Six weeks pass with Vis mired in frustration. Though Class Six’s coursework and physical tasks pose little difficulty for him, Praeceptor Dultatis’s persistent hostility keeps Vis sidelined and undermined in class. The students mirror the Praeceptor’s disdain, leaving Vis socially isolated. He copes by maintaining a rigorous pre-dawn routine, sharing meals with the affable and sharp-witted Callidus, and enjoying occasional stable duty with Emissa, though the relief fades each morning as his options still feel limited.

Midway through the second month, Dultatis announces that Class Six will run the Labyrinth over two days, a key assessment for rankings and a proxy for Will-related skills. The Academy’s Labyrinth is grander than the one at Villa Telimus, and Principalis Veridius arrives unannounced to observe, adding pressure. Students pair off to run and control; everyone else takes roles as hunters and spotters. Vis and Eidhin are the only unpaired students, forced together despite their mutual reluctance.

First, Ianix runs with Leridia controlling. Leridia’s manipulation of the bracer is rough and noisy, though she and Ianix coordinate using a numerical code. Despite early progress, hunters close in using spotter calls, and Ianix is trapped. In the second run, Ianix controls while Leridia runs; the result is the same—capture. Veridius applauds supportively but remains unimpressed, and Dultatis’s irritation lingers.

Dultatis then calls for the lowest-ranked student—Vis. Eidhin takes the bracer and, without establishing any code, prepares to control. Vis enters the maze drawing on his prior training and intimate grasp of the layout, choosing a variable path to keep options open. Eidhin stays silent but manipulates cleanly, avoiding the clumsy grinding heard earlier. As spotters track Vis’s position, Eidhin redirects him with timely panel shifts, and Vis conserves energy while probing for openings.

Vis lasts longer than Ianix and Leridia, pushing two-thirds through the Labyrinth while the class watches in tense silence. Eventually, converging hunters tighten the net; panel shifts behind Vis cut off retreat, and Stult steps into his path as Tanila seals the rear. With both exits dead-ended, Vis is trapped and loses, reinforcing the pattern of runner captures and leaving his rank and frustrations unchanged.