The forest around them seemed alive, its shadows shifting like predators stalking their prey. Lila struggled to keep up with Kael's swift strides, her breath coming in sharp gasps as roots and uneven ground threatened to trip her with every step. The wraiths' guttural growls echoed behind them, a chilling reminder of the danger closing in.
"Can we stop for just one second?" Lila cried out, stumbling over a gnarled root. Her legs burned from exertion, and her heart pounded so hard she feared it might burst.
"No," Kael snapped without looking back. "Stopping means dying. Is that what you want?"
The bluntness of his words struck her like a slap. "I didn't ask to be here!" she shot back, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "I don't even know what's happening!"
Kael skidded to a stop so abruptly that Lila nearly collided with him. He turned to face her, his gray eyes narrowing. "Neither do I," he said, his voice low and hard. "But if you want to survive, you need to stop whining and keep moving."
Before Lila could respond, a low growl interrupted them. She turned her head slowly, her blood running cold as the shadows around them began to solidify. From the darkness emerged three wraiths, their hollow eyes glowing faintly, their twisted limbs moving unnaturally as they stalked forward.
Kael's blade was in his hand before Lila could blink. "Stay behind me," he ordered, stepping between her and the creatures.
Lila obeyed, her hands trembling as she backed away. The wraiths lunged at Kael one by one, their clawed hands slicing through the air. He moved like a dancer, his blade a blur as it cut through the first wraith. The creature dissolved into black smoke with a high-pitched shriek.
But the other two wraiths didn't hesitate. One darted to Kael's side while the other leaped toward Lila. She froze, her mind screaming at her to run, but her legs refused to move. The wraith's claws slashed through the air, and she raised her arms in a futile attempt to shield herself.
At the last second, Kael's blade sliced through the creature, its shriek fading as it dissolved into smoke. He turned to the final wraith, dispatching it with a single, brutal strike. The silence that followed was almost deafening.
Lila sank to the ground, her body trembling. "What... what are those things?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kael cleaned his blade with a scrap of cloth, his movements calm and methodical. "Wraiths," he said simply. "They hunt anything that doesn't belong here. And that includes us."
"What do you mean, 'doesn't belong here?'" Lila demanded, her fear giving way to frustration. "Where is 'here,' exactly? And why are we here?"
Kael hesitated, his gaze flicking to the bracelet on her wrist. Its faint glow seemed to pulse in rhythm with her heartbeat. "This place is... a trial," he said finally. "A realm designed to test people like us."
"Test us for what?" Lila pressed.
Kael let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't have all the answers, okay? All I know is that we're stuck here, and the only way out is to complete the missions we're assigned."
"Missions?" Lila repeated, her brows furrowing.
Before Kael could respond, the bracelet on her wrist flared with light, as did the one on his. A familiar disembodied voice echoed around them:
"First mission: Trust. Travelers must work together to overcome the trial of trust. Failure will result in termination."
The glow faded, and Lila stared at her bracelet in disbelief. "Termination? They can't be serious."
Kael gave her a grim look. "They're always serious."
Lila's mind reeled as she tried to process the situation. She had been dragged into this bizarre world against her will, forced to rely on a stranger to survive, and now she was being told she had to trust him. Trust a man I just met? she thought bitterly. What kind of sick game is this?
Kael interrupted her thoughts. "Look, I don't like this any more than you do," he said, his tone surprisingly calm. "But the faster we figure this out, the better our chances of surviving."
"Surviving what, exactly?" Lila asked, gesturing to the empty forest around them. "Wraiths? Mysterious voiceovers? What else could this place possibly throw at us?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled a small map from his coat. It glowed faintly, the runes on its surface shifting as he unfolded it. "This will guide us," he said, holding it out so Lila could see. "The trial locations are marked. If we're lucky, the first one isn't far."
"And if we're not lucky?" Lila asked, crossing her arms.
Kael gave her a humorless smile. "Then we die."
Lila rolled her eyes, her frustration mounting. "You're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you?"
Kael ignored her comment, focusing on the map. "The first trial is about trust," he said, more to himself than to her. "That means we'll have to rely on each other to complete it."
Lila frowned. "And what if we don't trust each other?"
"Then we fail," Kael said bluntly. "And failing isn't an option."
The weight of his words settled over Lila like a stone. She glanced at the bracelet on her wrist, its glow now faint but persistent. She didn't trust Kael—how could she? But if her life depended on it, did she really have a choice?
"Fine," she said finally, meeting his gaze. "I'll trust you. For now."
Kael nodded, though he didn't look convinced. "Good. Let's move. The longer we wait, the harder this gets."
As they began walking, Lila couldn't shake the feeling that this trial was about more than just trust. The voice had called this a "trial of souls." Did that mean their very essence was on the line? And if so, how far was she willing to go to survive?