The Labyrinth of Trials and the Unseen Challenger (2)

Then came the explosion.

A blast so immense that the entire world of Halmosian trembled in response.

Far away, at Miracheneous Academy, the shockwave reached the ears of Headmaster Falani, Professor Galadriel, and Professor Pot, causing them to pause mid-conversation.

John Wei-Tang nearly fell out of his seat in shock.

Celeste Marlowe shrieked as the entire building rumbled.

Students rushed to the windows, wide-eyed and stunned.

"What in the name of the Creator was that?!" Falani demanded, his hands tightening around the desk.

As the dust settled, the once-monstrous foes had been reduced to nothing but ashes.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then—

"Awesome!" Hua-Jing breathed, her eyes practically sparkling.

Mika whipped her head around, staring at her. "Did you—just—praise her?"

Hua-Jing coughed, turning her face away. "I said nothing!"

Finn peered into the massive crater left behind. "Yep… pretty sure we just committed some form of environmental destruction."

Shi Zhao Mei, breathing heavily, finally calmed herself. She looked around, only to find every single one of her companions staring at her—some in admiration, some in confusion, some in complete and utter disbelief.

Her face turned pink.

"Uh… sorry for the mess?" she murmured sheepishly.

Aleeman, still stunned, slowly turned to Wang.

Wang patted him on the back with a smirk. "You, my Bey, got yourself one hell of a partner."

Aleeman didn't reply.

Because at that exact moment—he collapsed.

Panic erupted instantly.

"Bey!" Finn shouted, rushing forward.

"Aleeman!" Shi Zhao Mei's eyes widened as she crouched beside him.

Hua-Jing grabbed his arm, shaking him. "Brother! Wake up!"

As Aleeman's vision blurred, he thought to himself—

"Yep. The world's ending."

The clinic room was bathed in a serene glow, the golden rays of midday light filtering through the intricately carved lattice windows, casting geometric shadows upon the pristine white walls. A faint scent of medicinal herbs mingled with the crisp mountain air, but beyond the tranquillity of the chamber, an overwhelming noise shattered any sense of peace.

"Bey! Wake up!"

"Aleeman! Are you alive?!"

"If you die, I swear, I'm looting your belongings!"

SLAP!

A sharp pain blossomed on Aleeman's face as his cheek was unceremoniously struck.

His eyelids fluttered open, only to be greeted by a flurry of faces—some filled with relief, others laced with mild panic, and at least one looking suspiciously smug.

"…What in the Creator's name—?" Aleeman croaked, his throat dry as sand.

Hua-Jing, Finn, Wang, Mika, Mei-Xi-Li, Elizabeth, and—of course—Shi Zhao Mei were all gathered around him, peering down as if he were a rare species of some endangered creature.

"He's awake!" Mika shouted, raising both hands dramatically.

"It's a miracle!" Finn added, clapping his hands together in mock prayer.

Aleeman blinked sluggishly. His entire body ached, his head felt like it had been trampled by warhorses, and—

Slap!

Another hand struck his cheek.

Aleeman jerked upright, his eyes blazing as he glared at the perpetrator—his sister, Hua-Jing, who stood with her arms crossed, looking positively furious.

"What was that for?!" he growled.

Hua-Jing huffed, her cheeks puffed in indignation. "For making me worried! You nearly got yourself killed!"

Aleeman groaned, rubbing his sore cheek. "Was that necessary?"

"Yes," Hua-Jing deadpanned.

Wang snickered. "At least she didn't hit you with her full strength. Last time, she broke a training dummy."

Aleeman eyed his sister warily. "Noted."

Shi Zhao Mei stepped forward, arms folded, expression unreadable. Her long raven-black hair cascaded over one shoulder, and her gemstone-adorned belly shimmered slightly under the morning light.

Aleeman stared at her, suspicious. "What?"

She tilted her head. "You collapsed. Weak."

His eye twitched. "Excuse me?"

She sighed dramatically. "All that bravado, all that talk about being a great warrior… and yet, who ended up unconscious while I single-handedly obliterated four giant monsters?"

Aleeman scowled. "I didn't collapse because of the fight. I collapsed because—" He paused, thinking. "…Actually, why did I collapse?"

Wang patted his shoulder. "Because our dear Gemstone Bellied Troublemaker over here caused an explosion so big, it probably shifted the planetary alignment of Halmosian."

Aleeman blinked. "Wait. You mean—?"

Finn grinned. "Yup. It wasn't the fight that took you down—it was the sheer stupidity of what you just witnessed."

Shi Zhao Mei gasped in mock horror, placing a hand on her chest. "You mean to tell me my power was so magnificent that it overwhelmed you? You collapsed because you were in the presence of true greatness?"

Aleeman rubbed his temples, sighing deeply. "That is not what I—"

"I accept your silent admiration," she interrupted, flipping her hair over her shoulder, a smug smile playing on her lips.

"…I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"…Unfortunately, you're right."

Before the argument could escalate into an all-out war, the door swung open, and in walked Headmaster Falani, arms clasped behind his back, his expression unreadable.

All humour dissipated instantly.

Aleeman stiffened and sat up straighter. "Headmaster."

Falani glanced around the room, his sharp eyes settling on each of them before finally resting on Aleeman. "You certainly know how to cause a spectacle, don't you?"

