Cross Company followed their group coordinator down a narrow hallway, the sound of muffled voices growing louder with each step. The corridor was lined with doors, each marked with different group numbers. Lowell could hear the muted buzz of conversation from teams in their group briefings as they walked past.

  The Aurora Athletic Assembly guild appeared to be surprisingly large—much larger than the Black Boars had ever been. Lowell had never heard of Aurora before the qualifiers, which wasn't surprising given Dahncrest's thousands of guilds.

  As they approached their briefing room, Lowell caught anxious whispers from seated teams—questions about competitors, open slots, and the first event's format.

  Three other teams were already in the room when Cross Company entered. Percival quietly directed them to take their seats, then closed the doors to the briefing room and walked to the front. He waited for the students to settle down, and once they quieted, he cleared his throat.

  "I am Percival Heath, I'm your group coordinator. Welcome to Group E. Now, I'll begin with the briefing on—"

  Just as he started, the doors opened again. The sound echoed loudly through the room, startling one of the students. A guild member from the registration desk entered and walked directly to Percival. They exchanged a few quiet words, and Lowell could see Percival's face tighten with repressed irritation. As she left, he turned back to the seated students.

  Percival cleared his throat, his expression still showing visible annoyance. "I apologize for the interruption," he said, his tone clipped. "There was a last minute change to this group. There will be one additional team joining us." As Percival spoke, Lowell saw Aleksie entering the room.

  The Weston students entered with the casual confidence of those who belonged there. Aleksie smiled wryly at Cross Company and, in particular, Lowell. Lowell's eyes narrowed.

  "I thought they were in Group D?" Bart scratched the side of his face. "And, where's Ryker?"

  Lowell scanned the Weston Guild Academy students for the first-year. He was absent from their ranks.

  "I understand there has been a change due to illness. Please find seats. We will begin again shortly." Percival's voice carried an edge of impatience, his professional demeanor cracking slightly. He turned to his assistant, exchanged a brief word, and then gestured for the door to be closed.

  "Ryker wasn't sick..." Bart's voice faded.

  "The other first-year and one of the second-years are also missing." Lowell noted suspiciously. "Rina, we should be careful of Weston." His voice hushed. "Helena warned us. I think we should heed that warning."

  "You're overreacting." Rina dismissed him.

  Lowell held up a hand passively to stave off any further quarrel, which silenced her for the moment. He watched as Aleksie and the other Weston students took their seats. Their casual confidence from moments ago seemed to have shifted, edging into arrogance.

  Lowell changed the subject. "I would have thought that, once registered, you would be assigned a group and that wouldn't change."

  This time Bart answered. "Normally, you wouldn't be able to. You'd have to either participate in events with fewer members, or find replacement members."

  He glanced toward Weston, his expression growing thoughtful. "But the qualifiers are a bit different. Since teams don't know about the events until just before they're announced, it's possible to make changes right up until practically the last minute."

  "They must have dropped Ryker and the others from their roster," Bart added, "forcing a reassignment. But why would they do that?"

  Bart paused, considering the implications. "It wouldn't be a bad strategy, especially if they were competing in a group with stronger competitors, like Helena." His voice grew more skeptical. "But it doesn't give them much of an edge. They still don't know what events they're competing in."

  "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Lowell turned his attention back to Percival who was beginning to tap on the microphone to get the students' attention. Weston had been assessing Cross Company, probing for strengths and weaknesses. They probably had intelligence on all of the other teams, except for us and Helena's team. Helena's reputation made her team easy to judge, while Cross Company was a wild card.

  Percival cleared his throat. "Quiet. Quiet please." The room fell silent. "Welcome. Once again, I am Percival Heath. You are all in Group E of the late-qualifiers for this year's Acadethalon. If your registration has a different group designation, please speak with one of the assistants and they will escort you to the proper briefing room."

  Percival paused to allow the teams a moment to check, though he already knew every team was in the correct briefing room. He had already verified each registration against his meticulous lists. Still, protocol demanded the announcement, and Percival was not one to deviate from established procedures.

  "Good. As you know," Percival began, "only one team in each group will move on from the final qualifier to compete in the Acadethalon. This year, including this group, there are seven groups for the late-qualifiers."

  The projector whirred to life, and the aetheric display shimmered into view. Several infographics appeared, showing various event icons like Guild Ball with large red X's striking through them to indicate they would not be part of the qualifying events.

  "Because of the size of your teams," Percival continued, "this group will not be participating in certain events during the qualifiers."

  Percival continued, "You should also already know that you will be scored on a number of factors during the qualifying rounds. Team advancement during the late-qualifiers to this year's Acadethalon is the same as early-qualifiers. Each team is evaluated independently by the scores that they accumulate during the events." The aetheric display clicked as it switched to a different image.

