The sleek, black vehicle hummed silently through the glittering streets of Elarion's noble district. The party was over.

Inside, the silence was heavy. Selyne, completely drained from the excitement and social exhaustion, was fast asleep, her head resting against the plush upholstery.

This left Azrael alone with Ilythia.

He kept his gaze fixed on the passing lights, his posture carefully relaxed. He could feel her cold, crimson eyes on him, analytical and assessing. He waited. He knew this wasn't over.

"You got your reward," she said finally, her voice cutting through the quiet hum of the car.

Azrael turned. "I did?"

Ilythia reached into a small, warded compartment beside her seat and retrieved a small, heavy velvet pouch. She didn't hand it to him. She tossed it onto his lap.

Clink.

He opened it. Inside, five mid-grade Aether Stones glowed with a soft, internal light. It was a fortune. Enough to buy a small estate.

"Your payment," she clarified, her tone transactional. "For accompanying Selyne."

"My reward was the party," Azrael said, securing the pouch. "Accompanying Selyne was my duty"

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips. "Semantics. But know this, Azrael. Your little performance with the wine was… clumsy."

His blood ran cold. Gulp.

"You think I didn't see it?" she continued, her voice dripping with scorn. "You, Aelira, the waiter. It was as subtle as a thrown brick. You're lucky Aria and Silas found it amusing, or Juliana would have had you investigated before the night was over."

He remained silent. He had been caught.

"I don't care about your petty squabbles with the elf princess," Ilythia said, leaning forward slightly. "Piss her off all you want. But you did it while Selyne was standing right there. You made her a potential target."

"Aelira is arrogant, but she isn't stupid. She knows Selyne is my daughter. But you've now linked them in this childish drama. Aelira's retribution might be 'childish' as well, and I will not have Selyne caught in the crossfire of your ego."

Her eyes narrowed. "From now on, your primary duty is Selyne's protection. Not just from monsters, but from people. From Aelira. From your own stupidity. If your actions bring harm to her, I will personally demonstrate what real consequences look like. The stones are your first payment. Don't fail to earn the next one."

Azrael just nodded, his mind racing. 'So my little revenge plot just put Selyne in danger and chained me even tighter to her. My luck is truly cursed.' He hated this. He had acted to gain an advantage over Aelira, and instead, he'd just handed Ilythia a new leash.

The rest of the ride was silent.

Back in his sterile white room at the Halloway mansion, Azrael locked the door. He immediately emptied the pouch onto his bed.

Five beautiful, glowing stones. 'Payment for a job I was forced to do. I'll take it.'

He didn't hesitate. He sat cross-legged on the floor and picked up the first stone. He closed his eyes and began to absorb it.

It wasn't like the low-grade stones from his family vault. This was a clean, powerful rush of pure Aether. It flooded his system, expanding his core, reinforcing his body.

He grabbed the next one as soon as the first turned to dust. And the next.

He absorbed all five, one after another, pushing through the familiar, aching burn as his core expanded. It was a painful, intense process, but he gritted his teeth and focused. Clench. The power settled into him, a solid, reassuring weight in his Aether channels, unlike the chaotic surge from the low-grade stones.

When the last stone crumbled, he sat in the darkness, breathing heavily. His body felt different. Stronger. Denser. His Aether felt less like a shallow creek and more like a steady, deep river. A new foundation of power had been laid.

He pulled up the system, eager to see the results.

[◈ STATUS MANIFEST ◈]

[Name: Azrael Ashveil]

[Rank: Expert]

[◈ CORE ATTRIBUTES ◈]

[Strength: 48 / 100]

[Agility: 35 / 100]

[Endurance: 30 / 100]

[Intelligence: 15 / 100]

[Aether: 45 / 100]

[Luck: 50 / 100]

[Charisma: 70 / 100]

A slow, satisfied smile spread across his face. 'Now that is a power-up.'

The stones had worked wonders. His Aether and Endurance had seen massive jumps. His threads would be far stronger, and his body could take more punishment.

'It's not enough to beat them,' he thought, 'but it's a start. A real start. I can actually feel the difference.'

