Chapter Three: physical trial

The last few moves come easier, the exhaustion creeping up on us like a shadow, but we push through. With every handhold I grab, with every step I take, the top of the wall seems to draw closer, until finally, my hand clasps over the final ledge.

"Made it," I breathe, pulling myself up onto solid ground, my body feeling like it's been through a war, my arms and legs screaming in protest as I reach solid ground. Sienna follows right after, pulling herself up with a strained grunt. Raegan's not far behind, scrambling to join us, his hands catching the ledge just as he breathes a sigh of relief.

"Well, that wasn't so bad. I can safely say that it doesn't beat that time I tried to climb a tree and fell into a thorn bush." ," Raegan says, wiping his forehead and sitting down on the edge. "I mean, apart from the whole almost-falling-into-the-void part."

Sienna shoots him a glare. "You're not helping," she says, still catching her breath.

"Sorry," Raegan grins, "just trying to lighten the mood. You know, in case we die up here."

I chuckle at the dark humor, rubbing my sore arms. "If we die, I'm blaming you for jinxing it."

"Fine, fine," he says, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I'll take the blame when we're falling through the air."

Sienna raises an eyebrow. "I'd like to avoid that, thanks."

We all pause, catching our breath, but then I look up—and the relief of making it to the top fades in an instant.

The next obstacle is far worse than I expected. its not like the usual obstacles so far.

It's not a swinging platform, or jumping from a to b, and no more climbing rock walls.

It's worse.

A series of rotating, razor-sharp gears—huge, mechanical wheels—are suspended in the air, spinning slowly. Each one is enormous, and they're set in a tight row, just close enough together to make it impossible to pass through without timing each move perfectly. The gears interlock in places, and some of them have jagged metal edges protruding outward, creating a deadly, high-stakes game of moving between them.

"What the hell is that?" Sienna mutters, staring wide-eyed at the rotating gears.

I stare at the gears, each one turning at a different speed, creating an unpredictable rhythm. The gap between each one is just barely wide enough to squeeze through, but only if we're quick enough. And we're already exhausted.

I can feel the tension rising in my chest as I step closer. The sound of the gears grinding together sends a chill through me. If we misstep—if we time it wrong—those blades are going to tear right through us. I glance between the spinning gears and Sienna. She's already studying the rhythm of the gears, piecing together a plan. from what little ive known her and watched she stays cool under pressure, and I can see the gears turning in her head

Raegan stares at the gears, his face draining of color. "Are we supposed to dodge that?"

Sienna looks at the rotating gears with a certain kind of focus. "It's a timing game. We can't rush this. We need precision and strategy."

Raegan groans. "Perfect. So, we've gone from climbing rocks to, dodge the—giant rotating death gears. What's next? An actual pit of snakes?"

I shake my head, trying to clear the last remnants of panic from my system. Sienna's right; this will take strategy. We can't rush this.

Sienna doesn't hesitate. She steps forward, her eyes scanning the pattern of the gears, calculating. "We need Raegan to go first."

"I don't like the idea of anyone going first," I say my voice low. protective instinct kicking in. I glance at Raegan and feel that familiar, defensive pull in my gut.

Raegan blinks realization finally hitting. "Wait, what? You've gotta be kidding." 

Sienna's expression doesn't change as she ignored my words. "I'm not. You're the lightest and the quickest. You're the one who can maneuver through the gaps without too much trouble."

Raegan looks at her, his face a mixture of disbelief and mild irritation. "So, what, I'm the guinea pig now?"

Sienna shrugs. "well i kinda lied i am the lightest but You've got the agility to make it through. We need someone who can move fast and react quickly. I can provide the strategy from here. You just need to keep your eyes on the gears and move exactly when you need to so i can see the pattern ."

I step in before i can protest. "Sienna, are you sure about that? He's not exactly—"

"No, Ryker," Sienna interrupts, her voice firm, "Raegan's quicker. He's more mobile. He can slip through the gaps faster than either of us. I'm not saying it's safe, but it's our best shot."

I don't like this. Not one bit. Every protective instinct I have tells me to step in, to tell Raegan to back off and let me take the risk. I'm stronger, I'm faster, and I won't let anything happen to him.

But I know Sienna's right. Raegan is small, light, and quick—he has the agility to make it through. And we don't have time to argue.

I look at Raegan, trying to ignore the knot of fear tightening in my chest. "You've got this, okay? Just focus. Move with the rhythm of the gears. Don't hesitate." i said as I glare at him, trying not to show how much the thought of him being the first to face this obstacle is messing with my head. "Just—don't mess this up."

Raegan swallows, his eyes flicking nervously to the spinning blades. "Right. No pressure."

Sienna gives him a nod, her expression serious but supportive. "We've got your back. Just don't make any sudden moves."

Raegan doesn't waste another second. He steps forward, his movements deliberate as he watches the first gear, timing the gap between the teeth. He ducks under it with barely any space to spare, then rolls to the side just as the next gear turns. His body moves fluidly, his eyes never leaving the gaps, his feet light and fast.

"This is fine," Raegan mutters to himself, almost as if trying to convince himself more than anything. He slides under another gear and hops over a sharp edge just in time.

My heart races as I watch him. He's making it. The gears are turning around him, grinding slowly, threatening to catch him, but his movements are calculated, precise.

"but i still dont see why you had someone go first" i hummed to sienna as we both watched Raegan move.

"because" sienna hummed, " i needed to see how the gears are rotating in real time, how fast they're spinning, and how narrow or wide the gaps are in between. Once Raegan moves through, ill have a better idea of what works and what doesn't—and that helps me navigate it with more precision." sienna said like it was nothing.