The whispers had gone, but the survivors didn't cheer.
They sat scattered across the cavern floor, heads bowed, shoulders trembling, eyes hollow. The silence after the voices felt heavier than the noise itself like a weight pressing down on every chest.
Ravi leaned back against the wall, pipe resting across his knees. His arms were bruised black, his ribs screaming with every shallow breath. But he was still here. Still alive. That counted for something.
Arjun stood apart, as always, scanning the shadows. He never seemed to rest. Even now, with the wind gone, his bow was in his hand, an arrow ready, eyes sharp.
Ravi watched him for a long moment. The man's calm should've been comforting. Instead, it set his teeth on edge.
Finally, Ravi muttered, "You don't even blink, do you? Monsters, whispers, gods tossing dice with our lives you just stand there like none of it matters."
Arjun's gaze flicked to him, unreadable. "Blinking wastes time."
Ravi snorted, then winced as pain lanced his ribs. "Yeah, well, some of us are still human."
Before Arjun could reply, the system voice cut through the cavern:
[Next Phase Activated.]The Wind That Listens.]Objective: Speak the truth. Falsehood invites judgment.]
The words burned in Ravi's vision, and a chill swept the cavern.
The wind returned. Not howling this time, not whispering, but soft like a breath against the skin. It curled around them, gentle, almost tender.
The survivors stiffened, eyes darting.
Then the voice came. Not in their ears, not in their minds, but everywhere at once. A low, steady murmur that carried weight like stone.
"Speak."
No one moved.
The wind pressed harder, demanding.
"Speak… truth."
One survivor cracked. A young man with hollow eyes staggered forward, clutching his chest. His voice shook. "I-I stole food. From my own brother. Watched him starve. I didn't care. I didn't"
The wind stirred gently around him. No judgment.
Another voice, trembling. A woman. "I I pushed a man into the beasts. Saved myself. His screams" She broke, sobbing. The wind brushed over her, cool and soft.
Truth.
Ravi's stomach churned. He understood. The trial wasn't about fighting. It was about stripping them bare.
One by one, the survivors confessed. Theft, betrayal, murder, cowardice. Each truth made the air easier to breathe. Each lie when someone tried was punished.
A man spoke too quickly, too clean. "I've done nothing wrong. I "
The wind howled.
It wrapped around him like claws, lifted him screaming into the air. His body twisted, bones snapping, before he was hurled into the lake. The water swallowed him whole.
Silence followed. No one dared breathe.
Ravi's mouth was dry. He tightened his grip on the pipe. Truth. They want the truth.
But what truth could he give?
He laughed bitterly under his breath. Plenty. Too many.
The wind circled him, brushing cold against his skin. Waiting. Demanding.
Ravi closed his eyes. The words came raw, torn from his chest.
"I killed him." His voice cracked, but he didn't stop. "First day. Some guy tried to take my Coins. I panicked. Hit him too hard. Watched him choke on his own teeth. And when he stopped moving… I took everything. Didn't even look back."
The wind pressed close, cool, heavy. For a moment, Ravi thought it would tear him apart.
Then it passed.
The air lightened. His chest loosened. He gasped, lungs burning, but alive.
Truth.
The survivors turned, eyes on Arjun now.
The archer stood tall, unmoved. The wind coiled around him like smoke, waiting.
His silence stretched. Too long.
Ravi's voice rasped, low. "Better speak, bowman."
Finally, Arjun spoke. His tone was calm, steady, but his words cut like a blade.
"I am not here to survive. I am here to see who else does."
The wind shivered. For a heartbeat, it felt like the cavern itself recoiled.
But no judgment came.
The air stilled. The trial ended.
System text flickered:
[Condition Completed: Truth Spoken.]Reward: +800 Coins.]
The survivors sagged in relief.
Ravi stared at Arjun, jaw tight. His words gnawed at him like rot. Not here to survive. Here to see who else does.
The man was dangerous. More dangerous than monsters or whispers.
And Ravi knew sooner or later, that truth would matter.