Chapter 8:the team units

Yuki and Thalos walked in silence along the glowing blue pathway, their bodies aching from the relentless trials. The mist had thinned, but an eerie tension still clung to the air. Yuki wiped sweat from his brow, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Thalos, hold up," Yuki said, bending over with his hands on his knees.

Thalos stopped, his sharp eyes scanning the area. "We don't have time to rest."

"That's exactly my point," Yuki said, standing up straight. "Think about it—we've been running, dodging, fighting, surviving non-stop. Trial after trial, they just keep throwing more at us. And we've been playing right into their hands."

Thalos frowned, his arms crossed. "That's the purpose of the test—to see how we handle pressure."

"No," Yuki said, his voice firm. "It's to see if we realize what the real test actually is."

Thalos tilted his head, intrigued. "Go on."

Yuki gestured around them. "We're in Grade 8, right? We're not supposed to be solo survivalists. The academy is training us for something bigger—for teamwork. We keep pushing forward, thinking finishing the trials is the goal, but what if that's not it?"

Thalos remained quiet, his expression thoughtful.

Yuki took a step closer, his tone earnest. "This isn't about proving we're strong enough alone. It's about proving we can work together. If we keep charging ahead, leaving everyone else behind, we fail."

Thalos's eyes narrowed as he considered Yuki's words. "You think the real objective is to regroup with the others."

"Not think. I know," Yuki said, a grin spreading across his face. "And if we pull this off, we don't just beat the trial—we outsmart it."

For the first time, Thalos's usual serious expression cracked into something resembling admiration uncrossed his arms, his expression shifting from skepticism to curiosity. "That's a nice speech, but we're missing three people. Lira's somewhere east in that shifting maze, and Jaxon and Eryndra went off on their own. You really think you can convince them to drop their lone-wolf acts?"

Yuki took a deep breath, his determination unwavering. "I have to try. We're not leaving here as scattered survivors. We're leaving as a team."

Thalos smirked, clapping Yuki on the shoulder. "Alright, Captain. Lead the way."

Finding Lira – The Maze of Steel

Navigating the ever-shifting cityscape was a nightmare. The moment they turned a corner, walls moved, streets twisted, and whole buildings rearranged themselves. It was an artificial labyrinth, designed to disorient and separate.

"Lira was near the maze when we last saw her," Yuki said, scanning the surroundings. "If she's still in there, we need a way to break through this shifting pattern."

Thalos glanced at the sky. "If this place has a pattern, we can predict it. Give me a second." He activated his visor's tactical overlay, eyes flickering across the digital projections. "There. Every 90 seconds, the maze resets. We need to move before it shifts again."

They sprinted into the maze, weaving through corridors of metal and concrete. Yuki kept his eyes peeled for movement, his pulse quickening when he finally spotted a familiar silhouette.

Lira stood in an open clearing, surrounded by shifting walls. Her posture was tense, and a flickering holographic map floated before her. She seemed focused—until she noticed them.

"Great," she muttered. "Just what I needed. More company."

Yuki ignored the sarcasm, stepping closer. "Lira, we need you."

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Oh, now you need me? Funny, considering I was doing just fine on my own."

Thalos sighed. "Really? Because from where we're standing, you're trapped in a death maze."

Lira's eye twitched, but she didn't deny it.

Yuki softened his tone. "Listen. This trial isn't about who's the strongest alone. It's about proving we can work together. Right now, we're failing that test."

Lira tapped a finger against her arm. "And why exactly should I follow you?"

Yuki hesitated—then grinned. "Because I know you. You don't like losing. And guess what? If you stay here alone, you will lose. You know this trial is meant to test teams, not individuals. The Examiner's watching." He gestured around them. "You've seen the shifting city, the mechs. You think this is just survival? No. They want to see if we figure it out."

Lira stared at him, her golden eyes sharp. Then, after a long moment, she exhaled. "Fine. But if you get us killed, I'm haunting you."

Thalos smirked. "Noted. Now, let's get out of here before the maze rearranges itself again."

They dashed toward the exit, timing their movements to the shifting cycle Thalos had mapped. Just as the walls started moving again, they slipped through the final gap—escaping the maze just in time.

With Lira now on board, they turned their attention to finding Jaxon and Eryndra.

And that's when the real trouble began.

The Search for Jaxon and Eryndra

With Lira reluctantly joining them, Yuki, Thalos, and their newly reunited teammate didn't waste time. The artificial city was still shifting, and the examiners were surely watching their every move.

"Alright," Yuki said, pulling up his own makeshift map. "Jaxon and Eryndra both ran off, but they probably didn't go too far. Jaxon likes to act solo, but he's not reckless. Eryndra, though..."

