We pushed against the stone doors with all our strength. They were unbearably heavy, but together, straining with every breath, we managed to force them open.
Behind the massive doors stretched a vast obstacle course. The water below shook violently, each current strong enough to sweep a person away in an instant. Falling meant certain death. Scattered high above the waters were enormous floating stones, likely meant to serve as stepping stones, but something about them felt wrong, as if a hidden trap waited for anyone bold enough to cross.
"Hey, Akira… shall we cross this?" Tobias asked, his voice sharp and cold
"I don't know… something feels off about this. There has to be some sort of trap," I yelled.
Tobias's eyes widened with impatience. "Well, is there another way through? If there is, I'll gladly take it because I need to get through," he snapped.
"Hey, relax! Shouting at me won't help," I shot back.
But Tobias wasn't listening. Impatience rushed through him, and without warning, he sprinted forward. He leapt onto one of the floating stones, landing with a thud. He paused briefly, then continued.
"Tobias, wait!" I screamed, chasing after him.
He kept running and jumping, one stone to the next, and I followed as fast as I could. "Hey… I guess this wasn't trapped after all," I muttered. I was relieved.
"See? There was nothing to worry about," he called back, with a confident smile.
But my relief was short-lived.
"Tobias, look out!" I shouted.
A flaming arrow shot from above, speeding toward him. I barely had time to react, and instinctively, I summoned a blast of water magic, shot the arrow before it could reach him.
"Duck!" Tobias yelled immediately after.
I looked up—and froze. Hundreds, maybe thousands of fiery arrows floating from the cave ceiling, appearing out of nowhere. They hadn't been there when we entered, but they clearly had a source; it had to be someone somewhere, somehow above, hidden and deadly.
The arrows hovered in the air, very still. Tobias and I didn't move a muscle. The moment we noticed them, he ducked, one knee on the ground, hands above his head, while I stood frozen, struck by fear.
"Tobias… what now?" I asked, my voice soft and scratchy.
He remained still, silent. I let him calm down for a bit, noticing how drenched in sweat he was; his heartbeat was so loud.
Time stretched unbearably; five seconds felt like hours. Each heartbeat thundered in my ears, each breath was heavy, and the danger of those flaming arrows hung over us like a wildfire burning everything in its way.
After twenty-five seconds of silence, Tobias finally moved his lips. At first, I thought he was only mouthing words, but then his whisper reached me.
"Akira… It's been thirty seconds, and these arrows are still hovering."
"I can tell," I whispered back, my throat dry.
"Akira, I have a plan to escape. It's do or die."
"I'll follow through with your plan," I whispered firmly.
Tobias's eyes narrowed as he leaned closer, his voice a sharp whisper. "Those arrows won't just fall; they'll probably be released at fast speeds. When they do, you'll use your water magic to create a dome, a shield to block as many as you can. But water alone won't hold forever against fire."
He raised his katana. "That's where I come in. The arrows that break through your shield, I'll cut them down before they hit us. But the second the rain of fire slows, we move. You'll use your water to clear us a path across the stones, and I'll carve through anything that gets too close."
My hands trembled slightly, but I nodded. "So it's timing and teamwork."
"Exactly," Tobias whispered, eyes fixed on the sky. "One mistake, and we're ash."
"On my mark, we sprint. Three… two… one—run!" Tobias shouted.
Water surged at my command, forming a shield above us. Tobias was already moving, katana drawn, his pace sharp as he leapt from stone to stone. I followed close behind, each jump harder than the last.
Tobias was ahead of me, carving the path forward with great momentum, while I struggled to keep up. My dome flickered as my focus wavered; the weight of maintaining it while running was challenging.
"Tobias… wait!" I called.
But he didn't slow. His eyes were locked forward, his blade raised, ready for the storm that hadn't yet fallen.
The distance between us grew, and a cold shiver ran down my spine—because I knew whoever was behind the arrows was waiting for a time of weakness, but I kept that fact to myself. They are probably observing us.
"Come on, Akira!" Tobias shouted, not daring to look back.
"I'm trying!" I gasped, forcing myself forward. But the gap between us widened, and that's when it happened.
The hovering arrows trembled and then, as if sensing my weakness, they fell.
A thousand fiery streaks ripped through the air, screaming down toward us. Heat rushed over my face, blinding, suffocating. Instinct kicked in, I thrust my arms up and forced the shield to swell, the water hissing as flames struck and splintered against it.
Tobias turned mid-leap, eyes blazing. "Hold it, Akira!" he roared, katana slicing through the arrows that pierced past my shield. Sparks exploded around him as steel clashed with flames.
The air was chaos—fire raining, water clashing, steel cutting. My arms trembled under the strain, my magic buckling, but together we endured. Then, finally, the storm ceased.
Ash, smoke, and cinders swirled in the aftermath, choking the air and disturbing my vision. My lungs burned, my eyes watered, and for a moment I could only stumble blindly through the haze.
Then, slowly, the gases began to clear.
Through the thinning smoke, a tiny silhouette emerged. Two red eyes cut through the darkness, glowing bright. As the last veil of ash drifted away.
A tiny figure hovered in the air, wings glimmering like shards of crystal, glowing faintly in the dim chamber. A fairy—barely the size of my hand—fluttered before us, her eyes mischievous, lips curled into a sly grin.
