CHAPTER-4

The First Trial – Endurance

The instant the command rang out, the recruits surged forward. The cold morning air bit at their skin, but it was quickly drowned out by the thunder of feet against dirt, the rhythmic heaving of breath forming a desperate, unsteady melody.

Reika gritted her teeth, forcing herself into a steady pace, despite the fire in her lungs and the aching of her legs. This wasn't going to be easy. She could hear the strained gasps of those around her, the occasional grunt or stumble as the terrain grew more unforgiving.

"Faster!" the trainers barked.

Nobody dared to disobey.

The ground shifted beneath their feet, dipping into uneven earth filled with hidden roots and loose stones. A sharp cry rang out as a boy beside her tripped, his body hitting the dirt with a sickening crunch. He groaned, struggling to rise, but the stampede of bodies kept moving, their focus locked ahead. Nobody slowed down.

Reika clenched her jaw. She wanted to help, but stopping? Hell no. Stopping meant failure. And failure meant death.

Move. Keep moving.

Another sharp command. "No slowing down!"

Her breath came out ragged as she wove through the pack, dodging flailing arms and reckless elbows. A sudden shove hit her ribs—someone trying to knock her off balance. She staggered, pain flaring up along her side, but she caught herself just in time. She spun around, locking eyes with the asshole who'd shoved her, her glare as cold as ice.

Then—a steep incline loomed ahead.

The trainers sprinted past them effortlessly, their black robes barely shifting as they reached the top.

"Get moving!"

Reika gritted her teeth. Her calves screamed in protest, but she pushed herself up the slope, each step feeling like a damn punishment. The weight of exhaustion bore down on her, whispering for her to stop, to rest.

No. You stop, you fail. You fail, you die.

Ahead, two recruits lost their footing. One tumbled backward, colliding into another, their cries lost in the stampede of feet that refused to stop.

This wasn't just about running. This was survival.

Reika pushed harder.

She would not be left behind.

The Second Trial – The Ascent

The mountain loomed ahead, its jagged edges shrouded in mist. The stone staircase stretched endlessly toward the heavens, each step steep and uneven.

"Climb!"

Reika surged forward, slamming her foot onto the first step.

Step. Step. Step.

The higher she climbed, the heavier her body became. Sweat poured down Reika's temples, stinging her eyes. Her breathing was uneven, her heart pounding so hard she swore it might break through her ribs.

A scream sliced through the air.

Reika didn't turn, but she knew exactly what had happened. A girl had misstepped. The sickening sound of her body crashing against stone sent a chill down Reika's spine. The trainers didn't even flinch.

Nobody did.

Her hands clenched into fists as she forced herself forward.

This is the reality. If you fall, you're forgotten. Nobody's gonna save you.

The wind howled as they climbed higher, whipping through her damp hair. The steps grew slick, worn down by years of desperate feet. A boy near her slipped, barely catching himself, his knuckles scraping against the sharp stone. Blood smeared the steps.

Reika's legs felt like lead, each step more excruciating than the last.

Higher. Faster.

Don't stop. Don't fall. Don't be weak.

The summit was within reach. The morning sky had darkened into a cruel, merciless gray.

With one final push, Reika reached the top. Her knees nearly buckled, her breath ragged as she fought to stay on her feet.

But there was no time to rest.

The Final Trial – The Burden Run

The sacks lay before them, heavy with an unforgiving weight.

"Choose your burden," the trainer commanded.

Some recruits hesitated, grabbing the smallest, the lightest.

Reika didn't hesitate.

She reached for one of the heaviest, the rough fabric scraping against her fingers. Lifting it onto her shoulders, the weight slammed into her spine like a goddamn wrecking ball. Her knees almost buckled, but she steadied herself.

A few recruits scoffed. One muttered under his breath, "She's insane."

She didn't give a damn.

"Run," the trainer barked. "And don't stop until sunrise!"

