They ran.

  Through trees that bled sap like veins.

  Under vines that hunted like wolves.

  Rell limped. Arm cut. Chest scorched.

  Grinsh carried Myla on his back.

  Selena barked orders, staff glowing red-hot.

  “MOVE! Don’t stop! It’s thinning—just a little more!”

  The trees broke.

  They reached a clearing — dead flat earth. No vines. Just soil.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  But the ground… pulsed.

  Zariin dropped to one knee.

  “The core’s here. Beneath us.”

  Tesska growled, blade shaking in her hand.

  “We dig? Burn? What?”

  Rell stepped forward. Flame flickered from his palms. His eyes narrowed.

  [SPEAKS] “…We kill.”

  He slammed both hands into the ground.

  A surge of flame and adamant burst downward. The earth split—

  A massive root-beast screamed from beneath, rising like a centipede made of wood and mouths.

  It thrashed.

  Grabbed Grinsh. Slung him into trees.

  Ishro jumped on its back — fists cracking bark like thunder.

  Zariin’s illusions made duplicates of Rell — vines chased shadows.

  Selena screamed a spell — fire spears rained down.

  Still it fought.

  Still it grew.

  Rell ran straight up its side.

  [THOUGHTS]

  Move. Strike. Burn.

  He lit both fists — one fire, one adamant.

  He jumped.

  Drove both into the creature’s face.

  The root screamed — flailing, spasming, burning from the inside out.

  Selena blasted the trunk.

  It ignited like dry leaves.

  The beast collapsed in on itself, crumbling into ash and mulch.

  Silence.

  No more vines.

  The ground stopped breathing.

  They had won.

  Rell fell to one knee, gasping.

  Selena sat beside him, sweat pouring down her face.

  “…We lived.”

  Grinsh coughed.

  “Barely.”

  Zariin spoke soft.

  “Trial Two… complete.”

  But even in their victory…

  The trees still watched.