The hidden passage stretched deep beneath the academy, its walls glowing with faint purple crystals. Ira and Elara walked carefully, their footsteps echoing through the silence.
The air felt colder with every step, and neither of them spoke.
A few minutes later, the tunnel opened into a huge underground chamber. Ancient stone pillars reached toward a ceiling they could barely see. Strange symbols covered the floor, glowing faintly as if they had been waiting for someone.
Elara slowly turned in a circle.
"This place is older than the academy," she whispered. "I've never heard of it before."
Ira nodded quietly. "Neither have I." Even so, the place felt strangely familiar, as though he had stood there long ago.
Without warning, one of the symbols lit up beneath his feet. The entire chamber shook, sending dust falling from the ceiling. A low humming sound filled the air.
"Ira, move!" Elara shouted.
He jumped backward just as a beam of purple light shot into the air. One after another, the symbols awakened until the whole room glowed brightly.
Then a deep voice echoed through the chamber.
"Bearer of the Bond... you have finally returned."
Ira froze. "Returned?" he whispered. "I've never been here."
No answer came.
Instead, a glowing crystal slowly rose from the center of the room. It floated above a stone pedestal, shining with soft blue light.
Elara stepped closer. "It's beautiful."
Before she could touch it, Ira grabbed her wrist. "Wait."
The moment he spoke, the crystal cracked.
Dark mist poured out of it, twisting through the air until it formed a tall armored warrior with empty black eyes. It carried a massive sword covered in ancient runes.
The warrior looked directly at Ira.
"To claim the Bond," it said, "you must prove your worth."
Without another word, it charged.
Ira barely rolled away before the sword smashed into the stone floor, leaving a huge crack behind. Pieces of rock flew across the chamber.
Elara raised both hands, sending beams of light toward the warrior. The attacks exploded against its armor, but it hardly moved.
"It's too strong," she said.
"It has to have a weakness," Ira replied.
The warrior attacked again, swinging its sword in a wide arc. Ira ducked beneath the strike while Elara jumped backward just in time.
As Ira looked closer, he noticed a small blue crystal glowing in the center of the warrior's chest.
"There!" he shouted. "Its chest!"
Elara understood immediately.
She fired another blast of light, forcing the warrior to raise its sword to defend itself. At the same time, Ira rushed forward with all his speed.
The bond mark on his hand burned brightly.
He gathered all of his energy into one fist and drove it straight into the glowing crystal.
A loud crack echoed across the chamber.
The warrior froze.
Tiny cracks spread across its body before the entire armor shattered into thousands of glowing pieces. The dark mist disappeared, leaving only silence.
The blue crystal floated gently back onto the pedestal.
Suddenly, another symbol appeared in front of Ira.
Bond Trial One: Complete.
A warm wave of energy flowed into his body. His wounds disappeared, and he felt stronger than before.
Elara smiled with relief.
"I guess that means we passed."
Before Ira could answer, the chamber began shaking again.
A stone door at the far end slowly opened by itself.
Cold air poured out from the darkness beyond.
Ira stared into the black tunnel.
"I don't think this place is finished with us yet."