The training chamber loomed before Team 4, a maze of shifting corridors and glowing glyphs that pulsed like veins under skin. The magic crackled faintly, as if it were alive, whispering promises of traps, illusions, and ruin.

Edward Leona stood at the front, his posture rigid and his polished sword held with unwavering precision. Every inch of him radiated control, as though carved from ice itself. Beside him, Shane Leona leaned against the wall with practiced ease, his twin daggers spinning lazily in his hands. His casual demeanor was a stark contrast to his older brother’s taut focus.

Edward’s voice cut through the heavy silence. “The crystal is at the heart of this maze. Stay close, follow my lead, and we’ll finish this cleanly.”

Shane snorted. “Oh, naturally. Because you’ve always been the fun one to follow.”

Edward’s blue eyes narrowed, cold and sharp. “Someone has to lead, Shane. And it’s clearly not you.”

Shane’s smirk widened, though his eyes flashed with something sharper beneath the mockery. “Funny, isn’t it? You play the part of a leader, but you don’t inspire anyone to follow. You just… order.”

Aria groaned, stepping between them before the tension could boil over. “Enough already. I swear, I’m seconds from locking you both in a cave until you sort out whatever this is.”

Julius hung near the back, watching the brothers like a spectator caught in the middle of a private war. “Maybe we focus on the maze before you two start swinging?” he suggested, gripping his sword. “The crystal’s not going to collect itself.”

Edward exhaled sharply, straightening. “Fine. Stay close.”

The maze swallowed them whole as the heavy stone doors groaned shut behind them. Shadows stretched along the walls, lit only by the eerie pulse of the glyphs. Edward moved ahead, leading with practiced confidence, his sword raised like a compass.

“We take the right passage,” Edward ordered, studying the faint flicker of magic along the walls. “I can see traces of movement—this is the way.”

“Movement or traps?” Shane interjected, his voice light but edged with challenge. “Because my gut says left.”

Edward turned sharply, glaring at his younger brother. “You’re basing this on your gut?”

Shane pushed off the wall, his casual air falling away. His green eyes flickered as Eye of the Sky activated, faint wisps of wind curling along the ground like invisible tendrils. Trails of possibility stretched out before him—each choice branching into outcomes only he could see.

“Not gut—instinct,” Shane corrected, his voice quieter now. “Your path leads to collapse. This one’s safer.”

Edward’s grip on his sword tightened. “And you’re suddenly an authority on navigation?”

Shane shrugged, though there was no humor in his voice. “Unlike you, I don’t need to be perfect. I just need to be right.”

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The air between the brothers grew heavy, their powers humming faintly in response to their clashing wills. Edward’s lightning flickered at his fingertips, while Shane stood calm, the wind curling around him like a loyal ally.

“Will you two stop?” Aria barked, the tremor of her earth magic cracking the stone under her boot. “We’re testing both paths. Julius, you’re with Edward. I’ll go with Shane. We meet at the center.”

“Splitting up’s a bad idea,” Julius muttered under his breath, but Aria’s glare silenced him. “Okay, okay. Don’t let me die, Your Highness.”

The path Edward chose was claustrophobic, the walls pressing close like a throat ready to swallow them. Edward’s Eye of the Storm buzzed at the edge of his vision, flashes of movement teasing glimpses of spikes and glyphs—seconds ahead of reality.

“Step exactly where I do,” Edward commanded. “Don’t fall behind.”

Julius grumbled under his breath but obeyed, mirroring Edward’s movements. A spike shot out of the wall, but Edward turned gracefully, his sword slicing the trap apart before it triggered fully. Julius wasn’t so lucky. He stumbled, a spear-like dart grazing his arm.

“Focus, Johnson,” Edward snapped, his tone as sharp as the traps. “Sloppiness will get you killed.”

“I’m trying!” Julius bit back, panting as they pressed on. “Not all of us have lightning visions, you know.”

Edward turned, his gaze hard. “Then learn. You rely on brute force. A sword isn’t just for swinging—it’s for reading your opponent, predicting their moves. A blade should flow like water, not thrash like a storm.”

Julius narrowed his eyes. “You sound just like my father.”

Edward hesitated, his voice softer. “Then maybe your father knew something worth learning.”

The words stung, but deep inside, Julius felt something stir. Edward moved with an elegance Julius couldn’t deny, every motion deliberate—crafted through years of expectation and endless training. The voice, faint in Julius’s mind, whispered.

Watch. Learn.

Reluctantly, Julius followed Edward’s example.

Meanwhile, Shane led Aria through the left passage with unnerving ease, the wind guiding his steps. His Eye of the Sky lit invisible paths of safety ahead, allowing him to move like a whisper. Aria smashed through what obstacles she couldn’t avoid, her stone gauntlets crushing walls and wards alike.

“You’re enjoying this,” Aria accused, watching Shane dodge another trap with a spin that looked more like a dance.

Shane grinned. “What can I say? I like proving Edward wrong.”

“Maybe stop trying to compete with him for five minutes,” Aria said. “It’s exhausting to watch.”

Shane’s smile faltered, just slightly. “Edward was made into a leader. I just… am. You know what that’s like? Watching someone force themselves into a role because they think they have to carry the world?”

Aria glanced at him, her voice softer. “So, what? You resent him for it?”

“No,” Shane admitted, his smile returning, though quieter this time. “I just wish he’d let himself fail once in a while.”

Both paths converged at the heart of the maze, where the crystal pulsed on its pedestal. Edward and Julius arrived first, battered but alive. Shane and Aria entered moments later.

“Told you my path was safer,” Shane said smugly.

Edward ignored him, his gaze locked on the crystal as the wards around it flared with lethal energy. Lightning crackled faintly along his fingertips. “I’ll cut through—”

“No,” Shane interrupted, activating his Eye of the Sky. “That’ll trigger the whole thing. Trust me.”

The two glared at each other, tension humming.

“Shane’s right,” Aria interjected. “Work together, or this whole maze wins.”

With a growl of frustration, Edward nodded. Shane guided him through the traps, each of Edward’s precise strikes cutting down the warding glyphs with perfect timing.

When the final pulse of energy faded, Julius lunged forward, snatching the crystal before the illusion of the maze crumbled.

Instructor Eckhart surveyed them with a grim expression. “You succeeded, but barely. Remember this—leadership isn’t control. Strength isn’t just power. It’s knowing when to listen.”

Edward and Shane exchanged a look—tense, but with the faintest flicker of understanding.

As they left the chamber, Julius glanced between the brothers. “So… truce?”

Shane smirked. Edward rolled his eyes. But this time, neither argued.

And for the first time, the storm between them began to settle—if only for now.