The night hung heavy over the snowy forest, the moon a pale sliver behind thick clouds. Sosuke crouched behind a ridge, his purple eyes narrowing as he studied the base nestled into the hillside. From a distance, it looked unimpressive — a squat, metal structure with frost clinging to its reinforced walls, barely larger than a storage facility. But the faint hum of mana radiating from its surface told a different story.
Ren knelt beside him, silver eyes scanning the building. "That armor isn't normal. Reinforced metal, and it's conducting mana. They're using the walls themselves as a defense."
"Great," Reid muttered. "I was hoping we could just knock and ask nicely."
Sosuke shifted his gaze, taking in the perimeter. No guards, no patrols, only a pair of cameras perched high on the corners. "They're not guarding the outside because they don't need to," he murmured. "The base itself is the defense."
Ren brushed snow from his gloves. "There has to be a blind spot. Even the best defenses have cracks."
Lyra tapped Sosuke's arm and pointed toward a cluster of vents along the side of the structure, half-buried in snow. "Ventilation. We could melt through the frost and slip inside."
"Too narrow," Arthur said quietly. "Even if we made it through, we'd have no idea where we'd end up."
Rin sighed, black flames flickering along her fingertips. "How about the old-fashioned way?"
"Wait." Sosuke's gaze locked onto a faint seam running along the ground — a maintenance hatch, partially hidden beneath a drift of snow. "There. Ren, can you freeze the sensors?"
Ren nodded, silver eyes flashing as he whispered his incantation. Frost slithered through the air, delicate and precise, coating the cameras in a thin sheet of ice. "Done."
Sosuke knelt by the hatch, fingers brushing along the edges. The lock glimmered faintly, runes etched into the metal. He placed his palm against the cold surface, channeling mana into the mechanism. The lock clicked softly. "We're in."
The hatch creaked open, revealing a narrow ladder descending into darkness. One by one, they slipped inside, their footsteps muffled against the metal.
The tunnel stretched on in eerie silence, dim lights flickering overhead. The walls were smooth steel, devoid of markings. "This doesn't feel like a storage base," Milo whispered.
"That's because it isn't," Lyra replied, voice hushed. "Stay sharp."
They pressed forward, the corridor branching into a maze of sterile hallways. Occasionally, the lights above flickered, casting long shadows that danced along the walls. Each step felt heavier, the air growing colder.
Sosuke stopped suddenly, holding up a hand. "Do you feel that?"
A faint hum pulsed beneath their feet. Ren knelt, pressing his palm to the floor. "There's mana flowing beneath us. A lot of it."
They continued on, the hallways winding deeper into the base. Finally, they reached a large, circular chamber. The walls were lined with consoles, their screens flickering with unreadable data. In the center stood a raised platform, faint runes glowing beneath its surface.
"Looks like a control room," Reid said, stepping toward the platform.
"Wait," Arthur called, but it was too late.
As Reid's foot touched the platform, the runes flared to life. The lights above snapped off, plunging them into darkness. A low rumble echoed through the chamber as the floor beneath them shifted.
"Get back!" Sosuke shouted, but the ground gave way, the platform collapsing beneath their feet. They plummeted into darkness, the air whipping past them as they fell.
They landed hard, tumbling into what felt like cold stone. Sosuke pushed himself up, coughing as dust settled around him. "Everyone okay?"
Groans of pain answered him. The air was damp, the faint sound of dripping water echoing through the darkness. Sosuke activated his Star Eyes, the purple glow illuminating the space around them.
They stood in a vast, ancient corridor, its stone walls lined with faded carvings. The air was thick with mana, old and heavy.
"Where the hell are we?" Rin asked, brushing dust from her hair.
Sosuke's eyes narrowed, scanning the shadows ahead. "Not in the base anymore."
Ren knelt beside a wall, fingers tracing the carvings. "This isn't Astorian design. This place… it's much older."
A low groan echoed from the darkness, distant and deep.
Sosuke stood slowly, drawing his blade. "Looks like we're not alone."
The labyrinth stretched before them, dark and endless.
A faint shuffle echoed through the shadows. From the darkness, a figure crawled into view — emaciated, half-dead, its limbs dragging across the stone floor. Its eyes, wide and vacant, locked onto the squad.
"Help…" it rasped before collapsing into a heap.
