The campfire was still burning. Unfortunately, so were the tempers of the elves surrounding it.
Kaito stepped cautiously out of his tent, taking a deep breath and trying his absolute best to look composed. The attempt lasted exactly three seconds.
"There he is!" Cherry pointed.
He immediately calculated the logistics of diving back inside his tent, but it was already too late. Rose spotted him next, calling his name as seven pairs of eyes locked onto him in unison. Near the edge of the light, Sage sat quietly against an oak tree, watching and observing him as if he were a particularly interesting animal.
Kaito pointed a finger at his own chest. "...Uh...Me?"
"Who else?" Cherry countered.
Kaito sat down with extreme caution as the girls subtly shifted their positions around the fire, an invisible battlefield drawing its lines in the dirt. Rose, naturally, claimed the spot directly beside him, which prompted Orchid to instantly commandeer his other side. River quietly slid a few inches closer, Lily followed suit, and Cherry looked utterly delighted by the brewing chaos. Iris merely sighed, while Sage continued her silent vigil. Kaito felt less like a rising monarch and more like a rabbit surrounded by a pack of beautiful wolves.
"Okay," Kaito said, waving a hand to encompass the whole group. "What exactly is happening here?"
An abrupt silence fell over the camp. Then, Cherry broke it without a shred of mercy. "Rose likes you."
Rose nearly exploded. "W-WHAT?!"
"You blush every single time he looks at you," Cherry pointed out, a smirk playing on her lips as Rose's face flushed a deep, undeniable crimson.
Kaito buried his face in his hands, groaning, "Oh geez..."
As the two began to bicker, River awkwardly looked away, Lily suddenly found the dancing flames fascinating, and Iris looked entirely exhausted by her companions. Desperate to fan the flames, Orchid casually leaned forward. "He stares at River, too."
River froze. Kaito nearly choked on his own breath. "I do not—"
"Yes you do," Orchid insisted, and Kaito looked over to find River's cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink.
The argument reignited instantly, voices overlapping as the camp dissolved into chaos. Kaito watched them helplessly, a heavy realization dawning on him. They weren't fighting out of hatred; that was the real problem. They genuinely cared for each other. They were sisters, friends, and family. But they also all liked him, and none of them knew what to do with that reality. Neither did he. Especially him.
As ten minutes bled into twenty, and then thirty, Kaito felt his very soul preparing to leave his body.
Eventually, Lily stood up. Her hands were trembling slightly, a detail the others noticed immediately. The camp grew quiet. Lily rarely interrupted anyone, so when she did, people listened.
"Kaito..."
His attention snapped to her. Lily's cheeks were flushed, her gaze lowering briefly to her boots before she gathered her courage and looked directly into his eyes.
"I love you."
Absolute silence fell over the clearing. Even the crackling fire seemed to quiet down. Kaito froze, his heart skipping a beat. Beside him, Rose, Cherry, and River went perfectly rigid.
Lily swallowed hard, her voice shaking slightly but remaining steady. "I know we've only known each other for a short time, but you're kind, handsome. You listen. You care, and you help others without a second thought."
Kaito opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"I don't know what happens in the future," Lily continued, her smile trembling with a mixture of fear and hope. "I don't know who you'll choose. But I wanted you to know. I really love you."
The confession hung heavily in the cool night air—simple, honest, and terrifyingly real.
Kaito felt his chest tighten, not because he was grasping for an escape, but because he knew exactly how much raw courage that must have taken, especially for someone as reserved as Lily.
Around the circle, the dynamic shifted entirely. Rose and Iris looked devastated, Cherry was visibly shocked, and River stared intently at the ground. Orchid's permanent smirk finally faded. Sage's expression was unreadable. For once, nobody had a clever response.
Slowly, Kaito stood up to meet her gaze. "Lily."
She tensed, looking instantly nervous.
"I'm sorry," the words escaped his lips before he could stop them.
Lily blinked in confusion, a small, sad smile returning to her face. "Why are you apologizing?"
"...Because I don't know what to do," Kaito admitted. The raw honesty of his own voice surprised everyone, including himself. He rubbed his forehead, exhaling a tired, painfully sincere breath. "I care about all of you. And right now, that's the problem."
Nobody interrupted him. They understood the weight of what he was saying.
Kaito looked around the fire, meeting their eyes one by one—Rose, Cherry, River, Iris, Orchid, Lily, and finally, Sage.
"That's true...I've only been here a short while," his voice softened, carrying the exhaustion of the last few weeks. "I don't know what the future holds. Who knows if I'll even survive these trials, let alone become a king. I don't even know if I'm worthy of it." He paused, letting the weight of the trials settle over them, before locking his gaze onto the group. "But what I do know... is that I don't want any of you hurting each other because of me."
