The Start of the Exam

Raze sat cross-legged in his room at the inn, eyes closed in deep concentration. The quiet hum of mana surrounded him as he slowly absorbed the energy in the air. Even though the process was painfully slow, he could feel himself growing stronger bit by bit.

A knock on the door broke his focus.

"Big brother, it's time," Kael said, his voice calm but firm.

Raze opened his eyes and stood up, stretching his limbs. Today was the day.

The two brothers left the inn and stepped onto the bustling streets of the capital. The city was alive with energy, young warriors, mages, and scholars all making their way towards the Royal Academy Entrance Exam. The towering walls of the testing grounds loomed in the distance, casting a shadow over the excited crowd.

Hundreds of participants gathered outside the grand gates, waiting for the exam to begin. The atmosphere was thick with tension this was a chance to prove themselves, a step toward glory.

A robed examiner walked onto a raised platform, his presence commanding silence.

"Welcome," his voice echoed. "Today, you face the Labyrinth of Trials. Your goal is simple: navigate through the maze and reach the center."

Murmurs spread through the crowd, but the examiner continued without pause.

"This labyrinth is no ordinary maze. It shifts, distorts, and tests you in ways you cannot predict. No maps, no allies, only your instincts and abilities."

Raze's gaze sharpened. A test of both mind and body… exactly what he needed.

The examiner raised his hand. "There is only one rule, no killing. You may incapacitate others, but should you take a life, you will be removed from the academy permanently."

A deep rumbling filled the air. The ground beneath them glowed with ancient runes.

Then--

Everything turned white.

The Labyrinth Awakens

When Raze's vision cleared, he was alone.

The massive crowd of competitors had disappeared, scattered across the twisting maze. The stone walls surrounding him were massive, stretching far above, blocking any view of the sky. A damp, musky scent filled the air, and eerie whispers echoed through the empty corridors.

Raze exhaled, analyzing his surroundings. The labyrinth had teleported everyone to different locations. There was no telling where Kael was.

"Well, this just got interesting," he muttered.

Taking a cautious step forward, he activated his  Sense, letting his mana reach out. The labyrinth was… strange. The walls seemed to shift, almost breathing, as if the entire structure was alive.

"Better start moving."

He sprinted forward, his eyes scanning for potential traps.

The Shifting Paths

After several minutes of navigating the twisting corridors, Raze came across his first real obstacle a three-way fork in the path.

Each path looked identical, but Raze knew better than to trust his eyes.

He crouched, running his fingers along the stone floor, channeling a small amount of mana. The left path gave off a faint hum, an illusion. The middle path was oddly quiet. The right path had… footprints?

His instincts sensed that something was off.

"Too easy," he whispered.

Trusting his gut, he took the middle path.

The moment he stepped forward-

CRACK!

The left and right paths collapsed, revealing massive spike pits.

Raze smirked. "Good call."

He continued forward, deeper into the labyrinth.

Elsewhere in the maze, Kael wiped sweat from his forehead.

He had just finished blasting through an animated stone golem, using his lightning magic to shatter its enchanted core. The beast had been slow but incredibly durable, forcing him to use every bit of precision he had.

"Big brother probably would've been in trouble if he had gotten this one, maybe he encountered one I don't think will pass the test, I mean he just got mana," Kael muttered, shaking his head.

Still, he was learning. He could feel his control over his elements growing.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed on, determined to reach the center.

Raze moved swiftly through the twisting corridors, relying on his Sense to detect distortions in reality.

Suddenly-

The walls shifted.

The passage behind him sealed shut, and the ground beneath him tilted violently, sending him sliding down a dark tunnel.

Raze gritted his teeth, twisting his body mid-air. His instincts screamed danger.

Emerging from the shadows was a massive, insect-like creature, its long, razor-sharp limbs clicking as it moved. Its multiple glowing eyes locked onto Raze.

Raze reacted instantly.

BOOM!

Using a burst of mana, he propelled himself off the wall, dodging the creature's strike.

The guardian screeched, its massive limbs tearing through the stone where he had been moments before.

"Fast," Raze muttered. "But not fast enough."

The creature lunged again. This time, Raze didn't dodge.

Instead-

He stepped forward, channeling Void Mana into his fist.

CRACK!

His punch pierced through the beast's head, reducing it to dust.

The moment the creature died, the walls stopped shifting, and a new passage opened ahead.

"Looks like I passed this part, my mana feels different from what there is in the environment, it feels stronger than normal mana," Raze said, shaking off the dust.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, continuing his path toward the center.

As the labyrinth continued to test its challengers, only the strongest and smartest began making real progress.

Kael faced another group of enemies—this time the path was dark had hardly any light, restricting the ability to see, and had shadow beasts that moved unpredictably. His light element made short work of them, dispersing their forms into nothingness because his light made no room for the shadow to be formed, hence defeating them with ease.

well that was easy.

Raze, meanwhile, encountered more shifting corridors and mind-altering illusions, but his Senses allowed him to cut through them with ease.

Both brothers were getting closer to the center.

But they weren't the only ones.

Many competitors were still in the race—some powerful, some cunning. And not all of them played fair.

As the first stage of the exam neared its climax, the real battles were about to begin.