Kai's POV
"They say the light of the setting sun is a promise—a quiet vow of dawn to come. But here on these mountain cliffs, it feels more like a fading memory."
The sun dipped behind rugged peaks, casting amber hues over the jagged cliffs. Shadows crept into cracks and crevices, shrouding the mountainside in twilight. Overhead, a lone wyvern circled the highest peak before folding its wings and settling into its nest. For a brief moment, I envied it. It knew its place, its purpose. Meanwhile, Akio and I were stranded on an outcropping, bruised and bleeding, with no clear way down. My dream of becoming commander-in-chief felt distant—almost foolish.
I looked at Akio, noting the cuts and bruises that mirrored my own. He was standing motionless, facing the mountain wall, almost as if he were looking for something hidden in the stone. I was about to ask, "What are you doing?" when he suddenly exclaimed.
"Finally!"
Startled, I turned to him. "What are you going on about now?"
He pointed eagerly to a narrow gap in the mountainside. "See that crack? It could be a path! It might lead us out."
I raised an eyebrow, squinting at it. "That? It barely looks wide enough to fit through, let alone go anywhere."
Akio grinned, tapping his head. "Wind magic. I sensed an open space beyond it. If the wind keeps flowing, then there's an exit somewhere down that way."
I frowned but felt my skepticism waver. "Alright, I'll give it to you—wind magic is more useful than I thought. If you're sure, let's go."
"Great, but I'm going first," he said, squeezing into the crevice, his bag scraping the walls. I followed close behind, moving sideways to fit through.
The narrow cave stretched on endlessly. Shadows seemed to play tricks on the walls, and the scent of moss and damp stone thickened with each step. My muscles ached, and every scrape or cut seemed to sting more with each brush against the cold rock. But Akio was relentless, determination carrying us forward.
"Be careful," I muttered, managing a weary smile. "We don't need to get more hurt than we already are."
"Don't worry… I'm caref—ouch!" Akio yelped as he stumbled.
Alarmed, I quickly asked, "What happened?"
He grumbled, "Nothing… I just hit my leg on a rock."
I shook my head, chuckling. "You really—"
He cut me off, glancing back at me with a smirk. "You be careful too, alright?"
We pressed on until we finally stumbled into a cavern, a vast open chamber that echoed with each breath. I sighed in relief, stretching my stiff muscles as I took in the sight. Massive stone columns rose around us, ancient and monolithic, their edges softened by darkness. I conjured a small flame, casting warm light over the chamber's stone expanse.
"Where…are we?" I murmured, awestruck by the silence.
Akio's voice was unusually quiet. "Inside the mountain, maybe?"
I nodded, disappointment gnawing at me. "I thought we'd be outside by now."
Akio clapped my shoulder, trying to sound optimistic. "Trust me, there's an exit somewhere. My wind magic can't be wrong."
But doubt lingered, growing heavier as I glanced across the chamber, where two dark tunnels branched off into unknown shadows. Akio's eyes lit up, ignoring his injuries. "Look! Two paths. Let's take the right one."
"Hold on. We've been following your lead all this time, and we're still stuck in here. I say we go left."
"What? If you hadn't slipped back there on the cliff—"
"Oh, right, because slipping on a narrow ledge is so uncommon," I shot back. "If you're so sure, maybe you should've left me there!"
Our voices echoed through the cavern until we both fell silent, the tension settling. "Fine. Rock-paper-scissors?"
Three tense rounds later, I emerged victorious. I grinned, raising a fist in triumph. "Left it is!"
Akio muttered, "You must've delayed your throw on purpose."
"Don't be a sore loser," I smirked, patting his shoulder. Together, we turned left, my flame lighting our path as the walls closed in around us.
But then, my flame flickered and snuffed out, plunging us into absolute darkness.
"Kai, what happened?" Akio's voice wavered.
"I…I don't know. My magic just stopped working."
Akio tried summoning his wind magic, but nothing stirred. "What's going on? Why can't I use my magic?"
"It might be anti-magic—a force that blocks all magic in a specific area. But it's usually placed by someone, not found here by chance. Why would it be here?"
In the pitch-black, Akio's hand found mine. "No matter what, let's stick together."
As we inched forward, my fingers brushed something cold and jagged on the wall. Suddenly, an eerie blue glow seeped from the wall, illuminating strange symbols that pulsed with a dim, unnatural light.
"What's going on?" I whispered, barely able to keep the tremor out of my voice.
Akio took a shaky step back. "I don't know. I just touched it, and now…"
The glow spread, growing brighter until it blotted out everything. The world dissolved into a stark, endless white, swallowing even the faintest sound. Out of the void, a figure materialized—a towering, cloaked presence that seemed to breathe darkness into the white expanse. Black smoke coiled around him, twisting like shadows made of mist. Massive wings folded behind him, their edges blending seamlessly into the void as if crafted from pure night. Horns arched up from his head, and though his face was obscured, two crimson eyes glowed faintly, piercing through the haze to lock onto us.
The air grew heavy, suffocating, pressing down on us with an oppressive power. I felt a cold sweat trickle down my back, my knees shaking. This was no mere creature. This was something ancient, powerful…utterly beyond us.
Akio and I stood frozen, eyes locked on the figure as he remained still, watching us in eerie silence. The darkness around him pulsed, taunting us. Every instinct screamed to run, but the weight of his gaze pinned us in place.
Akio's voice was barely a whisper. "Kai…what is that?"
I took a shaky step back, throat dry. "I…I don't know. But it's not human."
As if hearing me, the figure tilted its head, a slow, deliberate movement that sent a chill down my spine. For a heartbeat, he seemed ready to reach out—to drag us into that abyss of smoke and shadows. Then, a blinding white light erupted around us, breaking the darkness apart like shattering glass.
When the light faded, I opened my eyes to see Akio and me standing in broad daylight. We blinked, disoriented, adjusting to the sudden brightness as the sounds of a bustling city filled the air.
Looking down, our injuries had disappeared. Akio and I gaped at each other, stunned and exhausted. A shopkeeper nearby raised an eyebrow at us, the smell of fresh bread wafting from his stall.
"Excuse me," I called out, my voice still shaky. "Can you tell us where we are?"
The man chuckled, eyeing us with amusement. "You two don't know? You're in the capital of Eldarion!"
Akio and I exchanged stunned glances. "The capital? But how did…?"
The shopkeeper's grin widened. "Here for the royal entrance exam, are you? Registration's closing soon!"
A jolt of panic hit me, and I grabbed Akio's arm. "The exam! We nearly forgot!"
Turning to the shopkeeper, I stammered, "Could you point us to the registration office?"
He nodded down the road. "Last building on the right. Better hurry if you want to make it in time!"
"Thank you!" Akio and I shouted, sprinting down the cobblestone street, hearts racing as we dashed toward the future we'd nearly missed.