The words landed heavily. Even Cherry looked a bit guilty, while Rose lowered her head and River stared off into the trees.
Kaito sat back down, suddenly feeling drained of all energy. "This peacekeeping thing sucks."
Despite herself, Cherry let out a loud laugh. Rose giggled, and the thick layer of tension finally cracked.
Kaito pointed an accusing finger at the group. "I'm serious."
"Terrifying," Cherry nodded solemnly. "Absolutely terrifying, my King."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Kaito sighed dramatically, then stood back up and straightened his shoulders, trying his absolute best to sound like a true leader. "I am setting boundaries."
The girls exchanged intrigued looks.
"No fighting," Kaito commanded, pointing at them. Silence. "No secret competitions. No trying to sabotage each other."
Cherry slowly looked away, prompting Kaito to narrow his eyes. "Cherry."
"I haven't done anything," she protested innocently.
"And no making me choose," Kaito continued, causing the girls to collectively wince. That one struck a chord, because it was exactly what they all wanted. "I won't pick favorites."
The forest became profoundly quiet. Kaito scanned their faces, reading their reactions: Rose looked disappointed, Lily understanding, River relieved, Orchid thoughtful, and Cherry frustrated. But Sage... Sage looked proud. For the first time, Kaito wasn't running away from the problem or hiding in his tent. He was making a decision. It wasn't the decision they wanted, but it was a decision nonetheless. A king's decision.
Then, Rose suddenly raised her hand.
Kaito blinked. "...Yes?"
Rose smiled, a distinctly innocent, dangerous glint in her eyes. "If nobody gets special treatment..."
Kaito narrowed his eyes, sensing a trap. "...Yes?"
"Then everybody gets equal treatment," Rose reasoned, her smile widening. "Which means group hugs are perfectly fair."
All the girls look delighted, however...Kaito closed his eyes, knowing he had lost completely, utterly, and hopelessly.
Five seconds later, he was entirely buried under seven laughing elves.
And despite all his complaints, Kaito couldn't stop the smile from breaking across his face. For the first time since arriving in Valeria, he truly felt like he belonged somewhere—even if that somewhere was completely insane.
But outside the warmth of the fire, deep beyond the tree line, unseen eyes watched the clearing.
The Thorn King's first move had already begun, and none of them knew it yet.
*********************************************************************************************************
The warmth of the campfire lingered long after the laughter had faded. The argument had finally ended—mostly. The fire crackled softly as the stars above Valeria glittered through gaps in the forest canopy. For a brief, fleeting moment, it felt like nothing could disturb the calm.
Then, a scream tore through the forest.
"SOMEBODY HELP!"
Everyone was on their feet instantly. A figure burst from the suffocating darkness—a young male elf, barely older than Kaito himself. His clothes were torn to ribbons, blood covered his flank, and terrifying black thorns twisted across his pale skin. The moment Sage saw those thorns, her expression completely changed. All traces of her usual detached amusement vanished.
"No..." she breathed.
The scout stumbled forward and collapsed. River caught him before he hit the ground, her face tightening. "He's burning up!"
Iris dropped beside him immediately, her hands glowing as her healing magic illuminated the clearing. The scout's breathing was ragged, panicked, and utterly terrified.
"Kaito... come here." Sage said quietly.
"What is that?" Kaito asked, moving closer and staring in horror as the black thorns slowly shifted beneath the scout's skin like living parasites. Cherry swore under her breath. Orchid's easy smile disappeared entirely, and Rose took a step back, looking frightened.
"The Thorn King's corruption," Sage replied.
An oppressive silence followed. Kaito felt his pulse quicken, as the weight of the name settled over him. The Thorn King. This wasn't just a collection of old stories anymore. Not visions. Not nightmares. It was real.
The scout grabbed Kaito's sleeve desperately, his voice cracking. "The village... They found us..."
Kaito knelt beside him, trying to keep his voice steady. "What happened?"
The scout swallowed hard. "Southwatch."
Kaito frowned; the name meant nothing to him. But around him, the others immediately stiffened. A village. An elven village.
The scout's eyes were glassy with exhaustion as his breathing hitched. "Monsters... Corrupted creatures..."
As he spoke, the black thorns spread another terrifying inch across his neck. River looked up, alarmed. "Sage."
"I know," Sage replied grimly.
The scout's hand trembled against Kaito's arm. "There are children still there."
Kaito's chest tightened. "How many?"
"Thirty."
