The alley had quieted again, leaving only the faint rustle of wind through torn cloth and wooden shutters. Ruby crouched on the barrel, still trembling from the close call with the thieves.
The glowing creature from before remained, a tiny feline-like being with fur that shimmered silver in the dim light. Its eyes, wide and unblinking, regarded her carefully. Ruby swallowed.
"Are… you going to attack me?"
she whispered, though she didn't fully expect an answer.
The creature flicked its tail and chirped—a sound like wind through leaves—but it didn't move closer. Instead, it darted back a few steps, then froze, its body rigid.
Ruby's heart sank. Magical animals didn't just test humans—they often killed those who tried to deceive them. She had survived the slums through cleverness, but could she survive this?
She crouched lower, trying to seem smaller, harmless.
"I'm not like the others," she said softly. "I… I can help you if you want."
The creature's glowing eyes narrowed. Ruby felt a tingle along her arms—her mana stirring instinctively. Without thinking, she reached out, letting her tiny aura brush against the creature's.
A hiss cut through the alley. Another creature appeared—larger, with deep emerald fur and eyes like molten gold. Ruby froze, realizing she was surrounded. Two more glowing animals emerged, their postures aggressive, tails raised.
She swallowed hard.
"I don't… want to fight," she said, voice barely audible.
"I just…"
Her words trailed off as a memory flickered in her mind—a fragment she didn't understand. Women shifting forms, standing tall, commanding animals, weaving mana through their bodies as if it were as natural as breathing.
Ruby's chest tightened.
Could it be… me?
The silver creature chirped again, a sound almost like laughter, before lunging forward—not to attack, but to sniff her hands. Ruby froze. Its touch was cool, electric, like tiny sparks of energy.
The emerald-furred one growled softly, but didn't advance. Ruby's small aura shimmered, reacting to the creatures' magic. Somehow, she could feel them, their hesitations, their doubts. She wasn't fully aware of how, but it resonated somewhere deep in her blood—something old, something powerful.
The creatures stepped back, circling her cautiously. Ruby clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay calm.
They're testing me… she thought.
I have to show them I'm not a threat.
A sudden squeak made her glance toward the alley's far end. Something shimmered—like the faint portal she had glimpsed before. But it flickered, unstable, almost as if it were calling to her, tugging at her very soul.
Ruby's pulse quickened. She wanted to run toward it, but the magical animals blocked her path—not with malice, but with caution. They wouldn't allow her to leave until they knew she could be trusted.
Her eyes met the silver creature's glowing gaze. She whispered, almost a plea,
"I want to do the right thing. Please… trust me."
A long, tense silence followed. The alley felt impossibly still, the kind of silence that makes even a heartbeat sound like thunder.
And then, the silver creature chirped once more, this time almost approvingly. Its companions relaxed slightly, but Ruby knew the trial wasn't over.
The portal shimmered again in her peripheral vision, more vivid than before, flickering like sunlight on water. Ruby's stomach twisted with anticipation—and fear.
She wasn't sure what waited beyond that light. All she knew was that her life, as small and fragile as it was, had just become something far bigger.