The rising sun painted the horizon in muted hues of orange and pink, hints of grey from the clouds marred the horizon. The fresh sun’s warmth smothered by a looming storm. The city provided free lodgings to those who were participating in the Thread Trials. The rooms were plain, had wooden walls and low ceilings with 6-8 people in each. Bunk beds lined the walls, with small bedside tables on either side, separating them.
Daniel sat at the edge of his bunk, lacing up his boots. The room was almost silent, save the faint creak of wood beneath his weight and the soft murmur of the other trainees stirring awake. He’d hardly slept, though not from nerves. Sleep was a luxury when every moment could be spent refining his craft.
He just about overheard some of the early birds chatting about some money they were getting from the hosts of the trials.
“Did you hear we get 100 Rols each day we’re still in the competition!”
100 Rols, or 1 Aur was enough to buy a meal for one at a decent restaurant or go do something in the city.
No way these people are getting far, this kind of money is nothing compared to the reward if we win.
The thread trials had loomed the trainees ever since they had applied in February. By now, everyone was either talking, or at the very least thinking about it. For Daniel, it was more than just a test. These trials were a chance to prove himself, to help him enter the academy, and to stand out in a world in which raw talent often overshadowed effort. The thought of failure wasn’t a fear; it was an impossibility.
As he stood, rolling his shoulders to ease tension, the door was thrown open. A younger trainee poked his head in, his face pale with nervousness. “Hurry up, they’re calling everyone to gather down past the river.”
Daniel nodded curtly, brushing past him into the crisp morning air. The cool breeze snapped at his skin, causing him to shiver slightly. He glanced toward the maze’s towering arch in the distance, the spectators could be heard even from where Daniel was standing.
Finally… everyone will learn my name. he thought.
* * *
The morning air carried a sharp bite, most trainees sat in groups no larger than 4, chattering amongst themselves. The shimmering archway marking the maze’s entrance was a masterpiece of magic, essence and nature threads interwoven in an intricate pattern pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
Daniel stood with his arms crossed, exuding an air of calm confidence. His sharp blue eyes scanned the crowd, sizing up the competition. But he wasn’t here to make friends. He was here to win.
Nearby, a group of 6 or so people were giggling staring at something, or someone. Daniel’s gaze followed their gaze, landing on Zephyr. The youngest tri-affinity mage in history stood near the front, relaxed and aloof, his tall frame radiating natural charisma. His chestnut hair caught the faint glow of the archway’s light, and his amber eyes seemed to pierce through anyone who dared meet his gaze. People stole glances at him, their hushed whispers tinged with awe.
Daniel’s jaw tightened. Zephyr had a way of stealing the attention of the room without even trying, and it was really starting to piss him off. No matter how much Daniel trained, no matter how hard he worked, Zephyr was always there, effortlessly perfect, with talent that mocked Daniel’s every achievement.
“Jealous much?” Kana’s voice broke through his thoughts, dripping with amusement. She had been perched on a pillar beside him, arms crossed, her sharp grin aimed directly at him.
Daniel frowned but didn’t look at her. “Not in the slightest.”
Kana let out a low chuckle. “Sure, of course you aren’t. And I’m the queen of subtlety. Don’t worry, though. Someone might knock him off his pedestal today.”
Daniel’s eyes lit up after hearing this. “Someone like you?”
Kana’s smirk widened. “Maybe. Or maybe I’ll just toy with someone a little more... attainable.” Her eyes flicked toward Kaelin, who stood near the back of the group with her friend Lena, a strong, brunette girl with an affinity for Nature threads. Kaelin held a nervous but determined look on her face.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Daniel barely spared her a glance. “She’s not worth your time. Just try not to get caught up in it all and forget to actually finish.”
“Maybe she isn’t,” Kana admitted, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger. “But she’s still quite amusing. I’ll have my fun with her.”
Before Daniel could respond, the proctor stepped forward, his sharp voice cutting through the chatter.
“Welcome to the first trial: The Maze.”
The crowd fell silent as he continued. “This maze is alive. It will change around as you navigate it, creating challenges that test not only your magic but your wit and determination. Only thirty people will advance, these will be the people with the fastest time, so be quick. Fail, and your journey ends here. Choose your paths wisely. And of course…”
“Good Luck”
The shimmering archway brightened, and the proctor began calling names.
