“Kael! Come on, we’re going to be late!” Robin’s voice cut through the morning air, piercing the heavy fog that still clung to the cobbled streets of the 7th District. Kael tugged at his boots, tying them without much care.“I’m not going,” he muttered, staring at the worn wood of his family’s door, as if it could offer him an escape. The sound of hammering from the nearby blacksmiths was too familiar, the constant clang of metal on metal a reminder of the life he could never leave behind.Robin’s footsteps drew closer, and Kael could hear him sigh impatiently. “Not this again, Kael. You’re going. We all are. This is the year. Don’t you want a chance at something better? The Ascension Trials! Everyone’s talking about it. It’s your shot to get out of here. You could leave the district. Go somewhere better.”Kael shot him a sideways glance, his fingers absently tugging at the edge of his sleeve. “It’s just another distraction, Robin. They make us fight, make us think there’s a prize at

The evening before the transfer to the Towers of the Elite, the air in the Ryden family’s home felt heavy with anticipation. Sylvia, their mother, sat on the worn couch, her arms cradling Luca, their three-year-old brother. She smiled weakly as Arya, full of uncontainable excitement, rambled on about her plans if she won the Ascension Trials. The small house, cluttered with the remnants of years of struggle, felt oddly quiet for the moment.The small house felt cramped as Kael stood by the door, watching Arya spin around in circles, her excitement barely contained. “I’ll buy a house for us, Kael, one with a real kitchen! And you can have a big sword to protect me!” she said, her words tumbling out faster than Kael could process. Arya beamed, her eyes sparkling with the thought of what awaited them. “We’re going to live like the people in the stories! Beautiful clothes, delicious food… I’ll buy us a house with a big garden, and we’ll never go hungry again. It’s going to be amazing!”Sy

After the first test, Kael and Arya were allowed a few hours of free time. It was a chance to roam around the Capital before the next stage of the trials began. Arya, her eyes wide with wonder, couldn’t hide her excitement.She took in the sparkling marble towers, the grand streets lined with intricate sculptures, and the flowing banners that hung from every building. To her, this place was a dream, something straight out of the stories they had heard back in the 7th District.“Kael, look at this!” Arya exclaimed, tugging at his sleeve as they walked through the cobbled streets. “Can you believe this place? It’s like… magic.” Her voice was filled with awe, her gaze darting from the gleaming statues to the grand fountains that glittered under the sun.Kael couldn’t help but glance around, but the sense of wonder that lit up Arya’s face didn’t reach him. The Capital’s beauty was undeniable, but to him, it was a reminder of everything they didn’t have—everything they would never have.Th

Kael sat against the gnarled tree, feeling the ache in his side as the adrenaline began to fade. His thoughts drifted to Arya, to what she might be enduring in the maze, and the gnawing fear that twisted in his gut. He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing.Then, without warning, a light flashed in front of him. A sharp, blinding hue split the air above him. Kael’s eyes snapped open, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger at his side. The space around him shimmered, and suddenly, a holographic display materialized in the air.The cold blue glow outlined the labyrinth’s dim landscape as a voice echoed from the sky, the same one from the announcement.“The Ascension Trials. Day 1 complete. Of the 155 participants, 20 have been eliminated. Please review your current standing and condition.”Kael’s stomach dropped. Twenty had already been eliminated? That number felt too high, too quick. He hadn’t seen it happen, but he could imagine—he had been barely hanging on himself

Kael’s eyes fluttered open, the dim light of a small fire casting dancing shadows on the rocky walls around him. The faint scent of damp earth mixed with smoke filled his nostrils. His head throbbed as he tried to focus, his body aching as if it had been trampled by a herd of beasts.He pushed himself up, only to collapse back down as a sharp pain shot through his side. Groaning, he looked down and noticed crude but well-done bandages wrapped around his torso. Bloodstains dotted his tattered clothes, and his skin was sticky with sweat and grime.The sound of rain pattering against the cave entrance brought him fully back to the present. He was in a cave, alone, surrounded by the eerie silence of the labyrinth.Kael clenched his teeth, forcing himself upright despite the protests of his battered body. His muscles screamed, but he managed to prop himself against the cold stone wall.“Finally awake,” a voice said, soft but tinged with relief.Kael’s gaze snapped to the cave entrance. Aer