  "However," the group coordinator continued, "not every team who passes the points threshold will advance automatically to this summer's games. As you should already be aware, the late-qualifiers are held to ensure that the Acadethalon has a full roster of teams competing. This year, there are five openings for competing teams."

  Percival let the statement hang in the air before continuing. "This means most of you won't qualify. In the event of a tie, the judges will issue a decision after deliberation."

  The briefing then proceeded to outline the various rules of the late-qualifiers. Every team would participate in the same number of events, though some would be direct competitions against another team with points going to the winner, while others would be free-for-alls where teams would be scored independently of one another.

  All events would take place over the course of a single day, with judgments on advancement issued at the end of all the events. Teams would receive fifteen minutes' notice before each event began, giving them opportunities to prepare.

  Teams must participate in all events in their qualifying group, though small team qualifiers like Groups E and G would be allowed to opt out of a single event, with scores based on all events they participated in. For events where teams paired in competition, if an odd number of teams were competing, a randomly selected winning team would be chosen to compete against the unpaired team. If the winning team won this second match, no additional points would be awarded, but in the event of a tie, this would become a determining factor.

  The litany of rules and regulations continued for some time until, finally, Percival ended with: "Are there any questions?" Cross Company and the other students were all silent. "Excellent. Then we shall begin with the announcement of the first event for this group: teams will pair off in an artifact retrieval challenge. You can find your pairings on the board. Good luck."

  With the briefing over, some of the teams in Group E stood immediately to look at the pairings board. Members of the guild hall were assisting and directing teams to their designated preparation areas. Rina, Bart, and Lowell traded looks as they observed the entirety of the Weston team go directly to their preparation area, ignoring the board.

  Something didn't sit right with Lowell, especially following Helena's warning.

  As they made their way to view the pairings for the first match, the members of Cross Company overheard the conversations of other teams. Most were focused on how they were going to win against their opponents, but some discussed past competitors.

  "Do you think anyone will be like Viridian this year?"

  "Who's that?"

  "You've never heard of Viridian?" Another student asked, surprised. "They entered the late-qualifiers one year, way back in the day when my father was an academy student. Not only did they secure a spot in the Acadethalon, they went on to win the most events in that year's games."

  "Yeah, I heard a lot of the team ended up being recruited by the Great Houses."

  "Wow."

  Lowell shot a questioning glance to Bart. "The Acadethalon really draws that much attention, huh?"

  Bart nodded. Rina spun around on him, mid-stride. "I told you that earlier. The Acadethalon is a big deal, especially to those graduating."

  Lowell shrugged. The status or prestige of the games still didn't mean much to him. He was looking forward to the games to prove to himself and to show Klein who the better swordsman was, but that was all. He had no interest in drawing any attention to himself. He'd had enough of it recently in Orus. In the common area of their group hall, the board showing the team matchups buzzed with faint energy, flickering occasionally as the screen updated.

  Bart scanned the board.

  "Cross Company of Orus Guild Academy vs. Weston Guild Academy"

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Now that's unexpected." The voice was familiar.

  Aleksie walked up to where Cross Company stood, his expression betraying his true thoughts. Somehow Aleksie had known that his team would be matched with Cross Company. Lowell was certain of it.

  Rina smiled and turned to Aleksie, missing the subtext. "Good luck." She extended her hand to Aleksie.

  Aleksie's friendly attitude from earlier had dissolved and became something entirely different. Instead of taking her hand in a show of good sport, Aleksie knocked it away with a slap.

  "Good luck? Pfft. Luck is what losers blame when they fail to win." His words mixed with a venomous laugh. "We don't need it. But you sure will."

  Rina stood there, her mouth agape from shock. Aleksie was a totally different person. Passing the qualifiers was imperative for her guild's recognition, but she hadn't expected the competition to be this hostile.

  Bart placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Rina." He led her away from the match board to the room they were assigned for preparation.

  Lowell glared at Aleksie and followed Rina and Bart silently.

  "Oh, and Brandt..." Aleksie called after them.

  Lowell ignored him, choosing to continue walking. Had he turned, he would have seen Aleksie's face twisted into a vile grin. "Klein says 'hello'."

  Lowell exchanged a concerned look with Bart as they distanced themselves from their adversaries. "That must be how they know the events."

  #

  The makeshift ready room appeared to have once been used for mission planning, with a window overlooking the interior quad between the guild buildings. It was later converted into storage space. It reminded Lowell of Orus' basement, with boxes stacked in corners and the accumulation of dust. Only recently had it been cleaned and repurposed for teams participating in the late-qualifiers.

  Its polished wooden floors reflected the warm glow of overhead lanterns, and a scarred oak table dominated the center of the space, its surface bearing the marks of countless strategy sessions. Along one wall, shelves lined with boxes and leather-bound books provided both reference materials and makeshift props for planning. The air carried the faint scent of oiled leather and metal, the familiar aromas of equipment preparation.

