The morning sun painted streaks of gold across the sky as Elric dragged himself out of bed, still sore from yesterday's Titan Shell torture. He groaned, stretched, and rubbed his eyes. His whole body screamed rebellion, but Orin's voice from outside cut through his sleepy haze.
"Get ready. We're going back to the forest."
Elric froze mid-yawn. "Wait… back to that forest? The one with creepy silence, shadows, and the exact same place where my soul nearly escaped my body on day one?"
But Orin didn't answer. He was already walking ahead, calm and silent, his steps steady like a man who knew exactly what he was doing.
"Master, are you… are you serious?" Elric muttered, running to catch up. "Why can't training be something normal? Like, I don't know, push-ups? Or maybe a nap competition? I'd be champion!"
But deep inside, Elric knew better. Orin wasn't the kind of teacher who gave "normal."
Soon they arrived. The same forest stretched before them, tall trees rising like watchtowers, the same path where Elric had once trembled like a lost child. Birds chirped faintly, but the forest carried a weighty silence that pressed against his chest.
Elric gulped. "Master… why are we here again? Didn't this place already traumatize me enough?"
Orin turned to him, his gaze sharp but calm. "Two days of training have changed you. Today, you will test those changes. Alone."
Elric blinked. "A-alone? Wait, what do you mean 'alone'? Where are you going?"
Orin simply pointed ahead. "From here, you will go through the forest. Every step will test your speed, endurance, and focus. If you pass, you may return home. If you fail… don't come back until you succeed."
And with that, Orin turned his back and started walking toward the hut.
"Wait, wait, WAIT! Master! At least tell me what's waiting ahead! Wild animals? Hungry bears? Angry squirrels?" Elric shouted desperately.
But Orin didn't even turn around. He disappeared into the distance, leaving Elric standing at the mouth of the forest with a dry throat and a heart pounding like a war drum.
"…Well, crap."
Elric slapped his cheeks. "Alright, Elric. You can do this. It's just a forest. A very scary, probably deadly forest. But hey, you survived Titan Shell yesterday, right? How bad can this be?"
He took a deep breath and sprinted forward. Leaves crunched beneath his boots, adrenaline surging.
Then it happened. His foot caught on something thin and sharp.
SNAP!
"A rope?!" Elric shouted, leaping backward. "Oh no, oh no, oh no! I've seen this in stories—next thing I know, I'm hanging upside down like a deer!"
But nothing pulled him upward. Instead—
THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
Arrows burst from the trees, flying straight at him.
"AAAAH! WHAT THE—?!" Elric screamed, throwing himself flat on the ground as three wooden arrows whizzed overhead, embedding into the tree behind him.
He scrambled backward, heart in his throat. "Master! You absolute demon! Who puts arrow launchers in a forest?! This isn't training, this is MURDER!"
The barrage stopped as suddenly as it started. Elric crawled to his feet, trembling, brushing dirt from his clothes. His lips twisted in a bitter laugh. "Great. First trap, and I almost became a pincushion. At this rate, I'll graduate training in a coffin."
Determined not to give up, Elric inhaled sharply. "Okay… okay. One step at a time. Watch your feet. Watch the trees. And for the love of bread, don't die."
He started again, slower this time, weaving between the trees.
Suddenly, another rope. SNAP!
"Not again—"
This time arrows rained from both sides.
Elric dove left, rolled right, then tripped over a root and yelped as two arrows grazed his arm and leg. Pain shot through him, sharp and hot.
"OW! OWOWOW! MASTER, I'M BLEEDING! THIS CONTRACT NEVER MENTIONED FREE BLOOD DONATION!"
He pressed his hand against the shallow cut, panting. For a second, doubt crept in.
What if I can't make it? What if this training really kills me?
But then he clenched his jaw. No. If I stop here, then my family's memory means nothing. If I want revenge, if I want to protect anyone… I can't stop now.
He forced himself up, shaking, sweat dripping down his temples. "Bring it on, forest. I'll show you who's boss!"
Another volley of arrows came, but this time he weaved better—still clumsy, but moving with the rhythm Orin had taught him. Breath in, step forward. Breath out, dodge.
His body screamed in pain, but his spirit burned brighter.
Hours dragged on. The sun rose higher, then began its slow descent. Elric's body ached everywhere, his cuts stung, and his legs felt like stone.
But when he thought it couldn't get worse, he stepped into another trigger.
CLANG!
From the trees, wooden mechanisms snapped open. But this time, instead of arrows, blades shot outward—real swords mounted on swinging arms, slashing through the air.
Elric's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! REAL SWORDS? WHO EVEN BUILDS THIS KIND OF TRAINING COURSE?!"
He ducked as one blade sliced inches above his head, sparks flying as it scraped a rock. He spun and leapt as another came at his chest, barely missing.
But he wasn't fast enough.
SLASH!
A blade nicked his side, tearing through his tunic and leaving a burning cut. He staggered, gasping, clutching his ribs.
Pain blurred his vision. "I… I can't… I can't do this…"
The words slipped out before he could stop them. He fell to his knees, breathing ragged.
Is this it? he thought bitterly. Am I really going to die in a forest filled with traps instead of on the battlefield? What kind of stupid, weak person am I?
He remembered Orin's words: "If you cannot carry this weight, how will you carry the weight of your family's memory?"
He remembered his father's voice: "Even if you're lazy, Elric, you must never stop moving forward."
His chest burned. His fists clenched. Tears threatened to fall, but he grit his teeth.
"No… no, I won't quit. I can't quit."
Slowly, trembling, Elric forced himself to stand. His legs shook, his body screamed, but his eyes burned with new fire.
"Master… you want me to break? Too bad. I'll survive this stupid forest if it kills me!"
The rest of the day was a nightmare.
Every few steps, another trap. Arrows flew. Swords swung. Nets tried to pull him up. Pitfalls almost swallowed him whole.
He dodged. He rolled. He fell, screamed, laughed at his own misery, then crawled back up again. He shouted ridiculous things at the trees:
"IS THIS FOREST ALIVE?!""MASTER, ARE YOU WATCHING ME DIE FROM YOUR WINDOW?!""I DEMAND A SALARY FOR THIS TORTURE!"
But despite the pain, despite the endless traps, Elric kept moving. His steps were heavy, his cuts many, but his spirit—unshaken.
At last, the sun dipped behind the horizon. Darkness swallowed the forest, shadows stretching long and cold. Elric collapsed against a tree, chest heaving, blood and sweat soaking his clothes.
He stared up at the faint stars peeking through the canopy.
"…I'm still alive," he whispered. "Barely… but alive."
But then doubt returned, whispering like a cruel shadow.
Can I really make it to Master Orin? Or am I stuck here, doomed to wander this forest forever?
His eyelids grew heavy. His wounds burned. He wanted to give up so badly.
But his heart roared back: No. I can't stop. Not until I reach him.
He clenched his fists, forcing his tired body upright one more time.
Somewhere deeper in the forest, a new mechanism clicked. A sound sharper, deadlier than before.
Elric froze. His eyes widened.
"…Oh no."
And with that, the chapter ended—leaving the forest darker, deadlier, and Elric standing at the edge of yet another trial.