As he approached another fork in the road, he was about to take the left path when he heard a faint noise from the right.

  Should I take a look? He considered. I can still peek around the corner quietly. If it’s dangerous, I can go left instead.

  Silently, he shifted directions, pressing his back against the wall. Inch by inch, he leaned forward and peered around the corner.

  His eyes widened.

  Only a few meters ahead stood Astra. Her sword rested loosely in her hand, its tip lazily scraping the white sand and leaving a thin whisper in the air.

  She was surrounded by three other students: two boys and one girl. Their stances were tense and their weapons were drawn. Kael couldn’t make out their words, but the hostile energy was unmistakable.

  It seems like Astra isn’t exactly popular with others either, he thought dryly. Especially not with the girls.

  Suddenly, all three opponents shifted into fighting stances simultaneously. Blades flashed in the dim light.

  Astra didn’t mirror their aggression. She stood perfectly still, relaxed and almost indifferent. She was like a predator watching prey exhaust itself before striking.

  They all lunged forward at once, their blades cutting through the air in a coordinated strike. But they never stood a chance.

  Astra moved like lightning. She dashed straight into their formation, slipping past their combined attack with effortless precision. Her sword flashed in a clean, fluid arc, and with a single motion, she struck all three of them across the throat.

  They froze instantly, their expressions locked mid-fight as their bodies were caught in the labyrinth’s temporal stasis.

  Astra straightened, her eyes scanning their immobilized forms with bored detachment. She let out a soft sigh, almost disappointed.

  Then her gaze shifted, sharp as a blade.

  "I know you’re hiding behind that corner," she called out casually. "Is my beauty really that captivating?”

  Kael’s face twitched. He stepped out from behind the wall, feigning nonchalance as he walked toward her.

  "I just heard noises and wanted to see what was going on." He said flatly.

  "Sure..." she replied, raising an eyebrow in mock suspicion. Then, in a lighter tone, she said, "But I'm glad to see you're still moving. I’d hate to see your face frozen solid. That would be bad for my plans."

  "Yeah. You're welcome. Well, bye.” He said curtly, clearly unwilling to spend any more time in her presence than necessary. He turned to leave.

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  "Wait."

  Her voice, usually composed and sharp, carried a brief flicker of uncertainty.

  Kael stopped mid-step and glanced back over his shoulder. "What?" he asked, his expression shifting as his eyes met hers.

  "We could share information about the traps in here," Astra suggested, her tone dry and calculated. "I'll tell you about my experiences, and you'll tell me about yours."

  "That's... actually a good idea," Kael admitted, though a faint unease lingered in the back of his mind. It didn’t feel like she was doing this purely out of strategy. There was something beneath her composed surface. Something like fear.

  Astra began recounting what she had faced so far: Fire traps.

  There were walls of flame that moved unpredictably through narrow corridors, forcing her to time her movements with inhuman precision. She had to cut down fiery creatures before their heat consumed the air around her. Puzzles where a single mistake would leave her burning alive.

  Her tone remained detached and analytical, as if she were discussing a lecture topic rather than recounting life-or-death experiences.

  Kael listened intently, nodding at intervals. When she finished, it was his turn.

  He described his encounters one by one. Astra barely reacted as he spoke of the fire trap, only nodding in mild acknowledgment.

  But when he started telling her about his second experience, the mental trap with the hut, the laughter, and the unbearable longing, something shifted.

  Her eyes widened slowly at first, then suddenly with raw terror. Her hands began to tremble.

  "No...no, no, no, no..." she whispered, almost too quietly to hear.

  Kael froze. He had never seen Astra like this before. Not when she was fighting, scheming, or under pressure. Her carefully built mask cracked right in front of him, revealing genuine fear.

  He watched her, questions racing through his mind. What could have shaken her so much? What is hidden in her past that makes her fear this kind of trap more than fire or death itself?

  “Hey, hey,” Kael said softly, trying to soothe her. "Calm down. We have to move.”

  He hesitated for a brief moment, remembering all too well how she’d thrown him to the ground the last time he got too close. But this time, Astra didn’t react. She didn’t sneer or pull away. She simply let him take her hand.

  I can't let her stay here, he thought. She gets on my nerves, sure, but she’s my partner. She knows too much about my past and my abilities. She has to pass this exam.

  He guided her forward through the misty corridor, still holding her hand, as they moved deeper into the labyrinth.

  After a while, he heard her whisper behind him, “Stop. I can walk on my own now.”

  Kael turned around. Her expression had returned to its usual composed, measured calm, and her mask was firmly back in place.

  “Do you feel better?” he asked.

  "Yes. Thanks...for the help," she muttered almost reluctantly.

  He raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Hm? No sarcasm? No sharp remark? That’s new.”

  “Don’t overdo it,” she retorted. A small, fleeting smile appeared on her face. It was the first genuine one he’d ever seen from her.

  Seeing that, Kael knew she had regained her composure. He shifted his stance and his voice returned to a serious tone.

  “What’s your plan?” he asked.

  She didn’t answer at first. Her gaze dropped for a moment as if she were carefully considering something. Then, she spoke.

  "I propose an alliance," she finally said. "I need your help if we encounter another trap like the one you faced. In return, I’ll help you defeat Liam and his friends. I hate to admit it, but I can’t overcome that kind of trap alone.”

  For the first time since he’d met her, Astra’s face betrayed something entirely unexpected—vulnerability. A fleeting softness broke through her usual sharp composure. For a moment, Kael saw her not as the untouchable top student but as a girl facing her fears.

  He almost wanted to step closer and embrace her.

  "I accept," he said simply, still caught off guard by the sudden change in her expression. It was the first time he truly saw her beauty. Not the surface beauty that everyone admired, but the real beauty beneath the mask.