The floor was unforgiving.
I'd been lucky not to land on my head in my attempt to know up from down in the fall, but my shoulder was stinging, and my left foot was already swelling from absorbing most of the impact. Nothing felt broken, but that didn't mean it wasn't excruciatingly painful.
Light still shined from the open hatch above. It wouldn't require much of me to jump up there again, but before I'd even begun summoning my powers, the hatch closed, leaving me in eternal darkness.
A flame ignited to my left, illuminating a small area of the corridor I'd been thrown into. I knew this game; follow the torches and enter the next challenge.
I didn't have time to squander. Fear was not an option if I strived to win this trial. For all I knew, Haylee could already have found her way out of these tunnels.
The torches activated faster than those I knew from the regular tunnels. I couldn't outrun them if I tried.
I had to adjust to the tunnel's twists and turns, but I hadn't yet encountered any traps or challenges as I'd anticipated, which caused me a strange sense of concern. It shouldn't be this easy.
Finally, I came to an intersection of three options which meant a choice — a challenge. I stopped and gave myself a chance to catch my breath.
A choice like this felt oddly similar to the first trial, where we'd been forced to pick an item among the items placed in front of us. If they'd taken inspiration from that trial, it wouldn't matter which path I took; they would all result in the same.
However, I couldn't stop considering the possibility that one path might lead to easy escape while the others would present us with challenges unlike anything we'd ever faced. Not that it mattered. The tunnels all looked identical, which meant I had no indication of right or wrong.
"Damn it," I hissed and turned left to continue running.
The hall remained unchanged, and for a moment, I allowed myself to believe I'd made the right call, but I was immediately proven wrong.
Suddenly, the torches went out, leaving me in complete darkness like before.
I reached out to touch the wall, hoping to use it as a guide for my next step, but a shriek of horror pierced the air, striking fear in me like a bolt of relentless lightning.
A rotten scent of burning skin saturated the air, making my throat constrict and my breathing shallow.
"Willow?" a voice called, causing every hair on my body to rise.
It was Koa's voice. However, the creature saying my name was not Koa; it wasn't even human.
I wasn't as inexperienced as I'd been during the first trial. I could now wield sound, too, which made the darkness a little less terrifying.
"Willow! Willow, help me!"
I ignored the cries for help and concentrated on how the sound reverberated off the walls. The Raeewh was behind me, which meant that the path ahead was clear. I clapped once and allowed my mind to construct a mental image of my surroundings before I started running again.
The sound of bare feet followed me. The screams of Koa in agony carved deep wounds in my heart, but I knew it wasn't him. Instead, it was the Raeewh trying to strike fear in me, and I wouldn't let it, but then the voice changed.
"I've got you now, Wildcard."
My heart stumbled over its own rhythm.
It was Tarkan's voice. Could this be the same Raeewh that Tarkan had sent after me during the first trial?
Fear clouded my mind, and the world I'd built in my head became noisy. I could no longer see my path clearly and missed a step leading to an elevated floor.
I cursed the darkness in a roar as my shin crashed with the edge before my chin slammed into the floor. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. It hurt, but I had no time to dwell on the pain. I had to get up; otherwise, I wasn't sure I'd make it.
"Where are you going, Wildcard?" the Raeewh asked with menacing laughter as I forced myself to my feet. "Running won't help you."
A torch sparked back to life, providing me with the necessary light to find a better footing. The rest of the flames quickly followed, and I could finally see the tunnel again.
I increased my speed as I could rely on my visual capabilities again. Then I heard something trigger, followed by the pain of a giant's fist connecting with the left side of my rib cage.
A grunt escaped me, and I instantly felt the sharp discomfort of a plain breath — I'd broken at least one rib. My lung didn't feel punctured, but taking a deep breath was unbearable.
I looked down and glimpsed an arrow with a stiff bag where the arrowhead would typically be. It was undoubtedly the cause of my pain, and more would likely be waiting for me.
Proceeding with caution would've been the best course of action, but that was impossible with a Raeewh trailing me.
I took another step, which was all it took before I felt the floor give in. I'd stepped on a pressure plate, and I knew exactly what would happen once I took another step.
"Gotcha."
'Shit!' I thought before moving, realizing that I had no choice but to run. Several triggers echoed between the bare walls, and arrows similar to the one that had struck me flew toward me.
I was prepared for the attacks, so dodging and fighting was not the problem — the missing floor was.
I stopped before diving into an emerging pit. I looked up to assess my chances of survival by jumping, but the torches weren't bright enough to reach the other side of the pit. I could either leap and pray that the ancient spirits would save my soul before I died, or I could—
A punch to the back of my head took away my choice. I screamed as I dropped into a darkness beyond the reach of light.
