The morning air was thick with anticipation. The once-twisting, towering labyrinth had been transformed overnight, with its walls flattened and reshaped into a grand colosseum, its sheer scale almost overwhelming. The circular arena in the center gleamed under the golden Soleil sun, its surface smooth yet marked with faint etchings of karatula stones pulsing with contained energy.
At the heart of it all stood the Top 10 of each year, lined up in perfect formation. Their uniforms were crisp and neatly ironed, their faces radiating with pride, but the tension crackled in the air like a brewing storm. Aiden, standing among them lining at the very back being the tenth placer of the first years, kept his expression neutral, though his fingers twitched at his sides.
This was it. The Solstice Trials. He had defended his spot.
