80th Lower Level floor

"So this is the 80th underground floor, huh? It's just a bunch of monsters." Razen muttered as she cut down monsters one by one.

"If you keep moving like that, no one will ever court you. Haha!" Rise teased as he fought his own share of monsters.

"Shut up! I don’t need a man to protect me, you idiot!" Razen snapped, clearly annoyed.

"Calm down, Razen. Rise is just saying that no matter how tough you act, you’re still a girl," Mitchel said, though she understood why Razen reacted that way. Since childhood, Razen had always been treated like a boy, building walls around her heart.

"By the way, Razen, did you watch the recording of the battle between your father and Rosalind… and that guy, Mixarnt?" Rise asked with a smirk.

"Tch, what’s it to you?" Razen replied, irritated. In truth, after watching the match, she had developed a crush on Mixarnt. But there was no way she could admit it—especially when Mixarnt seemed close to Rosalind, an honor student at the academy. Unlike her, who was seen as a delinquent.

"Just saying! Mixarnt was so cool!" Rise said with a grin.

"...Yeah... he is," Razen murmured under her breath.

"Huh? What was that—Whoa!" Rise started to ask but was interrupted as the ground trembled violently beneath them.

"Razen! Rise! We need to get out of here!" Mitchel shouted as shadowy figures emerged from the darkness. Without hesitation, she activated a return scroll, teleporting them all to safety.

A Few Minutes Earlier in the 30th Lower Level.

“Ahh! W-wait! Please! We’re already on the 30th basement floor—why do you want me to go even deeper?” a desperate participant pleaded.

“Because we said so. Haha.” Leandro, a noble, sneered before kicking the girl to the ground. She let out a pained cry as the other nobles either laughed, looked away, or simply didn’t care.

A few commoners who had just arrived witnessed the scene. They wanted to help, but they knew they weren’t strong enough to interfere.

“B-but I’m a noble too, just like you guys!” Liva protested, her voice trembling. She only had basic flame magic at her disposal, but she refused to back down.

Leandro scoffed. “Hah! You’re joking, right? Your family is drowning in debt. You live in a run-down house now. The only thing you have left is your noble title—and even that will be taken from you soon.”

Liva’s face went pale. “I-if I give up on the Aether Knights’ trial now, I’ll really lose my status! My family is counting on me—ugh!”

Before she could finish, a participant with stealth abilities struck her hard in the stomach. Another kicked her, sending her rolling across the ground.

"Now, be a good girl and step into the 31st floor," one noble taunted.

"Hey. Is it really necessary to bully her?" Erenesto spoke up. Though he disliked commoners, he also had little respect for nobles who couldn't even protect themselves.

"Mind your own business, Erenesto. Or do you want to clash with our group?" Leandro said, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

"Tch. Do what you want," Ernesto muttered, stepping back. He had no intention of getting involved if it meant unnecessary conflict.

Liva gasped for air, tears streamed down her face—she couldn’t believe this was happening. She had been bullied and forced toward the 31st floor, she clutched her stomach. The tremors made it hard for her to stand, and the mocking laughter of the nobles around her only added to her despair. But just as she thought she had no choice but to comply, a shadow soldier appeared beside her, its form solidifying from the darkness.

Leoric’s voice echoed through the maze, amplified by his magic. "EVERYONE! Take the participants with you and use your return scrolls quickly!" The shadow soldiers moved swiftly, ensuring that no one was left behind as the maze continued to collapse.

"Hold on," the shadow soldier said, its voice calm but urgent. Before Liva could react, the soldier activated a teleportation scroll, and the world around her blurred. In an instant, she was outside the maze, surrounded by other participants who had also been evacuated.

Outside the Maze

Leoric, Kalavan, Isolde, and Xacion stood outside the tent, their eyes wide with shock as they watched the Aether Maze disintegrate part by part. Kalavan turned to a nearby knight, his voice sharp. "What the hell is happening!?"

The knight shook his head, equally bewildered. "I don’t know, sir! The maze just started collapsing out of nowhere!"

