The group ascended to the next floor of the Tower, their minds still heavy from the Trial of Deception. They found themselves in a rocky canyon, the wind howling through jagged cliffs. The path forward was narrow, forcing them to walk in single file.
Kaela took the lead, her posture stiff and guarded. She hadn't said much since the illusions during the trial, and the tension in her shoulders was impossible to miss.
Richard finally broke the silence. "Kaela, are you okay?"
She didn't look back. "I'm fine. Let's just keep moving."
Elara frowned, her fiery red hair whipping in the wind. "Fine, huh? You didn't look fine back there when you saw that... whatever it was. Who was he?"
Kaela stopped abruptly, turning to glare at Elara. "That's none of your business."
Elara crossed her arms. "You can't just keep everything bottled up, you know. We're supposed to be a team."
"Enough!" Kaela snapped, her voice echoing off the canyon walls. She took a deep breath, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword. "You want to know? Fine. I'll tell you. But don't expect some sob story."
Kaela's gaze turned distant as she began her story.
"I was born into a mercenary company. My father was the captain, and my mother... she was his blade. From the moment I could hold a sword, I was trained to fight. Strength, discipline, loyalty that's all that mattered."
She paused, her fingers brushing the edge of her sword. "We weren't heroes. We weren't noble. We fought for whoever could pay. And in that world, trust was a luxury we couldn't afford."
Richard listened intently. "What about the man you saw in the trial?"
Kaela's jaw tightened. "His name was Darius. He was one of my father's lieutenants one of the few people I trusted. He taught me how to fight, how to survive. I looked up to him."
Elara raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"
Kaela's voice grew colder. "We were hired to protect a noble caravan traveling through hostile territory. It should've been a simple job, but we were ambushed by a rival company. They offered Darius a deal: betray us, and they'd let him live."
Richard's stomach twisted. "And he took it."
Kaela nodded, her eyes hard. "He turned on us in the middle of the fight. Killed my father and half our company before running off with the enemy. I was only sixteen. One moment, I had a family; the next, I was alone."
Elara's fiery demeanor softened. "That's... awful. I'm sorry."
Kaela shook her head. "Don't be. I don't need pity. I survived, and I swore I'd never trust anyone again. I'd rely on my strength, my skill, and no one else."
Richard stepped closer, his expression serious. "But that's not living, Kaela. That's just surviving."
She met his gaze, her eyes filled with pain and defiance. "Maybe. But it's kept me alive this long."
Elara hesitated, then placed a hand on Kaela's shoulder. "You're not in that mercenary company anymore. You don't have to fight alone."
Kaela looked away, her grip on her sword loosening slightly. "Maybe. But don't expect me to open up every time things get tough."
Richard smiled faintly. "Fair enough. But remember, we're here if you need us."
The wind howled louder as they continued through the canyon, Kaela leading the way once more. Though her walls remained firmly in place, Richard couldn't help but feel they had started to crack.
As the Tower loomed above them, Richard thought about how different their lives had been, yet how the Tower had brought them together.
The path forward was uncertain, but one thing was clear: they would face whatever came next as a team.