The talons of panic ripped my mind to shreds as I frantically reached into the empty air, hoping that my hands would catch something in the darkness that would save me, but nothing came.
Then, the hatch above me closed, blinding me entirely. Only the sinking feeling in my gut as I fell toward the ground served as a reminder of what was up and what was down. At the very least, the Raeewh wouldn't be able to follow me, but I would be trapped.
My lungs ultimately ran out of air, allowing the silence to fall. I didn't know how deep the pit was, but that didn't mean I had to die. I was an Air Iridis, after all.
I clenched my fists and called for the wind to envelop me, reducing the risk of injury that the impact would've otherwise caused.
My ankle protested when it was forced to support my weight as I landed
The ground was damp, like the forest floor. A scent of mud and humidity hit my nose, but it wasn't the only scent lingering in the air. Chlorine?
"Willow?"
The whisper made my heart jump to my throat.
It was dark, and I couldn't see my own hand in front of me, but someone was down here with me — or something.
"How could you, Willow?"
I took a step back. How could the Raeewh have followed me down here? I'd been cut off from those tunnels, and I hadn't heard anything land with me.
"How could you leave us behind, Willow?"
The sound of Tristan's voice was more painful than Koa's. But I knew that my family was safe for the time being and that securing Piper's claim to the throne would keep them safe in the future.
"You took away my choice, Willow."
My heart stopped — Caiden's voice.
"You left us!"
"I chose you!"
"You never belonged here!"
The creature wasn't alone. There were so many voices, and I was stuck with every single one. I had no way out, and I was surrounded.
I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the voices. I would soon be stormed by leathery hands and torn to pieces, so I braced myself.
Minutes passed while the voices continued, but no one reached out to grab me.
I slowly opened my eyes and found nothing. The darkness remained undisturbed.
"What, in the name of our founder?" I whispered.
Maybe it had been the speakers or some device hidden on me, but it wouldn't make sense. The royals knew much, but Caiden couldn't have told them about us, and Tarkan would never have revealed his wicked intentions to his father or Caiden. It had to be in my head.
I had to get out of here, and I knew how.
Blood pumped through my veins like a storm. The memory of the dark hall burned in my mind, and I couldn't let anything distract me from it.
Time passed until I finally heard the voices fade. Then I released the energy I'd summoned, and my body split apart.
I gasped as I felt the cold tiles against the palms of my hands. A flash of red caught my eye, and I turned to see a dancing flame hanging on the wall, which meant I was back in the tunnels.
A smile formed on my lips while I panted to catch my breath; I was out of the pit, and now all I had to do was figure out how to get out of this miserable maze.
"Look how weak you are."
I looked behind me. The Raeewh from before was back, but it seemed to be the only one.
It's not real, Willow. It's all in your head.
The words echoed in my mind like a tape stuck in a loop. I repeated them if I thought they were enough to convince me that the Raeewh was a construct of my imagination — my fear.
"You'll never be enough!"
A scream escaped my lungs as a leathery hand reached out for me, yet all it caught was empty air.
I didn't have time to consider which direction would lead to my freedom. The Raeewh was real; if I didn't find a way out, it would devour me, just like it had intended to do during my first trial.
My feet carried me through the halls, adrenaline pumping through my body like a flood, crushing everything in its path.
The creature was not a figment of my imagination, and I had to get out of here while I still could.
A blue light appeared around the next corner as if the spirits had heard my prayer. I didn't look over my shoulder to check if the Raeewh were getting closer since I knew it would only worsen the situation. Instead, I focused on the path ahead.
I rounded the corner and was surprised to discover a wall of water that I hadn't expected to see. The floor in front of it was wet, indicating that the body wasn't being held in place by glass. It was most likely a Water Wielder, which meant I'd reached the entrance to the next challenge. I would be safe.
Raeewhs hated water — it burned them, so I knew it wouldn't be able to follow me once I breached the vertical barrier.
I didn't hesitate and jumped once I was close enough.
My leg burned despite the freezing water. The chlorine I'd smelled in the hole had been a product of this massive body of water, and the wound on my shin wasn't having it. I began swimming and had to grit my teeth to fight through the pain.
The surface was too far away for me to reach before I ran out of oxygen, so I called for it to come to me.
Small bubbles of fresh air rushed down from the surface, forming a sphere of air around my head that allowed me to breathe. I should be fine as long as my powers keep feeding me with fresh air.
I looked around to get a better grasp of my surroundings.
A wall of black glass kept us from going any further. The glass was impossible to see through, indicating that there had to be a gate somewhere.
Haylee was nowhere to be seen, so she was either far ahead or right behind me. Regardless, I wasn't just racing against her; Time was my enemy, too.
