"Good morning, Saint Academy."
The loudspeakers echoed across the campus, the voice sharp, theatrical.
"Congratulations to our top five surviving teams. But make no mistake—this next phase will not be kind. Welcome... to The Riddlewalk Reforged."
The announcement was followed by a deep, resonating chime. A network of mechanical drones swept overhead, scanning each of the remaining teams. Team 11—Damien Gray, Zeke Alastair, and Amara Veyne—stood in their new black-trimmed tournament gear, faces tense.
Damien glanced sideways. "Why's it called the Riddlewalk? And what does 'reforged' mean?"
"It's not just walking," Amara replied calmly, brushing her long coat back. "It's a mind trial. A maze of illusions, riddles, and psychological feedback. The 'reforged' part? That means it's been enhanced to break even the best."
"Great," Zeke muttered. "I hate mazes."
The floor beneath them shimmered, the space around warping. In seconds, Team 11 was teleported.
A Maze of Mirrors
They appeared in a hexagonal chamber filled with angled mirrors and glowing pathways. Strange symbols floated midair, shifting when they tried to focus on them. Each exit was labeled with a riddle, and the room constantly pulsed with an eerie, ambient hum.
Riddle One: "To pass, speak the thing that walks on four in the morning, two in the noon, and three in the evening."
"Easy," Amara said. "Man. Baby, adult, elder."
A green light flickered and one mirror slid open.
But the next chamber was worse.
Riddle Two: "I have cities but no houses. I have mountains but no trees. I have water but no fish. What am I?"
Amara closed her eyes. "A map."
The mirror pulsed. Another door opened. They kept moving.
But the puzzles became harder. Not riddles anyone could Google—these were living riddles, adapting in complexity.
Riddle Six: "In a room of whispers where silence sings, I wait. If you touch me, I shatter. But carry me gently and I hold your soul. What am I?"
Even Amara hesitated.
"A... secret?" she whispered.
The maze waited. The glow dimmed. A low hum.
"A... memory."
The mirror stayed shut. Amara clenched her jaw.
"A truth."
The mirror slid open.
"That was brutal," Damien muttered.
"And it'll only get worse," Amara said grimly.
Other Teams' Progress
Team 1 moved like clockwork. Ronan Varell led with mechanical precision. Every riddle solved with military ease. Their mirrored halls echoed with silence and confidence.
Team 2 hacked the maze's code using implants. But the maze fought back. It distorted their vision, tricked their perceptions. Valyn Crowe lost five minutes in a logic loop.
Team 7 laughed through the first three riddles, but when the walls started projecting their deepest fears, the laughter turned to screams. One of them sobbed when faced with his dead sister.
Team 12 broke. Theo Shaw raged when a teammate froze. He nearly punched him, veins flaring, eyes wild.
"You're dead weight! Move or I swear I'll finish this maze alone!"
Team 11's Trials
Halfway through the maze, a mist rolled in.
Gas. Not toxic. But mental.
Damien's Trial: The Man in the Mirror
He stood alone. His reflection twisted—taller, cloaked in black, eyes glowing with void energy.
"You know what you are," it said. "A beast in chains. You saved that family, but not for justice. You did it because you wanted to matter for once."
"That's not true."
"You wanted to be seen. Like John Davis."
Damien clenched his fists.
"You're scared," the reflection hissed. "You'll lose yourself. You'll become me."
But he stared back. "Even if I become you... I'll still fight for them."
The image cracked.
Zeke's Trial: The Phoenix Gambit
He fought beside Damien and Amara. Then they stabbed him.
"You're weak," Damien said.
"You're replaceable," Amara whispered.
He turned, back to back against phantoms. "You're not them. They wouldn't do this."
The false versions laughed.
Zeke roared. He didn't punch—he embraced the illusion.
The scene melted into ash.
Amara's Trial: The Pattern that Breaks
Riddles flooded the air.
"Solve or they die."
"Get this wrong and the maze resets."
"They're relying on you."
Her hands trembled. She calculated, reasoned, solved—but the answers failed.
No formula worked.
She gasped. "It's unsolvable."
Damien's voice echoed faintly. "Sometimes, you trust."
She closed her eyes. "I don't know. But I believe we can go on."
A white light engulfed her.
Paradox Lock
The final gate.
Three mirrored arches. One true. Two traps.
A riddle projected above:
"Speak not the truth, for truth deceives. Speak not the lie, for lies reveal. A door for cowards, a door for kings, a door for neither. Choose one and sing."
Amara stood frozen.
"I don't... I can't solve this one."
Zeke looked at her. "Come again?"
"It's a paradox loop. It contradicts itself in every logic model. It was made to be unsolvable."
Damien stepped forward.
"Okay, riddle door thing. I've had enough. Kings, cowards, truth or lies—just OPEN!"
He slapped the center mirror.
It crumbled into black dust, swirling into mist.
Zeke blinked. "What... did you do?"
Damien grinned. "Shouted at it. Must've been the right answer."
But Amara stared at the dust. It glowed faint purple before fading.
Void energy, she thought. But said nothing.
Rankings
Outside the maze, live broadcasts lit up the arena screens.
"Round Two Complete. Rankings as follows:"
Team 1: Ronan Varell's team (9.8/10)
Team 2: Valyn Crowe's team (9.2/10)
Team 11: Gray, Alastair, Veyne (8.4/10)
Team 7: Korrin Dhal's team (8.2/10)
Team 12: Theo Shaw's team (7.5/10)
"No eliminations this round. But remember... next round, only three teams will move forward."
Zeke blinked. "Third? We beat Theo's team?"
"Thanks to you," Damien grinned at Amara.
"No," she said, narrowing her eyes at Damien. "Thanks to all of us."
Closing Broadcast
"The Riddlewalk Reforged was a test of mind, heart, and spirit. The weak cracked. The arrogant stumbled. But five teams survived."
The host's voice lowered.
"The next round is where Saints are born—or broken. Prepare for Round Three."
The camera cut to Damien, staring at his reflection in a darkened panel. His eyes flashed violet, just for a moment.
He didn't notice.
Amara did.
He's changing, she thought.
And deep inside the maze, the shattered paradox door pulsed once more.
A voice whispered from the void:
"Soon."