The third trial

Her voice dropped, now carrying a low, dangerous tone. “ You will not enter the castle. Return home if you value your lives and do not wish to engage in combat with me.”

Lian’s eyes darted toward Kael and Mira, meeting theirs. Both nodded firmly, their expressions a mixture of determination and anticipation. The moment stretched, the tension almost palpable in the air. Lian straightened, drawing himself to his full height, his voice steady but resolute. “We’re ready to fight you,” he declared, his gaze fixed on the witch.

The witch’s lips twitched, a mix of surprise and amusement crossing her features. “Bold words,” she said, her tone laced with challenge. “Very well… let’s see if your courage is as strong as your mouth claims.”

Kael adjusted her grip on her weapons, her eyes flashing with determination, while Mira’s stance was calm, collected, ready for any movement the witch might make. The air around them seemed to hum with tension, the silence broken only by the wind whipping around the mountain peak.

The witch raised her staff, a faint crackle of energy emanating from its tip. “Prepare yourselves,” she said. “If you wish to enter, you will have to prove it… through battle.”

Lian inhaled deeply, feeling the surge of adrenaline. “We’re not backing down,” he muttered, almost to himself. Together, the three of them faced the witch, ready to confront whatever came next.

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The wind howled around the castle peak, tugging at Kael’s hair and whipping against the three adventurers as they faced the witch. Lian’s gaze flickered from Kael to Mira, then back to the witch, calculating. This was no longer a test of courage alone—it was a battle of wits, power, and reflexes.

Kael gripped her boomer tightly, checking the mix of alchemic pellets she had prepared. She had a series of fire pellets, some of ice, and a few that emitted strange hallucinatory vapors designed to disorient her opponents. Mira’s orb floated lazily near her hand, its glow pulsating as if it were alive, while Lian focused, reading the faintest flickers of intent in the witch’s movements.

The witch smirked, reaching for a small vial at her belt and uncorking it. A shimmering liquid hissed as it flew through the air, exploding into a thick green smoke. Mira’s orb reacted instantly, its energy dispersing the smoke in a controlled arc, though a few tendrils of the mist reached Kael, tickling her skin and making her sneeze. “Ugh! Stay away from these potions!” Kael shouted, adjusting her aim.

Lian stepped slightly forward, trying to gauge the witch’s next move through her thoughts. She’s calculating trajectories, predicting where we might dodge… clever, but not clever enough, he read. He relayed subtle signals to Kael and Mira with hand gestures. Kael nodded, understanding the silent communication, and readied her first attack.

With a quick flick of her wrist, she launched a fire pellet at the witch’s left flank. The pellet arced through the air and exploded upon impact, sending a burst of flame toward the witch. The witch barely moved, shoving her hand into another vial and tossing it into the flames. Instantly, the fire turned into a thick, clinging smoke, obscuring her form. Kael’s next pellet—a fragmenting ice shot—hit the smoke blindly, shattering against a conjured barrier of ice that suddenly erupted from the ground.

Mira’s orb shot forward in a straight line, its destructive energy carving a swath through the castle rocks, causing the witch to leap backward. Mira hissed under her breath, struggling to maintain precise control. She had to be careful—the orb’s raw power could easily obliterate part of the mountain if misfired. Kael took advantage of the distraction, switching to a hallucinatory pellet, which burst mid-air in a cloud of sparkling mist. The mist swirled around the witch, and for a moment, her vision wavered.

Lian seized the opportunity. “She’s trying to calculate our next move, but she’s disoriented,” he said, a grin tugging at his lips. “Kael, hit her with fire now!” Kael obeyed instantly, launching a rapid volley of fiery pellets. The witch dodged with an impressive backflip, but several fragments grazed her robes, sizzling against the fabric. She cursed under her breath, reaching for another vial, this one glowing deep purple. She uncorked it and threw it toward the ground. A violet cloud erupted, crawling along the rocky surface toward the trio, seeping into their boots and making the footing slippery.

Kael cursed and leapt backward, planting her feet carefully. “Mira, tuo turno!” she shouted. Mira adjusted her grip and sent the orb in a tight spiral, aiming at the advancing purple mist. The orb slammed into the vapor, scattering it in a violent explosion that sent shards of rock flying, forcing all three to duck for cover. Lian’s eyes sparkled as he read the witch’s next thought: I need to regain control. They’re coordinating too well…

Using the mental insight, Lian shouted, “She’s about to throw something heavy at us—watch the left side!” Kael rolled aside just as a potion bottle rocketed toward her, shattering against the cliff edge. Mira unleashed another orb, this time not for attack but to create a temporary shield of energy. The orb’s pulsating force deflected the bottle, and the resulting explosion sent glittering shards scattering.

The witch hissed in frustration. “You coordinate too well. Clever little pests…” she muttered, diving for her belt and pulling out a cluster of tiny bottles. One by one, she opened them and tossed their contents into the air. Smoke, fire, and acidic sprays rained down, forcing Kael and Mira to react instantly. Kael’s fire pellets intercepted some, ice ones countered others, and Mira’s orb cleared paths for them to advance.