An opening stared back at me from the bottom. It was the only opening I'd found in the ten minutes I'd spent scouring the wall, so I swam down to examine it.
The opening led to a narrow passage where another gate, encased by windows of transparent glass, provided access to the other side. The gate was closed, but there had to be some way to open it.
I was hesitant. Every challenge had so far included a plot of some kind that I hadn't been able to foresee. Finding a simple trigger that would unlock the gate and allow me to proceed seemed too simple. So, I took my time examining the passage before daring to enter it.
A sharp pain shot through my thigh, and the water beside me soon turned pale and opaque. The deadly weapon that had grazed me cut into the glass wall, but it hadn't been strong enough to cut through it.
I looked behind me and saw Haylee approaching me with a poisonous glare. My body panicked. She had another blade, and I was sure she wouldn't miss her target a second time.
My hands frantically flailed, and I miraculously managed to move inside the passage, whereafter the opening was automatically sealed, blocking her way to me.
A wave of relief briefly washed over me before I realized that Haylee wasn't the only thing I'd been cut off from. My access to the surface was blocked, which included my air supply. It wouldn't be long before I had to rely on my insufficient ability to hold my breath.
I spun around to face the gate and searched intensely for a hidden mechanism to release me from this prison. My hands found nothing but an unyielding surface.
Haylee was banging on the sealed opening behind me, sending shivers up my spine with every thud. I wasn't sure how long the gate would hold against her supernatural strength.
Time remained my greatest adversary as I inhaled the last bubble of air I'd managed to bring with me before becoming isolated. I only had a few minutes left before I would lose consciousness.
I peered through the translucent glass, watching as the other side mocked me. It was indescribably absurd to be stuck less than a yard from freedom.
It would be a waste of time to try to shatter the glass. I had no hope of breaking it if not even Haylee could.
There was no trigger, and it was unlikely there ever had been. I'd hoped to avoid it, but it appeared that teleportation was the only means of escape. I wouldn't be drained of energy, but it would be the last time I could teleport without time to rest. Not even Art could predict what would happen if I attempted to do it a third time.
The water around me stirred as I called for the world to grant me the resources I needed to survive.
I swallowed a small quantity of water as I gasped after materializing on the other side of the gate. My lungs were burning, but I couldn't rush to the surface. That would result in great pain and, in a worst-case scenario, decompression sickness. The healers would be able to take care of it, but I'd be eliminated from the race.
I began working my way to the surface without haste, drawing the surface air closer to me with my powers. I coughed as I inhaled the first air bubble, quickly followed by another. I didn't want to waste time catching my breath, so I continued swimming while my lungs adjusted.
The air felt warm on my face as I breached the surface.
I jumped out of the water and began running again. It didn't take long for my seeping leg to object, but adrenaline was the fuel I needed to continue.
I detected movement to my left and turned around to see Piper and Kaia fighting on an unstable platform in the middle of the water. Worse yet, Kaia appeared to be having the upper hand.
Piper was bleeding heavily from her head, and while she was doing her best to defend herself, her injuries seemed to be weakening her against her opponent. She needed help, which was why I was here.
I stopped to concentrate on summoning my strength. I prepared myself to aim when a sphere of air materialized between my palms. With a single push, I could launch the sphere toward Kaia, but I wouldn't be able to adjust its course once the sphere left my hands. It could hit Piper if I were unlucky.
Beads of sweat mixed with the chlorine water still clinging to my hair. I had to decide; otherwise, Piper would lose for sure.
The ground started rumbling before it began shuddering. I lost my balance, and the sphere turned back into thin air.
I looked up and saw Alia running for her dear life.
Arisu was right on her tail, her face constricting into a grimace of fury and desperation. Arisu's hand was stretched out in front of her, directed for Alia's back.
The earthquake had given Piper a chance to escape Kaia's grip and jump off the platform, tethering them above their element, but instead of sinking into the water like I would've done, the surface supported her. She was walking on water.
Then, the light in the dome dimmed, and I looked up to find a sphere of black matter forming above us.
I'd read about this attack. It was one of the most dangerous attacks known to be wielded by Fire Iridis, and Alia would be sure not to survive if she was hit.
They called it Shadow Lightning — with good reason.
Lightning was usually a dangerous attack, but Shadow Lightning didn't even have to hit its target directly; contact with a strand of hair or the opponent's shadow would be enough to ensure fatal injuries.
"Alia!" I screamed, unconcerned about how the audience perceived my actions. Alia would die if I didn't do something, but she didn't hear me. She was too focused.
"Alia!" I tried again, but I still received no reaction.
I desperately looked around for anything to draw her attention toward me, but nothing useful was within my grasp.
