The morning air was crisp, laced with the scent of damp earth and pine as Auren tightened the bloodstained cloth around his head.
Focus. The thought buzzed in his mind like the hum of the forest, the bloodstained fabric wrapped tight against his forehead reminding him of his father's last moments. The grief was still raw, but the cold bite of the wind helped dull it, if only for a moment. This is the path forward, no looking back.
Beside him, Rhett adjusted the straps of his pack, his usual restlessness tempered by something heavier, anticipation and eagerness. Before them, Corren stood silent, arms crossed, his gaze unreadable as the forest whispered with the wind.
"This is where I leave you," Corren said at last. His voice carried no warmth of a farewell, only the weight of understanding. "The path to the Trial of Honor isn't mine to walk. You have to find it on your own."
Find it on my own...
Auren glanced at Rhett, whose brows furrowed in frustration. "You found it, though. You could at least show us the way."
This is it. We're truly on our own now. No more tricks, no more shortcuts... just us and the trial. Auren could feel his heart beating faster, nerves tingling with uncertainty and the distant echo of fear. It wasn't the trial itself that unsettled him—it was the thought of failing. What if I can't do this? What if the trial breaks me?
Corren shook his head. "That's not how it works. I am an Ascended. If I interfere in a trail meant for initiates, the trial will reject you outright. Honor isn't something that can be given, it has to be earned."
Rhett scowled but didn't argue further. Auren, however, let the words settle. He had spent years dreaming of growing strong. Now that the path to defy the chain stood before him, it didn't feel like the glorious moment he had imagined. What if I'm not strong enough? What if this is where it ends?
"Then tell us what to expect," Auren said. "The trials...what are they really?"
Corren exhaled, running his fingers through Auren's hair, which reminded Auren of his father. "The Trials of Honor are unique to each warrior that seeks its power. Before the Chain ruled the world, strength came to those who proved themselves worthy. Each trial is different, shaped by the one who seeks it. The deeper you go, the more it reveals about you."
Shaped by the one who seeks it... Auren's stomach twisted. What will it reveal about me? Will I like what I find?
Rhett crossed his arms. "So it just throws obstacles at us? Tests our skills?"
Corren gave him a sharp look. "More than that. The trial doesn't test what you can do, it tests what you are. It will push your limits, break the lies you tell yourself, and if you aren't ready to face them, it will destroy you. Many have sought the Trials of Honor. Few ever leave."
Silence fell between them, thick with unspoken fears.
The truth... Auren thought bitterly. It's always the truth. And that's what I'm afraid of. What if I'm not who I thought I was?
Auren swallowed hard but kept his voice steady. "And where do we start?"
A small smirk tugged at Corren's lips. "You'll start with a riddle. A single clue. Find the trial, survive what stands in your way, and earn your place."
He turned toward the trees, eyes dark as the night sky. "Now listen well, because this is all I can give you."
And then, he spoke the riddle:
"Where the shadows break, yet no sun shines,Follow the whispers of stone to find the line.Step with faith, not with sight,For stone obeys the weight of fright."
Auren and Rhett exchanged a glance. The path ahead was uncertain, the dangers unknown. But this was it, the moment they had been waiting for.
I don't know what this riddle means yet... but somehow, I know it's more than just a game. It's a test of who we are, not just what we can do.
Without another word, they turned toward the wilds, stepping forward into the unknown.
Dawn's first light stretched over the horizon as Auren and Rhett followed Corren's riddle through the dense forest.
The deeper I go, the more I will learn. The more I will have to face.
They moved through the shifting shadows of the trees, watching the way the light broke against the trunks, guiding them forward.
What lies beyond this path? What will I discover about myself, about the Chain... and about the man I want to become?
Hours passed, the morning sun creeping higher, until they emerged into a valley surrounded by towering mountains.
At its heart lay a lake, its waters dark and unmoving, like a mirror reflecting the sky. But what caught their attention wasn't the lake—it was the floating stones.
They hovered in midair, forming a winding path above the water, leading to a doorway with no walls, standing alone, leading seemingly to nowhere.
Rhett let out a low whistle. "Well, that's not ominous at all."
Auren bent down, picking up a loose stone from the shore. Without a word, he tossed it onto one of the floating steps. The stone landed without a sound, hovering just like the others. It didn't sink.
What is this place? His mind raced. What are we supposed to do here?
Rhett crossed his arms. "That doesn't tell us if it can hold us."
Before Auren could stop him, Rhett stepped forward onto one of the stones.
For a heartbeat, it held. Then—
It shifted.
Rhett's foot slid out from under him as the stone tilted violently, sending him plunging toward the water below.
"Rhett!"
Auren lunged, grabbing his wrist just before he fell. He heaved with everything he had, dragging Rhett back onto the shore. The younger boy lay there, panting, staring at the floating stones with wide eyes.
"Ouch... Okay, not stable."
I have to trust my instincts, Auren told himself. I can't afford to hesitate.
Auren didn't answer. He was watching something else.
A rabbit had emerged from the underbrush, its small body twitching with curiosity. It sniffed the air, then, without hesitation, leapt onto one of the floating steps.
The stone didn't waver.
The rabbit hopped to another, then another. It made it across the lake with ease, vanishing into the entrance beyond.
