Chapter 16: Back Into the Forest of Trials
Silas woke up, sitting on the grass in an open field—once again in the Forest of Trials. This time, however, he was alone. It was exactly the same as before: morning light, peaceful air, yet danger lurking in every corner.
What...?
He looked up to see the counselor standing in front of him. Her face was tired, clearly reprimanded by her superiors for using the Forest of Trials, yet the delinquents still hadn't learned their lesson.
"Look here, kid..."
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Four of you are in this forest right now, all in different locations."
She gestured in several directions across the forest. A huge glowing circle appeared in the sky, marking the other three.
"Think of this as an exercise. I'm guessing the reason none of you learn is because you're all sent to the same location at once."
"So why not change it up a bit—and have you learn what consequences actually are?"
"Fear education, I call it."
She chuckled, then snapped her fingers. Her form began to fade away.