Bold Words, Bold Actions

'Courage is a force of the spirit. It's the unyielding breath, the push forward, facing fear without hesitation. From that perspective, not stopping while crossing the bridge kind of makes sense. Theoretically, it all fits.'

Still, I decided to proceed carefully and make sure I hadn't missed any details. Moving toward the cliff's edge, I looked down. Dense clouds blocked my view, shrouding whatever lay below, so deep I couldn't even guess the distance.

No doubt—falling means death. Turning back, I walked a bit in the direction we'd come from and climbed a tree to get a broader view. As far as the eye could see, there wasn't a single sign of human life.

And to my surprise, the sky had already turned to night, the brief dusk swallowed by darkness. A chill ran through me as the light faded unnaturally fast, 'No way—it shouldn't get dark this quickly.' An ominous feeling gripped me, and I knew I couldn't linger. I had to cross the bridge now.

Picking up my belongings, I took one last look at the mountainside and carefully stepped onto the bridge.

The narrow rope bridge looked like it hadn't been maintained in ages. Each step brought a creak that made my teeth clench, and whenever the wind picked up, the whole bridge swayed, my heart leaping with it. My slippers didn't offer much grip, so I couldn't risk rushing, lest I end up barefoot.

Fortunately, the bridge wasn't missing any boards, and while the wood looked aged, it was all intact. Gradually, my initial terror began to fade, and I forced myself to maintain a steady pace.

I may have a slight fear of heights, but as long as I didn't look down, I'd be fine. Even if I did, it was just a blanket of mist below. After walking about halfway, though, something felt off.

When I first gauged the distance from one side of the cliff to the other, it couldn't have been more than a hundred meters, yet after covering at least half that, I was only slightly closer to the other side.

Confused, I looked back and froze.

A dense, endless fog was creeping toward me, swallowing the mountains and covering the cliff edge, creeping closer and closer.

"What the—? Okay, okay, stay calm. Just keep moving." Hugging my bag tightly, I gripped the rope railing with my other hand and picked up my pace. By now, night had completely fallen, and the cliff across from me was only faintly visible. I was sweating bullets, but no matter how much I pushed forward, the other side felt no closer.

I glanced back again, but all I saw was a wall of mist, closing in from all sides.

Within moments, I was engulfed, and paired with the pitch darkness, I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. Slowing down, I forced my senses into overdrive, hyper-aware of every sound around me.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The only noise in the silence was my own footsteps. Even the wind had vanished, leaving only the creaks of the wooden boards underfoot.

'Hmm?', I began to notice something strange.

With each step, the bridge would sink slightly beneath me, giving off a crisp creak. But each time, the sound seemed to stretch a bit longer than expected, as if… as if someone were stepping exactly where I had just been.

A chill ran down my spine as the realization hit. Cold sweat trickled down my back as I struggled to control my breathing. I knew the purpose of this trial was to instill fear, to test my courage.

But even knowing that didn't stop the icy fear creeping through my veins. I couldn't risk looking back, nor could I slow my steps to check if it was just my imagination. I pushed forward mechanically, each step trembling in the oppressive darkness.

'This isn't working,' I suddenly realized.

'No way! At this rate, I'll either scare myself half to death, or my performance on this trial will be completely awful', "Righteous energy fills the universe. It forms the rivers below and stars above, rising in men as the breath of virtue…"

I closed my eyes and started reciting aloud. My voice wasn't exactly steady, but it was enough to drown out the eerie silence.

Focusing all my attention on recalling the lines of the Ode to Righteousness, I increased my pace, almost running across the bridge.

Just as I was nearing the end of the recitation, my right hand suddenly grabbed air, and my footing changed.

I stumbled forward, nearly falling, and opened my eyes to find myself standing on solid ground on the opposite cliff. Before me was a small, nondescript cabin. I could've sworn I hadn't seen this building when I surveyed the cliff earlier.

"Did I–did I make it?" Half-dazed, I stepped forward and pushed open the door. Inside was the familiar white-lit room, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Glancing back, I saw the valley, now calm. The fog was gone, the rope bridge swayed gently in the wind, and the sky was bright again, as if it were still mid-afternoon.

It was as if that suffocating mist had never existed. "Figures, just another test. Damn, that was terrifying."

I walked into the room, feeling the cold sweat on my back and forehead, and tossed my belongings onto the floor, supporting myself as I caught my breath.

