The halfway checkpoint was marked by a soft glow — lanterns hovering above an ancient stone shrine, humming faintly with chi. The forest around it had grown quieter, as if the trees themselves respected the threshold.
Arin Vyom stepped into the clearing with a groan and a limp. His shirt was half untucked, his face lightly scratched, and his left shoe was flapping where the sole had betrayed him mid-jump.
But he was alive.
And more importantly, he hadn't fallen into any more spike pits. Yet.
He sank to the base of the shrine, letting his bag slide off his shoulder. His arms shook slightly from the climb, his breath uneven — but he was still smiling. Not because he was winning, or even doing well. He was just… still in it.
"That has to count for something," he murmured, unwrapping a slightly squashed rice ball from his pack.
A shadow fell across him.
"You survived the first half?" said a voice — smooth, amused, and definitely judging.
Arin looked up to see a tall boy with a silver crest pinned to his collar and arms crossed like he'd never tripped in his life.
"Barely," Arin replied, too tired to lie.
The boy scoffed. "I'm Raien Tokugane. Lightning Sect."
Arin blinked. "Cool."
Raien frowned. "You don't recognize the name?"
"I'm really more of a trip-and-dodge specialist."
Raien stared at him for a long moment. "…Right. Good luck making it past the illusions."
He turned on his heel and vanished into the next trail, sparks of chi trailing faintly behind him.
Great. Lightning guy doesn't like me. Perfect.
From the Observation Tower, Akane Elune leaned so far forward she was practically inside the screen.
"Who's that?" she said, squinting at the silver badge. "Oh. Tokugane."
One of the instructors nodded. "Top of his region's junior ranking. Lightning lineage. Precision-based style."
Akane clicked her tongue. "Overrated."
"…He's very—"
"He talks too much. And he tried to flirt with me once. I blocked him on everything. Even spiritually."
The instructor decided it was safer not to ask.
Back at the shrine, Arin stood again, stretching out a cramp in his side. The next section loomed ahead — narrower paths, denser trees, and flickers of runes barely visible on bark.
"Illusion zone," he guessed aloud. "Neat."
The path ahead twisted almost instantly. Trees seemed to shift positions. Shadows leaned in strange directions. A few other examinees had already entered — now reduced to silhouettes fading in and out like ghosts.
He stepped in.
At first, everything felt normal.
Then the trees rearranged.
The sounds of footsteps weren't his own.
And a voice — his voice — whispered from the left, "You're not supposed to be here."
He paused. "…Rude."
The ground underfoot shifted slightly, but not enough to throw him. The air felt dense. Thoughts scattered. But Arin did what he'd always done: kept moving.
Not fast. Not smart.
Just forward.
At one point, he found himself walking in circles. He marked a rock with his nail. Came back to it twice. Then, frowning, he sat down beside it.
"If the illusion wants me to panic, I guess I'll rest instead."
It was either madness or genius.
It worked.
A few minutes later, the path realigned itself — as if the forest, annoyed he wasn't reacting properly, let him through out of spite.
From above, Akane snorted with laughter.
"Did… did he just out-stubborn an illusion?"
"I think so," someone muttered.
Akane pressed her fingers together, almost giddy. "He hasn't even realized he's amazing. This is the best part."
Arin reached the third section just before sunset — a high ridge with thin platforms and rope bridges between stone towers.
The wind howled louder here.
And the rules changed.
Here, you had to choose a path. Each bridge bore a symbol — Water, Fire, Earth, Wind.
"Great," Arin muttered. "I'm barely a functional human, let alone elemental."
He stood still for a moment. A breeze picked up.
And a single leaf floated down from above — landing gently on the Wind bridge.
Arin blinked. "…Fine. We'll go poetic."
He took the Wind path.
Halfway across, the ropes creaked dangerously.
But the wind picked up again — just enough to steady the bridge.
And he walked on.
By the time Arin touched the next checkpoint, he was drenched in sweat, scratched to hell, and smiling again.
Because somehow, impossibly, he was still moving forward.
Above, Akane rested her chin in her hands, eyes softening.
"You don't even know what you're doing, do you?" she whispered.
"And still, the world makes way for you."
She glanced at the instructor beside her.
"Tell the trial system to let me proctor the next round."
"…Why?"
"Because I have a personal theory to test."
She smiled, all sugar and sword.
"I think he's lucky.
But I want to see what happens when luck meets me."