"Well done surviving the arrows," she said, her voice playful but carrying an unsettling weight. "But strength alone won't get you through the next part." She twirled in the air, conjuring a bow of light that materialised in her hands. The string hummed with magical energy as she drew it back, pointing it not at us, but at a distant target that shimmered into existence across the chamber.
"This trial," she announced, "will be a game of archery. Beat me… and you may pass."
Tobias lowered his blade, narrowing his eyes. "A game?" he muttered.
The fairy smirked. "Yes. Precision, not power. Do you dare?"
"Wait—how are you here? I thought fairies weren't allowed in this country," Tobias said, his voice sharp with suspicion.
The fairy giggled, twirling with her glowing bow. "Yes, that's true… but guardians don't answer to mortal laws. I was summoned here long ago, bound to this trial by magic older than your kingdoms. Whether fairies are welcome or not, I cannot leave until my task is fulfilled."
"So… what is your task?" I asked, my voice steady though my chest still heaved from the chaos before.
The fairy smirked, "My task?" she repeated, feigning innocence. "It's not to guide you, nor to reward you. It's to stop you."
Tobias's grip tightened on his katana.
The fairy raised her glowing bow, "I was bound to these trials for one reason—to challenge those foolish enough to attempt them, and to make sure only the impossible few ever pass. I'm not here to play fair. I'm here to keep you from succeeding."
She drew her bowstring, and a luminous arrow crackled to life. "So… shall we begin?"
"All right, then," I said, squaring my shoulders and locking eyes with the tiny guardian. "I accept the challenge."
Tobias nodded beside me, letting go of his sword. "Let's see what you've got," he added, his voice calm.
The fairy's grin widened, and she twirled in the air, arrow glowing brighter. "Good… then let the game begin."
The fairy hovered in the centre of the chamber. "Welcome to my game," she said, her voice light but edged with danger. "Three rounds, each more difficult than the last. Fail, and… well, you'll see why these trials are not for the faint of heart."
She raised her tiny hands, and the first set of targets materialised before them. "Round one: Phantom Targets. Three appear at a time—only one is real, the others are illusions. Hit the wrong one, or miss entirely, and points are deducted. Your score can even fall below zero. Precision is everything."
"Round two is the Small Targets. Tiny, fast, and worth far more than the previous ones. Make up for your earlier mistakes, or risk falling behind."
Her wings fluttered faster, sparks of light crackling around her. "Round three… the Death Match. Only two targets will appear: one representing you, one representing me. Hit the opposition's target, and you deal damage. Miss… and it will cost you. One wrong move could be your last."
After she explained everything, the fairy hovered over a small pile of weapons and arrows. "Bows, crossbows, arrows—take whatever you like," she offered.
"I'm good," I said, shaking my head. "I'll use my magic."
She nodded, wings shimmering as she accepted my choice. Tobias picked up a crossbow, testing its weight. "This will do," he muttered.
The fairy clapped her tiny hands, as though remembering something. "Ah, and I almost forgot—this is not an individual game. You play as one. Your points will be conjoined. If one of you fails, both of you fail. If one of you shines, you both share the glory."
Her smile widened. "Now then… Round One begins."
Tobias clicked his tongue, loading his crossbow. "So if you mess up, I mess up too. Great," he muttered, shooting me a sidelong glance.
I smirked, summoning water onto my index finger. "Then don't mess up. Simple as that."
The fairy giggled. With a snap of her fingers, three targets shimmered into existence above the coursing water. Two flickered faintly, illusions. One was solid—the real one.
"Remember," she chimed, "miss, and your points fall below zero."
Tobias steadied his aim, but I lifted my hand first, water swirling into a sharp spear of pressure. My eyes tracked the faint irregularities of the targets—the subtle shimmer of the illusions. With a sharp motion, I launched the strike.
The water bolt hit true. The false targets shattered into nothing, leaving only the real one pulsing with light. Our scoreboard flared: +10 points.
Tobias arched a brow. "Not bad."
"Stick with me," I replied, heat rising in my chest. "This round's mine."
The fairy clapped her hands, delighted. "Correct! Let's see if you can keep that streak alive…"
Another set of three targets appeared, faster this time.
The next set of three targets blinked into existence, darting side to side above the raging currents. Tobias narrowed his eyes, raising the crossbow and steadying his breath.
"Got it," he muttered and fired.
The bolt shot fast—only to pierce straight through an illusion. The false target shattered into sparks, while the real one flickered in the distance.
Our scoreboard pulsed red: –5 points.
Tobias clenched his jaw. "Tch. Damn it."
I looked at him, calm. "Focus. Don't let it get to you. Remember, we're in this together."
The fairy giggled, fluttering her wings. "One mistake can drag you down… how long before you drown in failure, I wonder?"
Her words hung in the air as another set of targets began to form, spinning faster this time.
The next set appeared, spinning faster than before. Tobias hesitated, his earlier miss still heavy in his stance.
"Leave it to me," I said quickly. Water surged around my arm, forming a sharp lance. With a flick, it shot forward, piercing the real target dead centre.
The scoreboard flared bright: +15 points.
The fairy's eyes lit up. "Round One… complete. And it seems your partner carried you through."
Tobias exhaled, sweat on his brow, but I stood tall, heart pounding with the rush of victory.
The fairy fluttered higher, her bow glowing faintly. "Enjoy your little victory," she said, voice sweet but sharp. "Because Round Two won't be so forgiving."
To Be Continued.