Chapter 54 – The Second Test Comes to an End

  The rock was cold beneath Kaelin’s fingertips, its rough surface worn uneven by time and weather. Tiny chips and cracks lined the stone, some deep enough to wedge her fingers into, others nothing more than shallow imperfections. She tested her grip before shifting her weight, pressing her boots into a small ledge barely wide enough to balance on.

  The world stretched out below her in a blur of green and gray. The forest they had trekked through looked distant now, reduced to a rolling sea of treetops broken only by occasional breaks in the canopy where rocky outcrops jutted through. Even the stream she had found earlier was nothing more than a silver thread winding through the valley. The sight sent a strange thrill through her chest, a reminder of how far they had come.

  She glanced down.

  Kana was a few feet below, moving carefully, her brows furrowed in tight focus. The wind tugged at her sleeves, whipping strands of hair across her face, but she paid it no mind. Her movements were precise, controlled, until she reached for a hold that wasn’t quite as stable as she expected.

  The rock crumbled slightly beneath her fingertips, and her foot slid an inch downward before she caught herself, muscles tensing.

  "You good down there?" Kaelin called, shifting her weight as she reached for a higher ledge.

  Kana exhaled sharply but didn’t look up. "Fine."

  Kaelin smirked. "You're not gonna slip again, are you?"

  A glare shot upward, sharp enough to kill. "You know, I could let you fall next time."

  "You could try."

  Kana muttered something under her breath, her grip tightening as she pulled herself higher.

  Kaelin only chuckled and pressed on.

  The ascent was slow, more tedious than difficult. The rock face wasn’t sheer, but it demanded patience, forcing them to judge each foothold before trusting their weight to it. Some sections were easier, providing natural shelves where they could stop for a breath. Others forced them to stretch, to strain their arms as they hoisted themselves up inch by inch.

  Kaelin took the lead, scanning for the best route as they climbed. The stone had a way of tricking the eye, what looked like a perfect foothold from below often turned out to be little more than a smooth, deceptive ledge.

  The higher they climbed, the stronger the wind became. It whistled around them, sweeping up from the valley floor, pulling at their clothes and trying to pry them from the rock. The air smelled of stone and damp earth, tinged with the crispness of high altitude.

  Kaelin adjusted her grip, then pulled herself onto a narrow ledge. She crouched, bracing herself against the wind as she turned to check on Kana.

  The other girl was only a few feet away now, her movements more cautious but steady. Her fingers found the last handhold, and with a determined push, she hauled herself up onto the ledge beside Kaelin.

  For a moment, neither of them moved.

  Then Kana flopped onto her back, chest rising and falling with sharp, measured breaths.

  "If I ever—" she sucked in a breath—"climb another mountain, it’ll be too soon."

  Kaelin stretched her arms overhead, rolling her shoulders as she glanced around. "That wasn’t so bad."

  Kana turned her head just enough to shoot her a glare. "I hate you."

  Kaelin snickered. "You keep saying that, but here we are."

  Kana groaned and sat up, brushing dirt from her palms.

  Beyond the ledge, the terrain shifted. The rock plateaued into a wide, uneven stretch of grass and loose stone, sloping upward before narrowing into a winding path. The mountain loomed above them, its jagged peak cutting into the sky.

  Kaelin took a step forward, surveying the land ahead. The climb had been tough, but this was open ground. They could move fast, make up for lost time.

  Then movement caught her eye.

  Further up the incline, a group of students trudged forward, their figures small against the vast expanse of the mountainside. They weren’t climbing, they were following a trail.

  A very obvious, well-trodden, zigzagging trail.

  Kaelin blinked.

  Kana sat up fully, following her gaze.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  A long pause.

  Then, slowly, she turned to Kaelin.

  "You're telling me," she said, voice deceptively calm, "that there was a path. An actual, normal, walkable path this whole time?"

  Kaelin grinned. "Looks like it."

  Kana's expression darkened. "I literally asked if there was an easier way."

  Kaelin shrugged. "I don’t remember saying no... In fact, I don’t remember saying anything at all."

  Kana opened her mouth, then closed it, hands curling into fists. She looked seconds away from shoving Kaelin off the cliff.

  Kaelin took a casual step back, smirk widening. "Come on, we’re ahead of them now. No need to be upset."

  Kana inhaled slowly through her nose. "If we hadn’t wasted time climbing, we’d be even further ahead."

  "Or we would’ve wasted time taking the slow way." Kaelin gestured toward the winding path. "You really wanna be stuck zigzagging up the mountain like them?"

  Kana’s eyes flicked to the students below. The incline was incredibly steep, the path snaked back and forth, dragging out what could’ve been a short climb into a long, tedious hike.

  Kana sighed through her teeth. "Fine. But next time, we take the normal route."

  Kaelin chuckled, already stepping forward. "Sure, sure. Next time."

