Afghast regained consciousness after falling off the bridge, gasping for air as he clutched himself tightly.
He knew he had been swallowed by a massive Sharkpedo living under the darkest part of the gorge, chewed and torn apart; nonetheless, the pain still lingered. Yet, he was determined to confirm that he was indeed alive.
As he looked around, he found himself surrounded by a foggy landscape, standing in a grassy field filled with poppies. Feeling a chill, he wrapped his arms around himself.
Suddenly, a wooden screen materialized above him, and Miss Lauvender, the entrance exam facilitator, appeared.
"Congratulations, examinees, for passing the second part of the test," Miss Lauvender announced. Upon hearing this, Afghast collapsed to his knees, overwhelmed with gratitude for having overcome the second challenge.
The first challenge had tested their physical abilities, while the second challenge had pushed their mental capacity, particularly in discerning objects. Afghast had noticed that the defective hanging bridges were infested with tiny Termets, a bug type of Meadow Feral no larger than a sunflower seed. These Meadow Ferals had a habit of gnawing on the external parts of wood, causing unexpected structural collapses. As Afghast had studied Meadow Ferals since childhood, he was familiar with Termets, which had helped him make the right choice.
Initially, he had been disappointed when he failed to choose the correct bridge, but now he needed to muster his strength and confidence once again.
Afghast's thoughts drifted to the woman with aquamarine hair, and he couldn't help but wonder what had become of her and the other examinees who had crossed the Golden Gate.
His gaze drifted up to the screen hovering above, where Miss Lauvender's voice echoed through the air. "Your final exam is about to commence," she announced. Afghast's eyes remained fixed on the screen as he listened to her instructions. "A random object will appear before you, and you must use it to take the life of the person who approaches you. You have ten minutes to complete this challenge. Good luck, examinees!"
The screen vanished after Miss Lauvender finished speaking, leaving Agysmal with a sense of unease. He felt that Miss Lauvender had omitted a crucial detail – the consequences of failing the test.
A hangman's rope suddenly appeared in front of Afghast, and he quickly grabbed it. Now, he just waited for the person who would approach him.
"I hope this challenge will be easy," he said to himself. However, to his surprise, a very familiar boy ran towards him. The boy even hugged him when he saw him. Afghast froze at the sight.
"Big Bro, I'm so happy to see you," said the boy, his younger brother, seven-year-old Revictor. The boy released his hug and faced his older brother with a smile. "We've been looking for you for a long time, Big Bro. We thought Uncle had caught up with you, but here you are." Afghast's eyes glazed over as he stared at his younger brother.
He thought that this might be just an illusion, a trick, but his instinct told him that the person in front of him was indeed his real brother. Although he missed his siblings, especially Revictor, he needed to make sure that the person in front of him was truly his brother.
He sat down in mid-air to be at the same height as Revictor. He held the boy's hands and stroked them to feel a connection.
"Tell me what happened to you and Big Sis? How did you survive?" Afghast asked softly.
Revictor tried to recall the events. "I was in the garden, chasing after flying Butlerflies with our nanny, when Big Sis came and said we had to leave the house because we were going to meet Mum and Dad at the beach house. Big Sis was with Merrick."
"Merrick, the gardener's son?"
Revictor nodded. "But you were left behind. Big Sis said you would follow us, but you didn't show up. I waited for you. Then, Big Sis lied to me because we didn't go to the beach house, but to a shack. I didn't see Mum and Dad."
"'So you're living in a shack now. How's life there?' Revictor asked, curious about the siblings' fate after escaping the palace.
"It's simple, but often sad because we're not whole,' the child replied honestly. 'The only thing is, it's noisy in the shack because there are many of us living there. Almost everyone brings weapons or guns, even Big Sis.'"
Agysmal's eyes began to well up with tears. "How did you end up in a place like this?"
"Big Sis told me to pick some tomatoes from the garden, and then a man approached me. He said he knew where you were, so I followed him. He also gave me treats for being obedient," Revictor revealed. "I was scared at first because this place was all foggy and empty, but I was happy to see you."
