Trivault 1

I won't let him kill me.

For the others outside the cave with me, those still catching their breath from the fall, the military trial might seem structured. But for me, that structure now feels compromised, and it's become a stage for someone else's vendetta.

I see that through the hatred in Thalric's stare, which burns in front of my face. I can't dodge it, just as Lee and Zoren silently thank the sky that they didn't hit the rocks. One cadet wasn't so lucky. He landed wrong. Didn't make it.

Others simply never jumped.

"Everyone, listen up!" calls the blonde cadet, and she stands tall against the pale sky. Two male cadets flank her, one on either side, shoulders squared, posture exact. The way they're positioned, three in formation, feels like some heroic trio, and the aura of their uniforms only adds to it.

"That blonde guy...I think he's got a thing on you. He's been staring at you for a while huh," Lee mutters beside me, and I don't have to ask who she means.

Thalric. He hasn't attacked me since we emerged from the water. Still standing near the other candidates, maybe ten paces away. Close enough to hear. Far enough to act like he's not listening. And I wonder how he found me here.

"Of course," Zoren says, stepping up on my other side like he's been waiting for the right line. "Ella was the first to jump off the cliff. Even I'd be interested."

Lee and I both turn to Zoren.

"You've got a thing on her?" Lee asks, squinting.

Zoren blinks, surprised at his own honesty. He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Is that… not allowed?"

"I don't know," Lee mutters, already walking off toward the gathering. "Ask Ella."

Zoren stays beside me for a second longer. I just shrugged and followed Lee without a word. Not everything needs a response, right?

We start to gather at the shoreline. Everyone's soaking wet. Some people shiver, others just hold themselves too stiff, like pretending they're fine will keep them from collapsing.

"I am Cadet Gabriella," the cadet says clearly. "Congratulations to those among you brave enough to leap from the White Cliff."

There's some scattered clapping, but it's hesitant, more habit than celebration. I don't clap with them because it's not time for that, as my eyes stay locked across the line. I can't help but clench my fist due to anger while Thalric stares back at me with that same smirk on his face. I hate that expression. It boils my blood that runs through my veins. Not just because it's smug, but because it's the same one he wore then. That day. The day Morris died.

I remember those eyes. Just pleased. Like, hurting someone brought him peace. The dagger he shoved into Morris's chest wasn't out of rage. It was a pleasure. He watched the life leave his eyes. That smile never left his face.

"But it is far too early to celebrate," Cadet Gabriella says and keeps pacing, and we all follow her with our eyes. "There were ninety-eight of you," she continues. Her eyes scan across us, one soaked candidate at a time. "Right now, there are fifty."

No shock in her voice. Just numbers. Her boots leave clean indentations in the sand, which the tide will soon erase. Everything here gets washed away eventually.

"Some backed out," she adds. "One died. The rest?" Her eyes pause. "Cowards. A waste of the Queen's invitation."

That word cowards doesn't land so kindly. But at the same time, she is right by saying it.

The body of the candidate from Vikur lies nearby now, draped in a dull gray sheet. Lifeless. Just a shape beneath fabric. A name erased before it had the chance to be remembered.

May he rest in peace.

"He's here," Lee says, nudging me.

From the jagged mouth of the cave, Cadet Felix is coming. And just like that, in the world of men, he's the sexiest I have ever met.

It appears that there is another way to get off the cliff without being wet.

"By the way," Lee adds with a quiet laugh, "he shoved Zoren earlier. Lost patience, I think."

"He did?"

"Yeah. Ask him."

That's why Zoren looked mad when he emerged from the water just a moment ago. I don't need to ask him. That moment and his face now are enough, scowling like someone insulted his ancestors.

"I believe you," I say, and Lee grins.

"This is not where the trial ends. Because the real trials begin here," the cadet declares as her gaze sweeps past us and lands on the canoes lined along the shoreline, their wooden bodies slick with seawater.

"She's right," says Cadet Felix, joining her at the front.

Is it just me, or does his voice hit differently this time? Like, it just slices right through the noise without even trying. That voice… ugh. Why does that make him even hotter? God. I hate this.

"Those canoes are your way to the flag," he says.

"I knew it," Lee mutters, mostly to herself. "Sea crossing. We're gonna paddle like mad dogs."

Zoren exhales like it costs him something. "If I end up with someone who can't even row, I swear—"

"You'll do what?" Lee scoffs. "Push them overboard like the cadet pushed you?"

"That was one time."

Now I understand what kind of trial this is. From the moment I saw the canoes, I suspected they would be part of it. They want us to cross the sea to the lone island just Offshore.

