The sound of steel against hide echoed through the clearing.
Luke moved swiftly, his blade carving arcs through the air with minimal resistance. He faced off against a beast resembling a massive wolf—but with a disturbing twist. Its lower jaw was reinforced with dark metal, and plates of dull steel lined its underbelly, clinking with every movement.
*A/N - I will Put Oponents Viewboard/Name
{ OPPONENT: STRONGJAW GREYBACK WOLVES }
Luke ducked under a sweeping claw and retaliated with a low slash aimed at the wolf's leg joint. The blow connected, severing tendons and sending the beast tumbling to the dirt.
'Shallow, However-'Luke thought
Before he could follow through, a second sword streaked through the air with precision and buried itself in the wolf's exposed flank. The beast let out a gurgled growl and slumped to the forest floor, unmoving.
The sword dug into the creature's side, putting it down for good.
Persin stepped forward, casually yanking his blade free.
"The sun is going down," he said, flicking the blood off his sword. "We should set up camp for now."
"A commoner dares to give orders—" Tergil snapped, venom sharp in his tone. He took a step forward, eyes narrowed.
But before the words could finish leaving his mouth, Princess Felior's calm voice cut clean through the tension.
"That seems like a good plan."
Tergil gritted his teeth, clearly displeased. But the moment the princess spoke, all objections died in his throat. He turned away in silence, his pride wounded but not bold enough to confront royalty.
Soon, the group had established a modest camp. A fire crackled at the center, flickering shadows dancing across their tired faces. The scent of smoke mixed with the crisp forest air. Jevon rested against a log nearby, still recovering from the earlier encounter with the Guron. He winced occasionally, a makeshift bandage wrapped around his side.
Luke sat on one of the logs, elbows on his knees, eyes lost in the flames. The orange glow reflected in his irises, his expression unreadable.
'Compared to the Black Steel Guron, these beasts are more standard for us trainees. Could this test really be as straightforward as it seems? Or was that encounter a mistake in the testing? Something about it doesn't sit right.'
Footsteps crunched softly over grass.
Princess Felior approached, her long red hair swaying gently behind her as she sat beside him, her posture graceful, yet weary.
"I have a question… one I hope you'll answer," Felior said, her voice soft, just enough to pierce the crackling silence of the fire.
Luke didn't turn. He continued staring into the flames, his face unreadable, lit faintly by the flickering glow. He wasn't the type to speak needlessly—and certainly not the type to answer just because royalty asked.
But he listened.
"Aren't you… afraid of death?" Felior asked quietly.
The words hung in the air like drifting ash. Her tone was hesitant, like she regretted asking the moment it left her lips.
'That was foolish. He won't answer. Why would someone like him respond to something so… random?' she scolded herself, already turning her gaze away.
Silence stretched between them.
Then Luke shifted. His eyes flicked toward her—not for long, just enough.
"I'm afraid of everything," he said, voice low, as if talking to the night itself. "Even learning something new scares me. But if I let that fear stop me… I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't even step outside."
He lifted his gaze to the dark sky. Stars were beginning to peek through the veil of twilight, distant and cold.
Felior blinked, stunned. She hadn't expected a reply—let alone one so honest.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came. Instead, she dropped her eyes to the fire and whispered under her breath, almost unconsciously, "Lucky…"
Luke's ear twitched.
"Did you say something?" he asked, his tone still neutral.
"Uh—no! No, nothing," she stammered, waving her hands quickly in front of her. "Just… talking to myself."
Luke tilted his head slightly. 'That reaction… is she really that scared of death?'
Then Felior looked up again, her eyes steadier than before. "Don't worry," she said, her voice quieter now, but calm. "You can trust me."
Luke blinked.
'Why do I feel like she's misunderstanding something…?' he thought, frowning slightly. But he didn't say anything more.
Not far off, close to the fire, Tergil watched the exchange unfold. His fists clenched against his knees, and his lips curled with disgust.
His eyes burned with a barely contained rage. "How can the Princess lower herself to speak with something like that…"
Just as the mood threatened to darken, soft footsteps approached.
Persin returned, carrying three freshly caught rabbits slung over his shoulder. He gave a tired smile and set them down beside the fire.
"Dinner's here," he said, brushing off his hands. "Hope no one minds rabbit stew."
The night fell quietly after that. The fire was stoked, the meat was cooked, and though few words were exchanged, something unspoken passed between them all—wary trust, fragile and new, like the flickering embers that somehow kept the darkness at bay.
Their first night in the trial passed, not in perfect peace, but with the smallest sense of warmth.