The sun had already dipped beyond the horizon.
A circular platform made from ancient stone slowly came into view. Four weathered pillars rose about it, one set at each of the cardinal points. Their dark surfaces were carved with runes long worn by age, sigils that gave no light, yet seemed to breathe with a quiet and forgotten power. Upon each pillar bore the sigil of a different element.
A pale mist crept low upon the earth, winding about the stones in slow, ghostlike coils. It made the place feel less like a forest and more like a forgotten shrine, the end of a long road where something old and solemn awaited judgment.
Before the platform stood the woman who presided over the trial.
Small horns curved from the crown of her brows, subtle yet unmistakable. She stood tall and unmoving, clad in dark ceremonial robes that fell in heavy folds to the ground, her hair tied neatly in a bun.
Her countenance was striking, though severe; beauty tempered by a stern and unyielding composure. High cheekbones framed her face, and her golden eyes were steady and watchful. In her expression there was neither warmth nor cruelty, only the quiet authority of one long accustomed to judgment.
The first to step forward was Cassian. With measured grace he inclined his head in a respectful bow before crossing the threshold. The horned woman returned the gesture in kind and followed after him.
Kyva was momentarily dumbfounded at the sight.
"What manner of being is she?" she murmured under her breath.
Selene answered in a low voice. "She is of the dragon clan. She oversees the trial and renders the scores."
"I see."
Kyva spoke no further.
She tightened her hold around Snowpuff, clutching the small creature as though it were the sole thing that kept her from crumpling where she stood.
The dragon woman led Cassian unto the center of the dais, where a pedestal of pale crystal stood waiting. It rose from the floor like a shard of frozen light, and from its base ran four narrow veins of crystal, each stretching outward toward one of the pillars.
Cassian stepped forward without hesitation. Then, with calm confidence, he placed both hands upon the pedestal.
His companions watched in breathless anticipation, and for a moment, nothing happened.
Then, slowly, one of the crystal veins stirred with light. A faint white glow awakened within it, kindling like a breath nearly drawn to life. It crept along the channel with deliberate grace, winding its way across the stone floor until it reached one of the ancient pillars.
At once, the runes carved upon the pillars flared to life, shining suddenly with a brilliant white radiance.
A collective gasp rippled through the gathered crowd.
"Air!" Someone exclaimed.
"An air element!"
Murmurs of astonishment quickly spread among the onlookers.
"Air wielders are exceedingly rare!"
"He must be one of the extraordinary!"
"A most gifted human indeed!"
The dragon woman regarded Cassian with quiet approval. A subtle smile touched her otherwise stern features as she inclined her head toward him.
"You may join those who have passed," she said, gesturing toward a small gathering nearby. "Wait there until the time comes to ascend through the gate. You have my congratulations."
Cassian could scarcely conceal the pride that swelled within him. He bowed once more in gratitude before turning back to his friends, who greeted him with bright smiles and eager words of praise.
With a final glance toward them, he turned and made his way toward the group the dragon woman had indicated.
Liora stepped forward next. When she placed her hand on the pedestal, one of the pillars answered with a deep blue radiance, an affinity for water.
Also an impressive feat.
Rowan followed after her. When his turn came, the crystal veins blazed with a vivid crimson light, and the pillar burned brightest in answer.
A true fire affinity.
Then Selene approached the pedestal. The moment her hands touched the crystal, two pillars awakened at once. One shone blue, and the other white, their lights mingling upon the misted air.
A murmur swept through the watching crowd.
Two affinities.
Such a thing was seldom seen.
The four were, without question, greatly gifted.
They gathered together among those who had passed the trial, their spirits high with quiet pride. Even the other accepted candidates stepped forward to offer their congratulations, even striking conversations with them.
Kyva watched them with a small smile, her heart warm with happiness for their success.
Yet that warmth faltered when the dragon woman's gaze turned to her.
At last, it was her turn.
But the fact that this was happening made her heart sink within her chest.
She already knew what fate awaited her once she stepped through the threshold, and so she did not dare allow herself the luxury of hope. In truth, she had never been meant to stand here at all.
Her purpose had been only to escape the establishment, and in that, she had succeeded.
Whatever came next, she would accept it.
