Trial by Quiet Fire

The road back to Nevernight was quiet.
Birdsong drifted lazily through the trees, the wind stirring the golden leaves as the party moved along the dirt path, their pace easy but steady. They had rested, laughed, healed. But now, the silhouette of Nevernight rose again in the distance-its towering stone walls nestled among rolling hills, catching sunlight like a watchful sentinel.
Shin walked near the centre of the group, his steps light, his breath calm. The soreness in his limbs had faded to a dull echo, replaced by a grounded stillness. The sword at his hip, once a weight he carried out of duty, now felt like a part of him-not heavier, not lighter, but clearer. Like it, too, had been tempered by everything they had survived.
Kael led the group, his back straight, movements composed despite the stiffness in his recovering shoulder. Rurik followed with wide, unhurried strides, locked in a spirited debate with Kaen about some ridiculous dwarven superstition involving
fermented goat cheese and lightning storms. Reina brought up the rear, gaze flicking often to the forest edge, always listening.

They had changed- subtly, but unmistakably.
By the time the stone gates of the city came into the view, Shin’s heart was calm.
They passed through the outer streets of Nevernight, and the people looked at them differently now-no longer with wary glances or curious eyes, but recognition. Respect. The Iron Lily’s sigil, once overlooked, now earned a nod from passing merchants and fellow adventurers.
The guild courtyard buzzed with activity-armored warriors sharpening weapons, mages in flowing robes debating spell theory, clerks balancing scrolls on one arm while chasing after clients with the other. As the five entered, the energy around them shifted.
Heads turned.

Not with awe. Not suspicion.
But familiarity. Quiet pride.
A young clerk glanced up and blinked. Then offered a small, hurried bow. “The guild master is expecting you,” motioning toward the double doors at the end of the hall.
They didn’t pause.
The doors opened without a creak.
The guild master stood behind her broad desk, papers stacked with surgical precision, her silver braid draped nearly over one shoulder. Amber eyes lifted as they entered.
“Welcome back,” she said, voice smooth as ever. “I trust the hot springs served you well?”
“They served us too well,” Kaen muttered. “I considered retiring right there.”
A faint smirk touched her lips. “Tempting, I’m sure. But I imagine ambition won out.”
Her hand slid a sealed scroll across the table. “As promised. Your reassessment is scheduled.”
Shin blinked. “Already?”
“Now, actually.”
Rurik groaned aloud. “You’re cruel.”

She ignored that. “As a five-member C-rank team applying for a B-rank recognition, you will face three challenges: tactical combat, coordinated strategy, and mental fortitude.”
Kael stepped forward, accepting the scroll with a nod. “Understood.”
Outside, a bell tolled once.
The testing grounds behind the guildhall were deceptively serene.

A wide-open courtyard surrounded by enchanted stone walls, softly pulsing sigils etched into their surfaces. Defensive spells weaved through the structure-silent safeguards against rogue magic or weapon strikes.
Weapons lined the far wall, but the team came armed with their own gear-polished, worn, familiar.
A handful of evaluators stood to one side. Two elves in navy robes with silver embroidery. A human warrior with scarred hands and cold eyes. A dwarf chewing thoughtfully on a pipe, his beard tied in neat braids.
No ceremony. No speeches.

One of the elves stepped forward. “Phase one. Tactical combat simulation. You will face five illusion constructs designed to mimic intelligent opponents. They will adapt. You have two minutes. Begin.”
The centre of the arena shimmered.
From the circle rose five humanoid figures, each clad in spectral armor. No two were alike-one with a halberd, one dual-wielding daggers, another carrying a longbow that glowed with firelight.
Kael issued orders instantly. “Reina, left flank. Rurik, with me. Kaen-take elevation. Shin, centre line. Disrupt their advance.”
They moved as one.

Reina vanished into shadows, her hands crackling with runes of light. Kaen scrambled up a stone outcropping, flinging orbs of kinetic energy toward the bow-wielder. Rurik’s axes struck like thunder, meeting the halberd construct head-on. Kael danced between two opponents, compensating for his shoulder with ruthless efficiency.
Shin stepped into the fray, sword steady. One of the constructs-a knight-like figure with a shield and short sword-advanced on him. No words. No sound.
He met it cleanly. Parried once, twice, Feinted. The blade connected at the joint near its knee-sparks flew.
It shimmered, faltered.
But it wasn’t done.