The recruits scattered, the weight of their burdens pulling them down, but they didn't stop. The moment Reika moved, the weight pressed down like an iron cage, each step jarring her bones. The cold night air bit at her throat. The terrain was merciless—uneven, shifting, designed to break them.

Darkness swallowed the sky. The wind howled like a beast.

A boy beside her collapsed, his burden pinning him to the ground. He gasped for air, his fingers clawing at the dirt, but no one stopped. A girl screamed in frustration, tossing her sack aside. But the trainers didn't even blink.

Reika's thoughts flickered between exhaustion and a single, burning thought:

You're not just fighting your body. You're fighting your mind.

Pain coiled through her muscles, tightening its grip, urging her to fall. Her lungs burned with each gasping breath.

Keep moving. If you stop, you're nothing.

And then—

A sudden movement.

A figure lunged at her.

Reika barely reacted in time, twisting as a hand grabbed for her burden. A recruit—desperate, his eyes wild—tried to steal her sack, hoping to lighten his load.

She didn't hesitate.

With a growl, she used the sack's momentum, slamming it into his gut. He crumpled with a choked gasp, his fingers digging into the dirt.

The recruits stood in a vast, open field, the earth beneath their feet solid and unmoving, but it felt like the ground was shifting beneath Reika's sense of reality. It was hard to tell whether the cold air stung more sharply or if it was the weight of the unknown pressing down on her chest.

She glanced around, but the faces of the other trainees were a blur—familiar, yet distant. The sheer scale of the trial, the rawness of what was coming, gnawed at her insides.

The sound of heavy bootsteps broke the silence. A few of the trainees shifted, eyes flicking to the horizon, where figures cloaked in black hoods began to emerge. Their faces were hidden in shadow, their movements precise and sure, like they had already seen the death of hundreds and were indifferent to it.

A voice rang out from the group of trainers, sharp and demanding. "Today, we will test your ability to run. All of you will run until the night."

Kageshiki, one of the older trainees, scoffed loudly. His voice was taunting, dripping with arrogance. "Huh? What a cheap trick. We can run for days. This is nothing."

Reika felt her stomach twist. She wanted to agree with him—wanted to brush this off as just another mindless challenge. But the gravity in the air, the cold precision of the trainers, told her something was different.

"All trainees," the lead trainer continued, "will run to the mountain and ascend to the tower. Once there, choose your burden, and you will run again—until sunrise."

A murmur rippled through the group, disbelief written in every face. Kageshiki scoffed again, louder this time, his confidence unshaken. "A mountain? A tower? We're all tough enough to handle this."

But Reika felt a flicker of doubt settle in her gut. Is this really just about running? Or is there something else here?

The trainers didn't respond, just turned and began walking away, their footsteps as heavy as the weight they were about to impose. The recruits followed, reluctantly, their steps heavy with the knowledge that what was ahead was going to be nothing like any trial they'd faced before.

The Ascent: The Mountain of Truth

The mountain loomed ahead, its jagged peaks cutting through the sky like ancient, unyielding fingers. A thick mist clung to the lower slopes, hiding the path in an eerie, uncertain haze. Reika swallowed hard, feeling a deep, instinctual fear settle in her chest. The tower they had spoken of was still hidden from view, but she knew it was waiting for her at the peak.

Without another word, the command came: "Climb."

Her legs felt like stone as she moved toward the mountain, each step weighed down by the burden of uncertainty. The first step was easy enough, but the second... then the third, the fourth... each one felt heavier than the last. The mist curled around her, pressing in on her senses.

The higher she climbed, the harder it became. Sweat poured down her forehead, stinging her eyes, and her breath became a ragged rhythm that threatened to leave her in its wake. Her heart thundered, a relentless drumbeat in her chest.

Then a scream sliced through the silence—sharp and broken.

Reika's heart lurched, but she didn't dare turn. A girl had slipped. She didn't need to see it. The sound of her body crashing against stone told Reika everything she needed to know. She could almost hear the dull thud of bone meeting rock. The trainers didn't flinch. Nobody did.

