Here I am, standing face to face with Diana.

Even if I wanted to back out, I couldn't, as the other students surround us like a wall.

The only thing that's missing is them chanting 'Fight! Fight! Fight!'

"Theodore, are you ready?" Diana asks, herself not taking her eyes of me.

I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

"Yes, you can make the first move."

I find that it's best to read your enemies' moves first. It's easier to defend yourself, than to attack someone else.

Based on the general attitude everyone has towards Diana, I assume I'm going to need all the advantages I can get.

"Oh my, well aren't you a gentleman?" She says, me having no idea if that was sarcasm or not.

She suddenly snaps her wand at me, causing a bright beam of yellow light to rush towards me.

Good thing I already learned the ward spell, or this fight would have been over in an instant.

I raise my wand and cast the ward spell.

The magical shield shatters on impact and her spell hits me.

Not with enough force to do damage, but enough to make me rethink my strategy.

I fire a lightning bolt at her, which she easily blocks with her own wand.

She then casts another, much more powerful spell at me, a fire spell. I dash to my left, effectively side stepping it in the nick of time, the burning heat brushing against my side.

Damn, that was a close one!

For training wands, it sure does feel real!

While I'm still suffering from what could've been, Diana takes this chance to strike me in the arm, sending searing pain throughout.

Biting my lip to quell my pain filled cry, I note that every little movement I attempt with my left arm now sends pulsating waves of pain throughout my body.

Good thing I'm right handed.

This gives her a look of satisfaction, as I clutch at my injured arm.

To stifle her growing confidence, I say

"It'll take more than that."

I then cast another lightning spell at her, this time aimed at her leg.

I cast it, pretending to aim for her torso. As she shields her chest, it slams against her knee.

As she winces from the pain, as I mutter

"That was for Rome."

In defense, Diana casts a ward spell on herself, completely covering her body.

It will take a lot of force to destroy that, definitely more than I can hope to muster up on my own.

Figuring out how to destroy her magical shield, I cast the same water spell I used to put out the fire Akko caused at Diana, soaking her and splashing myself in the process.

In quick succession, I then cast the lightning spell again, hoping that, combined with the water, it will be enough to disable her ward.

However to my full surprise, she absorbs my spell into her wand and fires it back at me, rushing at me with the speed of a bullet.

The lightning, amplified by the water, hits me hard, the force of it throwing me back, myself feeling the painful sting of electrocution all the while.

I slam against the wall with a loud bang, collapsing onto the ground.

I try to get myself up, pushing my hands against the ground.

My tembeling hands give out from under me, myself falling onto the ground again, all the energy drained from me, temporarily immobilized by my own spell.

The whole class puts on a look of fear, Faralda, herself, yelling,

"Diana, help me get Theodore back to his dorm, and someone get nurse PagetDaPanda!"

Both the teacher and Diana grab me, slinging my arms over their shoulders, as my eyes flutter close.

I wake up, myself blinking underneath the harsh light of the full moon.

A few moments later, and I summon the strength to look around.

I'm now lying in my bed, my whole body as sore as can be, every little movement reminding myself of that.

Diana really gave me a beating, huh?

Well, what did I expect?

I have no previous training, no past experience in destruction magic. I think I did pretty well considering my considerable lack of magical knowledge.

Whatever, I'll get her back later.

Still though, I wonder if she's sympathetic towards my minor injuries.

To her, am I just another combatant? A nameless figure that was simply a roadblock for her ambitions? People with money and skill tend to be apathetic towards those who can't match up with their own abilities.

How long did I last anyway?

Time seemed to speed up significantly, but perhaps I lasted a minute at best.

A minute sound like a small feat, but consider the conditions.

A boy with no past magical experience, going up against Diana, the girl who is known for her, well, magical experience.

I'm surprised that I lasted that long. She could have ended that fight in six seconds!

Perhaps, it was for my benefit.

I can't find out what skills I possess if the match is over before I can lift my wand, and I also can't grow those same skills if she threw the fight.

Very clever Diana, very clever.

I turn to my nightstand and see a potion with a note, it reads:

'Forgive my earlier actions, perhaps I can tutor you how to properly use magic at a later time. Get well soon.

-Diana'

So she does care.

I take the vile and begin to drink.

It begins to soothe my pain almost instantaneously.

You see? This is a perfect example of why I'm here, this little, easy to make potion.

This forbidden knowledge that has been stripped from my family.

This art will soon be all but gone in a few decades if one hesitates to rejuvenate it. When I look around and see all these students and teachers, do I see devil worshippers?

No, I see only those who have not hesitated.

This potion, this whole school is nothing short of amazing.

I begin to feel a sudden ache of drowsiness seep into my skull, as if a side effect from the potion.

