Contest Two Begins

The three felt the familiar knot in their stomachs as they were transported into the arena, finding themselves standing on a massive glass floor. Looking down, they could see what appeared to be a series of broken, shifting platforms suspended over a deep abyss, each one constantly moving, in seemingly unpredictable patterns.

The announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena. "Greeting contestants. For this challenge, you are required to reach the end of the contest using only your summons."

A short pause followed, as if allowing them time to process the information before the announcer continued. "For added difficulty, you will be controlling your summons remotely, from up on the glass."

Lucian let out a slow breath, staring at the unstable battlefield beneath them. "That's… far," he murmured.

Felix joined him in looking down, his analytical mind already working through the implications. "That's really going to test the limits of our control," he said, letting out a low whistle. "The distance alone is going to cause issues, not to mention the constantly shifting ground."

Aurora glanced at him. "Are you starting to doubt yourself?"

Felix smirked. "Nah, I know my role here." His eyes flickered from platform to platform, his mind racing. He wasn't just observing, he was analyzing, mapping out potential routes, searching for the fastest and safest path forward.

Adjusting his glasses, he spoke again. "The movement patterns aren't completely random," he noted, confidence edging into his voice. "There's a rhythm to them. It's irregular, but I can see it. We just need to time our movements correctly."

Aurora gave a firm nod. "We'll follow your lead, then." She wasn't foolish, Felix had the best pattern recognition among them. Ignoring his insights would be a mistake.

"It is time to begin," the announcer's voice cut through their thoughts. "Please summon your creatures. You will begin at the sound of the horn."

Aurora and Felix exchanged a nod before summoning their golems onto the starting platform.

Aurora glanced at the shifting platforms ahead, quickly deciding to summon a slightly smaller golem than usual. Sacrificing some durability for increased mobility, she shaped it with a leaner frame, its sturdy stone form compact yet agile.

Felix, on the other hand, had to focus harder. Golems weren't his preferred magic, too costly in mana for frequent use, but they were necessary for this challenge. Sticking to his usual design, he forged a hulking figure of metal and molten rock, glowing streams of lava coursing across its frame like veins of fire.

As soon as both golems formed, Lucian clasped his hands together and cast his spell. The light around the golems condensed, slowly forming into large tendrils of energy. Dense and radiant, the tendrils pulsed with his magic, bathing the golems in an ethereal glow.

The effect was immediate. Aurora's stone golem seemed to absorb some of the light, faint cracks along its frame glowing as if infused with raw energy. Felix's, on the other hand, reacted even more dramatically, the light reflected off its metal plating, while the veins of lava coursing through it burned even brighter, pulsing in sync with Lucian's magic.

Felix frowned slightly, adjusting his glasses as he studied his golem. Even from this distance, he could feel the change caused by Lucian's magic. "I didn't expect that much of a reaction," he muttered. "The light is amplifying the heat of the metal and lava… That might boost its firepower and speed."

Aurora focused on her golem as well, sensing a faint hum from Lucian's magic resonating within the stone. "It feels like it's reinforcing the structure," she noted. "Like the light is filling in any gaps within the stone itself."

Lucian exhaled, his hands still faintly glowing from the spell. "That's a side effect of my magic," he explained. "My light magic tends to enhance whatever it's attached to."

Before they could discuss it further, the announcer's voice boomed across the arena. 

"Contestants, prepare yourselves. The challenge begins in three… two… one…"

A sharp horn sounded through the air.

"Get on the platform right in front of yours," Felix instructed, maneuvering his own golem onto a different platform to the right. "Since you have higher mobility, I'm sending you on the harder path. You and Lucian will need to stay perfectly synchronized."

"Understood," Aurora nodded, readying her golem for Felix's instructions.

"Here we go." Felix's eyes were locked onto the shifting maze, unblinking. "In two seconds, jump forward. Lucian, use your tendril to grip the wall on the left and shift to the platform on the right."

His commands came rapid-fire, sharp and precise. Aurora and Lucian focused, reacting instantly, keeping pace with Felix's relentless strategy.

Aurora's golem landed first, its stone limbs absorbing the impact as it adjusted to the unstable footing. A fraction of a second later, Lucian's tendril latched onto the wall, pulling his golem forward just as Felix predicted. The moment it landed, the platform beneath them shuddered, beginning to retract.

"Move now!" Felix ordered, his voice cutting through the tension.

Aurora's golem leapt again, barely making it to the next platform before the one behind it vanished into the abyss. Lucian's tendril snapped back, gripping onto the next ledge in perfect sync.

Felix barely had time to check their progress before adjusting his own golem's trajectory. The molten beast thundered forward, heavy yet precise, its every step calculated to match the shifting rhythm of the maze.

A sudden, violent lurch rocked the platforms ahead. The course was changing.

Felix cursed under his breath. "New plan. Adjust positions,now!"

Outside the arena, Jace stared, dumbfounded. "How fast does his mind even work?"

"He's directing Aurora and Lucian while simultaneously navigating his own golem through the shifting maze," Astra said, just as stunned.

Ethan shook his head. "And he keeps moving them backward… but every single time, the platform shifts and pushes them even further ahead."