Chapter:15
The rest room faded as the group continued forward, refreshed yet tense. A new corridor unfurled before them, this one grander—pillars lined the walls, each engraved with a symbol of one of the Twelve Elements. The air vibrated faintly with power.
They stepped cautiously through the massive archway at the end, entering a colossal, dome-shaped chamber with a glowing platform in the center. Floating around it were twelve elemental orbs, rotating slowly, each pulsating with vibrant, raw energy.
A voice, deeper and more ancient than the one from before, echoed through the space.
"This is the Heart of the Elemental Labyrinth."
"To pass, you must prove not just your strength… but your understanding of the elemental harmony."
Suddenly, the orbs began to merge—colors clashing, swirling, until a single towering figure began to form in the center.
A massive beast—part elemental spirit, part ancient construct—materialized before them.
Twelve elemental auras bled from its body, cycling like a wheel: its left arm glowed with Fire, its right with Ice, its chest pulsed with Time and Space, and its wings shimmered with Light and Darkness. It was not of this world.
Gareth stumbled back, muttering, "What the hell is that?!"
Cassia's book nearly fell from her hands. "That's not a normal summon. That's a… Primordial Construct."
Lilith gritted her teeth. "It's been waiting here—measuring us."
Evan stepped forward, Nyx hissing on his shoulder.
The voice returned.
"Your task: weaken the elemental construct by harmonizing your power. You must not only fight—but adapt."
—
The creature raised its arms—and elemental chaos exploded around the group.
Fire and Ice rained from the sky. Time pulses slowed their movements. Space distorted the battlefield. Earth spikes rose from below. Wind howled in chaotic bursts.
It was too much to take in at once.
"Split up!" Evan ordered instinctively. "Don't get caught in overlapping elements!"
Cassia shielded herself with a complex Earth-Metal barrier. Gareth roared as he punched through a flame burst with his flaming gauntlets. Silva moved like a dancer, riding the Wind, cutting away fragments of Time magic before it touched her.
Lilith's aura flared blood red as she summoned a wall of blood to protect Evan from a collapsing Space fold.
"You owe me," she smirked.
"I'll put it on your tab," he said, breathless.
Evan focused, activating the bond with Nyx. "Let's do this."
Water and Darkness surged together—forming a twin-headed serpent of energy that coiled around Evan like armor.
He charged.
—
As they fought, the construct's attacks became faster, smarter. It learned.
Each elemental pulse it released targeted their weaknesses. When Gareth's flames roared, it countered with Ice. When Silva surged with Wind, it grounded her with Earth.
But the key wasn't defeating it with brute force—it was balance.
Evan began to understand.
"We need to combine our elements!" he shouted. "Oppose and support at the same time! Think beyond your affinity!"
Cassia was first to act—creating a structure of Ice-Metal to redirect Time waves away from the group.
Silva countered Space distortion by creating a steady Wind field—anchoring reality in the zone.
Lilith and Evan joined hands briefly—Blood and Water pulsing into a crimson tide that crashed into the construct, stunning it.
Even Gareth figured it out, using controlled Fire bursts to deflect instead of destroy, protecting Cassia's Ice structures.
The synergy began to work.
They adapted.
They evolved.
The elemental construct faltered.
—
But the battle had one final twist.
As the construct stumbled, it unleashed a desperate surge of unstable elemental energy—like a dying star collapsing.
It was enough to level the chamber.
Time slowed.
Evan felt the explosion coming—unstoppable, raw magic about to consume them.
"Evan!" Lilith screamed, throwing up a wall of blood-light.
But it wouldn't be enough.
In that instant—Nyx reacted.
The little basilisk's eyes glowed with Water and Darkness sigils, ancient and pure.
Its wings unfurled—larger than before—and a tidal wave of pitch-black energy burst from its mouth, swallowing the elemental magic whole.
The explosion vanished.
Silence.
Everyone stared, panting, blinking through the fading energy.
The construct—now inert—crumbled into mist.
A faint, bell-like chime rang out through the chamber. The test had ended.
—
A new path opened ahead, leading upward. Light filtered through, revealing stairs leading back toward the surface.
The same ancient voice whispered once more.
"Those who understand harmony… may now walk the path of true mages."
Gareth slumped. "I feel like I aged ten years."
"Wasn't that construct insane?" Silva muttered. "What were they thinking putting that in a first-year exam?"
"Testing potential," Cassia answered, dusting herself off.
Lilith turned to Evan, eyes narrowing. "You're going to explain what just happened with your pet."
Evan looked down at Nyx, who was already dozing, curled up and snoring like a smug little snake.
"…I think he is more than he seems."
"No kidding."
Chapter End
—