The road to the capital was longer than Kael expected.
Not because of the distance, but because of the silence.
Selene walked beside him, her steps steady, but her hands never fully relaxed. Every now and then, she would glance at him like she wanted to say something… then stop herself.
Kael noticed.
He just didn't ask.
"We can still turn back," she said at last.
They were halfway up a narrow hill. The capital stretched far ahead now, tall walls cutting into the sky, too large for a place that claimed to keep people safe.
Kael didn't slow down.
"They won't let me."
"That's not what I meant."
He knew.
Still, he didn't answer.
Selene stopped walking.
"Kael."
He paused.
"If something feels wrong… if you don't like it there… just leave," she said. "You don't owe them anything."
Kael turned slightly, just enough to see her.
"I know."
But his voice didn't sound like someone who planned to leave.
They stood there for a moment.
Wind moved past them, quiet and cold.
"…I'll wait for you," Selene added.
That made him look at her properly.
"You shouldn't."
"I will."
Kael held her gaze for a second longer… then nodded once.
Not agreement.
Just acceptance.
"I'll come back," he said.
This time, Selene didn't question it.
But something in her eyes said she wasn't fully convinced.
********
By the time Kael reached the gates, the sun was already setting low. Planning to hide behind the horizon. He had been on the road three days already.
Selene had turned back while in the forest that surrounded their village. He was glad she didn't choose to follow but he still felt empty.
The capital was nothing like Edrin. It was a cacophony of laughter and lights. The air wasn't stale or silent. The lanterns and glowing stones embedded in the walls left no place for darkness.
People moved everywhere, voices overlapping, merchants shouting, guards watching from every corner. It felt… heavy.
Like the city itself was pressing down on him.
"…too many," the voice inside him murmured.
Kael ignored it.
The entrance to the trial grounds stood near the center of the city. A wide, open area surrounded by stone walls, guarded on all sides.
Dozens of people were already there. He had arrived just in time.
The city center was bustling with teens his age and their guardians, at least some of them.
Some looked nervous.
Some looked confident.
Some looked like they were already planning who they'd crush first.
Kael stepped in quietly.
No announcement.
No attention.
Just another candidate.
At least… for now.
"You're standing in my spot."
The voice came from his right.
Arrogant.
Too close.
Kael turned.
The boy standing there looked like he belonged anywhere but a crowd.
Sharp eyes. Straight posture. A presence that pushed outward instead of blending in.
His face was a healthy white. His tall frame was packed with muscles, though he didn't look brawny.
He was slender.
A sword was sheathed by his side. It quivered slightly when he closed in on him.
His hair was a slightly dark silver. It was tied up in a high ponytail. The black band contrasting with his silver hair.
Kael glanced at the ground.
Then back at him.
"There's no mark."
Dain's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Didn't say there was."
"Then it's not yours."
A few nearby candidates went quiet.
Watching.
The Silver haired boy stared at him for a second.
Then—
He smiled. His interest had been roused.
"Alright," he said. "You've got some nerve."
Kael didn't respond.
He turned away.
That should've been the end of it.
It wasn't.
Because Dain didn't move.
Instead, he stepped closer. His body bent slightly to reach Kael's ear.
"Try not to die too early," he said. "I want to see if you're actually worth talking to."
Kael paused.
Just for a second.
Then, without looking back:
"Keep up."
Silence.
Then—
A short laugh. The excitement in his voice tingled in Kael's ear.
"…good," The silver haired boy muttered.
Something had just started.
Neither of them named it.
But it was there.
*******
A loud sound cut through the murmurs of the crowd.
A single strike of metal against metal.
Everyone turned.
Commander Vaelor stood above them, looking down from a raised platform.
"Listen carefully," he said.
His voice wasn't loud but it rang in every ones ears.
All movements stopped. Their reverence for the man standing on the platform diffused into the air.
"This is not a test of strength alone."
His gaze moved across the crowd.
Slow.
Measuring.
"It is a test of survival."
A few people shifted uneasily.
"You will be transported to the lower districts by the portal in front of you."
A pause.
Then—
"Where a Veil Tear has formed."
That got a reaction.
Tension.
Fear.
"You will not be supervised," Vaelor continued. "You will not be protected. An amulet will be passed around, hold it tight, protect it with your life. If you cannot go on, then crush it and you will be transported out of the veil. If you crush the amulet before 3 hours have elapsed, the you will fail. If your kill count does not exceed the standard....then you will fail. If you are killed by the demons you will see...then you will fail. "
His eyes sharpened.
"You will either slaughter… or you will be removed."
No one asked what "removed" meant.
They understood.
Vaelor lifted a hand slightly.
"The trial begins now."
The gates protecting the swirling portal opened.
Slow.
Heavy.
Beyond them—
The lower district waited.
Broken buildings.
Empty streets.
Shadows that didn't quite match the light.
Kael stepped forward without hesitation.
Behind him—
Footsteps.
He didn't need to turn to know who it was.
Dain walked in beside him.
Not looking at him.
But not leaving either.
"Don't slow me down," Dain said.
Kael didn't answer.
They crossed the gate together.
And the moment they did—
The air changed. It was thicker and colder with a bloody tinge.
Somewhere in the distance…
Something moved.
Kael felt it. His heart seemed to tremble with an unknown force.
The thing inside him seemed to howl in hunger and excitement.
"…there you are."
Kael's expression didn't change.
But his hand tightened slightly.
Beside him—
Dain smiled.
"Finally," he said.
Neither of them realized it yet.
But from this moment on—
Their lives were hanging by a thin thread.