The Second Trial – A Battle of Mind and Will

The air had stilled completely.

Not a single leaf rustled.

Not a single branch swayed.

The forest was watching.

Argolaith could feel it now more than ever—the weight of unseen eyes, the slow, calculating presence of something ancient and powerful pressing down on them.

Kaelred exhaled sharply, shifting his stance. "Alright. This is worse."

Malakar smirked, stepping forward. "It is only the beginning."

The words had barely left his lips when the shadows between the trees shifted.

Something was moving.

Not a beast. Not a creature.

The forest itself.

Argolaith felt the shift in his bones.

A wave of dizziness overtook him, his vision swimming as if the very air around him had thickened.

He staggered, barely catching himself.

Kaelred groaned beside him. "What… what is this?"

Malakar's eyes gleamed in amusement. "A test. One that does not rely on your swords."