Kael shouted, panting. “Lian, read her mind again! What's she thinking?!” Lian closed his eyes briefly, feeling the mental currents swirling. She’s trying to predict where the ice and fire will land. She’s calculating our likely blind spots… okay, the right flank is weaker. She doesn’t see us adjusting there. So, he told them.

Kael grinned. “Great! Mira, go right with the orb, while I go left with fire!” Mira nodded and sent the orb spiraling to the right, carefully breaking away part of the rocky ledge the witch had used for cover. Kael fired her ice pellets in rapid succession, forcing the witch to retreat again. Lian took a calculated step forward, positioning himself behind a rock to offer backup observation.

The witch growled, shaking her head. She drank one of her potions in a single gulp. Smoke erupted from her mouth, forming ethereal, ghost-like illusions of herself all around the battlefield. Kael aimed instinctively, but the illusions were tricky, moving in unpredictable patterns. Mira launched the orb at the largest of the phantoms, shattering it spectacularly, but more copies appeared from the shadows.

Lian muttered, “Focus on her patterns… the real one moves differently.” Kael’s eyes narrowed as she studied the movements. Using her hallucinatory pellet, she created a confusing trail of sparkling smoke, which made it harder for the witch to distinguish reality from illusion. Mira followed with a careful, guided orb strike, and the witch hissed as one of her illusions disintegrated.

The witch’s hands moved rapidly, uncorking two potions at once. One sprayed a sticky, blue adhesive onto the ground, making the footing treacherous, while the other released a blinding green smoke. Kael jumped, pelleting the witch with fiery bursts mid-air, while Mira adjusted the orb to pierce the smoke cloud. Lian’s mind raced: She’s trying to trap us in a corner, but we can use her momentum against her.

They executed a synchronized move. Kael shot ice pellets toward the witch’s left leg, forcing her to stumble slightly. Mira’s orb barreled in from the right, cutting off her path of retreat. shouted: "She’s vulnerable now—hit her with everything!" Kael launched a massive fire volley, while Mira focused the orb to contain her movement. The witch tried to counter with a potion, but it was too late.

The fire pellets hit, the orb’s energy struck, and the witch was thrown back a few steps, landing heavily but quickly regaining her balance. Her eyes widened in surprise—this was the first time she’d been truly overwhelmed.

Kael panted, laughing with exhilaration. “I didn't expect we could do so well against her!” Mira nodded, her eyes scanning the battlefield for the next danger. Lian’s mind raced: She’s not done yet. "Watch the belt—more potions. She’ll try something explosive next."

Sure enough, the witch uncorked a tiny vial and threw it high. It burst into a swarm of small, enchanted shards that homed in on the trio. Kael fired hallucinatory pellets to obscure their movements, while Mira sent the orb in a sweeping arc, destroying most of the shards. Lian read the witch’s fleeting thought: They’re adapting… too fast. Must find a counter-strategy. He called out, “Switch to defense! Kael, focus on disorienting her, Mira, shield us from the airborne shards!”

The trio worked in perfect unison, each move compensating for the other’s vulnerabilities. For every potion or trap the witch deployed, they countered, adjusted, and pressed forward. Lian provided constant mental insights, Kael kept up relentless pellet attacks, and Mira’s orb carved paths of safety through the chaos.

Finally, the witch, breathless and irritated, realized her options were dwindling. She had exhausted several potions and tricks, while the trio remained coordinated and unflinching. Lian’s mind read: They’re not going to stop… I underestimated them. Kael, taking advantage of a brief opening, fired a combination of fire and hallucinatory pellets, while Mira’s orb struck with pinpoint accuracy. The witch stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.

Lian raised his voice, his determination blazing. “Kael, Mira—now! All-out attack!”

Kael unleashed her remaining ice and hallucinatory pellets in a furious storm, while Mira focused the orb, its energy crackling and expanding, forming a dome of destructive force around the witch. The blast hit her squarely, and for the first time, the witch faltered, knocked to her knees.

Breathing heavily, she glared up at them. “I… underestimated you,” she admitted, a grudging respect in her voice. “But don’t think this is over. You’ve proven capable, but remember… every advantage can be taken away in an instant.” 

After saing that, she fainted.

The trio, panting and exhausted, exchanged victorious glances. They had survived the witch’s tests, adapted to every tactic she used, and emerged unscathed. Lian’s heart pounded—not just from exertion, but from the sheer thrill of using strategy, powers, and teamwork to overcome a formidable foe. Kael wiped sweat from her brow, grinning. “What a team!” she exclaimed. Mira allowed herself a rare smile, nodding in agreement.

They had learned the witch’s style, countered her strategies, and survived a trial that had tested their coordination, creativity, and courage. And most importantly, they were now one step closer to their ultimate goal: confronting the Demon King.