The sect's bells tolled at sunrise, their deep echoes rolling across the mountains. Disciples paused in their training, turning toward the central plaza where elders gathered. Word spread swiftly:
The Trial of Ascending Peaks had been announced.
Held once every decade, it was a sacred test of endurance, will, and strength. To climb the mountain path carved by the ancients, where each step grew heavier, each breath thinner, and the heavens themselves pressed down upon the climber.
Only those who reached the summit earned the right to enter the sect's inner sanctum. For many, it was the difference between remaining nameless… or becoming a legend.
---
Whispers of Rivalry
When Arhaan's name was spoken among the chosen participants, the plaza rippled with shock.
"He's only just broken his bindings—how can he withstand the Peaks?"
"The heavens may crush him before he even takes ten steps."
"And yet… if anyone could, it would be him."
Kael's name followed soon after. The murmurs shifted.
"The humiliated wolf returns?"
"No… look at him. He doesn't walk like a broken man."
"There's something… different about him."
Arhaan's gaze met Kael's across the plaza. Kael's smile was calm, his bow respectful. But Arhaan's chains stirred uneasily, rattling as though they recognized a predator cloaked in human skin.
---
Training Before the Storm
That evening, Arhaan trained alone on the edge of the cliffs. The wind roared, whipping against his body, but he did not falter. The crimson-gold chains lashed through the air, growing sharper, faster, hungrier. Yet each time they struck, his body trembled, the strain threatening to tear him apart.
I can't control them fully, he thought, sweat dripping down his brow. If I unleash too much, they'll consume me as easily as they consume my enemies.
And still, he pushed. Because he knew Kael was waiting.
---
Kael in the Shadows
Elsewhere, Kael sat in meditation, the demonic power coiled inside him like a beast in a cage. His veins burned black, his aura twisted—but he held it tightly, smiling through the pain.
"Arhaan," he whispered, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
"You will fall on those peaks. And when you do, I'll stand above you."
The shadows around him chuckled in approval.