*Deep in the labyrinth*
The twisting and winding network of deep tunnels was almost disorienting, making getting lost an easy feat. Most contestants had made it far by now, and over twenty had been disqualified so far—a fact that the boy, Albert, already knew, yet he still walked seemingly recklessly as if believing himself invincible. Two other contestants quietly followed Albert from behind, daring not to utter a single word after what they had seen him do.
Albert wore a long, well-fashioned black coat with a golden badge on the right side of his chest; his silver hair was a long river that extended down to the back of his neck. His charming smile was accompanied by a passion mark on his right cheek, the mark resembling a symbol for a compass. "My, what an interesting labyrinth this is. It's clear that some of us contestants will be terribly injured regardless by the end of this test," Albert remarked as he looked back to a sea of spikes and capture nets he and his group had avoided along the path.
"So, are ye gonna tell us who you are? That kinda ability's freakin' weird, mostly 'cause I still don't get it," one of his teammates asked. Albert looked back to meet their gaze before replying: "Shh, it's a secret. Let's just say I'm a designer."
The door to the next chamber then sprung open as another group entered. One of them walked up to Albert while smiling. "If it isn't Albert the Architect. I heard you're one of the heavy hitters in this selection. Nice to make your acquaintance. I'm Robu, and you see this mark here?" the man said as he pointed to a mark imitating a symbol of a pickaxe. "I've got the Mark of the Miner. I can mine through whatever I like in seconds, and your skull ain't no exception. So how about you leave this test and come back another day?" Robu said as he held up a large pickaxe suited for gold miners in this region.
The two behind Albert were stunned as if they were seeing a monster in human skin, yet Albert wasn't impressed. "I'm sorry, but I'm not obligated to follow orders from a nobody like you," Albert answered condescendingly, his smile still calm but his eyes showing disdain. The insult seemed to silence the room as if it were a funeral—in truth, it was, but not for Albert.
Robu gritted his teeth with anger; this was the first time anyone had dared to speak down to him. He grabbed his pickaxe, ready to pummel Albert, but in an instant Albert dodged the swing and touched the ground carefully. His passion mark glowed a vibrant golden hue as the room shifted and shook. Tiles came undone and smashed into Robu and his teammates; the room seemed to rearrange itself as the colors shifted. It now looked white and smooth, with the center of the room's tiles changing into stone binds restraining Robu and his teammates.
"Restraining Asylum, I call it. A good technique, isn't it? Since you're moments from defeat, I might as well enlighten your lower mind. I have the Mark of the Architect. I can bring the designs of rooms or spaces in my brain to life so long as I possess the knowledge required. This little 10x7 metre chamber has been transformed into an insane asylum, though it took longer than expected because I'm not familiar with this strange amalgamation of minerals in the walls. I do hope you enjoy my design, though," Albert mockingly said with a cocky smile.
Robu was in disbelief of what just occurred; his eyes widened so much that they could've popped as he looked around. "You bastard! Fight like a man!" he demanded. However, his plea fell on empty ears as Albert calmly walked out with his hands in his pockets. He briefly turned for one more cold remark: "Oh, you're still conscious? Seems you are indeed pretty strong; those restraints certainly would've knocked me out. I'll give you a hint on what'll happen next; why don't you look up?" Albert said.
Robu's expression shifted from anger to fear as he looked up. The roof was covered in sharp decorations in the form of chandeliers and other ornaments. With a click of Albert's fingers, the deadly decorations fell down as the roof gave way. The blades of manufactured silver and gold hurdled down towards Robu as he screamed. Albert closed the door to the chamber as he and his team walked out; they heard the noise of the roof collapsing down as Robu's screams stopped. A maniacal grin appeared on Albert's face as he remarked, "My architectural ideas are often dangerous for others, heh."
*In the waiting room above the trapdoor*
"What do you think of the rookies this year, sir?" asked a tall, black-haired Asian woman as she poured a cup of coffee and added a generous quantity of fine sugar. Mr. Kran lifted the cup gently and took a sip. "Underwhelming, I'm afraid. There's barely three that stand out to me. Now, Clara, I'd like your honesty. Who was that boy dressed so elegantly with silver hair? And that runt who badmouthed my entrance," he asked.
