We moved through the labyrinthine corridors of the Trials, the flickering glow of enchanted torches casting long shadows along the stone walls. The air was cool, carrying a faint dampness that clung to my skin, a stark contrast to the residual warmth of my own magic pulsing beneath my fingertips.
Lillian walked beside me, silent yet composed, her posture perfectly relaxed—like she had all the time in the world. Meanwhile, I was on high alert, every sound, every shift in the air putting me on edge.
"You're tense," she murmured, her voice smooth as silk.
I huffed, crossing my arms. "Yeah, because we're literally in a place called the Survival Trials, and the first thing we fought was a walking fortress. Forgive me for not being as at ease as you are."
She chuckled, reaching over to casually tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I froze, my brain short-circuiting as her fingers lingered a second too long, her touch featherlight.
"Lillian—"
She hummed, as if she hadn't just rendered me speechless. "You don't have to be on guard all the time, you know. It's just us right now."
Just us.
Her words sent a warmth curling in my stomach, but before I could overthink it, she stepped ahead, her sharp gaze scanning the path forward.
"It's quiet," she noted.
I swallowed down whatever flustered emotions were trying to claw their way up my throat and nodded. "Too quiet."
And as if the universe had been waiting for me to say that—
The ground beneath us rumbled.
A deep, resonant vibration that seemed to shake the very bones of the labyrinth. The air shifted, growing heavier, as if something vast and unseen had just stirred awake.
I stiffened. "Lillian—"
She was already moving.
Before I could process what was happening, Lillian grabbed my wrist and pulled me close, spinning me sharply into the shadows of a jagged rock formation. My back hit the stone wall, and suddenly, I was trapped between it and her.
Her breath was warm against my skin.
"What are you—"
"Shh," she whispered, eyes gleaming in the dim torchlight. "Listen."
I swallowed thickly, suddenly very, very aware of how close we were.
And then I heard it.
A slow, deep exhale. Like the breath of something... massive.
The temperature around us dropped further, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. Lillian's grip on my wrist tightened slightly, grounding me, steadying me, her presence impossibly solid.
And then we saw it.
Emerging from the darkness ahead, moving with the deliberate slowness of something that had no need to rush—
A beast.
No, a construct.
A towering, golem-like entity, its body composed of smooth obsidian and glowing veins of molten rock. It pulsed with an eerie, rhythmic energy, its massive form nearly brushing the cavern ceiling.
I barely had time to react before Lillian's warm breath tickled my ear.
"Well," she murmured, voice lightly amused, as if we weren't currently about to fight a giant sentient monolith. "Looks like endurance really is the next test."
I let out a shaky breath. "I swear, you jinxed this."
She smirked, drawing her rapier with a calm, fluid motion, the dim light catching along its polished edge. Effortless. Unshaken. She was the picture of poise, standing tall even as the ground trembled beneath us.
"Come on, partner," she purred, tilting her head slightly, her emerald eyes glinting with something unreadable. Expectation. Amusement. Maybe even a challenge. "I heard from Diana you spent a week training with your family and a few extra days sparring with her." Her gaze flickered to me, sharp and assessing. "Show me what you've got."
I swallowed, the weight of her words settling over me like a gauntlet thrown at my feet.
Oh, it was on.
I tightened my grip on my daggers, the familiar pulse of magic thrumming beneath my skin. The golem ahead of us shifted, its molten veins pulsing in tandem with the deep, rhythmic tremors that rattled the cavern. Slowly, it turned toward us, a low, grinding rumble escaping its form—sentience stirring in its ancient, stone-carved face.
Then—
It moved.
A massive obsidian fist swung downward, the air screaming with the force of its descent.
We scattered.
Lillian veered left in a graceful blur, moving with the fluidity of a dancer as she dodged the impact with mere inches to spare. I darted to the right, flipping backward as the fist collided with the ground, sending a violent tremor through the earth.
Dust and molten sparks erupted around us.
"Lillian!" I called out, already moving.
"I'm fine," she replied smoothly, her voice far too calm for someone who had just narrowly avoided being flattened. She adjusted her grip on her rapier, shifting into an elegant stance. "More importantly, let's see if that training of yours paid off."
Oh, she was enjoying this.
Gritting my teeth, I pushed forward, magic surging through me.
