The air still crackled with remnants of the broken illusion, but Kael didn't let his guard down. If the trial had taught him anything, it was that one deception often hides another.
Lyra pressed her fingers against her temple, shaking off the lingering effects. "That thing messed with our senses the moment we stepped into its range."
Jaxon exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah, well, next time, I'm punching first and asking questions never."
Kael smirked but didn't respond. His eyes stayed on the shifting terrain.
Something was still watching them.
A faint rustle.
A whisper of movement.
"Kael, right side." Zappy's voice flared in his mind, sharp and urgent.
Kael didn't think—he moved.
SHNK!
A black tendril lashed out from the shadows, slicing through the space where he had just stood. The air vibrated with its speed.
Not an illusion.
This one was real.
The mist around them thickened, twisting unnaturally. A presence slithered through it—hunting.
Lyra and Jaxon shifted into battle stances, but Kael barely spared them a glance.
This creature… it wasn't just attacking. It was studying them.
Kael clenched his fists. "It's playing with us."
A low, clicking sound echoed through the mist. Not random. Patterned. Like language.
Jaxon frowned. "What the hell is it saying?"
Kael's heartbeat slowed. He didn't know the words, but something in the tone…
"It's testing reactions," Zappy processed rapidly. "It's seeing what makes you hesitate."
Kael's mind sharpened. A predator.
And they were the prey.
Not anymore.
He took a step forward, breath steady, senses dialed in.
"You want hesitation?" He smirked. "Try mine."
Then he vanished.
A flicker to the left. A ghostly afterimage to the right.
The creature struck—too slow.
Kael was already behind it.
His fist shot forward, energy crackling—
BOOM!
The impact tore through the mist. The predator screeched, its shifting form twisting violently.
Lyra and Jaxon didn't wait.
Lyra's blades sang, carving through the air. Jaxon's gauntlet roared, a pulse of energy slamming into the beast.
The creature reeled, its form destabilizing. Its game was over.
Kael stood over it, breathing steady. "Not so fun when the prey fights back, huh?"
The predator hissed—then collapsed into the mist, fading into nothing.
Silence.
Then, a familiar chime echoed.
[ Trial Completed. ]
Jaxon let out a breath, shaking his head. "That was way too much effort."
Lyra sheathed her blades. "It wasn't meant to be a fight. It was meant to make us doubt ourselves."
Kael exhaled, glancing at his hands.
No hesitation. No doubt.
"Kael, are we actually out of it?" Lyra's voice held a rare hesitation.
Kael stilled. She wasn't wrong to ask.
The illusion had been too deep, too perfect. What if this was another layer?
Jaxon rubbed his eyes, frowning. "Damn thing's still messing with me. Feels like it's flickering."
Lyra checked her arm where she had felt a wound—but nothing was there.
Kael tightened his grip. "Zappy?"
A hum filled his mind before Zappy spoke. "Look around. No distortions. No energy flicker. This is real."
Kael nodded slowly, then turned to the others. "If this was another illusion, we'd still be reacting slower. Our bodies would be lagging behind our thoughts. That's not happening."
Lyra studied him for a second before sighing. "Alright. I'll believe it when my head stops spinning."
Jaxon muttered, "Same."
Finally, they relaxed. The fight was over.
But as the mist fully faded, something else settled between them—acknowledgment.
Jaxon exhaled, glancing at Kael. "You're quick. Faster than I expected."
Kael smirked. "Not bad yourself."
Lyra crossed her arms. "Not bad? He saved our asses."
Jaxon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, let's not inflate his ego too much."
Kael chuckled, but before he could respond, Jaxon's tone shifted. "Guess the rumors about the clan leader's son weren't just talk."
Kael stilled. His smirk faded.
Lyra gave Jaxon a look. "You could at least pretend to be subtle."
Jaxon shrugged. "Why? Everyone knows about him, even if he's been locked up training his whole life." He turned back to Kael. "So, what's the deal? You finally out in the real world, or is this just another test run?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. He didn't owe them an explanation. But… maybe he owed himself one.
"I'm here to prove something," he finally said. "Same as you."
Jaxon studied him, then smirked. "Heh. Fair enough."
Lyra's eyes lingered on him for a second longer before she nodded. "Then let's see how far you go."
Kael exhaled, the weight of their words settling in.
The trial was done. The illusions were gone.
But the real game had just begun.