The second trial

The witch’s piercing eyes fixed on Lian, her expression unreadable. “Very well, very well. You’ve passed the first trial,” she said, her voice calm but carrying an edge that made the hairs on the back of Lian’s neck stand up. “But don’t think for a second that you’ll breeze through the second one. Are you ready?”

Lian’s forehead was slick with sweat. He wiped it nervously with the back of his hand, glancing at Kael and Mira for reassurance. The sun glinted off the strange metallic surfaces of the cube-like device before them, reflecting tiny sparks of light onto the rocky clearing. He could feel the weight of the trial pressing down on him, heavier than any mountain climb or monster fight he had ever faced.

The witch continued, her tone deliberate: “For this trial, you must loudly declare, ‘I am a tremendous idiot,’ and then recount something truly embarrassing that you’ve done.”

Lian blinked in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing as if his brain had momentarily frozen. “Girls… I don’t know if I can do this,” he muttered, his voice shaky. “I don’t know if I could ever say such a huge lie in front of all of you… it’s… it’s too much for me.”

A tense silence hung in the air for a few moments. The rustling of the trees around them seemed amplified, the quiet hum of the wind sounding almost like whispers judging his hesitation. Then Lian’s brow furrowed, and he protested, “Hey! That’s two requests packed into one trial! You should have made them separate!”

The witch’s lips twitched, almost smirking, but her eyes stayed sharp and calculating. “I make the rules here, not you. If you don’t like it, you’re free to go home.”

Lian’s shoulders sagged slightly. “Mira… Kael… I don’t know if I can do it…”

Kael stepped forward, trying to inject some blunt encouragement. “Come on, it’s just saying you’re a big fool. That’s not—”

Mira immediately cut her off, her voice steady but filled with conviction. “Lian. Look at the path we’ve traveled to get here. Remember our goals, and that we’re doing this to save countless people. Make this small sacrifice. The reward will be enormous.”

Her words seemed to settle over him like a warm, reassuring blanket. Lian took a deep, steadying breath, letting Mira’s encouragement anchor him. He could feel his heartbeat slow, his racing thoughts finally aligning with the purpose in front of him. He glanced at Kael, whose determined expression mirrored his own resolve, and then at the cube, its metallic surface gleaming almost mockingly.

“Okay… I can do this,” he whispered to himself. Then, projecting his voice so that everyone could hear, he declared with surprising firmness: “I am a tremendous idiot.”

The witch’s eyes gleamed briefly with approval. “I agree.”

Lian let out a nervous chuckle, his shoulders loosening slightly. “Alright… now the embarrassing story?” the witch added, her tone lightening slightly but still sharp.

He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking hard. “Uh… one time, I spilled milk all over myself,” he admitted. The cube remained silent, its cold, angular form a silent judge.

The witch’s lips pursed. “Not embarrassing enough,” she said flatly.

Lian blinked. “What?! How is one supposed to know what counts as embarrassing?” he exclaimed, gesturing in exasperation.

The witch shrugged slightly. “Even I do not know the mysterious criteria the cube uses to judge.”

Grumbling under his breath, Lian closed his eyes for a moment and tried to remember another story. “Once… I slipped on a banana peel.” No sound.

“Or… I accidentally called my teacher ‘Mom’ in class.” Still silence.

He paused, his mind racing. Then, with a sudden jolt of memory, he said, “One time… my pants fell down while I was walking down the street.”

The cube emitted a loud, triumphant beep that echoed around the clearing, bouncing off the rocky walls and the trees. Lian yelped, half in shock, half in indignation. “Why do you all have such a fixation on people with falling pants?!”

The witch’s composure returned instantly, though a small, amused smile tugged at her lips. “Second trial passed, Mr. ‘Fallen Pants.’ Now…” Her tone shifted, becoming sudden and serious. The air grew tense around them, almost as if the wind itself had stopped to listen.

“It is time for the final trial. No more jokes.”

Lian swallowed hard, his earlier embarrassment fading into sharp, focused anticipation. Mira placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, while Kael gave a small, resolute nod. All three of them felt the weight of what was to come, the challenge now taking on a deadly seriousness. The playful trials were over.

Even the cube seemed to shimmer with a subtle intensity, as if aware that the stakes had just been raised. Lian glanced down at it and then at the witch, feeling the tiniest spark of excitement mix with his anxiety.

He inhaled deeply, letting the crisp mountain air fill his lungs. This was it. The moment to prove that the silly, joking, sometimes clumsy adventurer could rise to the occasion when it truly mattered.