The morning air was crisp, touched with the scent of dew-soaked grass and distant energy.
Leo stood at the edge of the practice field, adjusting the wrappings on his hands as Mira and Aric approached. He didn't need to look up to sense them—he could feel their presence now, like familiar currents in a growing sea of qi.
"Four, huh?" Mira said, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at the edge of her mouth. "Didn't think you'd push that fast."
Leo looked up and offered a faint grin. "Didn't think I had a choice."
Aric nodded approvingly, his calm demeanor unchanged but his eyes sharper. "You made the right call. You'll need every point you've got for what's next."
Leo raised a brow. "You already know what the trial is?"
Mira and Aric exchanged a glance, then Mira snorted. "We've seen enough patterns to guess. And we were right."
Before Leo could ask more, a loud hum vibrated through the ground beneath their feet.
Across the entire training settlement, a shimmering veil of light pulsed into the sky, drawing everyone's attention toward the central courtyard. A figure in silver-trimmed robes stepped forward, projecting their voice with qi-enhanced clarity.
"The fourth trial is hereby initiated."
A hush fell over the initiates.
"This time, you are not fighting to survive a wave… or hold a line. You will be sent in your teams to individual arenas. Each arena will contain a single warrior."
A murmur of confusion passed through the crowd.
The announcer raised their hand for silence.
"You will have one week to pass this trial. All you must do… is land a single blow on the warrior in your arena. That is all."
It sounded simple.
Too simple.
But every veteran standing nearby tensed. No one underestimated anything in the Tower anymore.
The announcer's voice rang out once more.
"Fail to land a blow within the week, and you fail the floor. Prepare yourselves."
The courtyard began to empty as people returned to gather their gear, nerves stretching tight across the growing silence. Leo turned to follow Mira and Aric—when he caught a flicker of motion at the edge of the field.
It was the guard.
The same one from before, standing apart from the rest, arms crossed as he scanned the crowd.
For a moment, his eyes met Leo's.
Then he gave a subtle nod—more than recognition.
Approval.
Leo instinctively reached inward, letting his qi rise just slightly, enough for those attuned to sense it.
The guard's mouth curled into the faintest smile.
And then he turned and vanished once again.
Back with the others, Mira adjusted her gauntlets and muttered, "Land a blow, huh? Wonder what kind of monster lets us try that without killing us first."
Aric replied evenly, "It won't be about force. It'll be about timing. Control. Intent."
Leo flexed his fingers around his spear.
"Then we're in the right place."
And with that, they stepped forward—toward the unknown arena, toward the fourth trial, and toward the edge of what they were each capable of becoming.
As the three of them walked toward the portal gate that would send them to their trial arena, Mira slowed, pulling the others to a stop near a shaded outcrop of stone.
"Alright," she said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. "Let's talk strategy before we get in there."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "You've seen something like this before?"
"Not directly," Mira replied, shifting her weight and cracking her knuckles, "but this was one of the expected trial..." after a pause "unlike basically all the others so far"
Mira pointed a finger for emphasis. "And here's the important part: if the setup's like the ones we studied, the warrior can't leave the arena's boundary. That means if things go bad—and they probably will—we fall back. No shame in regrouping. We'll wear it down with attempts over time."
"Wait," Leo said, frowning, "you're saying we're not expected to win on the first try?"
"Not unless you're suicidal or stupid," Mira replied dryly. "The Tower likes to make things seem simple. But trials like this? They're loaded. That warrior is probably at a level none of us can outright overpower. So the key is learning its patterns. Reading the fight."
"Which means," Aric added calmly, "this trial isn't about brute force. It's about timing, control… and most of all, precision."
Leo's grip on his spear tightened slightly. His mind was already turning, simulating possibilities. Every lesson he'd learned about paths, intent, and flow flickered just beneath his focus.
"One clean hit," he murmured. "That's all it takes."
Mira smirked. "Sounds easy when you say it like that."
He smiled back, thin and focused. "I've learned not to trust the Tower's idea of easy."
Aric glanced at the glowing sigils etched into the portal stone. "Looks like we're up. Ready?"
Leo exhaled slowly and nodded. "Let's go see what we're dealing with."
And with that, the trio stepped forward—into the unknown once again.