"Damn it," I whispered as Haylee passed me. I had to hurry, but I couldn't let Alia die.
The black sphere began quivering and tempering with modest charges of electricity. Arisu would attack at any second, and Alia would have no chance of dodging it.
Instead of screaming at her again, I recreated the sphere I'd intended to use for Piper's benefit, but it would be Alia's salvation if I could aim precisely.
I sent off the sphere and watched its trajectory closely. Only fate could now determine Alia's future.
Arisu screamed as she activated the Shadow Lightning to strike Alia, and I held my breath.
Time slowed down. The branches of the blackish lightning spread to consume everything in its path, but my sphere hit Alia mere seconds before the lightning, and she was thrown sideways into the water. She would be drenched, but she was safe. Arisu wouldn't be able to summon that much energy again without rest.
Alia looked at me in disbelief as she emerged from the scorched platform's edge. I was panting but managed to send her a smile. She nodded gratefully before jumping onto the platform again and resuming her mission as if the water had never touched her.
I began running again, too, hoping to catch up with Haylee before it was too late.
"Arisu Mays."
The loud voice sounded like it was emanating from speakers hidden inside the dome. It belonged to Arawn, and he did not sound amused.
"By attempting to direct Shadow Lightning toward Alia Harrington, you have breached the rule of causing deadly harm to another suitor. You have been disqualified from the Crown Trials. Please stand back until our retrieval team arrives at your position."
Arisu vocalized a horrifying scream of pure rage. My heart raced in fear of her wrath, worried that Arisu would ignore Arawn's orders and set out to harm Alia or me directly.
Once I'd been running for five minutes without a single sign of Arisu's powers, I began relaxing. She'd been out of it, but not enough for her to turn animalistic.
As the adrenaline in my system began to wear off, I became aware of how deep the cut from Haylee's weapon was. I was exhausted, but so Haylee seemed to be as well.
Haylee was still a long way ahead of me, but I was catching up.
Before she could claim the lotus, she had to complete the final challenge, and she seemed to be struggling.
It was another obstacle course, similar to the one at the beginning, but Haylee wasn't navigating it as gracefully as she had been back then.
"The first lotus has been claimed!"
Already? That meant I only had ten minutes to beat the final challenge and catch up to Haylee.
"Miss Harrington is the first suitor to claim a spot as Heliac's potential queen. Congratulations, Miss Harrington. The rest of the suitors now have ten minutes to claim their lotus before they are eliminated."
I took a deep breath and forced my feet to move faster. My body would have to prepare for a world of pain once I allowed myself to relax.
My reflexes had worsened. I couldn't dodge a single one of the moving obstacles, so I had to think of another way to get through without being beaten bloody.
The staff suddenly felt heavy on my back, which sparked an idea.
I stopped and took my weapon from its holster before I expelled the fan blades from each end of the staff. I unfolded them on the floor and stepped onto the fabric, one foot on each of the wings.
It was a reckless idea, and I had no clue whether it would work, but I had to try.
In theory, it should work like the Caeli board; I had to keep the wings stuck to the soles of my shoes while I manipulated the air to lift me.
The fan blades attached to my sides were too heavy as they were weapons made for cuts and sharp winds. However, these were made of strong fabric that might be able to do the trick.
I called for the wind to lift me, and it obeyed, but it was incredibly difficult to stay balanced when the fan blades were confined to each of my feet and not joined.
It took me a minute more than I'd hoped, but I eventually came to understand the mechanics sufficiently to achieve what I needed.
The air carried me across the field of obstacles, but as I reached the end and saw Haylee dodging the final obstacle, I lost balance.
An arm from one of the wooden dummies caught my foot, and I fell until the floor caught me. The sound of something snapping resonated in my ear as brutal pain spread from my arm to every inch of my body.
My head screamed, and I was reasonably sure I'd suffered a relentless concussion in addition to the broken bone.
I looked up and saw a row of four tall pillars, each colored to match the blood of our elements.
Haylee was already making her way up the pillar that held our lotus with a speed I couldn't possibly match. The wooden dummy had ruined the fan blades, and I had no spares available that possessed the same qualities. So, I had only one option left if I wanted to win — an option that might kill me.
I looked to my left and saw Piper wrapping her fingers around the lotus on top of the ocean pillar. She'd managed to beat Kaia before the timer ran out, which was what we'd hoped for.
Alia was standing victoriously on top of the fire pillar, so I remained the only one of us still in pursuit of a lotus, and Haylee would soon beat me to it. I couldn't let that happen, not when we were this close.
My bones screamed as I forced myself to my feet and took a deep breath, summoning every speck of power I had left. Then, I disintegrated into atoms.