Trials

The carriage rumbled down the road, its wheels creaking as the horses galloped hard. Inside, the passengers were mostly villagers, though one man stood out.

A man, his bow resting across his lap, his wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his face. 

He seemed to doze off, barely awake. His rugged, worn features spoke of a life lived on the edge. 

Perhaps I stared for too long as with the subtle movements of his fingers he lifted his hat for a moment to meet my gaze with one sharp, calculating eye. But just as quickly, he returned to his half-sleep, as though I wasn't worth his attention.

The interaction reminded me to not get too lost in watching strangers. So turned my eyes to the outside world.

Beyond the carriage, the landscape was a blur of snow-covered trees. We had already passed the city, and all that lay ahead was the wilderness. It was beautiful, yes, but it did nothing to calm the unease gnawing at me.

'The Veilwood Forest...' I thought, my breath escaping in a soft, nervous sigh. My stomach churned at the very thought. I was on my way to one of the most dangerous places in the land, and all I had to protect myself was a scrappy sword. It was irrational, yes, but I didn't have many options. The journey was necessary. 

And the reason for my poor choice was a TRIAL.

I calmed my nerves down but as the cold air whipped around me, I couldn't suppress the rising fear. The world outside, with its barren trees and snow, was nothing compared to what lay ahead. In that forest, a single moment of distraction could end my life.

'I really should have treated the characters better.'

That thought lingered, reminding me of my past as a writer—my choices, the way I'd written the world, shaping it with my own hands. Most of the readers had given up on my story halfway through. They complained that I treated the characters poorly, that there was no hope, no happy ending. In some ways, they were right. I wrote out of spite, out of frustration. I'd treated the characters as mere pawns in my world. And now… I was one of them. The irony of it hit me. Karma had come full circle.

'Funny,' I thought bitterly. 'So many people begged for me to be kinder to the characters. And here I am, stuck with them—and myself.'

But it didn't matter now. What was done was done. The consequences of my actions, my own spite, were now my reality. And the Trial ahead... I couldn't avoid it, no matter how much I wanted to.

Thinking about the Trial. A shiver ran down my spine.

Basically A Trial was a crack in space and time—a rift where anyone could enter, face a task, and be rewarded. The common folk believed these were tests from the gods, a way to gain favor and power. But they didn't know the truth. They didn't know the real reason behind these cracks.

People are quick to accept what they don't understand. It's easier to believe it's divine intervention rather than face the terrifying unknown. But there was indeed some truth in their belief—the Trials did grant power, but not to just anyone.

'If only my rank wasn't F...'

I'd chosen the Trial in the Veilwood Forest because I had no other option. Once a crack was discovered, the powerful—nobles, cults, even academies—would stake their claim, and only those with influence could access them. For someone like me, a lowly F-ranked individual with no strong background it was the only chance I had.

But the risk...

'I'm scared,' I admitted to myself.

But I had no choice. If I didn't face the Trial, I would never rise from my pitiful station. I had to take the chance.

Before I could dwell too long on my fears, the carriage came to a stop with a jolt. The coachman's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Boy, get out."

I hesitated for a moment before stepping out, the cold air biting at my skin. We had stopped on a narrow, snow-covered path. The coachman, eying me with a mix of pity and indifference, spoke again.

"You can enter the forest from your left. In a day, you should reach the Veilwood."

I nodded, my nerves tightening as I looked toward the dense trees. There were no visible paths, just towering trunks and the endless wilderness beyond. I had to walk. No one was going to take me further into the heart of the forest, and I had no choice but to push forward.

'Normal people wouldn't dare to go any further...'

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. The fear still churned in my gut, but I forced my legs to move.

'Here goes nothing.'