"What makes it so tough?" Vas pressed, intrigued as they continued walking together.As they moved through the crowd, Vas's eyes caught sight of someone familiar. Zola was walking alongside her father, Hugo, who was animatedly chatting with his daughter. Vas noticed Zola suddenly gaze ahead, her expression brightening.

"Mystery Guy!" Zola called out playfully. "So, not even a text? Where have you been this time—with your girlfriend?"

"She is a Aether Walker," Morrigan informed Vas in his mind. "And she's bonded with Athena. She is wasting her potential."

"So, you can tell who a god is bonded with?" Vas asked Morrigan, impressed.

"I can tell a lot more than you think. She seems close to you," Morrigan replied.

"More or less," Vas responded, the weight of their bond evident.

"She's a friend, but not my girlfriend," he clarified.

"Oh, you don't have to be that cold," Sarah chimed in, her tone teasing.

"So, what are you two up to?" Zola asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Just catching up," Vas replied, keeping it vague. He leaned in to give her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "See you later, Zola. We have to go now."

"Oh, okay, but don't get lost again!" Zola said, waving goodbye with a grin.

As they moved on, Hugo turned to Zola with a knowing smile. "So, you're interested in the kid? Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah," Zola admitted, a faint blush creeping to her cheeks. "I just… feel so distant from him sometimes."

"He's a good kid," Hugo said, reassuringly. "He probably has a lot on his mind."

Meanwhile, Vas and Sarah stepped into the elevator, the soft hum of machinery filling the space.

"So, I know I haven't asked you, but are you bonded with a spirit or a god?" Sarah inquired, breaking the silence.

"A god," Vas answered simply.

"Which one?" she pressed, her curiosity evident.

"Don't worry about that," Vas replied, his tone closing off the subject.

"It's just that Master said the Spirit Forger class is super rare—so rare that there haven't been many known throughout history," Sarah explained. "I wanted to know which god gave you that class."

"Don't stress about it," Vas said, a hint of mystery in his voice. "Maybe I'll tell you in time."

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"Okay, I still owe you for the book," Sarah said, her voice brightening again. "So I'm going to take you to another place in The Undercity."

"Where in The Undercity?" Vas asked, intrigued.

"A while back, I was hired to play at a clandestine party," Sarah began, her eyes sparkling with the memory. "It was really low-key—a bunch of rich kids wanted to experience the worst parts of town. The party ended up at an abandoned, creepy building, just the skeleton of what it used to be. But the energy of the place was something else entirely.

The ground actually had several crystals jutting out. Killer party! But there was something else there, too. It had a temperament. Trust me, when we overstayed our welcome, things began to change. People started feeling strange, and equipment began to blow up—stuff like that."

"Sounds interesting," Vas said, leaning back in the passenger seat of the car, excitement bubbling within him.

They arrived at the station to descend from The Canopy. The transition through The Middle Tier was swift, and soon enough, Vas and Sarah found themselves headed straight for The Undercity. As they ventured deeper, the air grew thick with a strange tension, the noise of the upper city fading into a distant hum. Vas followed closely behind Sarah as they navigated the maze-like alleys, their path dimly lit by the flickering lights of a few broken street lamps.

Finally, they stood in front of a building that seemed to defy time. Once, it must have been a magnificent structure, but now, calling it a ruin felt generous. The facade had collapsed in several places, jagged beams of metal protruding from crumbling walls like the bones of a forgotten giant. The windows were nothing more than gaping holes, and vines choked whatever life had once been inside. Shadows seemed to linger unnaturally long in the corners, refusing to be dispelled by the faint, flickering light of the city beyond.

"This is the place," Sarah said, her voice hushed, almost reverent as she gestured to the decrepit building. "The Geospirit we're looking for is inside."

Vas stared at the structure, an unsettling feeling creeping up his spine. The building seemed to breathe, the air thick with something unseen. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, when Morrigan's voice echoed in his mind.

"It won't be as easy this time," Morrigan warned. "This spirit isn't willing to be forged."

"Why not?" Vas asked silently.

"You'll have to gain its acknowledgment. It's wary... stubborn. You'll be tested."

"And how exactly do I pass this test?"

Morrigan's laugh was soft, almost teasing. "Who knows? But the moment you step inside, you'll be drawn into its space. Expect a trial, something that forces you to prove yourself. It's unlikely to be straightforward."

Vas smirked, the prospect of a challenge igniting something within him. He'd been waiting for an opportunity to push his new abilities, and this seemed like the perfect chance. With a confident nod to Sarah, he stepped forward, pushing through the dilapidated doorway. The remnants of what once was a door hung on rusted hinges, creaking ominously as it swung aside.

Sarah hesitated only briefly before following him inside.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the world shifted.

What had once been the eerie stillness of an abandoned building transformed into a labyrinth of twisting corridors and endless hallways. The air grew oppressive, heavy with an unnatural presence. The temperature dropped, and the walls seemed to close in around them, breathing faint whispers from every direction. Faint, glowing symbols began to flicker on the walls, their light casting strange, shifting shadows across the floor. The language was indecipherable to Vas.

"What the hell..." Vas muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar writing.

Morrigan's voice broke through his confusion. "It's a maze," she said. "The symbols describe the trial. Solve the maze, and you'll face the spirit at the end."

"Great," Vas thought dryly. "Any clues on how to solve it?"

"No," Morrigan responded. "But I suggest you keep moving. The longer you linger, the more the spirit will test your resolve."