"At Turtle Isle, it will be determined whether you are worthy to become one of us. Not everyone here will succeed. That island holds flags." Cadet Felix turns his head toward that small island, and everyone murmurs while I do the math in my head.

Fifty candidates. Twenty flags. Less than half of us will make it. And even then, they didn't say how many per flag. Maybe one. Maybe two. Maybe we're supposed to figure it out once we get there.

"Claiming one won't be easy," he says. "That island only has twenty flags. Which means out of the fifty of you standing here, only twenty will make it in, only twenty will become cadets of the campus."

So, twenty flags for twenty persons.

Now the group's growing restless. Candidates glance sideways, shifting weight from one foot to another, trying to size each other up without making it obvious. It's not panic yet. Just pressure. And a few are already inching toward the boats, slow steps.

I can practically hear their thoughts behind their stares. Gods, I hate competition.

"If I may…"

Instinctively, my head turns once I heard the voice. The tone is almost… polite. But the eyes…the eyes of Tharlic are fixed on me.

"Clarify," Cadet Felix says.

Thalric tilts his head a little, and I'm wondering what the hell he is thinking now. Everyone is listening, waiting to hear what he's about to ask the cadet. He stands there, so confident, so sure of himself. Something about him unsettles me. No... I've been uneasy ever since he emerged from the water.

"There are no restrictions, correct? No penalties… for erasing an obstacle?" he asks.

Then, every nerve in my back coils when he asks the question, especially because I know who the obstacle is. But I don't look away. That's what he wants. Around me, the whispers start again, confused voices, scattered and low. Or maybe... maybe some of them already know what they're going to do. Just like Tharlic does.

I swallow hard, and the cadet doesn't answer right away, as everyone is looking forward to it. Just a seconds, he decides to open his mouth once again. "There are no formal restrictions before the gate is crossed. What happens on the field… is your burden to carry," he says.

This is bad.

"And the moment you enter the academy, any act of harm is no longer tolerated. The laws apply there."

Thalric smirks at me. "Good to know, Cadet."

That's the answer he wanted. He's daring me to flinch.

Because of him, everyone got an idea.

"Lee," I whisper sideways, barely moving my lips. "Are you a fast runner?"

"I…yes, why?"

"Listen, Lee. Take Zoren. Pick a canoe and row hard. Stay away from the shore. Don't wait for anyone."

Her voice comes back tight. "How about you? Others will probably scramble."

"I'm a slow runner. You'll secure me a spot," I say. No time for softness. "You understand?"

She hesitates. Then nods, once. Her throat bobs as she swallows. I can see in my peripheral vision that she is nervous about what the trial will look like once it begins, but she squares her shoulders, readying. And Cadet Gabriella steps forward again, boots sinking on the wet sand.

"You are to reach the island, retrieve a flag, and pass back through the cave entrance with it in hand." She gestures to the entrance where Cadet Felix emerged without jumping off the cliff to come down here. "Only then will your slot be considered secure. You may form your own teams or work alone. I expect this trial to conclude before supper."

That should've been the moment we all listened and thought ahead. But those words from the cadet barely register in my head as my eyes are still locked on Thalric, and my heartbeat has found a new tempo. Slower and heavier. Like my body knows what's coming before I do.

The island is not that far. It's closer than I thought. If the puddlers move quickly, we could be there in twenty.

"Be ready," I whisper to Lee. "No second chances. Row like hell, okay?"

Then, a gong tears through the air, coming from the cave.

The signal.

"Go!"

And everything explodes.

Feet slam into wet sand. Shouts rise from every side. Bodies lurch forward. Half the group sprints. The other half hesitates just long enough to lose ground. Water sloshes and sprays as boots hit surf. Around me, everything is charged with panic and desperation toward those canoes.

I spring forward.

Sand kicks up behind me as I run. The dress I am wearing is a terrible idea. Everything's dragging. I hear someone scream to my left. On my right, Zoren stumbles before Lee grabs his wrist and drags him toward a canoe. She's fast. Faster than she looks.

She doesn't wait.

That's right, Lee. She has longer legs than I do.

The boats are at least thirty meters away. Less, maybe. I run harder. The wind throws salt in my face, and my soaked hem whips at my knees. I hear grunts, curses, and splashes.

"You bitch!" Then, a growl from behind me. Tharlic is not aiming for a boat. He's aiming for me.

The ground softens underfoot, stealing momentum. My wet dress pulls at my thighs. I curse it under my breath. Tharlic is so fast. Then I trip, just for a second. "Shit!"

