Gabriel
The night was cold.
The fire crackled softly, sending sparks into the darkness.
Eighteen months.
One and a half years of training.
One and a half years of hell.
And now, we were facing the final stage.
Isaac watched us, his expression unreadable.
Then he spoke.
"Your training is ending."
His gaze swept over us.
"Four trials stand between you and your freedom."
Michael
My shoulders tensed.
We knew this moment would come.
But now that it was here, it felt different.
"Four trials," Isaac repeated calmly.
"Each one will push you to your limits. Physically. Mentally. Morally."
A pause.
"By the end of them, you'll either be hunters…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Or you'll be dead."
Raphael
I swallowed.
No one spoke.
What was there to say?
We had no choice.
Isaac reached into his coat and pulled out a small hourglass.
"Your first trial starts now."
Then he turned and motioned for us to follow.
The silence was heavy.
Without a word, we obeyed.
Gabriel
We arrived at a clearing in the forest.
And that's when I saw them.
Two people.
Bound. Gagged.
A knot tightened in my stomach.
I knew what this was.
I knew what was coming.
Michael
A woman and a man.
Both on the ground.
Their eyes wide with fear.
Isaac flipped the hourglass.
"Your first trial is simple," he said.
His gaze locked onto us.
"One lives. One dies."
Raphael
My heart pounded.
"And the other?" I asked.
Isaac met my eyes, no hesitation in his voice.
"They die."
Gabriel
The sand started to fall.
I felt Michael's eyes on me.
Raphael stood frozen.
There was no right choice.
But we had to choose.
Michael
"This is a trick," I muttered.
Isaac shook his head.
"No."
My hands trembled.
"What if we don't choose?"
His voice remained calm.
"Then both die."
Raphael
I clenched my fists.
My mind raced.
The woman.
The man.
Both whimpered softly.
I could feel Gabriel making a decision.
He stepped forward.
And pulled out his knife.
Gabriel
I cut the man's bindings.
The sand kept falling.
Isaac watched us silently.
Then, he drew his gun.
And aimed it at the woman.
Michael
"NO!"
The shot rang out.
The woman collapsed.
Silence.
Only the whisper of the wind remained.
Raphael
I breathed heavily.
I couldn't speak.
Isaac holstered his weapon.
Then, in a calm voice, he asked:
"What did you learn?"
Gabriel
I knew there was no wrong answer.
But there was no right one either.
"That you're a monster," Raphael muttered.
Isaac didn't smile.
"That every choice demands a sacrifice," he corrected.
His tone was quiet but firm.
"If you don't decide, both die. If you do, someone still dies."
His gaze remained cold.
"Welcome to the reality of a hunter."
Michael
Back at camp, no one spoke.
I couldn't shake the moment from my mind.
Gabriel sat by the fire.
Raphael sat with his arms crossed, muscles tense.
I couldn't hold it in.
"What was your choice?" I asked Isaac.
He looked up.
"What do you mean?"
I stepped closer.
"You said you had the same trial."
Isaac met my gaze.
Then he simply said:
"I hesitated."
He tossed another log into the fire.
The flames flared.
"And in the end, both died."