The portal spat the candidates into a new domain. Unlike the fractured crystal of the previous floor, this one stretched into a yawning chasm that seemed bottomless, the air thick with a low, whispering wind. Shadows of unseen forms danced along the walls, flickering like memory.
"Floor Five," the Tower's voice intoned, echoing from every direction. "Trial type: Chasm of Whispers. Objective: Traverse the expanse and reach the Pillar of Sight. Complication: The winds carry illusions — voices, memories, doubts. The mind is as much a battlefield as the body."
The candidates exchanged wary glances. Nox led the way, fingers brushing the faintly glowing stones that served as a precarious path across the abyss. The stones shifted slightly underfoot, responsive to weight and focus.
Raven grinned, but tension lingered in his eyes. "Whispers, illusions… sounds cozy enough."
Selene's gaze was sharp. "Don't underestimate this. Every step will test more than your balance. Keep your mind clear."
Lyra's eyes scanned the chasm, picking out faint shapes in the wind — illusions meant to mislead. "Listen carefully. The echoes repeat patterns. Predict them, or they'll catch you unprepared."
The chasm tested them immediately. Voices rose around them — some familiar, some alien. They whispered fears, taunts, even false instructions. Raven snarled at a voice that mimicked Taren: "Fall, and all will see your weakness." He gritted his teeth and leapt across a widening gap, narrowly avoiding a disappearing stone.
Nox focused on the faint resonance left by the Spectral Stag. The stones under him glimmered slightly brighter, marking a safer path. Selene followed, each step measured and precise, stabilizing the shifting stones for those behind her. Lyra, Taren, and Kaelis adjusted instinctively, finding their own rhythm across the moving path.
Halfway across, the illusions became more aggressive. Shadows rose from the depths, twisting into monstrous versions of the candidates themselves. Nox recognized one — a perfect reflection of himself, stepping deliberately as if mocking every choice he made. He held the Stag's echo tightly in his awareness, letting it guide his steps. The mirrored version dissolved before it could strike, leaving him shaken but unhurt.
Raven's path was less careful. A sudden gust of whispering wind threw him off balance. Lyra reacted instantly, sending an illusion of herself to distract the shadow, and he recovered with a growl of gratitude.
The candidates moved with caution, sometimes together, sometimes testing separate paths. Missteps fractured tiles, distorted corridors, or triggered sudden collapses — a reminder that the Labyrinth measured more than strength. It measured choice, precision, and awareness.
Finally, the far side of the chasm came into view — a massive spire of black stone, crowned with a glowing orb. The Tower's pulse intensified, guiding the candidates toward the Pillar of Sight. One by one, they crossed the last unstable stones, muscles trembling from exertion and minds strained by the ceaseless whispers.
The Tower's voice filled the chasm once more:
"Floor Five complete. Academy Trail concluded. Rankings finalized."
A projection shimmered above the candidates, showing the final results of the Academy Trail:1 — Nox Vale
2 — Selene Aurelion
3 — Lyra Fen
4 — Kaelis Norrin
5 — Taren Voss
6 — Raven Drayke
7 — Eira Solcrest
8 — Finn Ashvale
9 — Liora Cendris
10 — Draven Marric
The candidates paused, catching their breath. Some leaned against the Pillar, steadying themselves. The echoes of the Chasm of Whispers lingered, fading slowly into silence.
Nox flexed his hands, the faint echo of the Stag still lingering, a reminder of the bond that had carried him through. He glanced at the others — each of them marked by exertion, but determined. They had completed the Academy Trail.
Above them, the Tower's portals shimmered once more. New paths awaited, but for now, this stage was done. The Academy had tested them, honed them, and revealed the strongest among them — the candidates who would carry the echoes of the Tower into the trials beyond.
The wind of the chasm subsided. The whispers faded. And somewhere, deep in the heart of the Tower, a pulse of quiet approval resonated: the first chapter of the candidates' ascent was complete.