The Khalanium Blades

Chapter 22: Tri-als

He was proven right, since the next safe tile ahead of him turned red in a quick snap, that he retracted his leg and almost lost balance. Jane, behind him, showed a concerned face, but they kept going. Ray jumped to a particularly far one, and waited for the rest to catch up. The goal lay only a few squares away, tempting them to hurry, but Ray remained patient and watched as Carson, with Jane in front, instinctively leaped onto another on his right without reason.

Carson was catching his heartbeat. "The tile just turned red. Good thing I was the victim. Reflexes are my specialty anyway." Ray nodded and continued on. He was doing well until a sharp shriek erupted from the ground. Upon shock, he turned around, only to see Sarah squeal in response. But in the process her leg flinched to her left, sliding onto the red square. It fell as fast as a broken elevator down the shaft. Sarah's foot dipped down, pulling her weight along. Ray didn't know what to do. He was too far, and all he could do was shout her name.

As the older girl failed to regain balance, instead leaning forward into a dark abyss of supposed scorpions, Jane took a deep breath and blew. The strong breath fought against the gravity, slowly winning. She attained posture, still shocked from her near-death experience. She stared at the giant square gap before her, a total of four red tiles touched in her panic. "Thanks," she said to Jane. "I owe you one."

They all made it in one piece, with Carson talking the last step. "We made it!" Ray cheered.

"Ah, yes. But you see, the Inventor has two more of the Tri-als, far more challenging than the last, that will test you all to your limits. Step up the Vanishing Escalier to continue your journey," KS-13 said, but not making an appearance.

Ray groaned. "What's an escalier?" Sam asked, standing on the first step of the stairway. But before Ray could warn him, the rock beneath the impulsive boy started to fade away out of existence. Sam scrambled to get himself as far away from the empty gap as he thought was necessary, and Ray realized what was happening.

"Run!" Ray yelled, motioning everyone to get themselves up the "escalier" before he did. By now three steps had disappeared, and Ray had to jump off the wall to get an extra boost. He ran quicker as the void grew more swiftly in enlarging. He was running out of breath, but the end of their run had not shown its location. Up the steps, look back, take a curve, and repeat. Ray was now questioning how tall the temple really was than what it apparently looked like outside. He didn't think such was possible.

He was perspiring even in the cool temperature and thought he couldn't continue for much longer. He knew Jane was the last in the line, hearing her heavy breathing, and Carson outran him. He didn't care. He didn't mind if he was the last one or fell down into the unknown. For as long as four out of four, excluding him, made it to the top alive, he wouldn't worry. That was what a true, good leader would always do.

A brighter light shone above him, a few flights of steps higher, undoubtedly KS-13 waiting for them. "Come on," Ray shouted. "We're almost there!" And with extra effort and an exhausting push to go on, he leaped a few steps before the second floor. The lights weren't turned on yet, only the sphere of energy available. He landed only on one knee and sprawled on the ground. As he faced the stairs, back against a wall, he saw Carson and Sam run up, weary like he never could have imagined seeing them. They both slumped on the wall, panting beside their leader, just as Sarah and Jane appeared and collapsed almost instantly.

The last steps of the Vanishing Escalier vanished, leaving a dark void down below for Ray to stare at. "Congratulations," the built-in program energy being greeted. "You five have run across twenty-six flights of stairs, each containing sixteen steps." Despite the painful, stressing ache in the lower half of this body, he actually felt good about himself. He smiled. But he soon realized that what he was leaning on wasn't hard, coarse rock. Instead it was smooth, gray metal. Sam had noticed it, too, since he was tapping the alloy, and it showed the wall was indeed not hollow. Ray knew that the Tri-als wouldn't need something as strong as compact metal to surround the entire second floor if the challenge wasn't dangerous on some high level. He thought maybe lasers, ramming rhinos with gold horns, or even a great showdown with another super-powered

individual was the reason. That was just his mind going about possibilities inspired by television shows and movies. But again, he had been to space, flew in a jet around space, visited planets, and was either gifted or cursed with extraordinary abilities! To him and his friends, and only to them, nothing was impossible.

Their guide interrupted his little "reflection" on his life so far since his birthday. "Now on with the second Tri-al. As you make your life-threatening walk towards the wall at the end, blades with shoot out from there. You must avoid or make them drop. Otherwise your team will be down to four. Where is the exit? I have no idea." She giggled before passing through the ceiling.

The lights turned on, confirming they were trapped in a metal box with no visible exit whatsoever. On the wall they faced, thin, medium-sized rectangular holes were carved out, perfect to fit a blade through each one. Ray imagined tens and twenties of the same sharp objects flying towards him and his team, doing what they were made for. He shook his head, disagreeing, and prepared himself.

In a shiny glimpse, they watched as the first blade shot out.