A second passed and then, they burst in.
Two figures came out from the light in a rush, their steps faltering slightly as their eyes adjusted to the space.
Malakai's eyes lit up and his arm moved fast, his gun snapping up and pointing directly at the lead figure's chest.
The duo turned, reacting just in time as their gazes locked onto him. Their faces immediately shifted in surprise.
But before any words could be exchanged, a voice echoed through the hall. One they all knew too well.
"Welcome to the Successor Trials, participants."
The hall went still. Malakai, who had been about to pull the trigger, froze.
"Listen carefully to the rules. This is a Labyrinth. You've each been grouped into threes and transported to different entry points scattered throughout the labyrinth."
"Your ultimate goal is to reach the center of the labyrinth while overcoming every obstacles in your path…"
"I wish you good luck."
The voice fell silent, and so did the entire hall.
The duo's gaze never once left Malakai's, the tension rising as the seconds passed. Neither of them moved.
"Don't move," the second one whispered, and Kendal, who had been half a step away from lunging, stopped, frowning.
"Look at that tiny thing in his arms. What could it possibly do?" he scoffed, casually gesturing toward the gun pointed at them.
They had no idea what it was. Their society had just started rebuilding, and a lot from the past was unknown to them.
However, the other kept his gaze locked on Malakai.
"We have no idea what it is," he said flatly. "It's obvious his weapons are more advanced than ours."
"Ugh," Kendal muttered, clearly irritated. "Why is everyone in your family so spineless?"
The second boy ignored him entirely and stepped forward slightly, his eyes never leaving Malakai.
"I am Jerom Sol Lucerna," he said calmly, "a direct descendant of the Lucerna family."
His voice was composed.
"I'm sure you heard everything that voice said. I suppose we should be relieved you haven't used that weapon yet. Which means you can think. So… what now?"
Malakai gave Jerom a measured once-over, silent.
'The Lucerna clan… damn.'
Unlike the Taurons and their brute strength gotten from muscular manipulation, the Lucerna were a different breed entirely.
Their power lay in the manipulation of their synaptic system, refining reflexes, enhancing perception, and accelerating cognitive processing.
Analytical. Logical. Pragmatic. Efficient.
Hyper-aware and relentlessly precise.
In simple terms, they were the worst kind of enemies to have, especially for someone like him, an unevolved. He was not just stronger… but smarter.
'I can't engage them now,' Malakai thought grimly, canceling any lingering thoughts of confrontation.
'I missed my chance. The voice caught me off guard… the window for a surprise attack is gone.'
'It's too uncertain.'
Slowly, he lowered his gun and slid it back into the strap on his waist.
"What do you have in mind?" he asked flatly.
Jerom gave a faint smile, as though he had expected that exact response.
"We've all been grouped into threes," he said calmly, "and it's very likely we'll be pitted against other groups. Teaming up, for now, would be the smart move."
Kendal scoffed immediately. "What are you talking about, Jerom? He's one of those blood-suckers. They'll stab us in the back the first chance they get."
Jerom didn't even spare him a glance. His eyes remained on Malakai. "So… what do you say?"
Malakai held his gaze for a moment, then gave a subtle nod. "My name is Malakai Sanguine."
Jerom's eyes narrowed slightly at that. 'No "von"?' he thought.
It was obvious Malakai belonged to the Sanguine clan, the appearance, the chilling presence made it undeniable. But with how advanced his equipment was, although it was something they had never seen before, it was surprising he wasn't a direct descendant.
'That would explain why I don't recognize him… I know all the faces of the direct line,'
Still, he didn't let any of that show on his face. Instead, he nodded with a smile and gestured toward Kendal, who wore a scowl deep enough to crack stone.
"This is Kendal, and as he mentioned before, he's from the Tauron family."
Malakai's eyes briefly met Kendal's, who stared at him like he'd just stolen his wife, before turning away without a word. He gave Jerom a final nod, then started walking toward the other end of the room.
Jerom followed silently along with Kendal, who groaned and muttered incomprehensible words under his breath, before trailing behind them.
The tension between them was still as strong as ever, and Malakai's guard was up to the extreme.
The hall was large, but their steps soon brought them to the end of the hall where a podium stood facing three large doors.
Malakai maintained his vigilance as he stepped on the podium. His teammates weren't the only potential danger he had to watch out for.
'There might be traps.'
It wasn't just paranoia. In a place where they were being tested, he couldn't ignore the possibility of even the stone beneath his feet being a threat.
Reaching the center of the podium, Malakai stopped in front of a slanted stand with words written all over it.
'Instructions,' Malakai identified.
Jerom approached from behind, peering over his shoulder.
"Looks like these are our instructions for this round," he said, stepping up beside Malakai and scanning the writing.
From the back, Kendal groaned. "Ugh, sounds boring. I hope it's not some puzzle crap."
"Shut up, Kendal," Jerom muttered. He narrowed his eyes as he read aloud:
"Three paths stand before you, but only one is free of external obstacles. Choose wisely, for the door chosen by majority shall be the one all must walk. The answer lies beneath the veil of thought."
Jerom's eyes sharpened as he began reading the riddle written below it.
"A sun without light, a river without water, a fire without flame, what color does truth wear?"
Kendal groaned from behind. "Ugh. I knew it. I freaking knew it." He flung his arms up. "You have the floor, Jerom."