  Rina paced the makeshift ready room, her boots clicking lightly on the polished floor. "Could Klein really have provided them with the event schedule?"

  By now, Bart and Lowell knew her well enough to recognize when she was trying to mask her feelings. Even after their most recent encounter with Weston, Rina was unable to hide her confusion and the embarrassment of having misjudged Weston, having misjudged Aleksie. She felt betrayed, and was yet again reminded that not everyone held the ideals of the Guild Marches in the same regard she did.

  Bart was also stalking the room. He paused mid-step, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "It's possible," he mused. Then, with a dismissive shake of his head, he added, "Klein has enough money to bribe officials." His tone was biting, cynical, though there was skepticism in it.

  "But why go through all that trouble?" Rina pressed. Although the initial shock had worn off, her mind raced with questions about what intricate schemes were unfolding around them, and what Weston had to gain by cheating in the qualifiers. "A team's performance is judged individually, not against the other teams attempting to qualify."

  Bart looked from Rina to Lowell, then his gaze swept to the window overlooking the courtyard behind the guild hall, the field where the challenge would take place. "Klein probably saw an opportunity to expand his influence." He shrugged. "I suspect he's also testing Lowell. If Weston manages a win, he might be plotting to humiliate him."

  A spark of defiance lit in Rina's eyes. "We won't let him or Weston have the satisfaction," she declared, determination radiating from every word. With a quick glance at Lowell, she smirked dryly. "And besides, even if Klein tried, I don't think it would work."

  Lowell, who had been silent until now, blinked in surprise at the playful ribbing directed his way. "What?"

  Bart chuckled, shaking his head as if to dismiss any lingering doubt about Lowell's indifference. "Yeah. I'm not sure Lowell cares enough."

  Pushing the thoughts of conspiracy from her mind, Rina pulled some books from a shelf in their ready room. She began arranging a few of the heavier, leather-bound books on the table as a makeshift representation of the labyrinth. Next, she positioned small, colored markers, one for their team and another for Weston's, around the books, transitioning their conversation to the immediate concern before them.

  "Artifact retrieval works like this," she explained, more as a refresher, her voice soft yet precise. "We need to secure the artifact, which usually lies at the center of the maze." With deliberate care, she placed a polished, marbled square exactly in the middle of the formation. "Then we return it to this starting area." Her hand swept over the markers, laying out the preamble for their planned strategy. "In today's challenge we'll have five entrances to choose from. Failing to enter the maze in the allotted time disqualifies a player from the challenge."

  Rina's explanation wasn't just a review of the rules or their strategy; it was a promise. "Our tactics have been honed over countless drills and simulated artifact retrieval scenarios. Each door represents a possible path, and we'll choose wisely." Her eyes shone with determination, the room now charged with an energy that bound them as a team.

  Bart placed a series of blue markers onto the table, designating them as beacons. "These beacons aren't just for show either," he said, his voice low and deliberate. "If we connect them, they'll create pathways through the maze, opening routes to the artifact and giving us a chance to regroup if one of us grabs it first."

  Rina nodded, placing additional markers along the spines of the books. "If we each take a different door, we improve our odds. And remember: it's not just about retrieving the artifact. Activated beacons earn us valuable points at the end in addition to stabilizing the shifting maze."

  Bart's tone grew serious. "The risk is real. Teams of four or five can double up, moving through different entrances while still being able to overcome obstacles that require two people. Reuniting quickly is key if one of us is in trouble."

  The three of them sat in contemplative silence, each rehearsing their strategy. The weight of what they were about to attempt settled over them like a heavy cloak. This wasn't just about qualifying for the Acadethalon anymore. It was about proving themselves against teams that had already shown they weren't playing fair.

  #

  A chime played and an announcement summoned teams to the first event, following the allotted preparation time.

  Cross Company emerged from the guild hall to the field of the artifact retrieval challenge. The event was taking place in Kelleher Quad at the center of several buildings, behind them and off the street. It was likely a common space for shared use by the guild halls surrounding it. At the center of the quad was a grid of stone pavers, with conduits of aether running between them.

  The sun was bright and Lowell had to blink and shield his eyes as he stepped out into the daylight after being inside. Their competition was already at their starting position.

  Ahead of them was the labyrinth itself, its walls towering a good five meters into the air.

  A self-forming maze with opaque walls of force generated through aetheric resistance would form the corridors along the aetheric conduits. The walls were sculpted to have the appearance of white-grey stone. Kelleher Quad was large, but not large enough to house a regulation-sized artifact retrieval field. The arena consisted of a grid of stone pavers, each about a meter square. To give the impression of a much larger labyrinth than the space in the quad allowed, the structure would reconfigure itself throughout the challenge.