Aleeman cleared his throat. "If you're referring to the battle…"

"I am referring to the fact that half the academy heard an explosion loud enough to be mistaken for an incoming war. I am referring to the fact that I had to personally halt a faculty meeting because I was convinced some student had unlocked a doomsday spell. And I am referring to the fact that you, Commander Aleeman Hakiman, were at the centre of it all."

The room fell dead silent.

Aleeman gulped. "…In my defence—"

Falani raised a hand, silencing him. "I will hear your defence later. For now, all of you are expected at the assembly hall. The consequences of your actions will be decided there."

Hua-Jing groaned. "We're doomed."

Wang nudged Aleeman. "Bey, if we get expelled, just know it was an honour causing destruction with you."

Shi Zhao Mei smirked. "You'll survive. Probably."

Aleeman sighed. "Can I go back to being unconscious?"

"No."

"Didn't think so."

The grand assembly hall of Miracheneous Academy loomed before them like an imperial tribunal, its towering obsidian pillars stretching towards the heavens, adorned with intricate engravings of celestial constellations and forgotten prophecies. Chandeliers, forged from enchanted crystal, bathed the chamber in a spectral glow, their soft luminescence flickering like ghostly embers. The air crackled with an air of solemnity—of judgment—of impending doom.

At the centre of the hall, seated upon his elevated throne-like chair, was Headmaster Falani, his expression unreadable, his sharp, hawk-like gaze dissecting every movement of the incoming offenders. To his left stood Professor Galadriel, her arms crossed, her piercing silver eyes exuding both disappointment and intrigue. To his right, Dean Magnus Feingold sat with an exaggerated sigh, lazily twirling his monocle in his fingers, looking entirely too entertained for the gravity of the situation.

And then, there were the spectators.

Students filled the hall, whispering like a murmuring brook, eyes alight with scandalous curiosity.

Among them, of course, was the ever-so-smug John Wei-Tang, his lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk, and beside him, Celeste Marlowe, twirling a lock of her platinum blonde hair, watching with undisguised amusement. Their entourage—Genevieve Whitmore, Cassandra Vaudette, Isolde Renfield, George and Robert—stood by, eager for the spectacle.

"Well, well," John murmured, folding his arms as Aleeman and his friends walked in, "the prodigal troublemakers arrive."

Aleeman ignored him, striding forward with his usual commanding gait, though his mind was occupied with thoughts of how best to explain why half the mountain nearly collapsed due to a dragon girl's overenthusiasm for destruction.

Shi Zhao Mei walked beside him, unbothered, flipping her raven-black hair over her shoulder.

Finn **leaned in and whispered, "Bey, remind me again—are we here to receive a medal or a death sentence?"

"Could be either," Wang muttered. "Given that our fight with those creatures probably registered as a natural disaster."

Hua-Jing sighed dramatically. "I swear, my brother is the only commander in history to simultaneously protect the world and cause its imminent destruction."

Shi Zhao Mei smirked. "Talent, truly."

Falani tapped his fingers against the armrest of his chair, a deep, resounding silence falling over the hall. He finally spoke, his voice smooth yet edged with a gravity that made even the bravest students shudder.

"Aleeman Hakiman. Shi Zhao Mei. Finn Orvell. Wang Ji-Pang. Hua-Jing Hakiman. Mika Yamana. Elizabeth Feng. Mei-Xi-Li."

He paused, allowing the weight of their names to settle upon them.

"Do you realise the magnitude of your actions?"

"…Depends," Aleeman replied cautiously. "Do you mean saving each other's lives from certain death? Or are we referring to the small incident where the sky turned red, the ground shook, and every bird within a five-mile radius fled for its life?"

Shi Zhao Mei clasped her hands together, nodding sagely. "Yes, very small."

Falani's eyebrow twitched.

Professor Galadriel sighed. "Small?" She gestured towards a large parchment hovering in mid-air, unrolling dramatically. "You obliterated half a mountain. Do you know how much paperwork I have to file for this?"

Dean Feingold **chuckled, adjusting his monocle. "In their defence, it was an impressive display of teamwork… though it did look suspiciously like an apocalyptic event."

Falani rubbed his temples. "Do any of you comprehend how close this academy came to issuing an emergency evacuation?"

"On the bright side," Wang offered, "we passed the trial?"

Falani exhaled sharply. "You annihilated the trial."

Shi Zhao Mei folded her arms. "Well, it was a trial of survival. We survived. Mission accomplished."

Falani leaned forward. "Do you know what would have also been an accomplishment? NOT summoning the wrath of every divine force watching over Halmosian!"

The hall fell silent.

Aleeman exchanged glances with his comrades before clearing his throat. "So... is that a pass?"

John Wei-Tang snorted from the sidelines. "More like a permanent suspension."

Falani shot him a warning glare before turning back to the group. "Despite your reckless destruction, your teamwork was… exceptional."

Shi Zhao Mei grinned. "Naturally."

"…Which is why," Falani continued, "as punishment, you will be sent on a diplomatic mission to—"

"Wait, wait, wait." Aleeman raised a hand. "Did you just say punishment and diplomatic mission in the same sentence?"

Falani smirked. "Indeed. You will be representing the academy in an official capacity to assist an allied faction—The Janissaries' Guild."

Wang blinked. "The Janissaries?"

Finn whistled. "Well, that's… unexpected."

Hua-Jing looked horrified. "You're telling me we get punished by being sent on a warrior mission?"

Falani nodded. "Consider it community service."

Aleeman sighed deeply. "Why do I feel like this is going to be an even bigger disaster?"

Shi Zhao Mei grinned. "Because it is."