The three moved with quiet purpose, preparing for what lay ahead. Aleksander drew his K'rik—a four-ring khakkhara—its metal rings clinking softly, each symbolizing the Four Noble Truths. The staff's simple yet profound design echoed his inner resolve.
Luda carefully arranged her talismans, each etched with protective symbols for different threats. From her pack, she then pulled out the Deer Antler Bow—a gift from Aleksander, crafted from a memory of his past life's animated creation. The bow resembled a pair of intertwined deer antlers, polished and almost translucent, with elegant curves branching out like nature's own artistry. Its grip was seamless, blending form and function, and its string invisible, as if it channeled arcane power directly through the antler limbs.
Yan Sen nodded at them, then led the way into the dark, foreboding forest. The canopy above swallowed most of the light, shrouding everything in shadow. The air grew colder, a biting chill crawling down their spines.
"You two," Yan Sen spoke low and tense, "your trial begins now. She knows we're here."
Both Aleksander and Luda steeled themselves, muscles tightening, senses sharpening as shadows shifted ahead. From the gloom emerged the Witch Spirit—a striking figure cloaked in a flowing hooded garment that draped dramatically over her shoulders. Her dark corseted dress laced across the front, her long black hair spilling loosely, framed a beguiling face touched by a deceptive smile.
"Greeting, travelers," she called softly. "Could you kindly guide me to the nearby village?"
Yan Sen perched on a tree branch, watching the scene unfold with a calm interest, his presence unsettling the Witch.
Aleksander's voice broke the silence, sharp and dismissive. "Stop acting — you reek of malevolent energy."
Her composed smile faded, replaced by a cold, almost predatory stare, her form twisting and darkening. The Witch's true self emerged: towering and terrifying, eyes glowing red, raven-black hair whipping wildly. Her black dress was tattered and rough, revealing a sinister cleavage. Her skin rotted, and jagged, decayed teeth gleamed from a snarling mouth.
She unleashed a banshee-like scream that echoed through the trees as fireballs sparked to life, hurtling toward Aleksander and Luda.
Aleksander raised his K'rik, the staff becoming a shield against the inferno. The metal rings clanged as he parried the flaming orbs effortlessly, the sound cutting through the forest's silence.
Yan Sen's eyes tracked Aleksander's movements with calculated calm. A faint smile touched his lips.
"Good… you're getting better with that staff," he murmured.
Then his gaze sharpened. He felt it — a ripple of hostile energy.
"Luda!" he called out suddenly, voice cutting through the air. "She's created a doppelganger — it's coming your way!"
Luda spun around, scanning the shadows. Her breath slowed, senses wide open. And then she saw it — the Witch's duplicate emerging from the darkness, moving with uncanny speed.
It struck first, hurling fireballs in rapid succession. Luda barely had time to react, thrusting out her palm as a shimmering blue mana shield bloomed in front of her. The construct was the size and shape of a riot shield, faintly transparent until the impacts made it flare brightly, the glow rippling like molten glass.
Each fireball exploded against it, sending shockwaves through her arms. Cracks began to vein across its surface — faint, but growing.
High above, Yan Sen muttered to himself, his eyes narrowed."She still needs to work on those shields."
Luda knew it too. With her other hand, she whipped out a black talisman traced with glowing red inscriptions and hurled it forward.
The air split as a towering figure took shape — her Shikigami, an Earth Elemental.
Its body was an armor of craggy brown-and-gold stone, jagged spikes jutting from its shoulders and arms. Its massive jaw opened in a grinding roar, teeth like broken rock, eyes glowing from deep within a face half-buried in stone.
"Keep her occupied," Luda commanded.
The Elemental nodded and stomped with the force of a miniature quake. The ground around it fractured, and boulders erupted upward, launching toward the Witch's double like meteors.
The doppelganger raised a clawed hand, her telekinetic power shredding the incoming stones mid-flight.
The Earth Elemental seized the opening. With a ground-shaking roar, it lunged forward—each massive step sending tremors through the earth, jagged spikes glinting in the dim light. Its stone claws reached for the Witch's double, intent on crushing her where she stood.
But the creature never closed the distance. The doppelganger's eyes flared crimson, and she thrust out both hands.
Invisible force erupted like a violent gust; the Elemental's momentum was abruptly broken, its massive body lifted clean off the ground. Shards of dirt and stone rained around it as it was hurled backward, crashing into a thick tree trunk with an impact that splintered bark and sent dust billowing into the air.
The ground shook beneath the landing, and cracks spiderwebbed from where the Shikigami fell.
Luda was already prepared. Her Deer Antler Bow was drawn, the air around it humming with latent power. At the nock, where an arrow would rest, a core of gleaming golden energy flared into existence. Light radiated outward, shaping itself into a razor-sharp projectile of concentrated magic.
Without hesitation, she released.
The golden bolt tore through the air—pure energy, elongated and needle-sharp, like a condensed beam of sunlight. It wasn't wood or metal, but living magic, burning with radiant force as it streaked toward its target.
The golden arrow screamed through the air, a beam of condensed light and fury, striking the doppelganger square in the chest. The impact sent a burst of brilliance across the clearing. For the first time, the Witch's duplicate faltered — eyes wide, caught in genuine surprise.
The golden energy bolt struck Witch's doppelganger froze, her form unraveling into motes of dust that vanished into the night air.
Across the clearing, the original Witch battled Aleksander. Suddenly, she whispered an incantation. From all sides, tree branches and roots twisted violently, transforming into thorny, living whips that lashed out.
Aleksander slammed his K'rik hard onto the ground.
A shockwave of golden energy erupted from the staff's rings, expanding outward in a radiant sphere. The thorned roots collided with the energy barrier and were instantly burned away, falling to the earth as harmless embers.
At that same moment, Luda's victory sent a ripple of magical backlash flooding toward the Witch. Sensing her enemy's sudden weakness, Aleksander seized the opportunity. He hurled a black talisman inscribed with crimson script high into the air.
The sky churned and changed, dark clouds swirling as streaks of unnatural black and white lightning began to crackle overhead.
In the next instant, a barrage of black lightning rained down, each bolt striking with explosive, blinding force. The Witch shrieked, her form convulsing as the magic tore through her. The final strike obliterated her completely, leaving only a scorched mark on the forest floor where she once stood.
Silence settled over the trees once again, broken only by the distant roll of thunder.