They clashed in silence. Shin’s movements were deliberate, controlled. Where before he might’ve hesitated, now there was confidence-rooted now in arrogance, but acceptance. Of his limits. Of his strength.
Two minutes passed.
The constructs froze mid-strike, then dissolved into glowing mist.
A bell ring.
“Phase one: Cleared,” the elf called.
They exhaled.
Phase two was a different beast.

No enemies. No weapons.
A terrain challenge awaited them-stone platforms that rose and fell without rhythm, thin bridges that spun at strange intervals, walls of fog and illusion that cloaked movement and masked direction.
The elf spoke again. “Objective: cross the field as a unit. The limit: sim minutes. If any member falls, you return to the start.”
Reina murmured, “Wonderful.”
Kaen grinned. “This is my kind of game.”
Kael nodded. “Let’s stay tight. Trust the plan.”
They began.

Kaen led with sharp instincts-his yes flicking left and right, fingers brushing the floor, tapping plates for pressure traps. Reina marked their path behind them with glowing sigils. Rurik carried a rope across the first major gap, anchoring it with a steel spike. Kael followed, despite the occasional wince in his arm.
Shin kept pace, quiet but alert.
Midway across, the ground beneath Shin vanished.
His breath hitched-and then Kael’s hand locked around his wrist.”
“Eyes up,” Kael muttered. “We need you steady.
Shin met his gaze. Nodded. “Right.”

Then came the fog.

A curtain of illusion cut through the course, swallowing them whole.
Shin blinked.
And found himself alone.
The silence rang in his ears. The world was colorless. Empty.
A whisper cut through it-not a voice he knew.
“Do you trust yourself?”
He didn’t answer. He closed his eyes. Listened.
And then-
Laughter.
Kaen’s laughter, just ahead. Playful. Familiar.
Shin stepped forward. One foot, then another.
He followed the sound.
He emerged just as the rest of the team regrouped.
They jumped the final chasm together.
The bell rang.
Phase two: Complete.
Phase three:
Mental fortitude.

Each of them entered a separate chamber. No weapons. No allies. Just a circular room, a single chair, and a crystal orb glowing faintly atop a stone pedestal.
Shin sat.
The air was cold.
The orb pulsed once. Then twice.
Images flickered across its surface.
Reina-screaming, surrounded by fire. Kael crushed under debris. Kaen impaled. Rurik’s axes broken, eyes wide with shock.
And then Shin himself. Standing in a field of ash, sword dripping with darkness. His own face twisted in something inhuman.
The orb whispered: You are the danger.
His chest tightened. The vision wouldn’t end.

They trust you. But should they?
“No,” Shin whispered. Then louder, firmer, “No.”
He stood. “I’m not what you say. I’m not what I fear.”
His voice didn’t shake.
“I’m their shield.”
The orb dimmed. The door opened.
He stepped out into the light.

The courtyard was quiet.
They gathered, one by one. No words. Just presence.
Then the guid master appeared.
“All five candidates,” she said, voice unreadable. “Assessment complete.”
A pause.
“Passed.”
Relief rolled through them like thunder.
Kaen whooped and threw his arms around Rurik, who responded by lifting him off the ground. Reina let out a soft laugh, brushing tears from her lashes. Kael’s shoulders eased, the tightness melting away.
Shin didn’t cheer.
He simply exhaled.

That evening, they sat on the balcony of the Iron Lily.
Sunset painted the rooftops in hues of the fire and gold. A breeze danced through hanging flower baskets. The table before them was laden with warm bread, stew rich with herbs, and tankards of berry cider.
Kaen raised his drink. “To B-rank.”
“Only upward,” Reina agreed.
“To us,” Rurik added.
Kael turned to Shin. “You did well today.”

Shin looked out over the rooftops. Then, slowly, he nodded. “Still figuring out what I am. But today… I felt like me again.”

“Good,” Kael said. “Hold onto that.”
Stars blinked into the sky, quiet and steady.
Tomorrow would bring the next challenge.
But for now, they sat in warmth, in laughter, in silence.
Together.