"What the hell is that?" Sosuke asked, eyes wide. He shook his head, his Star Eyes fading. He couldn't waste energy now.
Ren stepped forward without hesitation, his silver eyes narrowing. He raised his foot and brought it down on the creature. The body crumbled into dust, vanishing as if it had never existed.
"An illusion," Ren muttered. "This place is playing tricks on us."
"Can't we just break through the hatch above and get out?" Reid asked, glancing back the way they'd fallen.
Sosuke shook his head. "There's a barrier that absorbs mana. Brute force won't cut it."
"Don't worry, guys!" Ryoma grinned. "I'm an expert at mazes. We'll find a way out."
Sosuke's eyes narrowed. "Mazes…?" He looked around, realizing the endless corridors weren't random. "Shit."
"We should stick together," Rin suggested.
"No!" Arthur snapped. "I am not staying with any of you. I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you idiots." He spun on his heel and stormed down a corridor.
"Whatever, asshole," Lyra muttered, rolling her eyes. "Not like you knew any better. Useless."
Milo clung to Reid's arm, trembling. "A-are we gonna be o-ok?"
Reid shoved him off, his face twisted with unease. "Who knows how big this place is."
"I'd rather not waste time standing around," Ren said, striding down another path, his form quickly swallowed by darkness. Reid hesitated, then followed, Milo scrambling after them.
"Reid, you're just leaving?!" Lyra called after him.
Reid shrugged. "Ren looks like he knows where he's going. Besides, splitting up is probably smarter."
"Come on, Lyra." Rin offered an awkward grin. "We'll show them we're better off without them."
"Uh, sure." Lyra raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
Sosuke sighed, heading down the third tunnel. "Let's go."
"Alright! We got this!" Ryoma followed with a grin.
They pressed on, the narrow corridor stretching endlessly. The walls were smooth black stone, cold to the touch, absorbing their footsteps. After what felt like an eternity, they reached a massive door.
The door loomed before them, ancient and foreboding. Intricate runes spiraled across its surface, each symbol pulsing faintly with mana. The stone was unnaturally dark, polished smooth, and cold enough that their breath misted in the air.
Lyra leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Black stone. Ancient civilizations believed it could dampen mana. Not true, of course."
Sosuke frowned. "After being underground this long, I was hoping for a little fresh air. I hate this."
He pushed the doors open. The hinges groaned in protest, and they stepped into a vast chamber.
The arena stretched out before them, massive and circular, with black stone walls rising high into the darkness. In the center, a grated metal platform spanned the floor, lava churning beneath it, casting an eerie orange glow. Four massive statues stood in the corners, each carved from the same black stone as the walls, resembling ancient golems. Their eyes were hollow, lifeless, and their massive forms loomed like silent sentinels.
High above, a viewing platform jutted from the far wall. A stone throne sat at its peak, overlooking the arena like a silent judge.
"This place is more ancient than I thought," Rin whispered.
"Has to be from when magic was first discovered," Sosuke muttered, scanning the chamber. His eyes tracked the walls and ceiling. "I can't see another exit."
"We should've followed the others," Ryoma said, fidgeting.
Lyra huffed. "Hmph."
"Let's go." Sosuke turned back toward the doors, but as they neared, the stone slabs slammed shut with a deafening boom.
A low rumble echoed through the chamber. From the corner of the room came the sound of grinding stone. The top-right golem shuddered and shifted, stone crumbling away from its massive form. Its eyes flared molten orange, glowing like twin suns, as it stepped forward. Each footfall made the ground quake, chunks of stone falling away with each movement.
Sosuke drew his katana, lightning crackling along its edge. The others tensed, magic flaring to life in their hands.
But the golem didn't attack.
It knelt.
"It has been too long, my liege." Its voice rumbled through the chamber, deep and ancient.
"What the hell?" Lyra blurted.
Sosuke held his ground. "I'm not your liege," he said firmly. "What was this place?"
The golem raised its head, lava churning behind its stone eyes. "A trial… and a tomb."
With a grinding roar, the golem stood. The stone in its chest cracked open, revealing a core — swirling mana condensing rapidly, like a storm trapped in stone.
Sosuke's Star Eyes flared to life. The mana surged toward the core, dense and violent.
"Move!" Sosuke shouted.
The golem unleashed a beam of raw energy, searing through the air, obliterating everything in its path.