"Expelliarmus!"
"Stupefy!"
The gleams of spells crisscrossed, striking the walls and causing rubble to scatter, but neither hit their target.
The two newcomers included Beauxbatons' Lucas, with scorch marks from flames on his body;
The other was Ilvermorny's Stella, uninjured yet covered in dirt, looking rather disheveled.
The air was thick with a moist atmosphere, hinting at a sense of oppression as the two watched each other warily, slowly moving.
"There are already two people ahead, ready to strike at any moment," Lucas suddenly said.
"You're right," Stella replied wearily.
Lucas: "I think we should temporarily join forces before finding the Golden Egg, what do you say?"
"I think it makes a lot of sense," Stella agreed.
"So... how about we put down our magic wands on the count of three?" Lucas proposed tentatively.
"Sure," Stella agreed briskly, keeping her magic wand pointed firmly at him, each step taken cautiously.
Lucas: "..."
His smile grew stiff, taking a deep breath: "One... two... three!"
A sudden gust scattered the dead leaves, yet their magic wands remained still.
Vid quietly enlarged the mirror, watching with relish.
"You didn't put down your magic wand."
"Neither did you."
"How about this..." Lucas suggested with a smile, "Since we can't trust each other, why not choose different paths to explore?"
"Fine, you go first," Stella was straightforward as ever.
Lucas: "..."
How could he leave his back exposed to another?
"Together," he said, "We'll move at the same time."
Both guarded against each other, slowly retreating towards the passage entrance, moving sideways like crabs.
Suddenly, Lucas's gaze was drawn to a faint reflection, coming from Stella's rear side, but she didn't notice it, focused on him.
He quickly smiled, worried that his gaze might alert her, swiftly diverting his attention.
The subtle expression lasted briefly, but Stella, closely scrutinizing Lucas, sensed something even if she didn't catch his expression clearly.
Stella immediately furrowed her brows, decisively waving her magic wand: "Stupefy!"
Lucas, seeing Stella about to enter the passage, was expecting something to happen! In a split second of distraction, the red beam flew towards his chest.
The young man dove to the side, but Stella quickly pursued: "Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!"
The Stunning Spell was her most proficient spell, executed effortlessly without a second thought.
The final spell struck Lucas, causing him to lose consciousness instantly, hitting the ground rigidly.
Stella breathed a sigh of relief, applying a binding spell before frowning and turning to the passage she intended to enter.
Lucas's reaction proved he must have seen something.
However, as she turned, Vid quickly put away the mirror.
The light from several Detection Spells dropped near the passage entrance, causing traps on the ground to emit faint light.
Finding the source of the problem, Stella's frown relaxed, but upon further thought, her expression turned grave again.
She used Detection Spells to confirm the traps' positions, whereas Lucas detected them visually, despite the distance, indicating a significant difference between them.
If that guy hadn't suddenly let down his guard, she would certainly be the one defeated.
Reflecting on this, Stella felt heavy-hearted; the sense of achievement from successfully overcoming the Fire Dragon's obstruction vanished.
She was outstanding at Ilvermorny, but leaving school made her realize—out in a broader world, others surpassed her endlessly.
Stella felt dejected momentarily, but continued onward, her determination to win growing stronger.
She stuck to the previous passage choice.
There's an ambush here, could the other path be any safer? Since the traps are now identified here, this road might be safer.
...
Stella couldn't hear the tense gasps already echoing in the stands, as her headmaster Agilbert let out a sigh.
As Ilvermorny's headmaster, he understood Stella's mindset, having watched her grow up. He knew Stella's choice was correct, but unfortunately...
The wizard's fingers tapped on his thigh, watched Stella gravely through the Flow Mirror.
Karkaroff glanced at Agilbert with a faintly mocking smile, speaking in that sickly sweet tone:
"The girl's spells are decent, but luck is a part of strength, right, Agilbert?"
Agilbert snorted, leaning back in his seat, scanning Karkaroff disdainfully.
"Karkaroff, to my knowledge... your reputation at Durmstrang isn't great. Victor Krum is indeed excellent, but could his excellence possibly be your teaching?"
He looked Karkaroff up and down, chuckling and conveying with his gaze, "By you? Really?"
Karkaroff was infuriated.
...
"Expelliarmus!"
Stella was barely hit by the beam as Vid uttered the spell, her magic wand flew from her grip, pushing her backward several steps until she stopped against a wall.
She looked up in surprise, spotting Vid emerging from the shadows.
"Vid Gray?" Stella forced a smile, "I thought we got along well? Aren't you searching for the Golden Egg?"
She spoke while rotating her eyes, searching for an opportunity to turn the tide.
But Vid refused to waste words, promptly flicking his magic wand: "Stupefy!"
As soon as he opened his mouth, Stella decisively lunged towards Vid, attempting to seize his wand or at least distort the spell's direction.
Just when casting the spell, Vid stepped back, while Stella stumbled mid-rush as though tripping on her shoelace.
She pitched forward, an aghast expression on her face, soon hit by the Stunning Spell, her body softened, falling instantly.
A Beetle Puppet crawled out from Stella's feet, and Vid waved his hand, directing seven or eight Poppets to work together like ants, lifting Stella and dragging her into the depths of the passage, tossing her into a trap.
A giant spider slowly crawled over, "watching" its prey caught in the web, hesitating briefly before wrapping translucent silk around her.
Vid glanced in that direction, returning silently to his corner to wait.
The Champions challenging the Fire Dragon didn't go up in batches—once one failed or proceeded to the next stage, the next would immediately take the stage.
It wouldn't be long before a new prey dropped from the compass.
...
Beside the web, two invisible Aurors discussed in tones only they could hear:
"Should we send Stella Picquery and Lucas Barrow out?"
"Did they sustain fatal injuries?"
"Of course not."
"Then there's no need, the remnants from predecessors' defeats are adornments in the arena."
"But if this continues, Vid Gray won't take half of the Golden Eggs solo? I see that Scorpion Puppet about to claim the fourth one."
"...That's a result of his individual strength, we shouldn't interfere."
"Really? But I think the higher-ups wouldn't want to see this outcome."
"...I'll inquire."
...
Vid opened his eyes, accepting the fourth Golden Egg from the puppet, an elusive smile playing on his lips.