Renn never meant to almost destroy Sector 5.
In his defense, he just wanted popcorn.
The day had started innocently enough: wake up in a magically unstable zone of the Labyrinth, brush teeth using a glowing toothbrush that screamed motivational quotes, and hunt down a safe spot to cook breakfast.
Except safe spots didn't exist anymore.
And the fire rune he tried to use on the popcorn kernel pouch? Apparently cross-linked with a rogue sigil trap Lucien had left behind weeks ago.
What happened next would be taught in Arcanum's safety manuals for the next three generations.
If they survived.
---
✴️ Chaos: Activated
Sector 5 burst open with magical feedback loops.
A thousand rogue sigils ignited like confetti bombs. Shoes levitated. Hair changed colors. Shadows began whispering compliments in Latin. One corridor grew teeth and bit a broom.
Renn screamed.
"I JUST WANTED POPCORN!"
His shoes teleported off his feet and began moonwalking. A glowing warning rune popped into existence overhead:
> "You Have Activated Sigil Cascade Protocol: Kitchen Edition. Good luck."
"Oh this is NOT on me!"
A portal opened beside him. It was Lucien's handwriting. He could tell by the sarcastic curve of the runes.
> "Duck."
Renn ducked.
A flying piano sailed over his head and crashed into a gelatinous memory orb labeled "That One Time With The Lava Ferret."
Renn muttered, "I'm never trusting snacks again."
He lied.
---
🎭 The Sigil Hall of Horrors
Renn stumbled through the chaos, dodging magically animated coats that tried to hug him to death. A flock of flying spoons circled like vultures. The ceiling turned into a giant blinking eye.
He ran into Caelum, who was calmly staring at a rip in reality like it owed him money.
"I fixed the western corridor," Caelum said.
"Great!" Renn wheezed. "Everything else is ON FIRE."
Caelum gestured to his left. "That's a water sigil."
Renn slapped it.
It summoned a geyser.
Of maple syrup.
"WHY IS THIS EVEN A FUNCTION?!"
---
👁 Lucien's Cameo
While everyone else panicked, one figure stood atop a floating sigil platform sipping tea.
Lucien Drex. Calm. Centered. Possibly asleep with his eyes open.
He didn't say a word.
Just raised a single finger.
A dozen runaway glyphs near Renn realigned themselves into a harmless puff of glitter.
Lucien sipped again. Then vanished.
Renn: "Did anyone else see that? No? Just me? Awesome."
---
🧦 The Sock Vault
Halfway through solving the spatial collapse, Renn discovered a hidden room filled entirely with socks.
Sentient socks.
They were planning something. A revolution, probably.
One tried to bite him. He set it on fire.
"Not today, foot gremlins."
---
🪙 Aftermath & Snacks
Several hours later, the sector calmed down.
Renn, covered in glitter and caramelized syrup, limped into the common zone, where Lucien was sitting on a conjured bench, quietly eating sesame sticks.
"Where do you even GET those?" Renn demanded.
Lucien shrugged. "There's always snacks if you set the right trap."
"That sounds… vaguely illegal."
Lucien offered him one. Renn took three.
Then Seraphina stormed in, her uniform scorched, eyes blazing.
"What. Happened."
Renn said, "I fixed Sector 5."
Lucien said, "He did. Very loud solution."
Seraphina rubbed her forehead. "This is not the time for snacks, you lunatics."
Lucien extended the bag to her.
She swatted it away. Renn took two more.
---
🌀 Meanwhile…
Back in Sector 5, one glowing sigil blinked to life again.
A quiet rune, deeply embedded in the foundation.
It whispered in Lucien's voice:
> "Step 7 complete. Eyes now diverted. Systems back under control."
Then it faded.
No one noticed the shift.
No one except Ira.
Who watched from above, swinging upside-down from a spatial loop.
She grinned. "You sneaky, tea-sipping snake."
---
End of Chapter 23.