Shadow reached the end.

In under five minutes.

The pressure that had weighed down every step, every breath, every movement—

Vanished.

Completely.

It didn’t fade gradually.

It simply... ceased to exist.

As if it had never been there in the first place. Even tho it didn’t affect him, but he still could feel the fluctuation in the air disappearing.

Silence greeted him.

No crowd.

No reactions.

No examiners waiting to congratulate him.

Just an empty exit stretching quietly before him.

"...I guess this is it?"

His voice echoed faintly against the walls, sounding almost out of place in the stillness.

He looked around slowly.

Nothing.

No hidden observers stepping out.

No sudden announcement.

No reward.

"...Do I get something for finishing early?"

Silence answered him again.

"...No rewards?"

He clicked his tongue.

A small, sharp sound that broke the quiet for just a moment.

"Disappointing."

He leaned slightly against the wall, arms loose, posture relaxed—but his eyes remained alert.

Watching.

Waiting.

Seconds passed.

Then minutes.

Then more.

Time dragged.

Unnaturally slow.

After a while, he started to look mildly bored.

His gaze wandered.

His fingers tapped lightly against the wall.

Time didn’t seem to pass.

He started trying random things.

He bent down, picking up a small pebble from the ground.

He tossed it lightly back into the tunnel.

The faint sound of it bouncing echoed for a few seconds before fading.

He wandered back and forth near the exit.

Slow steps.

Then faster ones.

Then stopping again.

Repeating.

Like he was testing the boundaries of something invisible.

"...This is taking longer than expected."

A pause.

"Should I go back and drag them?"

He tilted his head slightly.

"The others will probably take a while..."

His tone was casual.

"...That guy might come sooner though."

His eyes drifted slightly, gaze sharpening just a bit.

’Anti-gravity.’

He had noticed it earlier.

The way the boy’s steps barely touched the ground.

The unnatural lightness.

The absence of pressure distortion beneath his feet.

’The shoes.’

A clever workaround.

Controlled cheating of the system.

Shadow smirked faintly.

’Not bad.’

---

Twenty minutes later—

A figure stumbled out.

Breaking the silence.

Gasping.

Breathing heavily.

Each inhale sharp.

Each exhale strained.

It was him.

The golden-haired boy.

His steps were unstable.

His body slightly hunched.

But he made it.

"...Took you long enough," Shadow said with a faint grin.

The boy dropped to one knee immediately.

One hand pressed against the ground to keep himself from collapsing entirely.

"...Give me a second..."

A pause.

His breathing still uneven.

"...Actually, give me five."

Shadow chuckled lightly.

"Thanks to someone," the boy said, still catching his breath, "who destroyed my priceless device and almost killed me."

"You should’ve played nicely."

"How was I supposed to know," he exhaled, forcing a weak laugh, "that I’d run into a lunatic who opens hell mid-run?"

A pause settled between them.

Then—

He laughed slightly.

This time more genuine.

"...Three elements, huh."

He pushed himself up slowly.

Still tired.

But standing.

"I’ve never seen that before."

There was no accusation in his tone.

No hostility.

Only curiosity.

And interest.

He extended his hand.

"I’m Lucian."

Shadow looked at it.

For a moment.

A brief silence lingered.

Then—

"...Shadow."

He didn’t take the hand.

Lucian didn’t seem offended.

If anything—

His smile widened slightly.

His eyes sharpened.

More intrigued than before.

’...Yeah,’ he thought.

’Definitely not normal.’

---

Time passed.

More participants arrived.

One by one.

Then in groups.

Each in different condition.

Some limping.

Dragging their feet.

Some people collapsing the moment they crossed the exit.

Others crawling.

Forcing themselves forward with trembling arms.

Some cried.

Others laughed hysterically.

Broken by the pressure.

By the strain.

’...Bare minimum survivors.’ Shadow thought.

His gaze swept across them briefly.

Then moved on.

Uninterested.

---

Then—

Jane and Talia appeared amongst the crowd.

"You—!" Jane pointed at Shadow immediately. "It was you! You destroyed the path ahead of us!"

Her voice was sharp.

Accusing.

Shadow didn’t even bother looking at her.

Like she hadn’t spoken at all.

Talia stepped closer instead.

Her expression more composed.

But her eyes filled with questions.

"How did you move that fast?"

Shadow glanced at her.

A small smirk forming.

"You told me to run."

A pause.

"So I ran."

Jane frowned.

Annoyance flashing across her face.

"Hey look at me, you’re my slave!" Jane shouted.

A small silence fell over the surrounding participants.

Conversations stopped.

Eyes shifted.

Some looked at Shadow...

Then at Jane...

Then back at Shadow.

Confusion.

Disbelief.

’Slave? That talented and powerful guy is supposed to be a slave? No fucking way that this is possible.’ Lucian was shocked hearing the conversation.

"That’s not an answer. As your master, I’m ordering—"

She stopped.

Mid-sentence.

Because—

Something changed.

The air.

The atmosphere.

The feeling.

Heat.

Cold.

Wind.

All at once.

Not physically striking them—

But the aura around Shadow radiated them heavy and oppressive.

Like standing near something unstable.

Something dangerous.

Even the air around Shadow distorted subtly.

Jane took a step back.

Without realizing. Her body reacted before her mind did.

"Oh... my dear master," Shadow said softly.

His tone dropped.

Colder.

Sharper.

"You really shouldn’t get on my nerves."

A pause.

"I’m a little... hot-headed."

The faintest hint of something dangerous lingered beneath his words.

"So try not to be..."

His eyes met hers.

"...you."

Silence.

Heavy.

Jane shivered.

A small, involuntary reaction.

Talia immediately grabbed her hand.

"Lady Jane... maybe... ease into the whole ’master’ thing he’s not used to it you know..."

"O-okay...i guess.."

Even Lucian watched quietly.

’...Yeah.’

’That’s not someone you control.’

---

Six hours later—

The test ended.

The professors appeared.

Their presence alone shifted the atmosphere once more.

"Those who made it out in time, have passed. While the ones who didn’t, have failed," Claire stated as she scanned the group of people.

Her tone was calm.

Tho she and the rest of the professors had their eyes focused on one person only.

Shadow.

But, there were others watching from the shadows.

Unseen.

Unnoticed.

Each with their own reasons for being there.

Their own interests.

Their own goals.

But despite their differences—

They all shared similar thoughts about Shadow.

And none of them were simple.