Chapter twenty-eight: One's Own Fault

Gilly woke the next morning with a bitter taste in her mouth. The conversation with Zin from yesterday still gnawed at her. She lingered in front of the mirror.Outside, the strange sky reminded her she was far from Earth. The sun hadn’t set but had split into two, both resting low on the horizon. The effect made the world look like early morning, though it was only the fourth day of the long cycle.She slapped her cheek and forced a smile. After a few deep breaths, she dressed fully for the exam.---The training grounds were already full when she arrived. Crowds of people gathered, some strangers, some familiar. The exams were underway.By the corner, Zenora was mid-trial. Her task was to break the examiner’s shield using only tier-two magic.Instead of mingling, Gilly climbed into the canopy of a nearby tree, settling quietly to watch.A woman in white armor caught her attention. She had striking crimson hair, and the aura around her felt sharp, unusual. From time to time she drifted to different examiners, watching their methods and correcting them when necessary.Meanwhile, Zenora advanced to her next stage—defense. She was required to withstand the examiner’s attacks without dodging. Twice she failed. On the third attempt she succeeded, earning a proud smile from Ephini, who stood by watching.Ephini had once explained that most mages failed not in testing mana or breaking shields, but here. “The final trial matters most. When you can’t dodge, when you can’t run, what will you do against a powerful foe?”Slowly, the crowd of hopefuls dwindled. Some passed. Many did not.Then the crimson-haired woman suddenly turned her eyes toward Gilly’s tree. Though hidden in the canopy, Gilly realized it was useless—anyone of Apex rank could see her. Zin, Pom, and Ephini had noticed her earlier as well, though they hadn’t approached.Zin’s words echoed in her mind: Do not underestimate your opponent.Gilly dropped down, joining the line of examinees.The woman approached, stopping directly beside her. A ripple passed through the grounds as attention shifted toward them.“You must be Gilly,” the woman smirked. “Come with me.”Gilly glanced at Zin. He gave her a small nod.“Um… who are you?” she asked, unease prickling her chest.“I’m Hilary,” the woman replied. “Zin never mentioned me? We were classmates back in our adventuring days.” She sighed, sliding on a pair of white gloves. “That doesn’t matter now. I’ll be the one examining you.”For a moment, Gilly felt her blood freeze.Hilary went to Valmor for a brief exchange. By the time she returned, all other candidates had finished. The grounds were cleared.---Valmor raised his voice: “We will conclude this year with our best candidate—Gilly Asmoth.”The air went silent. It was as if the world itself held its breath.Hilary adjusted her gloves and dropped into a fist-fighting stance, ignoring the sword at her waist.“I’ll have to go all out from the start,” Gilly muttered. She crouched, stretching in odd motions before settling into her stance. A faint glow appeared around her. The wind itself seemed to pause.---Not far away, a strange girl appeared beside Ephini and Zenora. Catlike in form, white fire shimmered around her body, and her deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief.She tapped Zenora’s shoulder. “Who do you think will win?”Zenora blinked in surprise. Even Zin turned at the question.“I think the blue-haired girl will do something exciting,” the cat-girl purred.Ephini exhaled softly. Cats were known to have sharp senses—sometimes too sharp to dismiss.---Far above, atop the great tree of the village, two figures observed. Seras sat quietly, while Katharine leaned forward, intent on the fight.They had been traveling the continents, searching for clues, and were en route to the great unknown to meet the Darkone. But they had stopped briefly at Elnor to witness the exams.When Katharine saw Gilly, her body stiffened. “Did you give it to her?” she whispered to Seras.Seras studied Gilly for a long moment. Then she replied calmly: “Relax. Only those with True Sight can know.”Katharine breathed out, though unease lingered. True Sight was rare, but it wasn’t impossible. For now, at least, they could only watch.---The duel began.Gilly darted forward in sharp zigzags, testing her opponent with quick slashes. Hilary evaded smoothly, her eyes calculating.Skilled for a beginner, Hilary thought. But far from enough.A prickle of danger warned Gilly. She raised her sword just in time—Hilary’s fist slammed against the blade, blasting her across the field. She barely landed on her feet. Blood trickled down her forehead.“Ho. Reflexes too?” Hilary smirked.Fear gripped Gilly. For the first time since her journey began, she was truly afraid.She lunged again, swinging downward. Hilary stepped lightly onto the tip of her blade, then kicked her sharply in the head. Gilly tumbled, a ragdoll across the dirt.Groaning, she pushed herself upright. Her body trembled. Every strike she attempted was met with harsher retaliation. Hilary’s responses grew more brutal with each exchange.Her fear worsened. Old habits returned, erasing the discipline she had built. Her movements grew sloppy. Time bled away—if she failed to prove herself before the half-hour mark, she would lose everything.Desperation overtook her. Aura wrapped her blade as she lunged faster than before, slashing with all her might. The crowd gasped at her speed.But Hilary caught the glowing blade with her bare hand.Gilly’s heart dropped. She had forgotten Zin’s warning: An examiner responds in kind to whatever you use.Hilary’s palm glowed faint red. “This is Elnor’s best candidate?” She yanked Gilly close and drove her fist into her stomach.The impact echoed across the grounds. Gasps rose from the crowd as Gilly tumbled helplessly, rolling until she came to a stop.Hilary’s expression darkened. Her disgust was clear.Gilly struggled to stand, her body screaming in pain. For the first time, she admitted the truth to herself. She had been conceited. She had trusted her pride more than her training, and now she was paying the price.But beneath Hilary’s brutality, she also sensed something darker—an animosity hidden behind every strike.She steadied her breath. This time, she would fight not her way, but the way she had learned since coming to this world.---+ “The utmost desire have been reached. Recognition to grow has moved to the conscious. The Hero’s Blood has responded and has become fully active. All skills previously engraved into memory have now become core to the user. Battle-seasoned instincts are now partly in effect.”Blood dripped from her lips. Her wounds knit closed.Her sky-blue eyes glowed. Tiny azure patterns spread across her skin like etchings of light.Hilary froze for a moment, surprised. The aura Gilly radiated was strange, unnerving—but most of all, that smile. Not arrogance, but a steady, unshakable resolve carved from struggle.Hilary smiled back. “If that’s what you want, I’ll oblige.”This time, she drew her silver sword.The crowd murmured anxiously. Most didn’t understand what was happening, but even they could feel the storm building.The elites watching understood: something inside Gilly had awakened.From atop the tree, Katharine laughed. “Like mother, like daughter.” Her eyes gleamed with excitement, impatient for what was to come.