The sect's courtyards had fallen into silence. Disciples who were chosen for the Trial of Ascending Peaks secluded themselves, sharpening their will and quieting their hearts. For tomorrow, pride and ambition would climb alongside them—yet only endurance would decide who stood at the summit.
Arhaan, however, could not find rest.
He stood alone at the edge of the cliff, the mountains stretched beneath the pale moon. The crimson-gold chains flickered faintly at his wrists, restless, as though they too awaited the trial.
"You never sleep when you should."
The voice was soft, familiar. Selene stepped into the moonlight, her silver robes shimmering as if woven from starlight itself. Her eyes found his, calm but sharp, as though they could see beyond his chains and into his unease.
---
A Warning in Starlight
"You'll climb tomorrow," she said quietly.
"And yet your spirit stirs as if the mountain is already on your shoulders."
Arhaan exhaled slowly.
"It's not the mountain that troubles me. It's what waits upon it."
Selene's gaze softened, but her words were grave.
"The Peaks are not stone and sky alone. They were carved by heaven's decree. Every step you take will draw the gaze of what you've defied. The higher you climb, the heavier the judgment will fall."
The chains rattled faintly, as though they had heard her warning.
Arhaan clenched his fists.
"Then let it fall. I'd rather break beneath heaven's weight than crawl in its chains."
---
The Unspoken
For a moment, silence lingered. Only the wind moved between them, carrying the faint scent of pine.
Selene stepped closer, her voice low, almost fragile.
"Then promise me one thing… Don't climb for them. Not for pride. Not for vengeance. Climb for yourself. Because if you forget who you are, the Peaks will devour you before Kael ever can."
Her words struck deeper than any blow. For all her mystery, her distance, in that moment she seemed utterly human—worried not for destiny, but for him.
Arhaan's lips curved faintly, though his eyes still burned with quiet fire.
"I promise."
And beneath the silent moon, his chains finally grew still.