Chapter 5 - The Skyroot Dome (2)

The dome had gone quiet.

Not peaceful—but still. The kind of stillness that made your skin itch. People moved around like ghosts, aimless, half-aware. I sat on the flat ground, elbows on my knees, staring at nothing.

Most of us had nothing to do but sit and think.

And thinking was dangerous right now.

Then I saw him.

A boy—small, maybe ten—standing a few meters away near a broken tent frame. The oversized green jacket on him looked like it belonged to someone twice his size, sagging over his shoulders, dragging at the sleeves. It was torn near the side, stained with dirt. His hands were clenched at his sides. He wasn't crying. Just... stuck. Like he didn't know how to keep moving.

I stood up before I could talk myself out of it.

"Hey," I said, walking over. "You alright?"

He flinched a little, but didn't back away. His eyes were puffy. Bloodshot. When he finally looked up, they locked onto mine like he wasn't sure if I was real.

"…Did you see her?"

I blinked. "Who?"

He hesitated. Then his voice cracked. "My sister."

I didn't know what to say.

"She was with me. Just before everything fell apart. Blue jacket. The zipper was broken. She always tucked the collar in weird…" His voice trailed off. He rubbed the corner of his eye with the back of his hand. "She told me to keep running. I didn't look back. I don't know if she…"

His lip trembled. He looked down.

"I haven't seen her since."

My throat tightened. The jacket—blue, ripped, barely clinging to a small body—flashed in my memory. It was there, during the chaos, crumpled under rubble. I had stepped over it without thinking. Hadn't looked back.

I clenched my jaw.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't see her."

He nodded like he didn't believe me. Or maybe he did. Maybe it didn't matter anymore.

"I'm Shin."

"Rayne."

He sniffled, then rubbed his arms like he was freezing, even though the air was humid and heavy. His voice got smaller. "I didn't mean to leave her. I just ran."

There wasn't anything I could say to that. So I stood there beside him, silent. I wasn't good with this kind of thing. But I wasn't about to walk away.

"Rayne."

I turned at the sound of Rachel's voice. She approached slowly, glancing at Sio before her gaze narrowed on me.

"There's something on your neck," she said. "Black. Just here."

My fingers touched the side of my neck—rough, like a dried scab. I hadn't even noticed it.

"Probably from the collapse," I muttered.

She looked unconvinced but didn't press it.

When I turned back, Sio had started walking away. His steps were uneven, small. Just a kid who didn't know what else to do.

I hated this place. But, at least it was a familiar environment.

Later, the sound came.

A low, bone-deep tremor that rattled through the air. It wasn't loud, but it cut through everything. People froze mid-step. Conversations died. Even the air felt like it was holding its breath.

Then the voice followed.

[The Echo Trials will now commence.]

[You are owed nothing, and yet… this is our debt to you. A passage through fire. A proof of worth. Those who wish to leave may step forward now.]

I stood up slowly, eyes sweeping the gathered crowd.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" someone muttered nearby.

People began moving toward the center, where the tree-wall of the dome peeled away to reveal a massive doorway—stone, metal, and root fused together, glowing with engravings that pulsed like veins. It was unnatural, ancient, and alive all at once.

Screaming broke out. Some people shouted at the walls, others begged the voice for answers. A few stood still, as if none of it mattered anymore.

Another siren echoed—deeper, louder.

[Those who seek the Colossal must undergo the Echo Trials. Not all may enter. As harsh as it sounds, this is the law.]

A man near the front stepped forward, fists clenched. "What law?! Who decided this? We didn't ask for this!"

His voice was swallowed by the wind.

Beside me, Rachel exhaled sharply. "It's starting."

"What is?" I asked.

She didn't answer.

The dome's light dimmed, casting longer shadows over the tired faces around me. People settled near the root hollows and shattered rocks, whispering quietly or watching the sky like it could explain anything.

That's when I noticed them.

A group near the edge of the crowd, standing apart. Four of them. Maybe older than me, maybe not. It was hard to tell. They had the kind of presence that made everything around them feel smaller.

