The light faded.
The forest was gone.
In its place stood a vast stone chamber—high-ceilinged, quiet, and cold.
One by one, the surviving candidates of the Eidolon Hollow Forest were brought into the hall through descending pillars of Aether light. Some stood steady. Others collapsed the moment their feet touched the ground.
The air was heavy—not with power, but with silence. Out of the hundreds who entered the forest… Only a fraction remained.
Renn Valehart stepped forward, his boots echoing faintly against the polished floor. He didn't look around immediately. He already knew. The absence of presence said enough.
Near one of the pillars, a familiar figure struggled to stay upright. "Tch… still breathing…"
Taren leaned against a stone column, clutching his side. He looked up and spotted Renn.
"…You made it," he said, letting out a breath of relief. "I mean—of course you did, but still…"
Renn gave a small nod. "You held out."
Taren laughed weakly. "Barely."
A loud step echoed across the hall. Heavy and confident.
"You call that a trial?"
A large figure moved forward, rolling his shoulder as if the past twenty-four hours had been nothing more than a warm-up.
Kael Draven grinned as he looked around the room. "Thought they'd send something stronger."
Several candidates shifted uncomfortably at his presence.
Kael's eyes moved.
Then stopped.... On Renn.
"…You."
He stepped closer.
"You're the one who lit up the whole square, right?"
Taren stiffened beside Renn. "Hey, back off—"
Kael ignored him completely."Let me guess," he continued, smirking. "Some kind of hidden trick? Or was that just luck?"
Renn met his gaze calmly. "…Does it matter?"
For a moment, the air tightened.
Then Kael laughed. "Good answer." He stepped back, still smiling. "I'll find out soon enough."
"Still as subtle as ever." A calm voice cut through the tension. Lio Vance approached, adjusting the position of his blade.
He glanced briefly at Renn, then at Kael. "You're already starting conflicts before the next stage?"
Kael shrugged. "Just getting a feel for the competition."
Lio's eyes lingered on Renn for a moment longer than necessary. "…He's not ordinary."
Kael smirked. "That obvious?"
Lio didn't answer.
At the far edge of the hall, a lone figure stood apart. Silent. Unmoving. The hooded girl leaned lightly against a pillar, her presence almost blending into the shadows despite the open space.
Her eyes scanned the room once. Then stopped briefly on Renn. No expression followed. No movement.
Then her gaze shifted away.
The hall slowly filled with quiet murmurs.
Survivors exchanged glances—measuring, judging, remembering what they had seen in the forest.
All of them had endured something.
Some had fought.
Some had fled.
Some had done both.
But all of them understood one thing now:
This was not a trial you passed by chance.
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
Clang.
A line of armored knights stepped forward in perfect formation. The hall fell silent instantly. One of them, bearing a captain's insignia, stepped ahead.
"Stage One is complete."
His voice carried across the chamber with ease. "From all initial candidates, only those present remain eligible to proceed."
No praise.
No acknowledgment.
Only fact.
"Take note of what you have experienced," the captain continued. "The forest was not your enemy." A pause... "It was your measure."
Several candidates shifted uneasily.
"Stage Two will begin shortly."
A faint tension rippled through the room.
"It will not test your ability to survive." His gaze swept across them. "It will test your ability to control."
Taren swallowed. "…Control, huh…"
Kael cracked his neck. "Finally something interesting."
Lio closed his eyes briefly, as if already preparing.
The hooded girl did not move.
Renn stood still.
But for a moment, just a moment— he felt it again. That same subtle shift. The way the Aether in the room seemed to move… slightly differently around him.
Not resisting.
Not reacting.
But… responding.
The massive doors at the far end of the hall began to open. Light poured in.
The next stage awaited.
And as the survivors stepped forward.
The trial truly began.