"Where do you think you're going? You ruined my night that time, remember?" He takes out his weapon, and he is just one step away. "My night, My face!"

"You deserve that motherfucker." I whip around and throw a fistful of wet sand into his face. "For killing Morris."

He jerks backward with a strangled yell, blinking, spitting.

I scramble to my feet.

But too late.

His hand fists in my hair and yanks me backward, straight into the crashing surf. My back hits water. Cold slaps my spine. My lungs seize. He pins me down, knees digging into my ribs. And I immediately trap his stabbing arm tight against my chest, both hands wrapped around it as the blade hovers above me, close enough that I can feel the cold of it. Tharlic leans in, and his knife inches closer. His eyes are blazing, and his words are quick.

"Foolish! Had you not interfered, you might still be living in peace. What does that whore's son have that makes everyone look their way?"

He's so heavy, it's hard to breathe. He's strong too strong. I reach blindly for a rock as he forces his way past my guard. His weight drives me into the sand, grinding me down. Waves crash over my head, saltwater rushing into my mouth.

I choke.

"You dared to challenge me. Risk it all, scarred my face for lowly man like him. For love?! Oh, that was so sweet, it makes me burn to send you right after him."

The tip of the dagger is just a centimeter from my neck. And from somewhere ahead, I hear Lee scream, "Ella! HURRY!"

"You won't," Tharlic hisses. "You're not getting away this time. As you must already know, you are so much like the rest of them. Never take the responsibility for what they did."

I use my foot to hook his ankle on the same side as the arm I am controlling. I plant my feet flat on the sand. Explosively, I bridge my hips upward to knock him off balance. Then roll hard toward the side where I've trapped his foot and arm.

"And you're just like all the lunatics," I say, keeping control of his weapon arm. Then, slide my knees up to his armpits.

"Now, I know…" He laughs.

"Know what?" I don't wait for the answer. I just disarm him, then escape.

"HURRY!"

"I said PADDLE!" I shout back, breath ragged. "Don't stop—GO!"

But Tharlic rolls fast, pushing back up like an animal. His face is red, his blue eyes wild. He lunges again, this time with more hate than aim. I block with my forearm, feel the jarring impact down to my shoulder.

My foot snaps up fast, just under his chin. It's not full force, but it's enough to make him stumble backward with a curse.

We both breathe hard. Both soaked. Both bruised. But neither is broken.

"You're dead!" he screams. "You hear me? You're already dead!"

"Fuck you!" I run and run. The wet sand clutches at my boots, but I don't stop. I don't look back. The canoes are up ahead, closer now. I see Zoren ahead with another guy with them, already pushing the canoe into the tide.

"Come on!"

I sprint the last stretch. The sand slows me, but I launch forward, diving just as the canoe tips away from shore.

The guy with square glasses grabs my wrist.

Water crashes around us, but I land inside, gasping.

"We got her!" the guy shouts.

"Row!" Lee cries, glancing back.

The canoe rocks violently as we push deeper into the waves. The salt wind carries it into my eyes, and the sun is muted behind a ceiling of gray clouds above us like a watching eye. And none of us stops paddling.

Water slaps the sides of the boat in rough. Lee sits in front, digging her paddle into the water with jerky bursts of speed. Zoren is behind me, shouting over the sea. "Keep it steady! We're veering left!"

Beside me, a guy adjusts his glasses, thin frames, fogged from sea mist, and shifts his weight with each stroke.

"You've already made an enemy," he says plainly. "Interesting choice. Risky."

I glance at him, breathing hard. "Thanks for the observation."

"Name's Cael of Vikur," he adds. "I figured it was polite to know the people I'm either going to lose to… or survive beside."

Lee snorts. "You're a bit late to the party, Cael."

"She's already popular," Zoren adds.

"I take back what I said earlier," Lee mutters from the front without looking back. "That guy definitely doesn't have a thing for you. He wants to bury you."

"Welcome to the team," I say.

The sea stretches in all directions, spotted with other boats. Some canoes bob ahead of us, smaller in the distance. Two are already gliding toward the island's crescent shoreline, closing in on the rocky edges. They must've launched first.

Zoren sees it before anyone else. "There! Look, top of the hill!"

We follow his line of sight. The island juts up in sharp tiers, hills shaped by time and wind.

At the highest point, specks of crimson flutter against the sky.

The flags.

They look small from here, like scraps of fabric. But we all know better. Those twenty are everything.

"We can't let the first group claim them all," Cael says flatly, adjusting his grip. "They'll guard them. We'll be too late."

"We're not going to be too late," Lee growls. "Just row."

And we do.