The mountain air was cold, sharp, and filled with an unsettling silence. The world seemed to be holding its breath as Elric stood alone in the darkness. The slayer Rayn was gone. Master Orin was nowhere to be found. All he had was the echo of Orin's last words—
"Reach my home before dawn… or fail."
For a moment, doubt tried to creep into his heart. The path down the mountain was unknown, hidden by thick forests and shadows that moved in the night. But Elric clenched his fists, his body aching yet unwilling to surrender.
"I've lost too much already. I cannot lose again. For my family, for the innocent people, I will keep going."
He inhaled deeply, letting the smell of the soil guide him. His sharp nose caught the faint trail of the path he had taken with Orin earlier. Though faint and mixed with the heavy scent of damp leaves, Elric trusted it.
And so, his trial began.
The ground beneath him looked solid. But with one misplaced step, it betrayed him.
THUD!
Elric fell, his body crashing into a deep pit hidden beneath thin layers of leaves and branches. Pain shot through his knees and back as he groaned in frustration.
The walls of the pit were muddy and steep, designed to trap him. For a second, he thought he would remain stuck there forever. His arms trembled as he clawed at the dirt, his nails breaking, blood dripping into the soil.
"Is this how it ends? Caught like a fool in the first test?"
But then he remembered Orin's piercing eyes, the strength in Rayn's swing of the blade, and the bloodied faces of his lost family.
"No… I cannot stop here. Not yet."
He dug his fingers deeper, using his knees as leverage, ignoring the pain. Inch by inch, he climbed. Mud smeared his face, rocks cut his palms, but after long, agonizing minutes, Elric dragged himself out of the pit.
His chest heaved, sweat dripping down his brow. But his eyes burned with fire.
"If this is a test, then I'll show them. I'll show the world."
Elric pushed forward through the thickets, his legs heavy. The moonlight barely lit the ground, shadows covering every corner of the forest.
He quickened his pace, not noticing the thin rope tied low across the path.
SNAP!
His foot caught it.
CRASH!
Elric's body flew forward, slamming onto the rocky soil. His face scraped against the dirt, his arms burned with fresh cuts. For a moment, his vision blurred.
Blood trickled down from his forehead. His entire body screamed at him to stop. To just lie there. To let the darkness take him.
But he gritted his teeth, his hands trembling as he forced himself back up.
"Pain is nothing… compared to what I've already lost."
He wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve and staggered forward again.
The forest grew thicker. Leaves rustled overhead as though whispering secrets. Elric's steps were cautious now, his senses heightened. Yet fate had more in store.
Suddenly, his feet tangled in something thin yet strong.
WHOOSH!
The ground vanished beneath him. The next thing he knew, he was swinging upside down, a tightly woven net holding him captive, suspending him from a tall tree.
His head throbbed from the sudden rush of blood. His arms flailed uselessly as the net swayed.
"No, no, no! Not like this!"
Desperation surged. He twisted and struggled, the rope biting into his skin. Then he remembered—the small knife tucked into his trousers. The one he had taken from Orin's house.
His hands fumbled for it, shaking violently as he tried to cut the thick ropes. The blade bit into the net. Slowly. Too slowly. Time was running out.
"Faster… faster… come on!"
With one final desperate slice, the rope snapped.
THUD!
Elric's back hit the ground with a sickening impact. His breath left his lungs. For several seconds, he couldn't even move. Pain shot through every bone. His vision blurred with tears.
"Stand up… Elric… stand up!"
His mind screamed. His body resisted. But with sheer will, he rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up. Every step forward felt like torture, but still, he kept moving.
The night dragged on endlessly. Every tree looked the same, every path seemed unfamiliar. Hunger gnawed at him, his wounds burned, and his legs shook like fragile branches in the wind.
But with each step, his resolve only hardened.
"If I give up now, my family's death means nothing. If I fail here, I will never be able to face the shadows again. I must reach Orin. I must become stronger."
The stars above seemed to mock him, watching silently as the broken boy crawled, limped, and forced himself through the night.
Time slipped away. The horizon began to lighten with faint traces of dawn.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Elric stumbled out of the dense forest. Ahead of him stood Orin's house, bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun.
Elric's body collapsed at the doorstep, bloodied, bruised, but alive.
Orin opened the door. His sharp eyes scanned the battered figure of Elric.
For the first time, a small smile tugged at the corners of the master's lips.
"So, you made it…" he murmured.
He bent down, helping Elric to his feet. His hands were steady, his voice calm.
"You have potential, boy. More than I expected. Most would have given up before the first hurdle. But you pushed through. That is why I will train you. You have earned it."
Tears welled in Elric's eyes, though he quickly blinked them away.
"Thank you, Master… I won't let you down."
Orin nodded.
"Rest for today. Bathe, eat, and heal your wounds. Tomorrow, your true training begins. And it will make this night feel like nothing."
Elric's body finally relaxed as he was guided inside. For the first time in a long while, hope bloomed in his heart.
-----Elric has survived his first trial, but this is only the beginning. What kind of brutal training does Master Orin have in store for him? Will Elric's body and mind be strong enough to endure it? Or will the shadows claim him before he ever becomes a true slayer?