[Flame Step]
The air around me wavered with heat, and in the next second, I disappeared in a burst of fire, reappearing at the golem's blind spot. Without hesitation, I lunged—
[Ice Blade]
A jagged edge of frost-coated steel extended from my daggers, and I slashed at its exposed joints. My blade screeched against the stone, sending cracks splintering along the surface.
The golem lurched, its massive head tilting downward, as if acknowledging my presence. Then—
It retaliated.
A column of molten rock burst from its core, erupting toward me like a geyser.
[Wind Dash]
Before I could react, a gust of wind swept me off my feet—no, not just wind. Lillian.
She had moved in an instant, wrapping an arm securely around my waist as she pulled me out of harm's way, spinning us both away from the molten blast.
My breath hitched.
Because somehow, we had ended up—
Very, very close.
Lillian had me pinned against her, her grip firm and unwavering, her face just inches from mine.
"Careful, darling," she murmured, her lips quirking up into a smirk. "Wouldn't want you getting burned, now would we?"
Oh.
Oh, she was having way too much fun with this.
My brain barely managed to reboot as she let go, stepping away with a practiced ease, completely unfazed. Meanwhile, I was desperately willing my face to cool down.
Focus, Sera. Focus.
The golem wasn't done yet.
I exhaled sharply, forcing myself back into the fight, but Lillian's voice reached me again—low and teasing.
"Better keep up," she mused, raising her rapier, the glow of her magic dancing along the blade.
She winked.
And then she charged.
The air crackled with energy as Lillian surged forward, her rapier gliding effortlessly through the air, a streak of light in the cavern's dim glow.
I barely had time to process before she vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing just beneath the golem's exposed chest.
[Solar Strike]
A blinding arc of golden light erupted from her blade, cutting through the thick stone like it was mere parchment. The force of her magic sent cracks spiderwebbing outward, molten embers spilling from the wound like blood.
She was incredible.
But the golem wasn't done yet.
It let out a deep, guttural growl, its massive form shuddering violently as it reared back, retaliating with another powerful swing.
"Lillian!"
She twisted in midair, flipping gracefully away from the attack, her form so fluid, so elegant, it looked almost choreographed. But I saw it.
The way her breathing hitched ever so slightly.
The way her stance wavered for just a fraction of a second.
She was fast, but even she couldn't keep dodging forever.
And I wasn't about to let her fight alone.
[Flame Step]
In an instant, I was there.
My body exploded into motion, the heat of my magic surging through me as I threw myself into the fight, meeting the golem's attack head-on.
[Infernal Fang]
A blade of pure fire ignited along my daggers as I slashed at the golem's arm, the flames searing through the rock, carving deep gashes into its structure. The impact rattled through me, but I gritted my teeth, digging my heels into the ground.
The golem staggered, and in that moment—
Lillian was there.
"Hold it just like that, Sera," she called, her voice soft, but commanding.
Before I could even respond, she had vaulted over me, her rapier glowing with radiant energy as she aimed directly for the core.
[Celestial Pierce]
A beam of pure light erupted from her blade, piercing straight through the golem's chest, its form splintering apart in a violent explosion of embers and dust.
The cavern fell silent.
The golem, the beast we had just been desperately fighting, crumbled before our eyes. The last remnants of its molten core fizzled out, leaving only a pile of defeated rubble.
I let out a heavy breath, chest rising and falling, my body still thrumming with adrenaline.
Then, suddenly—
Warmth.
A pair of arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a solid, comforting embrace.
"You did well," Lillian murmured against my ear, her voice low, intimate, almost like a secret meant only for me.
I froze.
Because oh.
I could feel everything—the soft press of her body against mine, the faint scent of jasmine and sunlight clinging to her, the way her fingers curled so gently around the fabric of my uniform.
I tried to speak. Failed.
I tried to move. Also failed.
She pulled away just enough to meet my gaze, and there was something dangerous in her eyes. Something knowing.
She smirked.
"You're staring, Sera," she teased, her thumb brushing against my jaw, tilting my face up just slightly. "Did I leave you speechless?"
I opened my mouth, closed it, then scowled, tearing myself away from her grip.
"You're insufferable."
She only chuckled, clearly enjoying my reaction. "And yet, you love it."
I groaned, rubbing a hand over my face. This woman was going to be the death of me.
Before I could retort, a voice echoed through the cavern, interrupting us.
"Well, well. That was quite the show."
Lillian and I both turned—
And standing just beyond the clearing, arms crossed, watching us with an unreadable expression—
Was Evelyn Sinclair.