The road to the Skyforge Citadel was suspended in the air.
Because apparently, stairs were beneath divine civilisations.
Massive iron bridges stretched between floating islands of black stone, each link forged from chains thicker than castle walls. Lightning travelled through them like living veins, crackling beneath every step and making the entire sky hum with restrained violence.
Below us—
Nothing.
Just storm clouds and the distant suggestion of gravity being extremely interested in my failure.
I looked down once.
Immediately regretted that decision.
Lei Mira walked ahead like someone who had personally invented heights and therefore trusted them.
Rain rolled off her red-gold armour.
The giant hammer on her back reflected blue lightning with the confidence of a weapon that had never once apologised.
I followed carefully.
Mostly with dignity.
Partially with fear.
Behind us, thunder growled as the sky disapproved of my existence.
Fair.
I pulled Professor Mehra's journal from my coat again, comparing the glowing thunder mark to the citadel above.
The Skyforge Citadel looked less like a city and more like a god's unreasonable hobby.
Massive forge towers floated around a central golden fortress shaped like a crown split open by lightning. Rivers of molten metal ran through the air in suspended arcs, feeding giant furnaces that burnt without fuel.
At the very centre—
a black forge the size of a mountain.
The Great Forge.
Even from here, I could feel it.
Ancient.
Hungry.
Alive.
I pointed.
"That seems excessive."
Lei Mira glanced back.
"That is the Forgeheart."
"Still excessive."
"It is supposed to be."
Fair.
Ahead of us, guards waited at the bridge entrance.
Not ordinary guards.
Heavy black armour engraved with lightning sigils, giant warhammers resting on their shoulders, and expressions professionally disappointed.
The welcoming committee.
Excellent.
The lead guard stepped forward.
Broad enough to qualify as architecture.
Silver beard.
Scars.
Immediate disapproval of my existence.
He bowed to Lei Mira.
"My Sovereign."
Respectful.
Then he looked at me.
Disrespectful.
His eyes narrowed.
"This is the outsider?"
I gave a small wave.
"Hello. I'm emotionally exhausted."
He did not react.
Strong man.
Lei Mira folded her arms.
"Yes. Try not to break him before the first trial."
The guard's expression somehow became even more judgemental.
"I make no promises."
Fantastic.
I was thriving.
He introduced himself like a man announcing war.
"Commander Darius. Keeper of the Forge Trials."
Of course he was.
Every realm had at least one person whose job was to personally dislike me.
Consistency mattered.
Darius turned and gestured toward the gates.
"If he seeks recognition, he enters as all challengers do."
I frowned.
"That sentence sounds like legal suffering."
"It is."
Good.
The gates of the citadel opened.
Huge black doors engraved with kings kneeling before anvils.
Subtle place.
Inside, the first courtyard was not a courtyard.
It was an arena.
Naturally.
A massive circular forge ring was surrounded by molten rivers and stone platforms floating above lava because, apparently, safety regulations had been exiled.
Hundreds of people watched from iron balconies overhead.
Forge clan nobles.
Warriors.
Smiths.
Council representatives.
And all of them had the same expression.
Curiosity mixed with the hope of public humiliation.
I knew that look.
It was universal.
Darius stepped into the centre, and his voice echoed like judgement.
"By decree of the Iron Council, the outsider seeking sovereign recognition shall enter the Forge Trials."
Wonderful.
The crowd got louder.
I was now entertainment.
Excellent.
Lei Mira stood above the arena, leaning against the balcony rail with the relaxed posture of someone attending her favourite public disaster.
Traitor.
Darius continued.
"Three trials."
He raised one finger.
"Strength."
Second finger.
"Will."
Third.
"Creation."
I blinked.
Creation?
That one sounded suspiciously educational.
"If you fail—"
He looked directly into my soul.
"Leave."
Simple.
Harsh.
Respectable.
I raised one hand.
"And if I succeed?"
Lei Mira answered from above.
"Then the Council becomes someone else's problem."
That was somehow motivating.
ARINA's panel flashed.
Forge Trials Initiated Trial One: Strength. Objective: Defeat the Iron Vanguard. Reward: Advance to Trial Two
I looked around.
No opponent yet.
Which meant—
Bad timing.
The arena floor shook.
A massive gate beneath the forge ring opened.
And something climbed out.
No.
Someone.
A giant.
Two and a half metres tall, covered in black iron armour fused directly into his skin, carrying a hammer that looked like it had once been part of a bridge.
He stepped into the light.
The crowd roared.
Darius announced him as if he were introducing a natural disaster.
"Trial One Champion. Iron Vanguard. Garron."
Garron looked at me.
Then at my sword.
Then, at my general level of poor decision-making.
He grunted.
"Too small."
Honestly?
Fair.
I looked up at him.
"You seem nice."
He lifted the hammer.
"I am not."
Excellent.
The crowd cheered.
Lei Mira crossed her arms from above, eyes bright with dangerous amusement.
She mouthed something.
Try not to die.
Supportive.
Very inspiring.
I rolled my shoulders and stepped into the centre of the forge ring.
Molten rivers glowed around us.
Thunder shook the sky.
A giant with anger issues wanted to use me as historical evidence.
Normal day.
I activated Flame Step.
Crimson light flickered beneath my feet.
Garron smiled for the first time.
Not kindly.
Good.
At least we understood each other.
Darius raised one hand.
The entire citadel went silent.
Then—
It dropped.
"Begin."
Garron's hammer came down like a small government collapse.
And the Forge Trials officially began.