Once again, I feel my eyes flutter closed.

I awake again, this time to the sounds of knocking at my door.

I read my alarm clock, 3:33 AM.

Who could that be at this hour?

I stand up, as I walk towards my door, I realize something. The first time I slept here, I was awakened unnaturally, the same thing happening now. I really hope this doesn't become a daily thing.

I open the door and am surprised by who is standing there.

"Ms. Ursula, why-"

I notice Diana behind her.

"What are you two doing here?"

"There is not enough time to explain, so please follow me you two." Ursula answers.

As I begin to exit the room, the teacher then begins to walk, causing Diana and I to follow her, a few feet behind.

Diana uses this opportunity to vent her grievances.

"Listen Theodore, I wanted to apologize for hurting you. I should have taken into account the fact that you have a limited grasp of the arcane arts."

She really does care.

But still, she's not at fault, saying so would be a lie and a half. I didn't have to fight her, I chose to. I was also prepared to enact the same punishment onto her. I doused her with water, and shot electricity her way.

She had to make a decision: To put herself in harm's way for a stranger, or save herself a few sore muscles. She chose self preservation, there's nothing wrong with that. I took the bull by the horns, and the bull threw me over its head. I had to brave the tide, or risk being swept away.

I just didn't realize I was facing a rogue wave.

I let my confidence in my bloodline get the better of me.

After all, the Sempronia family hasn't used magic in over one thousand years! So, it's only natural that I would be rusty.

But saying that would destroy what limited appearances I have.

I have to keep up some kind of bravado.

"It's fine, I knew what I was getting into."

"Even so, I take full responsibility for your injuries. Have they gotten any better?"

"My body is still a little sore, but that potion you gave me definitely helped. Thanks for that, by the way."

"Not a problem, after all, I was the one who put you in such a state."

She must really feel guilty, I feel kind of bad for her.

"So, do you know why Ms. Ursula is calling us…at three in the morning?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"She informed me full well what we shall be doing. However, I believe that Ms. Ursula would like to explain our new position."

The conversation ends there.

We go underground and enter a huge room, illuminated by torches, with a giant door, complete with a set of locks.

Ursula then begins to explain the situation.

"This is the labyrinth, one of Luna Nova's many passageways. I called you two here for a special assignment. In a few days, the students will be taking a test down here, to prove their magical abilities against monsters. I need you two to go down into the labyrinth, and test it."

"I can understand why Diana is here, but why me?" I ask, deeply interested in this task.

Diana decides to answer my question.

"I asked Ms. Ursula to. I was impressed by your tenacity when facing an opponent who completely eclipses you in talent. Additionally, I would like to see just what you can do in another combat situation. Believe it or not, but I can sense some power in you. And as Student Representative, it's my job to ensure that all students are participating with their full potential unlocked."

These words of praise satisfy me. I thought my failure would only hinder other's interpretations of me. Why, it's only the first day and already I'm being praised by Diana, the top student, even if it is that of potential.

The professor then asks,

"What do you two think about this request?"

Diana immediately answers back with a certain confidence that sounds reversed.

"These monsters shouldn't present much of a problem."

"And you Theodore?" Ursula asks.

I need to backup Diana's blessings with my own confidence.

But let us hope it's not simply bravado.

"Are you sure you need a mage of my caliber for this test?"

Instead of an answer, she flat out says,

"I'll give you fifty points, extra credit."

This day just keeps getting better and better.

First, the best student was impressed with myself proclaimed mediocre magic skills, and now I can improve my C- in flying class!

I nod my head in confirmation.

With a flick of her wand, Ursula opens the massive doors.

As Diana and I enter, Ursula closes the door, leaving both of us alone, in the labyrinth.

The first thing I notice is how dark and dingy it is. I

ts endless passageways could get someone lost forever.

Every footstep is echoed and water drips from the ceiling.

"Well, this is lovely." Diana sarcastically remarks. "What do you think about this scenery?"

"Far as I'm concerned, it's The Four Seasons."

After we are both done chuckling at this small joke, we walk deeper into the labyrinth.

She leads me down multiple flights of stairs, truthfully I think she is just wandering aimlessly, until we stop at a corridor.

At the end of the corridor is a rat of unusual size.

Bigger than Diana, and she's four inches taller than me!

It turns towards us, its black, matted, and unkempt fur glistening in the torch light.

It lets out a shriek that resembles a Fisher Cat and lunges at us.

Before I even have time to grab my wand, Diana casts a destruction spell at it.

In an instant, its neck bursts open, the thing letting out a gurgled moan, before falling to dead the ground. Diana scoffs,

"This is a monster?"

She then turns to me.

"Let's keep moving. Stay on your guard, there may be more."