The number hit Kaito like a hammer. Not soldiers. Not seasoned warriors. Children.
The scout's eyes locked onto his. "Please."
The camp became deathly silent. Kaito didn't need to look at the others; he already knew what they had to do. They couldn't ignore this. Not after everything they'd been through, not after Eldenroot, and not after the trials.
He stood up. "We're must go."
There was no hesitation, no debate, and no discussion. The answer came immediately. Sage studied him carefully for a beat, then gave a single, firm nod. "We leave now."
The journey through the forest felt entirely different from their travels before. There was no teasing, no laughter, and no playful arguments; only a suffocating sense of urgency. Branches whipped past Kaito's face as the group moved rapidly through the darkness. The wounded scout rode on a water construct summoned by River, while Iris worked continuously to slow the corruption spreading through his body.
Even then, the black thorns continued growing. Slowly. Relentlessly.
As they ran, Kaito noticed Sage watching him several times, as if she were waiting for something to drop. Finally, unable to take the heavy silence, he asked, "What?"
Sage looked ahead into the dark woods. "This situation..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "It may serve as your Fourth Trial."
Kaito nearly tripped over a root. "...Huh?"
Sage nodded, her voice deadpan. "The Trial of Command. A king must lead when lives depend upon his choices."
Kaito began pumping his legs to keep pace. "But...we're just helping people."
"Exactly," Sage said.
The answer didn't comfort him; it only made his anxiety skyrocket. Sage looked genuinely concerned, and Sage rarely looked concerned about anything.
An hour later, they finally reached a high ridge overlooking Southwatch, and Kaito's voice caught in his throat. The village was burning. Thick, choking smoke climbed into the night sky as buildings collapsed into piles of ash. Corrupted creatures prowled through the ruined streets, their bodies grotesquely twisted by the same black thorn growths they had seen on the scout.
The scout let out a broken, choked sound. "No..."
Kaito's eyes scanned through the chaos. There were dozens of them. Far too many.
Then Sage spoke, and everything became infinitely worse. "Kaito."
Her voice was unusually grave. When he turned to look at her, she pointed a slender finger toward the center of the village. "There."
His eyes followed her gesture, and his blood ran cold.
At the center of the village square stood a massive, thorn-covered beast. Its body resembled a giant wolf, but black vines pulsed sickeningly across its flesh, and its red eyes glowed like dying embers. But that wasn't what made Kaito's heart stop. Strapped brutally to the creature's back was a cage. Inside were frightened elf children. At least twenty of them.
Kaito felt physically sick. "What the hell..."
The creature shifted, causing the cage to rattle violently. Several children cried out in terror. Rose covered her mouth, Cherry's expression darkened into pure rage, and River looked utterly horrified.
Then Sage delivered the final blow. "The village elder is still alive. I can still sense her mana, but it is very weak."
Kaito blinked, turning his head.
Sage pointed toward the northern edge of the settlement. An elderly elf lay trapped beneath the heavy timber of a collapsed building. Several frantic villagers were trying desperately to free him, but a pack of corrupted beasts was rapidly closing in on their position.
Kaito immediately understood the tactical layout, and he hated it with every fiber of his being. "No."
Sage's eyes remained steady, boring into his. "Yes."
There wasn't enough time. There weren't enough people, or enough strength, or enough of anything. They could save the children, or they could save the elder. Not both. At least, not safely.
Kaito stared down at the burning village, his mind racing wildly. The children. The elder. The village. The monsters. The fire. The screams. Everything blurred together into a chaotic, deafening roar in his ears.
"What would you do?" he asked quietly, desperate for a lifeline.
Sage's answer came immediately, cold and absolute. "It does not matter."
Kaito looked at her, pleading.
"A king cannot borrow another's choice," she said, and the words hit harder than any physical attack could have. Because she was right. Nobody could make this decision for him. Not Sage, not River, not Cherry, not anyone. Only him.
The realization settled like lead in his chest. For the first time, a trial wasn't asking what kind of person he was. It was asking what kind of king he would become.
Below them, another gut-wrenching scream echoed through Southwatch. The giant thorn beast lifted its head, causing the elf children in the cage to cry out again. And far across the village, the trapped elder stopped moving—not dead yet, but rapidly running out of time.
Kaito's hands trembled, then slowly clenched into tight fists. One choice. One command. And someone would pay the price with their life.
Sage watched him silently. The others waited, holding their breath. No one spoke, no one interrupted, and no one stepped forward to save him from the burden. Because this decision belonged entirely to the king.
And Kaito finally understood why Sage had feared this trial above all others. For the first time, there was no right answer.
There were only consequences...