The Maze Of Death

The castle gates groaned open, revealing a vast courtyard teeming with contenders. The air was thick with anticipation, the ground humming with something unseen—power, ancient and waiting to be claimed. Kai stepped forward, his pulse hammering in his throat. Around him, figures stood tall, their gazes sharp, their postures rigid with determination. Some whispered among themselves, while others remained still, studying their surroundings, calculating.

Flaming torches lined the perimeter, casting restless shadows against the towering walls. At the far end of the courtyard, an obsidian staircase spiraled upward, leading to a grand platform where a group of robed officials stood, their expressions unreadable.

A deep voice rang through the air.

"Welcome to the Awakening Test."

The murmurs ceased instantly.

"Those who stand before us today seek power, but only those who prove themselves worthy shall receive it. You will be tested—not only in skill but in strength, in will, in sacrifice. Some of you will leave changed. Some of you will leave broken. And some…"

The speaker paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.

"Will not leave at all."

A chill crept down Kai's spine.

This was no ordinary trial.

This was survival.

He steadied his breath.

The grand platform atop the obsidian staircase remained silent for a moment, then she stepped forward.

The Princess Aurora

Her presence commanded attention instantly. She was clad in regal battle armor—a masterpiece of silver and obsidian, adorned with intricate designs that shimmered like trapped lightning beneath the torchlight. A flowing cape of deep crimson billowed behind her, and her golden eyes, sharp and piercing, scanned the gathered contenders with a gaze that was both ruthless and calculating.

She was no ordinary royal.

She was an Elementalist.

And she was in charge.

When she spoke, her voice was firm, unwavering, cutting through the hushed anticipation like a blade.

"I welcome you to the Awakening Test, where blood, power, and legacy intertwine."She paced slowly, deliberately, letting her words sink in. "For centuries, Elementalists have shaped the world wielders of forces beyond mortal comprehension. Some have become legends. Others have become nightmares."

She stopped, tilting her chin slightly.

"And then there are the Abominables."

A ripple of unease swept through the crowd. Even those who had only heard whispers of the creatures felt the weight of her words pressing against their chests.

"The Abominables were once human like us. But when corrupted by dark forces, when consumed by greed, hatred, or forbidden magic, they transform into something else. Beasts of ruin. Forces of destruction." Her golden gaze flickered across the crowd, as though daring someone to deny it.

"That is why this test exists."She raised a hand, and at that moment, the torches flared higher, their flames casting wild shadows against the walls. "Some of you will awaken your elemental affinity. Some of you will wield fire, ice, earth, sand, lightning—the forces that shape existence itself. But make no mistake—power is not a gift. It is a burden. A responsibility. And not all of you will survive the cost."

Silence stretched as her words settled deep into the bones of the gathered contenders.

Then, her expression hardened, her gaze sharpening like tempered steel.

"Step forward, contenders."

"Let the Awakening begin."

The tension in the courtyard was suffocating.

Kai stood among the contenders, his heartbeat a steady drum against his ribs as he took in the sea of faces surrounding him—some filled with fear, others with determination. The Princess had finished speaking, but the weight of her words still hung thick in the air.

Then, another figure stepped forward.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, clad in deep midnight robes threaded with silver—an official of the Awakening Test. His presence carried authority, and when he spoke, his voice was edged with cold finality.

"The test is the Maze of Death."

Murmurs erupted across the courtyard, whispers of uncertainty and dread. Some had heard the stories—others only knew the name. But everyone understood what it meant.

Survival.

The official continued, his expression unmoved. "Within the maze, you will face trials beyond mere navigation. It is filled with illusions, traps, and creatures that hunger for the weak. You must reach the center before the time runs out. Those who fail..."

He paused for just a moment, letting the silence stretch.

"Will not leave at all."

A heavy shudder ran through the crowd.

Kai swallowed hard.

There was no turning back.

The great doors to the maze loomed ahead, waiting.

The great stone doors of the maze groaned as they began to open, revealing a yawning abyss of mist-shrouded corridors beyond. The air shifted, thick with an unsettling energy—the feeling of unseen eyes watching, waiting.

