Second Phase

The sharp sound echoed across the clearing, silencing everyone. My cheek burned as I blinked at the perpetrator—Dion. His hand still hung mid-air, trembling slightly as his chest heaved with suppressed anger. The mana orb I was holding fell down terribly.

"You idiot!" he hissed, his voice a harsh whisper. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done? We are a team, yet endangered Tabitha and me!" He sounded angry. I'll make sure I'll slap you later too. 

"Dion," Tabitha interjected softly, her tone a mixture of reproach and concern. She stepped between us, her presence a calming force. "She knows what she’s doing... right, Valkyrie?" Her gaze turned to me, her blue eyes filled with uncertainty.

I touched my throbbing cheek, my fingers brushing over the spot where Dion’s hand had connected. "I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing," I replied, my voice steadier than I expected. "It’s not right. Queen Hecate knows it, and she’s been waiting for someone to challenge it."

Hecate’s smirk deepened, a glint of amusement sparkling in her emerald eyes. "Well, well," she drawled, circling me slowly, her gown trailing behind her like a shadow. "A sheltered princess who not only dares to defy me but also attempts to rewrite the rules of the test. Fascinating."

"Isn’t that what you wanted?" I asked, meeting her gaze squarely. My heart was pounding, but I refused to look away. "You set up this system to test us, didn’t you? Not just our power, but our ability to think beyond it. To challenge convention."

The air crackled with tension as Hecate came to a stop in front of me, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And what makes you think you’re worthy of deciding how things should change?" she asked, her tone dangerously low.

I clenched my fists, the mana orb glowing faintly in my palm. "Because I’ve seen what happens when you let tradition and pride blind you to what’s right. I may not have all the answers, but I’m willing to try. Isn’t that the kind of leader the Grand High Witch would want?"

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air. Even the forest seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting for Hecate’s response.

Then, she threw her head back and laughed—a rich, ringing sound that sent shivers down my spine. "You’re bold, I’ll give you that," she said, her laughter subsiding into a sly smile. "But boldness alone doesn’t make you a leader. Let’s see if you can back up your words with action."

“Eisen, I heard she’s your student,” Hecate’s gaze shifted to Eisen, who stood silently in the back.

“Well, I could always disown her later,” Eisen responded nonchalantly, his voice carrying an unsettling casualness.

What the hell, Master?

“Well, I like her guts. If you don’t want her, I’ll take her,” Hecate said playfully, her eyes glinting with mischief as she turned toward Eisen.

“What? The Queen wants that human?” The crowd erupted in shock, their voices filled with disbelief.

“She can bite, my Queen,” Eisen replied, his tone cool but possessive. It was as if he were declaring, No, I found her first. The tension between them was palpable, their auras clashing like a dragon and a tiger, an invisible battle raging behind their words.

“So, did I pass?” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else, unsure of what to expect.

Her grin widened, and she looked at me with a spark in her eyes. “Yes, and—I've taken a liking to you,” she said, her voice soft with amusement. It was as if I were her favorite new toy, and she couldn’t wait to see what I’d do next. Her smile was almost childlike, like a kid eager to unwrap the best gift they’d ever received.

Hecate burst into laughter, her voice dripping with amusement. "Eisen, you’re so protective of your little human. Too bad," she taunted, her eyes glinting as she turned her attention back to me. Floating closer, she grinned.

"How about we make this interesting, Valkyrie?" She knew my name?

"I’ll give you a chance. If you pass the final selection, I’ll let those who failed the first phase stay. But if you fail... you’ll be mine instead." She smiled wickedly.

"Wha—!" Eisen and I reacted at the same time, shocked by her sudden proposal.

She shut her eyes and smiled, and in that instant, every scrape and bruise vanished like magic. Even the ones who had failed the first test were restored.

“Wait—my wounds are gone?” I ran a hand over my cheek and glanced at Tabitha, whose neck was as good as new.

Hecate was nothing short of impressive.

Master shot me a look that practically saying “So, you think she’s impressive, huh? Fail, and I’ll make sure you’re stuck washing dishes for the rest of your days.”

He threatened me with just one look, smiling with Riri, sleeping on his arms. How dangerous!

I turned at my master with the look “I knew you already know my answer.”

"If I fail, I belong to her. But if I succeed, those who’ve already fallen will get a second chance. That’s worth everything. Isn’t it?” Master knows me more than anyone in this place. “I accept, My Queen.” I confidently said.

While others looked at me with contempt at that moment, I knew I was not alone.

I was not… until…

"Five teams have advanced to the second phase! Fifteen candidates remain. May you discover your true light," Hecate declared, her hand rising as a burst of magic erupted from her fingertips. It coiled around the clearing, encasing it in a shimmering barrier of light. "The second phase starts now," she said, her voice laced with unshakable authority. "Let’s see how well you fare when the rules are... rewritten."

“What’s happening?” Tabitha gasped, her knees buckling as the ground beneath us shook.

Before anyone could react, the very world around us seemed to warp. The trees stretched higher, their branches twisting into a thick, unyielding canopy. A chill filled the air, and the once warm glow of the sunset was replaced by a ghostly, unnatural light.

"Dion! Tabitha!" I called out, but my voice was drowned out by the rising storm of magic. Their forms blurred, growing fainter as the force pushed us apart.

"Let’s see how many of you make it back," Hecate’s voice rang out from somewhere above, soft but cruel, like a mocking whisper in the wind. When I looked toward her, her figure stood there, almost too calm amidst the chaos. A faint smile played on her lips, knowing and cold, like she relished in the disarray she had caused.

Then, everything was swallowed by darkness.

When my eyes fluttered open again, I was alone. The world around me was eerily still, the once-familiar clearing now a distant memory. In the quiet, a faint whisper brushed against my ear, its voice unfamiliar yet somehow deeply known.

"Prove yourself, Valkyrie," it murmured, both gentle and commanding. "Or fall into the abyss."

I realized then, with a sickening clarity, that survival would demand far more than just courage. It would require every part of me—every ounce of my will, every shred of my soul. The darkness surrounding me wasn’t just physical; it was inside me too, creeping into my thoughts, testing my resolve. It wasn’t enough to simply make it through this. I had to confront it, face it head-on. I had to prove myself, or be consumed by it.

The second phase had begun.