Chapter 159: The Trial (18: Part One)
[Novel is undergoing editation despite daily uploads]
The gates of the Aries citadel yawned open with a grinding roar, revealing a grand hall scorched by battle but still standing proud. Pillars cracked but unbroken lined the path, their surfaces etched with war stories—of conquest, honor, betrayal, and endurance. Torches lit one by one as they passed, responding to their presence like a system recognizing that they had proven themselves.
"Trial Three complete," Verena exhaled, her shoulders sagging as she trudged forward. "If the next one involves paperwork and quarterly reviews, I might actually cry tears of joy."
"That... was impressive," Vivienne said softly, catching up beside her. "You were leading us. Really leading."
"Ugh. Don’t make it sound sentimental. I’m still trying to process the fact that ghost soldiers were trying to disembowel me."
"You did great," Isolde chimed in as she sheathed her sword with a sharp click. "Though the part where you shouted ’Focus the crests!’ while forgetting none of us knew what that meant was classic Verena."
"I was improvising!" she retorted, flustered. "Leadership isn’t about being perfect—it’s about looking confident while screaming inside!"
Isolde laughed, and Vivienne giggled so hard she snorted. Verena groaned. "Please let me die in dignity."
Instead of dying, however, they arrived at the heart of the citadel. A glowing glyph hovered in the air, the Zodiac symbol of Aries pulsing warmly before disintegrating into motes of flame and vanishing. Where it had floated, a staircase spiraled downward into darkness.
Vivienne tilted her head. "Down again? These trials really don’t know how to build upward momentum."
"They’re emotionally symbolic," Verena muttered. "Upwards would mean hope. Clearly, we’re not there yet."