Chapter 6 - The Echo Trial (1)

Snow crunched under our feet.

The transition between the forested path and the terrain ahead felt almost unreal. One moment we were walking through dying trees and broken stone, the next we stood on the edge of two clashing worlds. To the left, a blizzard raged—a wide, snow-covered plain that stretched for miles, filled with jagged rocks and scattered frozen rivers.

The wind howled like a beast mourning, numbing my skin even from where I stood. To the right, heat shimmered. A black rocky expanse reached toward the horizon, broken only by scorched hills and plumes of smoke rising into the sky. The terrain glowed red from an oppressive sun that clung low over the mountains, casting a crimson hue across the sky.

A voice echoed through the air, low and calm.

[The Echo Trial is not a stage for glory. It is a path for growth. Who you are, what you carry, and what you may become—these will be tested.]

No rules. No guidebook. No structure.

Ilena, a soft-spoken girl wrapped in a threadbare scarf, clenched her hands together. "No structure? No... no map or anything?"

Just a trial.

The people around us began to murmur, confusion settling into their expressions. Some looked scared, others curious. But mostly, there was uncertainty. No one knew what would come next.

One of them even said, "I might as well just end my life right here.", everyone's motivation had slowly died off.

I watched as the man in the dark grey suit stepped forward. His demeanor was calm, even graceful. He had a faint scar running along his jaw, and something about him radiated a quiet authority. He turned to face the group.

"My name's Iver," he said, his voice carrying over the wind. "I don't know what this trial involves, but standing around won't help us survive. We need to work together. We need to be smart about this!"

A middle-aged man named Jun, a former soldier with a tough build and military suit, nodded with approval. "I agree with him, we can't be standing here any longer."

Ilena took a tentative step closer to Iver's group. "I-I think we should stay with him. Better than being alone."

Almost immediately, people began to gather around him. They asked questions, voiced concerns, and he answered with certainty. He spoke like someone who had seen chaos before and understood how to bend it into order. A group began to form around him, naturally drawn in by his calm tone and confident posture.

Rachel and I stood off to the side, watching. I glanced at her.

She gave a small nod. "We'll need people eventually."

We made our way over in silence, our eyes met.

He gave a short nod in return.

Behind us, I noticed movement. The unusual group with brute faces and personalities, they kept to themselves—laughing loudly, shoving each other, and occasionally glancing over at the rest of us like predators watching prey.

Iver noticed them too. "Please be cautious around them..."

Jun leaned toward Iver. "Kid's like them can do anything unexpectedly, we need to keep a close eye."

We began moving, slowly, toward the center of the two clashing regions. The snow was harsh, the wind cutting deep into our clothes. But as we edged closer to the border between the cold and warmth, the climate seemed to balance. Still freezing, but manageable.

Rachel slowed beside me, eyes narrowing at the horizon.

"Did you see that?"

I followed her gaze.

Far in the distance, something scurried along the snow. Small, fast. Its outline was thin and bony, almost like a starved dog with too many limbs. Then another. And another.

My breath hitched. A whisper coiled in my thoughts.

[Echo Dwellers.]

Rachel flinched, her eyes widening.

"You heard that too?"

I nodded. "Let's hope they aren't onto to us."

Iver noticed the movement too, but he didn't panic. He made sure everyone picked up the pace.

"Over there! That ridge between the snow and rock. We'll have a bit of warmth, and the terrain might slow anything that follows."

As we walked, the environment began to shift again. The sky above grew darker—snow clouds merging with rising fog from the warm terrain. The air turned thick, heavy.

Eventually, we found a formation of rocks and snow that offered some cover. Not much, but it was something. People began squeezing into the crevices, trying to escape the wind.

That's when the arguing started.

"There's not enough room!" someone shouted.

"Then move over—"

"Don't touch me!"

Voices rose like fire, and panic fed the flames. Iver raised his hands, trying to calm them.

"We can all fit. Just squeeze in. It's not ideal, but it's better than freezing to death."

Ilena, tears in her eyes, tried to wedge herself between two rocks. "Please, I don't want to die out here..."

One of the men from behind comes up ahead,

"There's no need for all of us to be here," said the tallest one, a heavyset guy with a cracked nose and sunken eyes. "Some of you can stay out. Like him."

Sio was stood outside in the freeing temperatures with a few people. My legs felt heavy. I should say something.

I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything. I had no strength.

Someone else stepped forward—a man with sharp features, silver-lined sleeves, he seemed hesitant at first but approached with clutched fists.

"I suggest you let the boy stay," he said, voice steady.

The heavyset man chuckled. "Or what?"

The two locked eyes. Tension cut through the air like wire. I felt sweat drip down my cheek, From indecision.

More people stepped in, shouting, arguing. The tension defused, but only slightly. Sio was left outside. Again.

Rachel placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't. Not yet. It's not worth the risk."

My nails dug into my palms.

In the distance, Aeleric, my cat, sat next to Sio, tail curled and eyes half-closed. Sio's tears glistened.

Then it came,

A sound so deep it felt like it rose from the core of the world.

A roar.

The snow burst upward, trees swayed violently, and the ground trembled beneath our feet. A pulse of sound pushed through the region, shaking branches and casting flurries into the air.

I fell, knees hitting the cold hard ground. My ears rang. The others screamed, scrambling behind rocks.

The echo of the roar stretched out endlessly.

Rachel grabbed my arm.

"Rayne—look!"

Far beyond the trees, shadows moved.

Something enormous was moving toward us, tearing through the forest. The trees cracked and fell, snow flew, and the ground shook again.

[Be cautious, Rayne.]

[That thing is over nine feet tall. Maybe more.]

[The other guides may not have noticed yet.]

My legs moved before my mind did.

I ran.

Straight for the boy.

Sio looked up, eyes wide, clinging to Aeleric. I scooped him into my arms, heart pounding.

"Everyone! This way! I saw a shelter earlier—small rocks! Just follow me!"

The others hesitated—but the next roar pushed them forward.

We ran, wind biting at our faces, snow blinding our path.

Behind us, the echo of something massive shook the sky.

We stumbled into the narrow space beneath the curved slabs of rock - crouched low, dragging Sio along with me as the others quickly piled in behind. The wind howled from both sides—icy breath from the white storm and heavy warmth radiating from the scorched plains beyond.

It was cramped. The stone above our heads dipped low, forcing us to press against one another. Every breath felt too loud.

Even fear had gone silent.

Then a faint raor passed by. A low guttural breath that shook the air, a faint shimmer appeared just beyond the veil of snowfall. I squinted through the flurries and caught its silhouette.

The creature stood motionless for a second. Then it shifted.

Snow around it hissed and melted in slow circles. The snow looked distorted, making it look like something pulled from a fever dream. It was tall. At least ten feet, with limbs longer than they should've been and a wide chest that expanded and contracted with slow, loud breath.

The heat from its body distorted the very space it moved through. Behind it, trees cracked and split from the warmth radiating off its back. Where its feet touched the snow, deep craters of slush and mud formed instantly.

I felt a drop of sweat crawl down my cheek despite the cold.

It stood there breathing and waiting —while we trembled in silence.

[End of Chapter 6 - The Echo Trials (1)]