Nova and Adam stepped through the wooden door, only to be greeted by a blinding white light. Both instinctively shut their eyes, and for a moment, Nova wondered whether they had walked into another trap disguised as an exit.
But the heat vanished almost immediately. The ground beneath his feet was solid and level, and the deafening roar of the volcano had disappeared. When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself standing in an enclosed spectator box, surrounded by contestants who had managed to escape the maze before it collapsed.
An illuminated counter above the opposite wall showed thirty-two slots remaining. Contestants continued arriving through the same door. Adam was bent over, trying to catch his breath.
"Well, we made it," Nova said, his own chest rising and falling a little faster than usual. "I would say that went rather well."
Adam raised his head. "You nearly got eaten by wolves, and we almost got crushed by the walls."
"Yes, but neither of those things happened. That's the important part."
"You have blood all over your clothes."
Nova looked down at himself. His jacket was torn in several places, and dried blood covered his knuckles. The sight made him smile before he remembered Adam's expression.
"Most of it isn't mine."
"That's not as comforting as you think it is."
Nova chuckled, then returned his attention to the room. There were still hundreds of thousands of people somewhere behind them, trying to navigate the enormous maze while its walls closed in. Only 128 contestants would advance. The fact that he and Adam were among them was satisfying, especially considering neither had awakened an ability.
"There are still many left," Nova said quietly, studying the other participants. "And judging by how quickly some of them arrived, I doubt all of them struggled as much as we did."
One person, however, caught Nova's attention.
A man stood near the far wall, wearing a dark hoodie and loose cargo pants. His clothing was almost entirely gray and black, with nothing distinctive enough to make him memorable. Yet something about the way he carried himself felt unusual. He was not checking the counter, searching for friends, or celebrating his qualification. He simply leaned against the wall, perfectly calm while people moved around him.
Nova narrowed his eyes.
"He is an interesting-looking guy," he murmured.
"Who?" Adam asked.
"The one in the hoodie. Near the wall."
Adam found him after a moment. "He doesn't look like he's done much running."
"Exactly. Everyone else seems to have gone through something, but he's standing there as if he came here for a casual walk."
"Maybe he's already an Adventurer. A high-ranking one."
"Perhaps." Nova considered the possibility. "Whatever his rank is, I don't think he'll be an easy opponent. Be careful if you ever have to deal with him. Got it?"
Adam nodded. "Got it."
The man appeared to notice their attention. He turned his head slightly, just enough for Nova to know that he had been looking in their direction, then shifted his position and faced the wall more directly. His hood continued to conceal most of his face.
"Well, that's friendly," Nova muttered.
"We were staring at him," Adam pointed out.
"I was observing him. There's a difference."
A few more minutes passed. Contestants arrived in increasingly hurried groups until the counter reached zero. The door behind them closed, and the illuminated number changed to 128. A low murmur spread through the room as everyone realized that the first stage was finally over.
Then an announcement burst from the speakers.
A piercing squeal of feedback made Nova wince and Adam clap his hands over his ears. Several other contestants complained before the sound cut out.
"Sorry for that, folks!" a young woman said through the speakers, sounding embarrassed. There was a brief pause as she adjusted the microphone. "Alright. Congratulations to all 128 participants who qualified for Stage Two. You have successfully completed the maze."
"For the next challenge, you will be split into groups of four. Each group will face another group in a four-versus-four match of Capture the Flag. Whichever team manages to take the opposing team's flag first will win and advance. You are free to use any method necessary. There are no rules restricting how you fight."
The room grew noticeably louder.
"Four against four?" Adam repeated. "So we're getting assigned teammates?"
"That's what she said."
"But what if we end up on opposite teams?"
"Then I suppose we'll have a rather unfortunate problem," Nova answered. "Don't worry about it yet. We haven't been assigned anywhere."
"You're not going to fight me, are you?"
"I'd rather not. Besides, you've already survived a maze full of monsters. I'd be a terrible friend if I congratulated you by punching you in the face."
Adam managed a small laugh, although his eyes remained fixed on the floor ahead.
Before he had time to answer, a white light spread beneath every contestant's feet. Nova turned toward Adam, but the boy vanished along with the others.
The next instant, Nova found himself in a different enclosed area, facing an enormous screen. Eight portraits occupied its surface, including his own. The participants had been divided into two groups, red and blue, with four people assigned to each team.
Nova's portrait appeared on the red side.
He scanned the screen, relieved to see that Adam was nowhere among the four opposing contestants. He had no idea which match Adam had entered, but at least they would not be fighting each other immediately.
Then another portrait caught his eye.
Nova recognized the person on the blue team at once. He leaned closer to the screen, studying the familiar face before allowing a slight smile to form.
Well, isn't that interesting?
