The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the Solaris Estate. The Crimson Circle had run its course, leaving behind its victors and its shattered, defeated contestants. The tension in the air was palpable, more so than ever before. The final trial was set to begin.
The remaining competitors—fewer than ten now—stood scattered across the edge of the ceremonial courtyard, each one battered but unbroken. Sweat trickled down faces, hands twitched nervously near hilts or empty sides, ready to summon radiant weapons again, even if their reserves of light were nearly spent.
Merir stood apart from the others, his posture straight, his expression calm but alert. The weight of whispers and stares hadn't left him since his match with Lux, yet it felt distant now, meaningless. He focused inward. His breathing had steadied, the fatigue from his earlier match no longer evident in his face, though it still lingered faintly in his limbs. He extended his fingers briefly, testing their strength, his hazel eyes scanning the circle's edges.
The herald, standing center stage, stepped forward once again. His silvery robes shimmered faintly under the light's final golden hues, pulling all attention back to the dais where the elders sat.
"The first two trials have culled the unworthy," the herald intoned, his voice resonating powerfully through the courtyard. "Your radiant ability has been tested. Your strength, your precision, and your mastery of combat have been laid bare. Now, we reach the culmination of this great tradition—the Final Trial."
He gestured toward the dais, where Lord Cael Solaris stood regally in his golden ceremonial armor. Flanked by nobles and observers, his imposing gaze swept over the courtyard once again, pausing—to many people's surprise—on Merir for the briefest moment.
"As is tradition," the herald continued, bowing his head slightly toward Lord Cael, "the Final Trial will test you not just as individuals but as contenders worthy of guiding the name of Solaris. The trial will measure more than combat. It will measure leadership. Strategy. Wisdom."
His voice sharpened slightly as he lowered his hands toward the outer edges of the courtyard, where the radiant sigils of the Crimson Circle shimmered faintly. But these were different—darker, with crimson lines swirling and tightening into complicated, intricate glyphs. Some competitors exchanged worried glances.
"The trial is simple," the herald announced, motioning to the glyphs. "You will enter the Solaris Crucible—a radiant, shifting battlefield designed to test your every ability. You will form groups, and within the Crucible, you will survive and overcome its challenges. Those who falter will crumble."
He paused for effect, the dramatic silence thickening. Then, with a raised hand, he spoke again.
"And those who rise… will discover, finally, who is worthy to stand as guardians of Lumina's light—and as heirs to the Solaris name."
---
The competitors stiffened. They had all heard of the Solaris Crucible in passing—a legendary final trial spoken of by their elders in hushed tones over the years. Unlike the duels, this wasn't a fight of one versus one. It was said the Crucible combined not just raw strength but resourcefulness and control. This was where many would fall.
The herald continued, his tone sharp and commanding now. "You will form into two teams, based on rank and performance in the earlier trials. Heirs from both main and branch families will work together… or fail together. Group assignments will now be made."
---
The herald read through the names quickly as two glowing glyphs—one golden, one crimson—appeared on the ground. Each competitor stepped forward one at a time, accepting the color assigned to them, their teams forming like pieces of a puzzle.
Merir's name was called near the end.
"Merir Solaris. Crimson Glyph."
He stepped forward, ignoring the renewed murmurs as he placed his hand on the chosen glyph. A faint hum resonated as the symbol glowed under his touch before moving to hover just above his collarbone, marking him on his team. Several glances immediately shot toward him—not from the nobles, but from his own assigned teammates.
The Crimson Glyph's team composition was… strange. Lux Solaris stood there, scowling openly next to three other competitors: two from the main family and one particularly nervous branch family member forced to step closer to the weight of her glare. Her presence radiated raw tension.
Merir stepped into line without a word. He caught the faint flicker of annoyance in Lux's eyes as she barely concealed it with a roll of her shoulders. Her voice, though low enough to only reach their small group, cut sharp as a taught wire.
"You're on *my team?" she hissed under her breath, her lip curling. "Great. Like dragging dead weight through the Crucible wasn't hard enough."
The words hung there, intentionally loud enough for the others nearby to hear. A couple of her teammates chuckled nervously, though their glances at Merir didn't carry the same venom—they merely seemed uncomfortable with the brewing animosity.
Merir didn't answer. He had no time for petty bickering.
---
Kael Solaris was assigned to the Golden Glyph team. Unlike the Crimson group, his team seemed to carry cohesion automatically—Kael's natural authority as the heir apparent meant those gathered under his banner looked to him immediately for leadership.
One of the branch family members on his team leaned slightly closer to Kael once the names were finalized.
"Your brother," the younger noble muttered, his voice barely audible to others. "He's… different. People are talking."
Kael nodded faintly, his gaze drifting once again toward Merir at the far end of the courtyard. "They should be," Kael responded evenly. "He's not the same Merir we ignored for years. Whatever forged him, no one here is ready for it."
The younger noble blinked, surprised. "Do you think he's—"
"It doesn't matter what I think," Kael interrupted sharply. His golden eyes locked on Merir's profile one last time. "What matters is what happens in the Crucible."
---
As the preparations concluded, Lord Cael rose from his seat. Instantly, the courtyard fell into a hushed silence. The gleaming armor of the Solaris patriarch caught the final rays of sunlight, creating an almost blinding aura that demanded attention.
His gaze swept over the competitors once more, lingering longer on Merir than before.
"You will soon enter the Crucible," Lord Cael said, his voice deep and commanding. "Let it expose who you truly are."
A low hum began rumbling from the edges of the radiant glyphs, signaling the Crucible's activation. The ground beneath them vibrated faintly, light flaring brighter as the courtyard's marble began to shift. Crimson and gold glyphs spiraled upward, forming archways etched with radiant runes, each glowing with faint trails of energy that flowed into the arena now forming before their eyes.
"Survive it. Lead within it. Excel at what is demanded, or succumb to what you lack."
The final words were less a command and more a warning.
"Enter the Crucible. Your trial begins now."