The Next Day Had Arrived.
Trial 1 —
The Hall of Origins slowly emptied as the children were led underground.
A wide stone corridor stretched beneath the palace, its walls etched with glowing runes that pulsed softly in rhythm with something unseen. The air felt heavy, thick with mana, pressing gently against the skin of everyone who walked through it.
At the end of the corridor stood a massive circular chamber.
"This is the first trial," Hiro announced, his voice echoing. "The Mana Maze."
The floor of the chamber was smooth white stone, marked with countless intersecting lines that formed a complex labyrinth. The walls surrounding it were tall and seamless, stretching far above the children's heads. No doors were visible.
"When you enter the maze, it will respond to your mana," Hiro continued. "Your task is simple—reach the center using your mana."
A low hum filled the chamber.
"The maze is not timed. It does not reward speed or strength alone. It reacts to how you use your mana. Force it too much, and it will resist you. Hesitate too long, and it will close paths before you. If you have great mana control, this should be light work. Just a reminder—we are all watching you."
Some of the children swallowed nervously.
"You may use any mana you possess," Hiro said. "Physical Mana. Magical Mana. Or none at all. If you are injured, overwhelmed, or unable to continue, raise your hand and shout out loud. The maze will release you immediately."
A pause.
"Failure is not shameful. Losing control and die is."
The first child was called forward.
He stepped onto the maze, and the moment his foot touched the floor, the lines beneath him glowed bright blue. Stone walls rose silently from the ground, sealing him inside. A path opened ahead.
The child took a breath and ran.
Moments later, a dull crash echoed as he slammed into a wall that had formed too quickly. He raised his hand, panting, and the maze dissolved around him. Knights guided him away.
One by one, children entered.
Some enchanted their legs with Physical Mana, leaping over gaps and smashing through thin barriers. Others carefully shaped Magical Mana, forming stepping stones of water or solidified air to cross collapsing paths. Some even tried to overpower the maze.
Not everyone succeeded.
One girl froze in panic when the floor split beneath her feet. Another overused mana, collapsing unconscious before reaching the halfway point.
Each time, the maze released them.
Ethan watched quietly.
He studied how the walls shifted, how the glowing lines dimmed and brightened depending on the mana used. The maze wasn't random. It was responding.
"Ethan of the Nox family," Hiro called.
Ethan stepped forward.
The moment he entered the maze, the stone lines glowed faintly, and the walls rose around him. A narrow path opened.
He took a slow breath.
Rather than rushing, Ethan moved carefully, enchanting his legs just enough to increase balance and speed without wasting mana. When the floor tilted, he adjusted. When a wall slid across his path, he stopped and waited until it passed.
At one intersection, the path ahead collapsed. Ethan concentrated and formed a simple water platform using Magical Mana, stepping across before it dissolved beneath him.
The pressure in the maze increased the closer he moved toward the center. The air felt denser. His mana flow quickened.
Still, he kept control.
Finally, a circular platform came into view.
Ethan stepped onto it.
The maze froze.
The walls lowered smoothly into the ground, and the glowing lines faded. The hum ceased.
For a moment, the chamber was silent.
Then Hiro nodded.
"Passed."
Ethan exhaled, his legs trembling slightly as he left the maze.
Around him, whispers spread among the instructors—not loud enough to hear, but impossible to miss.
The first trial was over.
More than half were no longer in the waiting room, which meant they had failed. Around thirty-five minutes later, more people returned to the waiting room, while some were separated and led into another room.
They began announcing who had passed and who had failed the first trial.
"Ethan of Nox. Trial One—Pass. Mana control: above average," said an old-looking man.