EQUINOX || The Catalysts Series, #3

XXIV

Lena foresaw she's not going to be alone in this space, but she never thought the company would be another student. In fact, she'd fathomed the worst after the first trial, preparing for a lurking demon.

And yet, a familiar face stands before her now, with a flame lighting the darkness between them. Her defensive position falters as she catches the face in the dark.

"Leviathan?"

The redhead sticks two long, slender fingers out and taps his forehead twice near where his eye patch is, and greets in a soldier salute. "Yo."

A sound from above pulls both their gazes up and away from each other. Seconds later, a 'star' hovers high above them, blinking weakly against the dark. Behind Lena, some mechanism works itself, and the little opening where Lena had slid through to get down here is slowly merging itself with the wall and darkness.

Lena cranes her head up to see the glowing object, extremely high and unreachable unless the climb, then lets her gaze settle back down to the student before her. Her senior, and one of the strongest students in Arcane Academy, standing before her now, grinning mischievously behind the firelight of his own production.

If this is a trial stage to get one of the many 'star's in the maze, Lena doesn't comprehend why there is another student in here, competing for the lone objective that only one of them can get. Which means...

"We're competing for that one 'star'," Lena voices out.

It just never occurred to her that two students may enter a challenge zone together at once; she'd been closed off after entering the first one that she easily assumed all that's left between her and the 'star' is her ability to pass the trial stage. And with the same logic, she'd thought that by sliding down this tunnel, she will be challenging herself to an obstacle—not someone else.

In other words, this is a duel and an obstacle course combined. And by the way this is structured... it's a one on one challenge. Since they are gunning for the same objective, there is no use fighting each other unless necessary—so this isn't a proper duel but instead more of a race to see whoever's quicker and more competent, and ultimately the one who gets to the 'star' first.

And against an infamous, strong senior at that, to fight for the last 'star' Lena requires. With the time ticking away in the form of the number of the students who already passed, Lena doesn't even have the option to bail on this opportunity.

Leviathan smiles mischievously at Lena's horrified realisation, his face kindling behind the flames dancing over his gloved palm. "I thought I saw you, over the corner. Between us, another path of the maze opened, and I took it. So here we are."

Lena frowns. "There wasn't another corner."

"The closer you get to the centre of the maze, apparently, the more it shifts." Leviathan shrugs. "I'm guessing they want a little bit of entertainment."

That's unfortunately true. Between the students nearing the end goal and the number of spots left, there is no doubt increased tension and challenges in the last few miles of the maze, created just to turn the tides. Lena just never thought she might be mixed up with these bunch, hoping to have cut it through early, or in the worst case, not at all. To be in this situation means to directly be bathed the spotlight of the world's attention, with every screen probably broadcasting the intense inner circle close to the centre—not the ones who've made it through already and have had their fair share of attention, and certainly not the ones who are now left behind, with slim or no chance at all to make it considering the ones who are closing in.

So now, Lena must not only struggle against this maze for the final 'star', she'll have to race Leviathan for it too as they both have the same objective, all while knowing her every move is publicised.