Kai exhaled sharply, his pulse pounding in his ears. Around him, the contenders stood rigid, some exchanging glances, others gripping weapons they had been allowed to bring. Fear was present in their eyes—but so was resolve.

The official raised a hand, silencing the murmurs. _"Once you step inside, the test begins. The maze is alive—it shifts, it deceives, and it devours the weak. Your only goal is to reach the center. If you do, you may proceed to the next phase."_

His gaze swept across them, cold and unreadable.

"If you fail, the maze will claim you."

With that, the doors fully opened, the mist rolling outward like breath from some ancient beast. The entrance beckoned, dark and endless.

The Princess watched from above, silent, observing.

Kai tightened his grip on his satchel, steeling himself.

Then—without hesitation—he stepped forward.

The Maze of Death swallowed him whole.

The ground beneath their feet was uneven, riddled with jagged roots and loose rocks, forcing them into a relentless sprint over treacherous terrain. The walls—towering slabs of ancient stone covered in thick ivy—stretched high above them, sealing the path in suffocating shadows.

Kai ran alongside the others, his heartbeat hammering in his ears as he maneuvered through the winding corridors. The air was thick with sweat and adrenaline, and every breath burned in his lungs.

Then—

A scream.

A sharp, blood-curdling cry pierced the air, ripping through the momentum of the runners. Kai barely had time to glance back before he saw the source.

A boy—one of the nobles—had stepped forward too recklessly. His foot had landed on a loose stone, triggering something unseen.

With a sickening crack, iron spikes erupted from the ground.

They skewered him in an instant, puncturing through his body like meat on a spit. His mouth opened, a choked, broken noise escaping—but no words came. His eyes went wide, trembling with horror, with realization. Then, his body sagged, the life draining out of him before he even had a chance to react.

Kai's stomach twisted, but he forced his feet forward.

There was no time to stop.

Others screamed at the gruesome sight, stumbling back only for another trap to be triggered. This time—

A girl.

The wall beside her suddenly groaned, stone grinding against stone as it shifted unnaturally. Before she could move, metal blades swung out from the crevices, slicing straight through her torso.

Her body was severed instantly.

Her upper half collapsed to the ground with a wet, sickening thud, her face frozen in an expression of sheer terror. Blood sprayed the wall behind her, an obscene splash of crimson against the dull stone.

Kai clenched his jaw, forcing himself to look forward, to keep running.

The maze was merciless.

Every corner, every step, every breath carried the weight of impending doom. The teenagers around him had become frantic, their careful pacing abandoned as desperation took over.

Another scream—this time from his left.

A boy with dark auburn hair sprinted ahead, only for the ground beneath him to suddenly give way. The stone collapsed beneath his weight, revealing a pit lined with sharpened stakes.

He barely had time to gasp before gravity took hold.

His body plummeted, limbs flailing in a futile attempt to grasp onto something—anything. But there was nothing.

A deafening crack rang out as he landed.

Impaled.

Kai caught only a brief glimpse—his body sprawled over the stakes, his chest split open, blood pooling beneath his ruined form.

More fell.

Some were crushed beneath shifting walls. Others impaled by hidden spikes that shot from unseen slots in the maze's foundation. One girl had tried climbing the vines to escape, only for the ivy to constrict around her body, tightening like a strangling serpent until she was nothing but a crushed corpse.

Death surrounded them.

Yet still, Kai ran.

His breath was ragged, his limbs screaming in protest, but he refused to stop. He zigzagged through the path, eyes darting to every possible danger, searching for the slightest movement, the faintest shift in the ground.

Then—

A snap.

His foot landed on something unnatural. A thin wire hidden beneath the dirt.

Time slowed.

Kai's heart plummeted as he realized—he had triggered a trap.

A mechanical click echoed through the corridor.

A shadow loomed.

Above him, an iron blade—massive, glinting with wicked edges—descended at an unforgiving speed.

It was aimed straight for his head.

Kai's breath caught.

There was no time to think.

No time to escape.

Only the instant before death came crashing down.