Leoric’s expression was grim as he watched the destruction unfold. "This isn’t natural. Something—or someone—triggered this." He turned to Isolde and Xacion. "We need to ensure everyone is safe. Isolde, have your cleric knights ready to heal anyone who’s injured. Xacion, help the shadow soldiers with the evacuation."

Isolde nodded, her usual calm demeanor intact despite the chaos. "Understood." She quickly began issuing orders to her cleric knights, who moved to assist the evacuees.

Xacion, however, seemed more intrigued than concerned. "This is... unexpected. I wonder what could have caused this." He glanced at the collapsing maze, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Perhaps Merlin’s final work has finally been uncovered."

Kalavan shot him a glare. "This isn’t the time for your cryptic musings, Xacion. We need to focus on getting everyone out safely."

In the Royal Capital

The tremors reached the capital, though they were less intense than at the epicenter. Still, the people panicked, their fear palpable as they looked to the knights for reassurance. The knights worked quickly to maintain order, their training and discipline keeping the situation from escalating.

"Stay calm! Everything is under control!" a knight shouted, his voice steady as he directed the crowd to safer areas. Despite the chaos, the people trusted their protectors, and the panic began to subside.

In the Throne Room

The generals and advisors gathered in the throne room were equally stunned. The magical screens that had been displaying the maze’s interior now showed only static as the labyrinth collapsed. Sunshine and Althea exchanged worried glances, while Percival and the others tried to make sense of the situation.

"Sunshine, what’s happening!?" Althea asked, her voice trembling with concern.

"I don’t know!" Sunshine replied, her fists clenched. "But whatever it is, it’s bad."

Percival crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. "Looks like something happened in the Aether Maze that none of us were aware of. This isn’t just a collapse—it’s a complete disintegration."

In the Viewing Box

The King and Queen, along with the former generals and Eclipse, watched in stunned silence as the Aether Maze fell apart. The King turned to his advisors, his voice filled with urgency. "What is happening!? How could the Aether Maze just start collapsing like this?"

Amon and Lyandra exchanged uneasy glances. "We don’t know, Your Majesty," Amon admitted. "This is unprecedented."

Eclipse, however, remained focused on the screen, her sharp eyes scanning for any clues. She had a sinking feeling that this was connected to Mixarnt. "Something triggered this," she said quietly. "And I have a feeling it’s related to the one participant who disappeared earlier."

Gundrik, his face pale, stepped forward. "This is bad. We need to cancel the trial immediately. The safety of the participants is our top priority."

Lancelot nodded in agreement. "Leoric is there. I’m sure he’s doing everything he can to ensure everyone’s safety. But the Aether Maze... it’s gone."

Theron, his heart heavy, clenched his fists. "The Aether Maze was our last hope of finding Arthur. Now... it’s gone." His voice broke, the pain of losing his friend once again overwhelming him.

Xavier placed a hand on Theron’s shoulder, his expression somber. "We’ll find another way, Theron. We have to believe that."

Lancelot remained silent, his thoughts turning to the possibility that this was fate’s way of telling them to let go. But he didn’t voice his thoughts, knowing how much it would hurt the others, especially Theron.

As the last remnants of the Aether Maze that is above ground dissolved into light, the once-proud labyrinth was no more. The participants, now safely evacuated, gathered outside, their faces a mix of relief and confusion. The generals and advisors began the arduous task of assessing the damage and ensuring that no one had been left behind.

The magical screens flickered back to life, and the people of Aetherlight watched in awe as the scene unfolded. Sunshine, standing among the evacuated participants, scanned the area frantically. "He's not here!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with panic. Her golden flame eyes darted around, but Mixarnt was nowhere to be seen.

In the viewing box, Eclipse’s usual composed demeanor cracked for the first time as she stared at the screen. Her sharp eyes narrowed as she realized Mixarnt was missing. "Don’t tell me you weren’t able to escape," she muttered, her voice low but filled with worry. It was a rare moment of vulnerability for the Sovereign Sword, and those who noticed it could sense the gravity of the situation.

Just then, a notification window appeared in front of both Sunshine and Eclipse. The message was brief but urgent: "You are being summoned. Do you accept?" The screen was visible only to them, and without hesitation, they both selected "Yes."