It wasn't loud at first. Just a voice—a mocking one—followed by the heavy thud of something hitting the dirt.

"Oi, old man," the voice sneered. "Didn't they teach you to share?"

I turned my head.

The group of four guys stood near a pile of gathered supplies—rations, mostly.

They weren't armored or equipped, just built. Thick necks, calloused hands, skin sunburned and scarred. Shirts rolled up to their shoulders, dirt across their shirts an torn clothes that looked as if they were in numerous fights.

"I said give it." The guy's voice dropped, more venom than before.

The old man's mouth moved, but I couldn't hear him. His hands trembled. Then, just like that, the pouch was ripped away. The man staggered back, nearly falling.

The group laughed. One guy kicked the dirt at the old man's feet. Another started shaking the pouch near his ear like it was some kind of toy.

I just stood there. Watching.

I didn't move. Not out of fear. I wasn't scared.

I just knew I couldn't do anything.

I was never the kind of person who stepped in. Not because I didn't want to—but because I knew how it would end. A broken rib. A crushed jaw. Or worse.

Rachel tensed beside me.

"You thinking something stupid?" she asked without looking.

I didn't answer. My throat was dry. My fingers were curled into my palms. I looked down at them—at the scabs across my knuckles, the faded bruises. What would they do against a group like that?

The old man stumbled away without a word. People nearby saw it all. Nobody did a thing. I caught someone look away as if it didn't exist.

And that's when someone else stepped in.

He wasn't big. Just… tall, lean. A neat, fine suit that made his shoulders broad, one hand tucked behind his back as if he was holding a weapon. Hair braided neatly to one side, eyes cold and calculating, like he'd already imagined every outcome of this interaction and was just seeing which one we'd choose.

He walked up to the group casually, like it was a market stall.

He brought out his hand, opening his palm as wide as possible

"Stop this right now and hand it back." he said simply.

The one holding the rations turned, laughing.

"Who the hell is this lame bastard?!"

The tall man's expression didn't change.

Then the big guy pushed him.

It wasn't subtle. The stranger staggered back a step, the corner of his cloak brushing the ground.

For a second, I thought he was going to fight. I saw his hand twitch, like he was weighing the risks. But instead of striking, he stood still. Watching. Waiting.

And then, people started stepping in—not to help him, but to defuse the situation.

A woman placed a hand on the tall guy's shoulder, shaking her head. Another man murmured something to the thugs, trying to cool things down.

It worked. Kind of.

The group spat on the ground, shoved the tall guy aside, and walked off—laughing like they'd already won something.

The rations never got returned.

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Sweat had started dripping from my cheek, cold and slow. My arms were trembling—not from fear, but from restraint. From guilt. From the confusion of wanting to move and knowing I couldn't.

"You would've gotten torn up," Rachel said beside me.

She wasn't judging me. Just stating a fact.

I didn't respond.

My fists were clenched tight now. I couldn't feel them.

And then, I saw something that stopped the feeling in my chest.

The young boy from earlier—the one with the green jacket—was sitting a few meters away. He had his hands wrapped around my cat, who had curled up beside him. The boy's shoulders shook gently, not from cold, but from quiet sobs.

He looked up and noticed me. Wiped his nose with his sleeve, and gave a soft smile that made me feel at ease. The kind that tells you comfort can be found anywhere, even in times like these

He wiped his eyes, looking down. "I didn't know what to do. I didn't know where to go."

I crouched next to him, gently scratching behind Aeleric's ear.

It purred softly—its tail twitching.

Rachel stood beside me, her arms crossed.

And then it had started.

A heavy groan of stone echoed through the dome as the large myth-etched gate at the far end began to shift. It didn't open — it dissolved, like mist peeling away from metal, revealing a flickering horizon behind it.

And just like that, the terrain began to change.

I watched as snow spilled from nowhere, blanketing the distant hills. The red-orange sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long, stretched shadows across a frozen river. It was as if the dome had reshaped itself — a new world pulled from some buried memory.

[End of Chapter 5 - The Skyroot Dome (2) Final]