Afghast gazed intently at Revictor, examining his brother's condition. Unlike his usual well-groomed and healthy appearance, Revictor now looked like a wild child, with numerous scratches on his skin. His hair was disheveled, and he wore tattered, oversized clothes with many patches. He had lost weight and seemed malnourished.
When Afghast glanced at the floating clock, he realized he was running out of time. The child was oblivious to the situation.
"Big Bro, let's go home," Revictor urged. "We've been waiting for you so we can go to the beach house."
Agysmal thought that if this really was the real Revictor, then he must know him very well. But when Revictor saw the rope Afghast was holding, he sensed something was off about his brother.
The little boy stepped back in trepidation, trying to get away from his brother. Because of this, Revictor pulled out his dirk—a long-bladed dagger—and conjured up a mint green flame.
"What's with the rope you're holding?" the child asked, his voice trembling. Afghast slowly approached him, signaling for him to calm down. "Are you going to kill me?"
Afghast stuttered. "I don't want to lie to you, my brother, but I'm sorry for what I have to do."
"No! I won't forgive you for what you're going to do to me!"
"It's painful, but I need you to be a sacrificial lamb for my plan to succeed and reclaim the throne stolen by Uncle Leclerc."
"If that's the reason, then you need to defeat me in a duel first!"
Revictor attacked Afghast with the flaming dirk, which was accompanied by blade-like eucalyptus leaves. Afghast parried each attack, but as much as possible, he didn't want to hurt his brother.
Revictor gathered all his hidden strength and unleashed a flame that resembled a flying, caped hero towards Afghast. However, Afghast only suffered a scratch on his cheek. When Afghast got close, he immediately trapped Revictor in a suffocating embrace. The child struggled until he gradually found it harder to breathe.
When Afghast saw that the child's immune system was weakening, he sat down while cradling his dying brother. As he gazed at his big brother, tears fell from Revictor's eyes, accompanied by a faint smile.
"Revictor, tell me, what do you think is my happiest memory with you?"
"Oh, there are many!" Revictor replied laboriously, but then he paused, thinking. "I guess you're happiest memory is when you carried me on your shoulders and caught falling leaves with me."
Afghast couldn't help but tear up as he listened to his innocent brother. If the person who's about to be killed is this innocent and pure-hearted, how will they be able to pass the test?
As time ran out, Revictor continued sharing happy memories while Afghast hugged him tight.
"Mom and Dad—they're gone," he revealed, his face streaming with tears. Revictor stopped mid-story, looking utterly bewildered. "They were accused of being traitors and corrupt by the very people they trusted. And now, our kingdom is ruled by our uncle, who has a terrible temper. I feel sorry for the future of the kingdom—the innocent citizens of Lovelrinth. I feel sorry for them. And here I am, powerless to bring justice to our parents' death. I'm unable to help you and Recontesa. I'm a disappointing brother. I'm sorry, Revictor, but I have to do this."
Afghast wrapped the rope around his brother's neck, tightening it as Revictor struggled for life. Afghast's tears flowed as he held the rope, his grip tightening as the clock ticked down. Before time ran out, Revictor's lifeless body slumped to the ground.
Afghast collapsed to his knees, embracing his brother's corpse. His sobs were now accompanied by screams. A minute passed, and Afghast remained frozen in that position, his tears dried up. The pain was so overwhelming that he felt numb.
Suddenly, the fog dissipated, revealing a clear sky. As the fog lifted, the other examinees emerged, mourning the loss of their loved ones. It turned out they were all nearby.
Some examinees had succeeded in facing the challenge, while others had failed. Instead of killing their loved ones, some had chosen to spare their lives. A few examinees wanted to protest the unfair exam method, but those who failed were crushed by massive boulders falling from the sky, killing both them and their loved ones.
Afghast was insensible to the chaos around him. Hugging his dead brother's body, he realized that he was even worse than the people who falsely accused and killed their parents. "Mom and Dad will despise me for what I've done. But I had to take the risk; I had to make the sacrifice to achieve my goal."
The screen popped up again, and Miss Lauvender's face appeared. "Congratulations, you have all passed the third and final part of your entrance exam. You are now official trainees in the High Periphery. All of you did a great job!"