When I woke up, three people were sitting on chairs around me. The closest was a girl with short black hair streaked with two blue-and-white lines, and icy blue eyesShe wore an enchanted outfit instead of armor. It covered her upper body and connected seamlessly to her boots.
Next was a guy who looked a little younger than me. His long, dark brown hair covered one eye, and he wore plain silver armor. He looked oddly familiar, as if he resembled someone I knew.
The last was a guy with broad shoulders and an athletic physique. He had short blond hair, looked a little older than me, and golden-brown eyes that matched his golden armor.
They all stared at me with unchanging curiosity until the girl finally spoke.
"D, how do you feel?"
'D? Who is D? Me?'
"You're asking me?"
She looked at everyone, then back at me.
"Yes, you dummy. Don't you remember how you got into that situation?"
I scratched my head.
"No… no, I don't."
Her curious expression shifted into worry.
"Basically, after getting mad at your girlfriend, you decided not only to tell us to stay out of this war, but that you'd handle it yourself. You! You almost got yourself killed."
'G-Girlfriend?'
My brows furrowed as I tried to make sense of it.
"Okay, stop. Who is this girlfriend you're talking about? Why did I get mad at her, and most importantly, who are you guys?"
They all gasped in sync.
The blond guy cut me off, barging into the conversation.
"Are you pranking us, D? We promised to follow a leader, not a fool. Do I need to smash your head in to fix it?"
"Leader? I could barely fight a girl, let alone lead a team."
The girl looked at Val with a serious expression.
"Val, stop. He might have actually lost his memories."
Val shrugged.
"Fine."
We need to do this now," the girl continued. "We'll bring you to your girlfriend, then to the king. He might be able to fix this."
I stared at the girl and asked, "Wait, who patched me up? And—hold on, how long was I out for?"
The two guys both pointed at her.
"My affinity lets me heal people even when they're poisoned. You've been asleep for two weeks."
I blinked, unsure if I'd heard her right.
"Two weeks!"
'I have to find Stella; she might be in danger.'
"Alright, get up. I'm Petra, he's Steph, and you already know the big guy's name."
As I lifted the blanket, I noticed I still had my armor equipped, but the crimson lines didn't run through it.
'Can I be comfortable for once?'
They all headed out of the house, and I followed. Walking through the city gave me a strange, unsettling feeling. The dark, lonely streets were nearly empty. I saw a couple of people working while someone shouted at them: "Keep doing your damn job!"
The streets smelled of rust and mildew. Windows were boarded shut, and the only footsteps we heard were hollow, hurried — as if the city itself wanted to disappear.
"What happened to this place?"
Steph sighed.
"Every day, people are drafted into the war, and every day more die. The crops withered when the rain turned to blood, ruining everything. Now, people work as slaves in shops just to survive on the smallest rations."
We walked down a stone path for a few minutes until we reached a house between a shop and a tavern. As they went inside, I felt a chill — like someone was watching me, standing just behind my shoulder. I followed them in.
Inside sat Stella, drinking coffee at the table, her eyes locked on me.
We stared at each other until she suddenly dropped her cup, coffee spilling across the wooden floor.
"Stella! You guys know her—she's a friend of mine!"
Val raised his brows. "Dude, she's your girlfriend. And how do you even remember her?"
"I just do, I guess."
I didn't want to explain that we'd come from outside the trial — that these people were probably not even real. From what I can think of so far, everyone here might have the task of murdering us or helping us.
Stella, still frozen, let out a faint smile. "Let me talk to Damien alone."
Without hesitation, they filed out the door. Stella shut it behind them.
The house had a single room with stairs leading up to a bedroom. Down here, a table, two chairs, and a cramped little kitchen filled the space.
She frowned for a bit, then spoke.
"It's been a while. You should've gone along with what they were saying. I did — I pretended to be who they thought I was. I still haven't figured out the purpose of this trial."
'Should have thought of that.'
I tilted my head, squinting at her.
"You look older… and where did you even start in the tri—"
Before I could finish, she rushed forward and hugged me. Her grip was far stronger than before.
"I missed you, Damien. I've been alone for months."
I tried to speak, but it came out more like a squeak than words.
"Yeah, me too. Can you let go? You're killing me."
She let go, and I saw a tear slip down her cheek.
"Sorry… It's been hard. After finding out who they were — and who you were — I pushed the team to search for you until they found you. I woke up one day walking beside them, talking. At first, I was confused, but I quickly adapted to what was happening. I skipped the last run because I was still recovering from an attack, and here we are reunited."
Stella wiped her eyes quickly, as if embarrassed to show weakness. I stayed quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say, until the silence grew too heavy.
"So… months, huh? You've been here that long?"
She nodded, her lips pressed together. "Long enough to understand how this world works. Long enough to realize it's dangerous to trust even the people standing next to you."
That answer made my stomach knot. "And yet… You trust them?"
Her gaze softened, almost painfully so. "There's something about them… I think the trial wants us to understand they might be our only allies in this hell."
I swallowed hard, not sure if we could. Before I could reply, her expression hardened.
"There's something else," she said, lowering her voice. "They want to take us to the king. I don't like it."
"Why not?"
"Because kings don't invite people like us for tea. We're just slaves, forced to fight without a choice." She crossed her arms.
"If this is really part of the trial, then he's more than a figurehead. Meeting him might trigger something we're not ready for."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "So what's the alternative? Hide? Run? If this place is shaping itself like a real kingdom, avoiding the king will just make us stand out more."
She sighed, looking conflicted. "I know. That's why we have no choice. But… Damien, stay alert. I have a bad feeling."
Petra leaned in. "It's time. The king has summoned you both."
The words carried a weight heavier than I expected. Outside, the bells tolled across the ruined city, echoing through broken streets and hollow houses.
Stella's eyes met mine, and for the first time since we reunited, I saw fear there.
"Let's get this over with," she said softly.
But in my gut, I already knew — meeting this king wouldn't be the end of our trial. It would be the beginning.