Blair opened her eyes abruptly, drenched in cold sweat. The rattling of the carriage and the chill of the night hitting her body pulled her back to the present. Beside her, Guinevere slept, curled up in her embrace. It had all been a memory.
She swallowed, trying to calm herself. She said nothing.
Inside the carriage, Eric looked around. Although most of the children had settled down a little, they still appeared tense, both because of what had happened and the uncertainty of the trial that awaited them.
Unbeknownst to Eric, a decisive conversation was unfolding in the main carriage at the front of the caravan. There, they were discussing which trial the children would face to determine whether they were worthy of being accepted by the Tower of Eternal Night.
"So what scenario should we use?" Lanira asked, interested. For her, watching these games was always a pleasure.
"How about the Ouroti Nest?" Aldric suggested in a calm voice.
"But Lord Aldric, very few survive that trial. The Dean entrusted us with delivering new children, and there are several with strong magical aptitude. That would earn us a good reward," Lanira objected with a respectful but concerned tone. She didn't want to miss out on the promised rewards.
"Hurrrp... this confirms my suspicions. Behind that body and pretty face, there's no brain," Adam muttered with a strange laugh, accompanied by loud clicks.
"What are you saying, worm?! I've tolerated you long enough, but now I see your brain only understands force!" shouted Lanira, furious, preparing to attack. Adam, for his part, was ready to fight as well. His body, hidden under a cloak, twisted violently.
"Enough, both of you!" Aldric interrupted with a cold voice. "You forget our cargo is nearby. Unless you decide to fight right here, I'll be forced to report that, sadly, the rank C and B initiates were tragically killed by a lord of fire."
The clock in his left eye glowed faintly, and its hands began to spin rapidly.
Lanira and Adam stopped immediately.
"Forgive me, Lord Aldric. I overreacted." "My apologies, Lord Aldric."
Both gave a slight bow, pressured by the magical aura emanating from him.
"I've seen worms show more composure than you two," Aldric spat with disdain. Then his voice dropped to a cold, almost melancholic tone.
"In other times, the Tower walls would run red over such insolence. The heads that questioned orders simply exploded. It's easy to forget when death no longer whispers in your ear."
He sighed, as though mourning the past more than the current situation.
"Setting that aside, Adam, explain to Lanira why I suggested the Ouroti Nest," Aldric ordered.
Adam turned to Lanira and, with a few clicks between each word, said,
"The reason he says that is because simply reaching the place where the trials will be held counts as a completed mission. Whether they live or die no longer matters."
Years of rivalry needed no words, but Adam relished every opportunity to drag her down.
"Exactly. I'm glad to see at least someone knows the mission guidelines and doesn't infect us with their stupidity and incompetence," Aldric replied.
Upon hearing this, Lanira clenched her fists. Her complexion flushed red and she furrowed her brow. As usual, she hadn't bothered to fully read the requirements.
"Now go out and make sure the path to the trial site is clear of surprises," Aldric ordered, looking at them with disdain.
Adam stood up first and, passing by Lanira, muttered with a crooked smile: "Maybe if you opened a book once in a while, you wouldn't get your pride kicked in so often."
Lanira turned furiously, but held herself back. She shot him a death glare, then turned away silently and walked out of the carriage with tense, heavy steps.
When she was far enough not to be heard, she muttered under her breath: "You're going to pay for this, filthy scum..."
Thus, both disembarked from the front carriage and began clearing the way, venturing into the forest to secure the route.
As they moved forward, the caravan continued its march behind them. Eric, seated in one of the central carriages, noticed the forest beginning to change. The plants and trees, once healthy and green, now appeared wilted, blackened, and deeply rotted. The branches intertwined above the path, blocking the faint light of the moons and submerging the surroundings in oppressive darkness.
Only the creaking of the wooden wheels, the neighs and galloping of horses, and the metallic clinking of the armor from the escorting soldiers could be heard. As they delved deeper into the forest, distant roars and strange noises began to echo from the shadows around the deteriorated road.
Guinevere, holding onto Blair, covered her face. "This place scares me," she murmured, trembling.
Blair squeezed her tightly, feeling a chill run down her spine.
Aiden was peering between the bars with a furrowed brow. "This isn't an ordinary forest. It smells like magic… and not the good kind," he said quietly, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
Eric didn't respond. He sat in silence, unable to do anything, just like the other children around him. No one seemed willing to speak now; the atmosphere was heavy with apprehension.
Then, as darkness consumed him, a faint green light illuminated the left side of his face. Turning his head, Eric saw far ahead at the front of the caravan: a surge of green light rising between the trees, revealing a distorted landscape of twisted trees, rotting swamps, and shadowy figures moving around. These creatures, perhaps out of fear or aversion to the light, didn't dare come close.
"What is that?" Blair whispered, unable to take her eyes off the glow pushing through the shadows.
Eric, squinting to adapt to the brightness, managed to identify the source: a massive vortex of green light, perpendicular to the ground, with a dark center from which glowing tentacles extended and pulsed with arcane energy.
When the first carriage and the army's vanguard passed through the vortex, they disintegrated into particles of light, as if absorbed. One by one, the carriages moved forward toward it. Silence reigned inside the vehicles, broken only by muffled whimpers or strained breathing.
When Eric's carriage reached the front, they came face to face with the magical phenomenon defying everything he knew. No one dared say a word.
As they approached, he saw how the wood and bars began to dissolve into green particles, leaving a dark hole in front of them. The first child who touched the vortex began screaming in desperation: his body slowly came apart, revealing his insides. First his limbs vanished, then part of his torso, exposing organs, bones, and spine before finally being swallowed by darkness.
Guinevere closed her eyes and covered her ears. Blair held her tightly, fighting back nausea. Aiden clenched his jaw, helpless, unsure whether to look away or face it directly.
The vortex didn't stop. It continued devouring everything in its path until it reached Eric's turn. He felt a strange sensation, as if the parts of his body that had been absorbed still existed, but he could no longer move them.
"What have I gotten myself into?" he murmured, just before disappearing along with the rest of the caravan and the escorting army.
With one final tremor, the vortex vanished. In its place was a zone of darkness, as if nothing had ever existed.