He did not linger on it. Whoever stood on the other side, he still needed to win. And he could hardly afford to treat any awakened opponent lightly when his own powers remained inaccessible.
"Red it is, then," he murmured. "Let's make sure we don't lose."
A timer appeared overhead.
Five minutes until the match began.
Three strangers stood beside Nova, two young women and a man. Their flag had been placed at the rear of the starting area, and the ground beyond opened into an arena broken up by stone obstacles and patches of cover. They had enough time to discuss a plan, but not enough to learn much about one another.
Nova approached them first.
"Alright, before we do anything, I need to know what everyone is good at," he said. "If you've awakened an ability, tell us what it does and how you use it. There's no point in making a plan if we don't understand our own team."
"I've awakened. I manipulate shadows, but my range is limited. I'm only F-rank. I can hide myself and slow someone down if they're standing close enough to a shadow, but I need low light to work properly."
Nova nodded, considering the arena behind them. Several stone barriers cast long shadows across the ground, and the flag itself stood near a shaded wall.
"That should be useful," he said. "You don't need to cover the entire arena. If you stay near our flag, you can make things difficult for anyone who reaches it."
She appeared surprised. "You want me to defend?"
"Unless you think you'll be more effective somewhere else. You're the one who understands your ability."
"No, I can do that," she replied, offering a hesitant smile. "I think I can hold someone in place for a few seconds."
"A few seconds can decide a match. Thanks for telling me."
The girl blushed faintly, seemingly pleased that someone had found a practical use for her ability.
Nova turned to the man. "What about you?"
"I haven't awakened," he answered in a slightly high-pitched voice. "I served in the military as a scout and stealth operator. I'm good at moving quickly, watching enemy positions, and staying out of sight."
"That's useful too. Can you move through the middle of the arena without being noticed?"
"Depends on the cover. I won't promise anything until I've seen the place properly."
"Fair enough. I want you near the center, keeping an eye on anyone who approaches. Then move with me when I push toward their flag. Call out anything I miss."
The man gave a short nod.
That left the second woman. She stood with her hands clasped in front of her, clearly uncomfortable with everyone's attention.
"And you?" Nova asked, softening his voice.
"I-I haven't awakened yet," she replied. "I'm not very good at fighting, either. But I can distract people. If someone's watching you, I think I can draw their attention away."
"How?" the scout asked, without sounding unkind.
"Noise, smoke, whatever works," she replied.
Nova glanced at the equipment supplied to their team. The organizers had provided communication earpieces, smoke bombs, and a single protective vest. None of it would replace an ability, but used properly, the equipment offered them options.
"Then that's what you'll do," Nova said. "You don't need to fight someone stronger than you. Help us create an opening, and we'll make use of it."
The woman visibly relaxed.
"And you?" the shadow manipulator asked. "What's your ability?"
"I haven't awakened either," Nova admitted. "But I'm good at moving, and I've had some experience fighting things stronger than me. I'll be going for their flag."
The scout looked him over, taking in the torn jacket and dried blood on his hands. "You look like you've had a rough first stage."
"Five wolves," Nova replied. "It was a long day."
"Five?" the scout repeated.
"I'd rather not discuss it right now. We have a match to win."
The timer continued its countdown. Nova suggested codenames for their earpieces: Scout, Shadow, and Smoke. Nobody objected.
They agreed Shadow would protect their flag. Scout would watch enemy positions and follow Nova toward the opposing flag. Smoke would stay ready to distract anyone who blocked them.
Nova offered the protective vest to Shadow. She hesitated until he explained that a defender surviving one extra blow might be worth far more than an attacker moving a little slower.
"Are you sure you don't need it?" she asked.
"If I'm relying on a vest to outrun someone, we already have a problem," he answered with a grin. "Keep it."
The last minute began ticking down.
Shadow moved into position near the flag. Scout checked his earpiece and quietly studied the gaps between the stone barriers. The shy woman secured the smoke bombs where she could reach them without fumbling.
Nova looked from one teammate to another. They were strangers, and none of them knew whether the plan would survive its first encounter with an enemy. He was accustomed to having enough power to defeat almost anyone without considering such things. Now he had three people depending on decisions made in less than five minutes.
His heartbeat quickened, and he drew in a slow breath. He could feel the heat in his face and the restless excitement gathering in his chest. It was strange, being nervous about an opponent he might once have defeated without moving a finger. Yet this was precisely the sort of experience he had wanted when he chose mortal life.
"Listen," Nova told them. "We move fast, and we move smart. I go for the flag while you cover me. If something changes, tell the others immediately. Don't hesitate because you're worried about sounding foolish. Understood?"
"Understood," Scout replied.
Shadow nodded. Their fourth teammate took another breath, then nodded as well.
Nova gave them a final look and smiled.
"Good. Let's win this thing."
The timer reached zero.
The announcer's voice rang throughout the arena.
"Match start!"