"House! What took you so long? Whoa, are you alright?" Carl was standing nearby, chatting with the girls, who were the three companions I'd been separated from earlier. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and he quickly walked over.

"Don't get me started. That courage test was no joke—I was scared out of my mind. Carl, I didn't see you when I entered. Where did you end up?"

"Huh? Was it that bad? I didn't have much trouble. I ended up outside some old, creepy mansion. It was definitely spooky, but, well, it was the Path of Courage, right? I figured it was like one of those haunted houses, so I just made a break for it, and that was it. The place had a spooky vibe, sure, but nothing really scary. What about your door? Must've been something else to freak you out that much."

I stared at Carl, slack-jawed,'Wait, this can't be real. Carl just… barreled through and aced the trial? Just like that? Am I the one who's out of my mind here, or is the examiner playing favorites? Wait… if this test is about courage, then maybe Carl's blunt, straightforward approach actually hit the mark. He didn't get shaken by the haunted environment because he kept his cool—meaning his results were probably great.'

'But, I knew I was supposed to cross a bridge, but still hesitated and overthought it, letting fear get to me before I even started. Looking back, the environment kept reflecting my own nervousness, amplifying my doubts and anxieties.'

'The more I think about it, the more it's clear that the trial was designed to mess with overthinkers like me. The more cautious I was, the more it threw back my own fears at me. This challenge was basically made to trip up people who think too much.'

I looked at Carl with a mix of envy and awe, 'So is he secretly wise, or just incredibly lucky?'

Standing nearby in her heels, Lana listened to us, clearly intrigued. "From the looks of it, you didn't pass quite as smoothly as Carl, did you?"

I described my experience with a bit of exasperation. "To be fair, it wasn't even that scary in a traditional sense. It just preyed on my mind…"

Lana smirked, "Oh, your mind, huh?"

"…Yes, my mind. Basically, I was just scaring myself. The atmosphere merely played off my own worries and fears. If I had Carl's mindset and just focused on getting across, I probably would've been fine."

Lana chuckled, leaning against the wall, her laughter shaking her shoulders. "Look who finally got outsmarted by his own overthinking. Oh, if only I could've seen that—would've been priceless."

I glared at her as she continued to laugh, her chest practically bouncing from amusement. "But seriously, this stuff can't just be explained by technology anymore, right? Carl and I were 'transported' to totally different places. If this isn't some insanely advanced hologram tech, then it's straight-up paranormal."

I turned to Danny and Janice, who were both trying to hide their smiles. "What about you two? What did you guys encounter?"

Danny covered her mouth, still grinning. "Actually, the three of us weren't separated. We went through a door labeled 'Observation.' Inside, we found several copies of ourselves, and we had to figure out who was real in under ten minutes."

She scratched her head sheepishly. "Lana and Janice did most of the work, really. Lana kept interrogating the copies until they messed up their answers, and Janice spotted little behavior quirks. I pretty much just got a free pass."

'Another round of next-gen tech? Robots? Clones? Projections? The test sounded fascinating, though—challenging their observational skills and perception to see through deception.'

'If I'd had their test, I wouldn't have ended up in such a mess.'

Giving Janice a thumbs-up, I said, "Impressive, Janice. You've got hidden talents, huh?"

Janice smiled shyly, though it was clear she felt a bit proud. Wait a second—while Danny may have breezed through thanks to the others, everyone else seemed to have handled the third challenge better than I did.

'Was I really the last one through the door?'

I rubbed my chin, deep in thought, 'This third test had really started revealing everyone's strengths and weaknesses.'

Mentally, I rated each member.

'Intellectually, if no one here is playing dumb, I'm miles ahead of the others. Physically, Carl's clearly in the best shape. And while he can be blunt, he has a knack for courage that I didn't expect. Lana has sharp judgment and a strong logical mind, second only to mine, plus a natural ability to lead. Apart from challenging me over my suggestions, the others seem to trust her, and I get the feeling she'd be this group's center if I hadn't taken charge in the earlier rounds.'

'Janice has a keen eye for detail and a knack for quick judgment, even though she's quieter and more introverted. Danny's a bit of a wildcard—she hasn't shown any unique skills yet, but she's courageous and likable. That sense of cohesion she brings is valuable too.'

'Interesting… So, were the five of us brought here randomly, or with some purpose in mind? And what lies ahead after we clear these tests?'

Setting those questions aside, I pointed to the two doors in front of us and asked, "Alright, serious question—'Tag' or 'Capture the Flag.' Which one do you all want to tackle next?"