This wasn't a game.

Her hands balled into fists, her nails biting into her palms as she forced herself to take another step. And then another.

If I stop, I'll be forgotten. If I stop, I'll fail.

Her calves screamed, her thighs burned, but there was no choice but to keep moving. The wind howled, bitter and cruel, tugging at her clothes, sending sharp gusts through her hair. The stone beneath her feet became slick with rain, each step more treacherous than the last.

A boy near her slipped, his hands scraping across the jagged stone. Blood smeared the path. Can I even do this? A small voice inside whispered.

The thought nearly broke her. But then, she swallowed it down. I have to keep going.

Higher. Faster.

Don't fall. Don't be weak.

Her body began to betray her. Each movement felt like she was dragging herself through thick, suffocating mud. She could feel her stomach twisting in knots, the sharp pangs of fear clawing at her insides. What if I can't make it?

But Reika pushed forward, one foot after another. She had to. She had no other option.

The summit finally came into view. But it was just another cruel trick. The sky had darkened into a violent gray, and Reika's body threatened to shut down. Still, she fought it back. She could not stop.

She reached the top, breathless and trembling. Her knees buckled, and she almost collapsed, but there was no time. Not even for a second of rest.

The Burden Run: The Weight of Survival

The sacks lay before them, each one heavy with unforgiving weight. Their rough, worn fabric was an unspoken warning. They were no longer just running—they were now carrying the weight of survival itself.

"Choose your burden," the trainer said, his voice devoid of any mercy.

Some recruits hesitated, eyes scanning the sacks for the lightest one. But Reika didn't hesitate. She grabbed the heaviest, the rough fabric scraping against her fingers. As she hoisted it onto her shoulders, the weight slammed into her like a goddamn wrecking ball, sending shockwaves through her spine.

Her knees buckled under the strain, but she caught herself just in time.

Some of the other recruits scoffed. One muttered under his breath, "She's insane."

But Reika didn't care. She was already moving, already committed.

"Run," the trainer barked. "And don't stop until sunrise!"

The weight crushed her down, but she didn't stop. Every step felt like she was dragging the entire mountain behind her. The cold night air gnawed at her skin, and the terrain twisted underfoot, uneven and cruel.

Darkness swallowed the land, the howling wind like a hungry beast at her back.

A boy beside her collapsed. His body was pinned beneath his sack, his hands scrabbling uselessly at the dirt. A girl screamed in frustration and tossed her sack aside. The trainers didn't even blink.

Reika's mind was a blur of pain and exhaustion. You're not just fighting your body. You're fighting your mind.

The weight was unbearable, pulling her down with every step. Her muscles screamed, her lungs burned with each gasping breath.

Keep moving. If you stop, you're nothing.

The thought became her mantra.

Then—

A flash of motion. A desperate, wild-eyed recruit lunged for her sack, hoping to steal it and lighten his own load.

Reika's instincts kicked in. She twisted and slammed the sack into his gut with all her strength. He crumpled, gasping, fingers digging into the dirt.

Reika stared down at him, chest heaving.

"Survival's not fair," she muttered to herself, and then—she ran.

The Longest Night:

The hours stretched on. Her body screamed for rest. Every fiber of her being begged for release.

But there was no release. Not until sunrise.

One step.

Another.

Another.

She could barely see anymore, her vision blurred by the tears of exhaustion in her eyes. The weight felt like it was crushing her bones, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. Not now.

And then—

A flicker of gold.

The first rays of dawn pierced through the darkness.

Reika stumbled, breath ragged, her legs shaking under her.

But she was still standing. She had survived.

The First Step

The lead trainer surveyed them, his eyes cold and calculating. Less than half of the recruits had made it this far.

"You've taken the first step," he said. "But this is only the beginning."

Reika barely heard him. Her body was broken, her mind on fire.

But deep inside, buried beneath the pain, the exhaustion, the blood, and the sweat—there was pride.

She had endured.

She had fought.

And she would keep fighting.

No matter what.