Chapter 16: Chains Refused
The chamber seemed to close in, the elders' gazes heavy as iron. The hawk-nosed councilor's words echoed: Swear fealty… or leave.
> [Decision Timer: 00:00:30]
Elias's fists clenched at his sides. The tether in his chest pulled hard, his bound warriors twitching outside like beasts straining at leashes. He thought of the system's cruel games, of shadows that came without warning. Of being trapped, again, under someone else's rule.
His voice rang clear. "No."
Gasps tore through the chamber. The gray-bearded elder surged to his feet, staff slamming down. "Defiance! You bring curses to our gates and dare spit on our laws?"
"I've bled for your town," Elias snapped, his eyes blazing. "I saved your people last night when no one else could. But I will not wear another chain. Not yours. Not anyone's."
The system chimed, cold and final:
> [Choice Registered: Refusal.]
Reward: Attribute +1 (Resolve).]
Penalty: Council Hostility +2.]
Shouts erupted from the crowd. "Cast him out!" "Kill him before the shadows return!" Spears rattled against the floor.
Seris stepped forward, her face pale but her voice steady. "Enough! You all saw him fight. Without him, Ashwood might already be ash. If you cast him out, you cast aside your only defense against the system's horrors."
The hawk-nosed councilor narrowed his eyes. "Then let him prove it. If he will not swear loyalty, let him earn it."
He raised a hand, and the hall fell silent. "Tomorrow, he will face the Trial of Ashwood. Alone. If he survives, perhaps he has a place here. If he falls… then the curse ends with him."
The system flared.
> [Echo V Updated.]
Objective: Survive the Trial of Ashwood.]
Condition: Enter the Verdant Hollow and return alive.]
Elias's heart sank at the words. Verdant Hollow. He'd heard the whispers even before entering Ashwood. A forest where moonlight never touched the ground, where screams vanished and never returned.
The Council banged their staffs in grim unison. Judgment was sealed.
Seris's hand brushed his arm as the guards moved to escort him. "You fool," she hissed under her breath. "Why refuse them?"
"Because chains are still chains," Elias muttered. "Even if they're gilded."
Her eyes searched his, anger and admiration clashing. "Then I'll see you through tomorrow. One way or another."
As he was dragged from the chamber, the girl's voice whispered in his mind, lilting with amusement. "How delicious. They think they're sending you to death. But Verdant Hollow is no mere trial—it's an echo waiting to awaken."
Elias's stomach turned cold. Another echo. Another game.
And this time, the entire forest would be the board.