The heavy gates of the Obsidian Citadel had already shut behind the long line of initiates, the resonant boom of closing stone echoing through the cliffside like a final judgment. The elders had already begun their orientation rites inside, their deep chants rolling through the air like the rumble of distant thunder.
Then came a sound, an odd, almost lazy thump… thump… thump, as bare feet slapped against the dusty stone path leading up to the citadel.
A single figure emerged from the heat shimmer of the desert, strolling as if he hadn't a care in the world. His hair, long and messy, was stark white, streaked with chaotic lines of black that looked like ink bleeding through snow. A blindfold hung loosely around his neck, revealing cloudy grey eyes, dull and sightless, yet the way he walked, confidently sidestepping rocks and cracks in the path, made it hard to believe he was blind at all.
His clothing was even stranger. A crude outfit stitched together from fox hide, the seams uneven, the fur matted but surprisingly well-fitted to his tall, lean frame. His bare feet kicked up small clouds of dust as he walked, and slung over his shoulder like a tiny prince on a throne was a snow-white bunny, fast asleep and snoring softly.
One of the gatekeepers, a burly man with a shaved head and permanent scowl, gawked at the sight. "You've got to be kidding me…" he muttered under his breath as the boy sauntered up the steps like a man on a casual stroll through a market.
The latecomer paused right in front of the massive gates, tilted his head back, and let out a small, drawn-out sigh.
"…Closed already? Tch. You'd think they'd leave it open for the handsome ones."
The guard nearly choked. "Handsome...!? Boy, do you even know where you are?!"
The boy tilted his head, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "Yup. Big scary black fortress. Legendary trials. Life and death. Don't die. Blah blah."
"…And you're late," the guard snapped.
"Fashionably late," the boy corrected, raising a finger as if making a grand point.
The bunny on his shoulder twitched in its sleep and let out a tiny snrk, as though laughing at its own private joke.
"You're lucky the ceremony hasn't started fully," the guard grumbled, glancing nervously at the watchtowers. "You almost lost your chance to enter. If the Elders saw you strolling in like some wandering nomad..."
"Then they'd probably faint from how amazing I look," the boy interrupted again, striking a dramatic pose. His hair fell into his blind eyes, the wind ruffling the fox fur cloak just enough to make him look more like some wayward beast than a human.
The guard pinched the bridge of his nose. "…This is going to be a long year."
The gates groaned open slightly, just enough for the boy to slip through. He raised his hands in mock celebration and walked past the guard as if he owned the place, the bunny snoring louder now that the air had cooled inside.
No one knew his name. No one knew where he came from.
But one thing was certain: the latecomer had arrived, and the Citadel was about to get a lot more chaotic.
...
The courtyard of the Obsidian Citadel was nearly silent now, the last of the candidates lined up in disciplined rows beneath the obsidian walls. The Head Elder lifted his hand to begin the initiation speech when...
THUD… THUD… THUD!
Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed from the sandstone path.
A figure emerged through the gates, walking as if he had all the time in the world. His tanned skin, fox-hide clothing, and bare feet drew immediate whispers. The white bunny snoozing on his shoulder didn't help either.
"…You've got to be kidding me," muttered one of the disciples in line.
"Am I late?" the boy asked casually, scratching the back of his head as though he'd just overslept rather than kept a sect full of elders waiting.
The Head Elder's eye twitched. "Late? Boy, the ceremony has already begun."
One of the well-dressed candidates snorted. "He probably got lost on his way out of the dunes."
The boy blinked slowly. "No. I just stopped to pee."
A ripple of laughter spread through the line. Even some of the instructors coughed to hide their amusement.
"Name," the Elder ordered flatly.
"Do I really have to?" he replied with a lazy grin.
"…Yes."
"Fine, fine. Put me wherever you put troublemakers."
The bunny on his shoulder yawned, stretching its tiny paws, which only made the situation more absurd.
The Elder sighed, a long, soul-weary sigh. "Very well. You'll still undergo the entrance test. Fail it, and you leave."
"Yeah, yeah. If I fail, I'll crawl back to my cave."
A few disciples burst into laughter at that, and someone whispered, "He's either crazy… or he's going to be fun."
The barefoot stranger shuffled into line, looking completely out of place, yet somehow, he stole every bit of attention without even trying.
If only they knew the kind of trouble he was bringing...