Lira crossed her arms. "Eryndra's an enigma. She's either hiding like a ghost or already setting up some elaborate counterattack."

Thalos smirked. "Either way, we better find them before the mechs do."

Yuki exhaled. "Let's split up—briefly. Lira, you and Thalos take the west sector. I'll check the collapsed district. If we don't find them in ten minutes, we regroup at that clock tower."

Lira rolled her eyes. "Fine. But if you get captured, I will tell everyone you lost to a training simulation."

Yuki grinned. "Then I guess I better not lose."

And with that, they split off.

Jaxon – The Lone Wolf's Fight

Yuki moved carefully through the ruined district, keeping to the shadows. He had a gut feeling Jaxon would be somewhere high up, scouting or waiting for the chaos to settle before making his move.

His instincts were right.

Perched on a half-collapsed skyscraper, Jaxon was engaged in a brutal fight against a mech twice his size. He moved fast, his twin daggers flashing as he weaved between its strikes. The mech's red eyes tracked him, but Jaxon was too quick, too unpredictable.

Still, it wasn't enough.

The moment Jaxon landed after a quick dodge, the mech's arm cannon charged up. In a second, he'd be hit.

"Jaxon, MOVE!" Yuki shouted, raising his rifle. He fired a precise shot at the cannon's energy core, forcing the mech to stagger back.

Jaxon turned, his eyes wide. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Saving your stubborn ass," Yuki shot back. "You're welcome."

Jaxon gritted his teeth but didn't argue. Together, they circled the mech, coordinating their attacks. Yuki provided cover fire, while Jaxon closed in for swift, precise strikes.

Within minutes, the mech was down. Smoke rose from its shattered core.

Jaxon wiped sweat from his brow. "I had it under control, you know."

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Sure you did."

Jaxon sighed. "Let me guess—you figured out the trial isn't about surviving alone."

Yuki nodded. "Yeah. And we need you."

Jaxon was silent for a moment, then sheathed his daggers. "Fine. But only because you'd probably die without me."

Yuki grinned. "That's the spirit."

With Jaxon now part of the team, they turned their attention to the last missing piece—Eryndra.

Eryndra – The Phantom's Test

Tracking Eryndra was a nightmare. She was elusive, quiet, and completely unpredictable. Even with Thalos, Lira, and Jaxon together, the search took longer than expected. It was like she had vanished entirely.

But then, Yuki noticed something strange.

A pattern.

As they moved through the ruins, every now and then, they'd come across a dismantled security drone, a deactivated turret, or even signs of an old skirmish—one that had been handled silently.

"She's been here," Yuki murmured, crouching beside a damaged turret. "She's moving ahead of us, taking out obstacles."

Jaxon frowned. "Then why hasn't she regrouped?"

Lira folded her arms. "Because she doesn't trust us. Or maybe she thinks we'll slow her down."

Thalos sighed. "Then we'll just have to prove otherwise."

They picked up the pace, following the signs of Eryndra's path. The city continued to shift around them, making navigation a nightmare, but finally, they found her.

Or rather, they found the aftermath of what she had been doing.

In a narrow alleyway, surrounded by broken training droids, Eryndra stood with her back to them, catching her breath. She was alone, having fought off an ambush, and from the looks of it, she had barely gotten out unscathed.

"Eryndra!" Yuki called out.

She turned, tensed for a fight, but relaxed when she saw them.

"You took your time," she said, wiping sweat from her brow.

"We've been looking for you," Yuki shot back. "You've been clearing a path ahead of us, haven't you?"

Eryndra exhaled. "I work better alone."

Lira scoffed. "Clearly. That's why you look like you nearly got wrecked by those droids."

Eryndra scowled. "I handled it."

"But what if you didn't?" Yuki countered. "What if you got taken out, and no one knew where you were? You're good, Eryndra, but this trial isn't about proving how strong you are alone. It's about proving we can work together."

Eryndra hesitated.

She was stubborn, but she wasn't foolish. She glanced at the broken droids around her, at the exhaustion in her own stance, then at the four of them—together.

Finally, she let out a sigh. "Fine. But if we fail because one of you slows me down, I'm blaming you, Yuki."

He grinned. "Fair enough."

And with that, their team was finally complete.

Just in time.

Because as the ground trembled beneath them, a massive shadow loomed over the plaza.

A mech.

No—the mech.

The final challenge had arrived.

Yuki clenched his fists, adrenaline surging. "Alright, team. Let's show them what we've got."

The real test was about to begin.