  ***

  The sun dipped lower behind the jagged mountain peaks, casting deep amber hues across the clearing. The last remnants of daylight painted the sky in streaks of gold and crimson, while the wind carried the scent of pine and damp earth, weaving through the weary students as they gathered at the extraction point.

  Some stood tall, their bodies tense with the last traces of adrenaline, while others slumped against rocks or sat cross-legged on the ground, barely holding themselves upright after the gruelling test. Their clothes were stained with dirt and torn in places, proof of the trials they had endured. Here and there, bandages had been hastily wrapped around fresh scrapes and bruises, while a few students muttered amongst themselves, recounting near-misses and unexpected victories.

  Kaelin, standing toward the back with Kana at her side, exhaled slowly, letting the tension ease from her limbs. The soreness had begun to set in, not unbearable, but enough to remind her that her body had been pushed hard today. She rolled her shoulders, listening as the murmurs of conversation quieted at the sight of their instructors stepping forward.

  At the front of the assembled students stood a tall man with streaks of gray running through his otherwise dark hair. His sharp eyes scanned the group with the practiced scrutiny of someone who had seen countless students come and go through these trials. His cloak billowed slightly in the wind as he clasped his hands behind his back.

  “Congratulations,” he said, his voice firm and unyielding, carrying across the clearing with ease. “You have officially completed this portion of the examination.”

  A ripple of relief passed through the students. A few sighed audibly, and someone near the back, either too exhausted or too triumphant to care, let out a small cheer. The reaction earned them a sharp glance from the instructor, and the student quickly silenced themselves.

  Kaelin’s lips curled slightly. That was bold.

  The instructor’s gaze swept over them again, his expression unreadable. “These trials were designed to push you beyond your comfort, to test not only your skill but your ability to adapt. Some of you succeeded.” His mouth twitched, just barely. “Some of you barely scraped by.”

  A few students exchanged uneasy glances.

  Kaelin arched a brow. So the usual speech, then. The instructors always had to make sure they remembered that they weren’t good enough yet.

  The man let the silence stretch for a moment before continuing. “Regardless, the fact that you stand here now means you endured.” He turned slightly, motioning toward the waiting instructors behind him. “Now, you will be escorted back to the academy. No more running, no more fighting. For today, at least.”

  There was an unspoken meaning in those words. Today was only one step. There would always be more challenges.

  Kaelin smirked to herself. Good.

  “Gather your belongings and prepare to leave. You’ve earned your rest.”

  The moment the words left his mouth, some students all but collapsed where they stood, either flopping onto the grass or leaning against each other for support. Others, the ones still wired from the trial, remained on their feet, quietly murmuring amongst themselves, their eyes still scanning their surroundings, as if expecting another challenge to be thrown at them.

  Kana let out a sharp breath beside her. “I think I hate the wilderness.”

  Kaelin shot her a smirk. “You say that, but I think you enjoyed yourself just a little.”

  Kana’s glare was immediate. “I almost died. Twice.”

  Kaelin shrugged. “Yeah, but you didn’t. And one of them was your own fault.”

  Kana muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like “Not for lack of trying,” but didn’t argue further.

  Eventually, they were directed toward a long line of waiting trailers. The carts, made of sturdy wood, were hitched to well-fed horses that stood idly, flicking their tails and occasionally shifting their weight. The vehicles weren’t built for comfort, just wooden slats with benches running along the sides, but at this point, no one cared.

  Kaelin hopped onto one of the trailers, settling herself near the edge with a stretch. The wood was rough against her palms, but compared to the ground, it felt like luxury. Kana clambered in beside her, her movements stiff, and the trailer rocked slightly as more students climbed in, their combined weight shifting the balance.

  The scent of sweat, dirt, and damp foliage clung to the air, mixing with the faint mustiness of old hay. Some students wasted no time stretching out, letting their heads drop back against the wooden slats, while others remained upright, as if too restless to let themselves relax just yet.

  The driver at the front gave a small click of his tongue, the reins shifting as he urged the horses forward. Slowly, the caravan began its journey down the winding path, the wheels creaking against the uneven terrain.

  The rhythmic clatter of hooves and wooden wheels against stone filled the silence. The rocking motion of the trailer was oddly soothing, lulling some students into quiet murmurs or exhausted silence. A few whispered in hushed voices, discussing the fights they had witnessed, the enemies they had faced. Some still had the energy to laugh about their close calls, while others just closed their eyes, allowing the exhaustion to take them.

  Kaelin let her head tilt slightly, her gaze drifting out toward the passing landscape. The thick forest they had fought through for hours was beginning to thin, the dense canopy parting to reveal open fields bathed in the golden light of sunset. In the far distance, the academy stood tall against the horizon, its silhouette outlined in the fading glow.

  They had made it.

  The trial was over.