echoed with the occasional murmured spell in whispers. The walls of the Labyrinth swayed faintly and imperceptibly like glowing runes flashing like dying embers at their footsteps.
"Stick by my side," whispered Lena, her voice low.
They hadn't covered a lot when the pathway branched into three similarly inclined tunnels.
"Awesome," Rhea muttered.
Lena was observing the tunnels, narrowing her eyes.
"Not about to make it easy for us, is it?"
Before Rhea could stipulate anything on her end, the soft sounds reached her ears-a low guttural growl echoing from one of the tunnels. She turned in the direction of the sound, with her heart racing.
"Meh, what was that?" one of the other students whispered.
"Trouble," was the retort from Lena, her tone grim.
The growling increased, and Rhea saw something moving in the shadows ahead. One pair of glowing red eyes appeared, then another. And another.
"Monsters," Rhea hoarsely whispered, feeling her heartbeat quicken.
The creatures came into the faint light-an enormous, wolf-like beasts with shaggy fur and claws that grinded against the stone. Its eyes glowed with an alien light, and every movement was too fluid, too coordinated to be anything like a regular animal.
"Everyone, spread out!" Lena cried, sparks crackling at her fingertips. Rhea reached for her stone affinity, feeling the old familiar pull as she used that affinity to summon a wall of jagged rock between herself and the nearest beast. The thing slammed into it with a snarl, but the wall held.
Lena zapped out a bolt of lightning at another beast, hitting it in the middle of a chest. The creature screamed in pain; it still advanced, its claws flailed against the stone while lunging toward her. "Behind you!" shouted Rhea. Lena rapidly turned her body around and blasted the creature with another surge of lightning. Ozone and burnt fur filled the air as the growls of the retreating beasts faded into the shadows. The group stood silent for a moment, breaths coming in ragged gasps. "Well," Lena said, breathless but steady, "that was exciting." Rhea glanced pointedly at her. "Exciting isn't the word I'd use."
The tunnels that lay ahead were quiet again; yet the encounter left deep marks. The Labyrinth was not a test-alone; it stood vigilant, predator-like, watching and waiting for them to stumble. "We need to keep moving," Rhea said, looking at the others. "Staying here isn't safe." Lena nodded, and they took the middle tunnel together. The way ahead was bound to be uncertain, but one thing was certain: the Labyrinth wouldn't let them go without a scratch.