The tall woman grabbed a cloth before gently wiping the table, looking as calm as empty space. "Albert Erecus. He's a young man with a talent for architecture; in fact, he took over his late brother's position in a designing and building company a few months ago when he turned sixteen. The man who mocked your entrance is Jetore Abdullah; he has a criminal track record of bombing government and criminal institutions alike," she answered.
Clara seemed to pause for a moment before continuing her analysis. "I believe we made a good call to send her down there to blend with the rookies for safety, because….Albert…is dangerous," she exclaimed as Mr. Kran looked up.
*Back down in the labyrinth*
Riko paced himself through the labyrinth as Maddeline and Jetore followed from behind, the effects of what they saw earlier still fresh in their memory. "He wants to engineer a bright future, huh? That pun makes me almost as sick as I am from his naivety," Jetore thought.
"So what's your passion mark, Maddeline?" Riko asked. Jetore's attention was grabbed too; neither of them remembered that Maddeline's abilities were still a mystery until now. Maddeline smiled before answering: "Don't get me wrong, boys, I trust you two to protect me, but I got secrets too, y'know?"
The answer seemed to annoy both Riko and Jetore, but it wasn't worth arguing about. "By the way, I was gonna ask earlier, are there any strong people down here? I'm itchin' for a fight," Riko asked, changing the subject. The question personally offended Jetore as if someone had just spat on him. "Who the hell do you think I am, kid? You're looking at the strongest right here!" Jetore yelled, trying to convince himself more than anyone.
Before Riko could say anything, he halted his pace and looked in front. "Careful, guys, we got company," he said, noticeably sweating—something that caught Jetore off guard. There, from the shadows of the door to the next chamber in front of them, emerged Albert and his team, a wide smirk plastered on Albert's face as he scanned the room with his eyes as if already brainstorming the intricate architecture he could construct to destroy Riko.
"Tck, you clowns want a piece of me? I'll take all three of you sissies on!" Jetore declared as sparks started forming from his arm. One of Albert's teammates stepped up. "Two teams should fight fairly, shouldn't they? Let's decide on—" He was cut off mid-sentence as Jetore kicked him in the face with strong force, sending him knocking down. "I ain't in the mood to listen to a coward right now," Jetore exclaimed.
Albert remained patient, but it was obvious he was annoyed. His other teammate, a man wearing a black singlet and jeans, looked toward Jetore as if he was going to break his neck before suddenly being interrupted by Maddeline. "Yoohoo, I reckon you should come mess me up, don't you," she taunted. "Shut up, you little bitch!" he yelled as he threw a punch toward Maddeline with force heavy enough to crack the wall behind her. She swiftly dodged the blow before sweeping his legs off the ground and pinning him down.
Maddeline's moves were impressive enough for Riko to break his eye contact with Albert; he hadn't expected Maddeline to be the fighter type in the slightest. "Hey, it's pretty rude to turn your back on your foe, wouldn't you agree?" Albert remarked. Riko immediately turned back to meet Albert's gaze; his expression turned serious as if already knowing Albert could be dangerous.
He smiled as his mark glowed blue and a small pair of jet wings manifested on his back; in an instant, they generated an exhaustive pressure, sending Riko flying toward Albert with blinding speed. Riko smiled confidently before attempting to implant a kick aimed at Albert's chest. Albert reacted at an impressive speed, catching Riko's kick. "You shouldn't use my teammates' feats to judge me," he remarked before Riko blasted away. Riko landed back on the ground and smiled. "Noted," he replied.
The ground began to twist, causing Riko to almost lose his footing as walls emerged in the square space, encasing Albert and Riko in a room. Albert's mark glowed with a golden brilliance so bright it practically illuminated the room for but a moment. Riko smiled, knowing this wouldn't be easy. "You've gone and gotten me fired up, silver boy," Riko said as Albert's eyes seemed almost locked on him. "Let's get started, shall we?" he exclaimed.