Chapter 7

I ran out of the forest and could see the cliffs and the sea stretching before me. I had survived, somehow, but I was so exhausted that I felt I might pass out at any moment. I still had to meet with Grandmother Isobel and Hina, so I pulled myself together and looked around. I realized I was standing on some kind of ledge overlooking the sea, and in the distance below, I could make out several small monoliths and one larger one. Since I didn't see either of them, I decided to head in that direction.

As I got closer, I could see that all those monoliths were graves. Hina and Grandmother were at the far end, near the large monolith. By that point, I was so exhausted that I had to lean on my spear just to walk.

"I see you managed to survive," said Isobel, sounding somewhat surprised.

Hina, concerned, came over to support me since I was about to collapse.

"What are these graves?" I asked.

"They're all that remains of my clan. As you may know, I am the last one."

"What happened to them?"

"We were massacred. One of the great houses wanted us to become their subjects. We refused, and this was the result. I managed to escape because I was just a child."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"So you can see that this world is not a fairy tale. This world still has its shadows, just like the world you came from. I don't know if you'll find the peace you're seeking here."

"That's something I'll have to decide for myself by observing this world."

"Well, you seem somewhat different from when you entered the forest. The second objective of the test appears to have worked."

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"I wanted to see your determination. The pendant tied to your spear reacts to the strength of your soul. You probably noticed inside that you could run much faster and had much more strength, but you also realized that strength could disappear at any moment. That is the foundation of magic. When you arrived this morning, you seemed empty, without will—just dragged along by a desire from your past. But it seems you've now managed to awaken something within yourself."

I didn't fully understand what she was telling me, but it was true that ever since I heard that voice telling me not to run, I was able to think better in combat and managed to hold on without giving up.

"Does that mean I passed your test?" I asked.

"Answer me one last question."

I looked at her intently, waiting for the question while Hina helped me lean on her.

"Do you think this world is beautiful?"

The question caught me off guard. I felt the easiest answer would be to say yes, but I didn't think that's what she wanted to hear. What should I say?

"I don't know. I woke up just days ago without knowing anything about this world. The people I've met since then have taken care of me and treated me well. The landscapes Hina has shown me—I don't think I could see anything more beautiful than those. But I've also come close to dying twice in that time. I think, to give you an honest answer, I need to see more of this world."

"That was a good answer. I will allow you to observe this world for longer."

"Does that mean I passed the test?"

"Yes," she said as she smiled.

"Thank goodness," I said, relieved.

After that, I collapsed from exhaustion, and Hina caught me so I wouldn't fall to the ground.

"Good work," she said to me in a low voice, though I couldn't hear her.