All she truly desired now was something simple: a place to eat, sleep, and the rare comfort of feeling safe for once, free from the shadows of the warden, the Minister Of Trade, and the accusation that still clung to her name.
She looked down at Snowpuff and gently set the small creature upon the ground near the entrance, placing her satchel and bow beside him.
"Wait here for me," she said softly.
Kyva then turned toward the woman and bowed her head in respect. The dragon woman gave a slight nod in response and gestured toward the pedestal.
She stepped across the threshold.
Kyva lifted her gaze briefly toward her companions and saw that all four were watching her, their faces bright with equal encouragement. They silently hoped she might join them among the accepted.
The sight stirred a quiet warmth within her chest.
"Let's get this over with."
Drawing a steady breath, Kyva stepped forward and placed both hands upon the crystal pedestal.
Seconds stretched into long minutes, but no light stirred within the pillars.
No glow awakened in the crystal veins.
Though she had expected as much, Kyva could not wholly prevent the quiet sorrow that settled in her chest. It seemed she truly possessed no gift of her own.
"Ah… she has nothing," someone murmured among the crowd.
"I mean, look at the horrible state she's in. She looks like a peasant."
"Not every soul is born for glory. Most peasants forget the very reason they remain peasants in the first place. Still, she was bold enough to come this far. A pity she did not succeed."
Their whispers were not hushed that Kyva could not hear them. But she had already accepted the outcome.
Her life was not ended by this single failure. She was only nineteen, with many roads yet to open for her. Perhaps she might become a humble herbalist in some quiet village, tending gardens and remedies. Just living a simple and peaceful life.
This was not the end.
She had her fox too, and was able to interact with normal people after such a long time.
Her companions had seen the result as well. Both Selene and Cassian felt a sting of disappointment on her behalf, as they had also hoped she would be joining them.
Calhoun, however, had foreseen the outcome even before it came to pass. Yet hearing these earthlings speak so freely, casting their cruelties upon his human, stirred a quiet displeasure that only made him share her disappointment.
She might not have been accepted by their measure. But in his eyes, she was far more special than everyone here.
Still, he wished there was some way he might aid her, some means by which she could pass beyond the gate. But alas! He was but a demon Prince. He also had severe troubles awaiting him.
"You do not qualify for the ascension," the dragon woman declared at last. "You may join the others who have failed the trial and wait until you're let out."
Kyva turned her head in the direction the woman indicated.
Only then did she notice how many had been turned away. There were far more gathered among the rejected than among those who had passed.
Some still wept openly about their failure.
Others stood in stunned silence, as though their lives had come to an end upon that very spot.
Before Kyva could withdraw her hands from the pedestal and join them, something stirred.
A faint glow awakened within one of the crystal veins.
Green light.
It flickered uncertainly at first, like the first breath of life in slumbering embers. Then it crept swiftly along the channel, racing across the stone floor until the nearest pillar erupted in a brilliant emerald radiance.
Kyva's pupils dilated, and a murmur rippled through the crowd.
But the light did not cease.
Another vein ignited.
Blue surged through the crystal, rushing forward like a breaking tide until the second pillar blazed with the deep brilliance of water.
Then came the third.
Crimson light burst through the crystal vein, racing outward until the pillar burned with a fierce red glow.
And still—
That was not the end.
The final vein awakened.
White light surged through the crystal like a bolt of living lightning, striking the last pillar and setting its ancient runes ablaze in radiant brilliance.
All four pillars now shone at once.
Green. Blue. Red. White.
Their lights collided in the misty air above the dais, merging into a brilliance so fierce that many in the crowd were forced to shield their eyes.
For a single breathless moment, the entire clearing stood bathed in blinding radiance.
Then, the lights vanished.
Kyva jerked her hands away from the pedestal with a speed she had never known herself capable of.
Silence fell over the wide gathering, and a stunned voice broke the stillness.
"All… four affinities…. ?"
The dragon woman, who moments before had watched with calm indifference, now stared at Kyva with unmistakable interest.
Her golden eyes had sharpened.
"Impossible…" someone whispered hoarsely among the crowd.
Another voice followed, thick with disbelief. "She… she broke the pillar."