“Zephyr Kalyndria.”
Zephyr strode forward, his expression calm, as if this were nothing more than a warm-up. He disappeared into the arch without hesitation, everyone gawking at him as he left.
“Kana Elysian.”
Kana shot Daniel a wink. “Don’t wait too long, Daniel. I’d hate for you to miss the party.” With that, she vanished into the maze.
“Daniel Crestfall.”
He straightened, pushing aside a few people who were still in his way. This was his moment, and he wouldn’t let anyone ruin it. He stepped through the archway, the world shifting around him as the maze swallowed him whole.
* * *
The maze was alive, its walls shimmering and pulsing as if breathing. Walls could be heard shifting all around, from right next door to hundreds of meters away. Daniel crept along, seeing his path back to the entrance being blocked off by one of the walls. Now it was really starting.
His steps were quick and deliberate, it wasn’t long before the maze presented its first challenge: a dead-end wall covered in shifting tiles, each glowing with a distinct set of colours. Having only had one path to follow, he couldn’t have gone the wrong way. Although he could trace back, hoping for a wall to shift giving an opening, he decided against that idea. He wanted to face the challenges head on. Daniel paused, studying the pattern. Each tile seemed to pulse with a strange sort of melody. He was close.
His focus was broken by a familiar voice.
“What’s taking you so long?”
He turned to see Kana approaching, her body wispy, like a vision or illusion, as if she wasn’t actually there. She grinned, stepping past him with a confidence that bordered on arrogance.
“You always overthink things.” she said.
“And you always under.”
Kana laughed, stepping through the wall, before poking her head back, her eyes meeting his “I’ll see you at the finish line… if you’re lucky.”
Daniel tried lifting himself up and over the wall with a bundle of vines, but as his head reached the top of the wall, he hit something. An invisible barrier.
“I knew it couldn’t be that easy.” He said with a sigh.
After feeling around a bit, trying to figure out if there was a mechanism at work inside the wall, he saw a button near his feet and pressed it.
“I’m such an idiot…” he said, shaking his head, as the door slid aside and opened up a variety of paths for him to choose from.
Daniel pressed on, encountering a variety of traps and puzzles. His progress was steady, though slower than he’d have liked. Every corner brought new challenges—walls that shifted like waves, platforms that collapsed at the slightest misstep, and creatures captured from deep into the wild lands, to guard key passages.
Shape [data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAAAXNSR0IArs4c6QAAAARnQU1BAACxjwv8YQUAAAAJcEhZcwAADsMAAA7DAcdvqGQAAAANSURBVBhXY2BgYGAAAAAFAAGKM+MAAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC]
Roughly halfway through the maze, Daniel rounded a corner and froze.
A towering construct of stone and gears blocked his path, its glowing eyes locking onto him. It let out a low growl, its body rippling as if barely being held together.
“I didn’t know they had golems!” he exclaimed.
“But it seems almost… artificial.”
The golem didn’t give him much time to ponder, it swung a heavy arm of rock down on top of him, Daniel snapped out of his trance and dashed to the side.
“What a pain.”
Daniel immediately countered with a multitude of vines, grown from the pouch on his side. He started lashing at the creature, but to no avail. It’s resistance to brunt attacks seemed unimaginably high. The creature stomped forwards and swept the ground, responding only to its instincts.
“Without anything nearby to draw from, essence is useless. My vines aren’t strong enough to crush it without the extra energy…”
Suddenly he had an idea, “If I wrap vines around it’s legs, I can pull it to the ground, and it’ll be completely immobile!”
All that was left was to put his plan into motion. He started drawing its attention and ran round it in circles, planting his vines behind him, buried in the soil. But before he could spring his trap. Zephyr showed up.
What the hell is he doing here?! Daniel thought.
Zephyr stood there, surfing on a risen platform of vines, flowing like water. The massive golem turned towards him and charged. Zephyr stood in its path, unfazed. He turned his back on it, rose his hand into the air and clenched his fist. The golem stood still for only a second before a large tree rose inside it and grew outwards suddenly, causing the golem to explode.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Zephyr ignored Daniel and kept surfing along on his platform.