He looked at his point balance. [Balance: 1,010 P]. 'Still broke. But the stones were the real prize.'

He still had that empty affinity slot, mocking him, waiting to be filled. 'Now I just need to find a way to get a real affinity. Light, Dark, Ice… something powerful. Something that isn't just... string.'

He was one step closer to not being a victim.

The next day at the academy was tense. He could feel Aelira's icy glare from across the classroom, even when her back was turned. She was furious.

Silas kept glancing at him and grinning, clearly waiting for the next explosion. Astrid was, as usual, asleep, her head on the desk.

Selyne was trying very hard to pretend Azrael didn't exist, staring intently at her notes with unseeing eyes. It was a clear sign she was terrified of her mother's warning and Aelira's anger.

The morning lecture on advanced Aetheric physics was mind-numbing. Azrael was half-asleep himself when the bell chimed, signaling the end of the class.

"Do not leave," a cold voice commanded, cutting through the chatter of students gathering their things.

Professor Ilythia stood at the front of the room. The class went dead silent.

"As you are all aware," she began, her crimson eyes sweeping across the room, "your pre mid-term practical examination is approaching. The Headmistress and the council have decided on the format."

A murmur of nervous energy filled the room.

"This year, you will be participating in the Chronos Labyrinth Examination."

The name sounded ominous. Azrael had never heard of it from the novel. This was new.

"The Labyrinth is an ancient magical construct beneath this academy," Ilythia explained, her voice devoid of emotion. "It does not test simple combat. It tests potential by simulating past eras and forgotten challenges. It forces participants to adapt to rules that are not their own, revealing true ingenuity, not just practiced skill. You will face trials of logic, combat, and endurance."

She continued, "The exam is team-based. Your objective is to navigate the Labyrinth and be the first team to retrieve a 'Temporal Key' from its core. The Labyrinth is dangerous. Your pendants will work, but elimination will be swift and painful."

'A team-based dungeon crawl,' Azrael thought. 'This could be bad. Very bad.'

"To foster inter-class cooperation," Ilythia said, a faint, cruel smile touching her lips, "and to mend recent... disagreements... the teams have been pre-assigned by the Headmistress."

A collective groan went through the class.

Ilythia unrolled a scroll. "Class 1-A will field one team. The members are as follows…"

She began to read.

"Team A-1: Aria sen Selros."

Aria just nodded calmly, as if she expected it.

"Silas sen Selros."

Silas grinned, pumping a fist. "Hell yeah."

"Aelira von Crestia."

Aelira looked imperious, satisfied to be on the primary team.

"Astrid Fal Orenis."

Astrid didn't even wake up. A student next to her nudged her, and she just grunted, "Hmph," before burying her face in her arms again.

"Selyne Halloway."

Selyne looked up, surprised, then smiled brightly at Aria and Silas.

Ilythia paused, her cold gaze landing directly on Azrael. He felt a migraine starting. He knew what was coming.

"And Azrael Ashveil."

The silence in the room was absolute.

Selyne's smile froze and collapsed. Her head dropped onto the desk with a quiet thud.

Aelira slowly turned her head, her entire body rigid. Her blue eyes, cold as a winter sky, filled with a look of pure, murderous hatred that promised pain.

Silas's jaw dropped, and then he burst out laughing. "Oh, this is perfect! This is going to be the greatest disaster in academy history!"

Azrael just closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Of course. Of course, this is my team. This isn't a team, it's a powder keg, and I'm chained to it. I'm trapped in a magically sealed dungeon with all of them.'

"You will enter the Labyrinth in one hour," Ilythia announced, her voice filled with cold amusement. "Prepare yourselves."

As she swept from the room, Aelira stood up. She walked down the aisle, her steps sharp and angry, ignoring everyone else. She stopped directly in front of Azrael's desk. The air around her felt noticeably colder. 'Here it comes,' he thought, bracing himself.

She leaned in close, her voice a low, venomous hiss.

"If you get in my way, human," she whispered, "if you so much as breathe wrong, I will ensure your pendant activates. Permanently."

He could feel the sheer malice rolling off her. This wasn't an idle threat.

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