  Over the past decade, it had become more common to build the artifact retrieval's labyrinth using magitech. It afforded a greater deal of control over the environment, and allowed for smaller fields to be built that provided a greater challenge than conventionally built mazes. Aetheric energy not only formed the walls, but also simulated other threats: traps, monsters, and more, depending on the parameters of the event.

  To simplify matters, as part of the qualifiers for the Acadethalon, artifact retrieval challenges typically limited or even outright omitted threats. The focus was instead on the interaction between teams and the navigation of the maze.

  Rina shot a glance at Weston before she turned to her team. She opened her mouth to encourage them but paused. Lowell and Bart were already smiling.

  "Don't worry. We've got this." Bart's voice carried confidence.

  The captain of Cross Company nodded and turned to take her place at the starting line for their team. Anxiety and tension mixed with adrenaline welling up in their bodies.

  The five, equally distributed, entrances to the labyrinth revealed themselves with dramatic flair.

  Although the magic that controlled their appearance would have permitted them to manifest mostly silently, with little more than a slight hum as the charge of aether shifted, the walls of force instead parted with a thunderous sound. The entrances opened suddenly, the walls parting like heavy stone gates being pushed across the ground. They sounded as heavy as they looked, even if it was all an illusion.

  "Participants ready!" A voice called out over the announcement system. "The match starts in..." A countdown began.

  Rina placed her left hand on her shoulder and stretched a bit more to loosen her right arm. "Are you two ready?" she asked, looking to her team.

  Lowell and Bart nodded and said in unison: "Let's do this!"

  It seemed like an eternity waiting for the countdown to match start and the firing of the signal gun. When the shot rang out, both teams sprinted forward from their lines.

  Lowell, Bart, and Rina dashed forward and began to separate, having already made their plan to split up and enter and navigate the maze independently. Lowell shot a glance over to Weston and noticed their whole team was aiming for one of the doors on the far side of the labyrinth, a door that none of them were targeting.

  To send your whole team to a single entrance? It was an unconventional strategy at best, and losing one at worst. Which meant...

  "Bart, Rina!" Lowell called out to them, drawing their attention to Weston's tactics. "Slight change of plans!"

  Lowell sprinted toward the same door that the team from Weston was aiming for. Weston knows something we don't. Stick to them.

  As Lowell drew closer to Aleksie's team, he saw that the maze entrances were already beginning to seal themselves off.

  This was yet another feature of the event, though it wasn't unique to the aetheric mazes. The entrances to the maze were open only for a short period, part of the challenge's design to force teams to act quickly at the start. If they didn't, they'd find themselves locked out of the competition altogether.

  Unlike traditionally built mazes for arcane retrieval games that utilized physical portals, gates, and doors, this labyrinth's magical walls reformed as they sealed, making every moment count. Unlike how the entrances first appeared, with a thunderous display, the walls were coalescing quietly and seamlessly, like a gradually thickening film being layered over the previously open portals.

  One of the Weston students stumbled and lagged behind. Lowell took the opportunity to tackle him, sending him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him. Lowell, off balance himself, recovered by diving into a roll and came out of it without losing much momentum, continuing to try and close ranks with Aleksie's team.

  Until the wall became completely opaque, there was still a chance to enter the labyrinth. The passages were already being partially hidden by the thickening haze as the magical energies generated by the conduits of aether running beneath and between the stone tiles built up.

  Seeing one of his teammates knocked over, another Weston student, one with a darker complexion and short black hair, broke away from the group. Aleksie shouted at him to ignore Lowell, but the student either didn't hear or didn't listen. It wouldn't be long now before the barrier sealed itself fully into the same dense grey structure of the rest of the labyrinth. Further distractions on the outside of the labyrinth could cost Lowell his opportunity to get inside before the maze sealed itself off.

  Lowell's eyes darted towards Bart and Rina. They were staying their course and were just about to enter the maze.

  With a member of Aleksie's team on an intercept course and the Weston team just far enough beyond him, Lowell knew he had to act quickly. He wouldn't be able to make it to the same door as Aleksie. The barrier was already rapidly solidifying into the same dense grey haze of the rest of the labyrinth. He pivoted, darting toward the next closest entrance to him, between the middle entrance and the one Weston had chosen. As he approached it, the wall of force seemed to grow thicker and more solid.

  With a surge of adrenaline, Lowell charged at the barrier. In that same instant, the Weston student on his heels lunged and tackled him. Both of them punched through the resistance of the wall, hitting the floor hard as they tumbled into the maze.

  They skidded to a stop in a narrow corridor barely wide enough for two people to pass. Lowell pushed up to his hands and knees as the wall behind them solidified, sealing with a dull, final hum. Out on the field beyond the labyrinth, the Weston student Lowell had knocked down was left stranded, cut off from his team.