The revelations from Eric, Juno, and Neil settled over our group like a shroud. The forest was a living deathtrap, our skills could evolve through trauma, and the history of this trial was a repeating cycle of betrayal and death. We had gathered crucial pieces of the puzzle, but the most important ones were still missing.
I looked at the two remaining members who had yet to face the Goddess: Rina and Talia. Their faces were pale in the ethereal twilight, their eyes wide with the weight of the information we had just learned.
"You two are last," I said, my voice low and steady, cutting through the tense silence. "And your questions are the most critical. They will determine not just how we survive, but if we survive."
I turned to Rina, our brilliant biologist. Her quiet, analytical mind was a valuable asset. "We have fire and ice, but we have no way to mend what gets broken. Ask the Goddess what methods of recovery exist in this world, be it magical or natural. We need a healer, Rina. Find out if one is even possible."
She gave a single, determined nod, the fear in her eyes overshadowed by a sense of purpose.
Finally, my gaze settled on Talia. She stood with the poised stillness of a fencer, her hand resting on her hip, her expression unreadable.
"The final question is yours," I said, my voice dropping, "and it is the most important one. It's the one that will dictate our entire strategy from this moment until the end. I need you to ask this, and I need you to remember her answer word for word."
She met my gaze, her own sharp and focused.
"Ask her this," I commanded. "Goddess, describe the exact mechanism that enforces the 'six survivor' rule. What specific event or barrier prevents the seventh person from succeeding?"
Talia's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of understanding passing through them. She understood the terrifying weight of the question. It was not just a question of rules; it was a question of how, exactly, we would be forced to kill each other.
"Go," I said. "Get your blessings, get your answers, and return. We move the moment you are back."
They turned without a word and walked towards the divine light. The wait was agonizing. The minutes stretched, each one filled with the distant shouting and panicked cries of the other students who were just beginning to grasp the horror of their situation. Our small group stood like a statue, all eyes fixed on the door to the goddess's chamber.
Rina returned first, her soft features etched with a profound gravity.
"I asked," she began, her voice barely a whisper. "She said that while this world is filled with things that can kill… life is resilient. She then granted me this."
Rina held out her hand. A soft, green-gold light bloomed from her palm. It wasn't aggressive like Erica's fire or cold like Masha's ice; it was warm, vibrant, and pulsed with a gentle energy that seemed to soothe the very air around it.
"What is it?" Masha asked, stepping closer, her expression uncharacteristically awed.
"She called it Vitae Weaving," Rina explained. "I can manipulate biological life force. I can accelerate healing, purge poisons, and knit flesh back together. But it requires my own stamina, and I can't regrow limbs or cure death. It's… a healing skill."
A collective sigh of relief passed through our group. A healer. It was a role so vital I hadn't dared hope for it. Rina was no longer just the brilliant biology student; she was our lifeline. I placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are now the most important person in this group," I said, my voice firm. "No one is allowed to die as long as you are standing. We will protect you at all costs."
Just as her words settled, Talia returned. The color had drained from her face. She looked at me, and in her eyes, I saw the reflection of our grim, unchangeable reality.
"She answered," Talia said, her voice tight. "She grew sad when I asked. She said the covenant demands a 'tithe of heroism,' and the price is absolute. The Bone Dragon… it doesn't just guard the exit. Upon its death, its soul shatters into six fragments—Hero's Marks. Only a person who absorbs a Hero's Mark can pass through the final gate into a kingdom. There are only six marks. Once they are claimed, the gate opens for a brief period and then seals forever. Anyone left behind… is considered part of the tithe. The forest consumes them."
The implication was a physical blow. It wasn't a race. It was a zero-sum game. You didn't just have to kill the final boss; you had to claim a piece of its corpse while ninety-three other desperate people tried to do the same. Betrayal wasn't just a possibility; it was an inevitability designed by the system itself.
"Her blessing," I said, my voice a low whisper, breaking the horrified silence. "What is your skill?"
Talia drew the blade she'd acquired from the goddess—a sleek, unadorned rapier. "She called it Kinetic Eye," she replied, her voice regaining its strength. "I can perceive the flow of kinetic energy. I can see the trajectory of an attack before it's completed. I can see the stress points in a structure, the twitch of a muscle before a person moves. I can… see the path to victory."
A perfect skill for a duelist and assassin. And in a world where we would eventually have to fight each other for the final prize, a duelist was exactly what we needed.
As if on cue, the radiant light from the goddess's chamber began to fade. A collective gasp swept the hall as the divine presence that had been both a comfort and a source of terror began to withdraw. The silver motes of light dissolved, and the warm glow was replaced by the cold, alien twilight filtering through the shattered roof. The sounds of the forest—the chittering of unseen creatures, the groan of ancient trees—rushed in to fill the silence.
The game of questions was over. The blueprint for our war was complete. We had a map, we had a healer, we had weapons, and we had the terrible, final truth.
I ignored the brutish student who caught my eye from across the hall, the one who grinned and drew a finger across his throat. He was a predator, yes, but he was an ignorant one. He was still playing the old game. We were playing a new one.
I turned my back on him and addressed my team, my voice leaving no room for doubt.
"The Goddess is gone," I said. "The trial has begun. We move now, northeast. Stay together. Stay silent. And prepare to fight."