Adrian gave a sharp laugh, swinging his axe onto his shoulder. "Finally, something worth the sweat."
Merlin said nothing. His gaze slid over the terrain, the tall trees, the undergrowth dense enough to hide a squad if they crouched low, the uneven slopes where roots tore out of the soil like gnarled veins.
It wasn't just a battlefield. It was a labyrinth without walls.
—
[Objective: Eliminate all opposing teams. Last team standing wins.]
The text burned bright across Merlin's vision, then dissolved into mist.
A horn sounded in the distance, low, metallic, echoing like the call of something ancient.
The match had begun.
—
"North," Elara said, already setting the pace, boots silent against damp ground. "We need higher ground before they find us."
Nathan twirled his blades nervously. "Or before we find them."