Auren's mind raced. Step with faith, not with sight... For stone obeys the weight of fright.
It's not the weight. It's doubt.
Before Rhett could protest, Auren stepped forward. He placed his foot on the same stone Rhett had slipped on, only this time, he didn't hesitate.
The stone held.
Auren smirked. "You hesitated. That's why it moved."
Rhett scowled. "Well, excuse me for not wanting to drown."
Auren ignored him and took another step. Then another. With each confident stride, the stones remained firm beneath his feet.
This is it. The moment I've been waiting for.
Rhett groaned but followed, this time stepping with certainty.
Slowly but surely, they moved across the lake, finding their rhythm, their stride unbroken. The entrance grew closer, the air around them humming with unseen energy.
Just Then...
A sharp caw split the silence.
Auren's heart clenched.
Rhett froze. "Tell me that was just some normal, harmless bird."
The sound echoed again, closer this time.
A gust of wind howled across the lake, sending ripples across the water's glassy surface.
From the darkened clouds above, a massive shape descended, swift and soundless.
Auren barely had time to react before it emerged from the mist.
The predator was a Duskwing Harbinger, a spirit beast of shadow and wind, feared in old legends for its silent hunts. It was larger than any normal eagle, its wingspan stretching nearly twice the size of Seig's. Its feathers were abyssal black. Instead of talons of bone and claw, its feet were lined with obsidian-like hooks, sharp enough to rend flesh from bone in a single strike.
This is what we're up against. Auren's pulse raced. I thought I was ready. I thought this trial was just some test, some rite of passage. But this... this is real.
Its eyes were empty, devoid of anything.
Then it attacked.
With a sudden dive, it moved faster than a shadow cast at dusk. Auren and Rhett barely had time to throw themselves to the side as the force of its movement sent a shockwave rippling through the lake.
The floating stones trembled, vibrating in place as if they, too, feared the Harbinger's presence.
Above them, the creature hovered, its massive wings barely making a sound as it circled. It wasn't just watching them—it was hunting.
Rhett clenched his fists. His breath came sharp and steady, his body thrumming with energy.
"No choice now," he muttered. "Seig—come forth!"
A thunderclap split the air.
From the crackling storm of Rhett's summoning, a streak of lightning descended, forming into the shape of a great eagle. Seig—The initiate level beast Rhett has summoned before—burst forth, his electric-blue feathers gleaming, his talons sparking with raw energy.
The Duskwing Harbinger let out a soundless shriek,its cry resonating through sheer force of presence. A pressure crashed down on them, like a storm without rain.
Then, in a blur of motion, it dove.
Seig met it head-on.
Their talons clashed with a burst of force that sent arcs of lightning scattering into the mist. The Harbinger's obsidian claws scraped against Seig's with a piercing screech, its smoky wings twisting unnaturally midair to evade.
It didn't move like a normal bird,it flickered, appearing and reappearing in rapid bursts, as if reality itself struggled to hold it in place.
It was unnatural. Unsettling.
The predator struck again, but this time, Seig countered—flaring his wings wide, he let loose a burst of lightning, forcing the creature back. The crackling energy sent shockwaves through the valley, illuminating the Harbinger's dark form in brief, stuttering flashes.
Auren and Rhett could only watch from the floating stones as the two spirit beasts battled above them, their struggle shaking the very air.
"Seig's faster," Rhett noted, eyes sharp. "But that thing...it's adapting."
Auren could see it too. The Harbinger wasn't just attacking wildly,it was learning. Every time Seig struck, the beast adjusted. The way it dodged became more fluid.
It was analyzing Seig's movements, mirroring them.
And Seig was starting to slow.
The battle raged on, lightning and shadow clashing in a deadly dance above the lake. But the longer it went on, the clearer it became, Seig couldn't win in a battle of endurance. The predator was too strong to beat in a direct confrontation.
Rhett clenched his jaw. "We need to finish this. Now."
Auren's mind raced. There had to be a way...Some weakness, a flaw.
Then he saw it.
"The eyes," Auren breathed. "It doesn't track movement. It's following fear..just like the stones!"
Rhett blinked, then his gaze sharpened. "Then we use that against it."
He took a deep breath, steadying himself. When he spoke again, his voice was calm. Confident.
"Seig! Rise with the storm!"
Lightning flared around Seig's body, crackling in bright, jagged arcs. Instead of dodging, he charged,but not with hesitation. With certainty.
The predator lunged at him, talons poised to rip him apart.
But this time, Seig didn't waver.
At the last moment, he twisted into the storm, becoming nothing more than a blur of light and fury. The Harbinger lashed out, only to hit nothing but air.
Seig reappeared above it in a flash of lightning.
Then he struck.
A single, thunderous blow to the back of the predator's skull.
The beast let out a strangled, soundless cry as its body locked up, its wings seizing. The force of the impact sent it plummeting, crashing through the floating stones before vanishing into the abyss below.
Silence.
Seig hovered in the air, his wings crackling with the last remnants of lightning.
Then, slowly, he descended, perching on Rhett's outstretched arm.
Rhett exhaled shakily. "Holy hell."
Auren grinned. "Took you long enough."
Rhett rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get moving before something else tries to eat us."
They turned toward the entrance, the floating stones still firm beneath their feet.
The path was clear now.
The Trial awaited.