"I hope not. That thing was two feet taller than me. Slightly intimidating, I'll admit."

She spins around, hands on her hips.

"Wizards are supposed to be feared. How could you be afraid of some creature of larger stature? Besides, my magic is invincible, you have absolutely nothing to fear."

Invincible magic?

Diana, I think your pride might be getting out of hand.

Huh, thinking about it, that's something we have in common.

But unlike me, she actually has the talent to support such claims.

But I need not worry, I'll get there one day.

My Roman blood and ancestors shall guide me, as I climb my way up the magical ladder.

I'll reach the top one day. But for now, let's just get through today.

"You're right, Diana. Let us continue. As before, I shall follow you."

She smiles slightly, losing her cold expression.

Was it because I told her she was right?

"Well then, let's go."

With that, I follow her.

I follow her up and down multiple flights of stairs, crossing many corridors, and strolling through many derelict rooms, all the while I ponder quietly to myself.

What is this place?

I mean, it's a labyrinth of course, but what was its intent? Was it always designed to test the abilities of witches and wizards, or perhaps more? Was the school built on top of the labyrinth, or was the labyrinth build under the school? What came first, the school, or the labyrinth?

We walk up an ancient, stone flight of stairs. At the top of those stairs is a dusty and dilapidated wooden door.

This is interesting.

We've been walking around for awhile now, but this is the first door we've come across.

Diana looks at me.

"Open the door." She requests. "I'll clear the room."

I put my hand on the brass handle, looking over at Diana. She pulls out her wand and points it at the door, poised to strike down any would be enemies. After we exchange a nod, I quickly fling open the door. Upon viewing the room, Diana's expression turns from determination, to confusion, emphasized by a head tilt.

Confused myself, I turn my gaze towards the room. This doesn't help my confusion.

What's in the room is trash.

That's it, nothing but abandoned junk. Every little knick knack imaginable is strewn across the floor, and I mean everything! I eye countless numbers of tables, chairs, cupboards, dressers, pots, pans, and many other items.

As we walk inside, more and more objects come into view. A collapsed pillar, what's left of some kind of wooden altar, and…is that knight armor?

I kneel down next to the rusted metal suit.

It's covered in spider webs, and a thick layer of dust. This has seen better days.

As I study the armor, something sparkling catches my gaze.

Looking up, I spot some kind of staff, perhaps a rod, held in place like a sword in the stone, or in this case, the staff in the litter. It's hard to make out in the dim light, but I count seven gems decorating the staff, each of them giving off an occasional twinkle.

"What's that?" I ask Diana, pointing at the rod.

Once her eyes make contact with the rod, her eyes widen, and her jaw clenches. The look she's bearing, it's as if she just stumbled onto someone who hurt her badly years ago. As if she was betrayed and abandoned by a close friend. Pure anger and frustration.

She hides it well, but it's the little things that give her true feelings away. A brow furrow here, and a jaw clench there. She opens her mouth, but quickly closes it, as she tries to find the right words. Finally, she lets out an annoyed sigh, before saying

"Nothing, nothing at all, just another piece of litter. It may look beautiful, but underneath all the glitter and glamour is nothing. It's no better than a peppermint stick, nothing but an unhealthy sweetness. No substance, and no meaning."

She follows up with a quick

"By the way, we better make our way to the exit if we want to get back in time, let's go."

Clearly, it's not nothing, at least not to Diana. She obviously knows more that she's telling, but I don't want to press the issue. Not only do I not care enough to, but also this would lead to unwanted drama.

I brush these thoughts aside, following her back up several flights of stairs.

We leave the labyrinth, going through the left tunnel.

We find Ms. Ursula sitting down on the ground, reading a book.

Hearing our footsteps, she looks up, greeting us with a smile.

"Ah, there you two are. So, how was it? Do you think the average student can handle it?"

Diana answers first.

"As long as they keep their guard up, and don't do anything idiotic, I see no reason against it."

Ms. Ursula pulls out a clipboard, and writes this down.

She then turns to me.

"And you, Theodore?"

"I agree with Diana. Nothing too strenuous, or difficult."

She writes this down as well, putting her clipboard back in her satchel.

"Thank you both for your participation. I'm going to discuss with Ms. Holbrooke these new statistics. You two may go back to your dorms. Sweet dreams upon you both!"

Ms. Ursula then walks out of the room, leaving me and Diana alone.

The blonde turns towards me.

"Well Theodore, this was fun and all, but I think it might be best if we went back to bed."

"Fine with me, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Theodore."

"Goodnight Diana."

We leave each other, both of us going to our own dorms.

Once I enter my room I immediately collapse on my bed, but not before noticing that it's now 5:33 AM. Well, let's hope these last few hours of sleep I have left go uninterrupted.