This was it.
The long-awaited finale, the dramatic curtain call at the end of the volume. Took them long enough.
After weeks of grueling practice under Professor Sirius (who definitely enjoyed watching students cry mid-drill), they had finally reached the threshold of the first-year trials. Of course, the other teams had their own instructors, some kinder, some even worse. It all came down to this.
The Labyrinth of Ascendance.
The first-years were gathered in the subterranean atrium beneath Irasios Academy, a vast, echoing chamber carved from black celestial stone.
The floor was etched with shifting constellations, glowing faintly underfoot like a living star map.
Towering archways lined the walls, each pulsing with magic and ready to open the moment the labyrinth accepted its next victim... er, participant.
Above, the ceiling looked like open night sky, enchanted to reflect the true astral alignment overhead.
