Narrator"Power isn't simply the ability to destroy or protect—it's the burden of choice when both feel the same. And nowhere is that truth tested more brutally… than inside the Crown Trials."
The gates of Obsidian Vale stood open.
Above the shattered cliffs of Vantaria's southern edge, where the academy met the ancient lands long sealed by law and legend, a new dawn stretched its pale fingers across the sky. A golden haze bathed the massive stone arena—the Crownspire Grounds. Hundreds of students stood along the edges, eyes wide with fear, excitement, and disbelief. The air shimmered unnaturally, as though something invisible kept reality from holding still.
Kael Virex stood among them, fists loosely clenched, a sharp wind brushing his coat. At his side, Zayen Thorne popped his knuckles.
"Well," Zayen muttered, "we're really doing this."
Kael glanced at his brother. "They said it'd be survival of the smartest. Not the strongest."
Zayen grinned. "Good. I'm smart and fast."
Behind them, a voice snapped, "And cocky."
Riven Korr stepped into view, now more herself than ever. She'd dropped the pretense of masculinity completely. Her long, tied-back hair swayed, eyes sharp with determination. A few murmurs still followed her—some students unable to unsee the disguise that had fooled everyone. But Riven stood tall, unashamed.
Kael nodded to her. "Ready?"
"Always," she replied. "But I don't trust the trialmasters."
Just then, the Trialmaster, a skeletal man in silver armor lined with red velvet, stepped out onto the arena's central platform. Behind him, six figures stood in shadow—Judges of the Crown. None spoke.
The Trialmaster raised his cane, and the ground beneath them trembled.
Narrator"The Crown Trials were once a ritual of worthiness. Now, they're something else. A theater of manipulation... and a test that doesn't just break bodies—but bends souls."
A booming voice echoed through the grounds.
"Trial One: Shatterwalk. Enter the spiral. Reach the throne in under one hour. Survivors pass."
Students glanced at each other. Confused.
And then… the floor vanished.
The entire platform dropped, dragging everyone into a spiraling maze of shifting platforms and bridges suspended in a void of black mist. Roaring wind howled through the space, and the ground moved beneath their feet like it was breathing.
Zayen shouted, "This is some kind of warped reality—like a broken loop!"
Kael's eyes widened. Scriptstep… won't work unless I understand the structure. But maybe…
He held out his hand, lines glowing across his palm. The Threads of Momentum pulsed.
Riven drew her daggers. "Don't stop moving!"
They ran.
The Shatterwalk maze was unlike anything they'd faced. Platforms spun like gears, tiles shattered mid-step, and illusions disguised traps. Students screamed as some vanished into black fog—teleported or erased, no one could tell.
Kael bent low, sketching a symbol mid-air—Momentum Redirect—and launched Zayen across a gap. Zayen twisted in midair, used a rebound loop, and tossed a thread-rope to pull Kael forward.
Riven moved like lightning, slicing through strange shadow-beasts that lunged from the walls.
"Why are they using unstable shadow creatures?" Kael shouted.
Zayen growled, "Because this isn't just a test. They're watching something."
Thirty minutes inOver a dozen students had disappeared. Panic spread.
Zayen began to glitch mid-leap—his loop misfired. He landed hard.
Kael caught him. "You good?"
"I… yeah. But something's tugging at my anchor point. It's like this space is unstable."
Riven was silent. Her face was pale. She pointed ahead.
At the center of the maze… a giant obsidian throne hovered above a broken altar. The throne flickered—like a bad recording.
And someone stood near it. Alone.
A girl in white robes. Pale blue hair flowing unnaturally.
Kael stepped forward. "Who…?"
The girl turned. Her eyes were empty. No pupils. No soul.
And behind her, a massive glyph lit up, ancient and pulsing with violet flame.
Zayen gasped. "That's not part of the trial."
The glyph hissed.
Narrator"Sometimes, the path to power reveals secrets never meant to be seen. The Crown Trials were once bound by tradition. But something, or someone, has begun rewriting the rules."
Chaos erupted.Glyphs exploded across the maze. Some students screamed as portals opened mid-air. A few Trialmasters appeared—trying to suppress the breach—but it was too late.
Kael felt something pulling at his mind. Like a whisper from far beyond.
"The fruit… grows where the crown bleeds…"
He staggered. Zayen caught him.
"You heard that?"
Riven's voice shook. "I did too."
Then—BOOM! The glyph behind the girl shattered, and she vanished. The maze crumbled. Everyone was yanked through a massive golden gate that had appeared above the void.
They landed on solid ground—back in the arena.
Trialmasters stared, pale. Even the Judges were silent.
One finally spoke. "…That was not meant to happen."
The Crown Trial's first round had ended. But something else had begun.
Kael looked up at the golden gate—still glowing.
Zayen muttered, "That girl. That voice. Something's wrong with this trial."
Riven whispered, "That wasn't a test. It was a message."
The chapter ends with the Judges retreating, and one of them turning to a shadowy figure behind the curtains.
"She activated it. The Soulfruit's echo... it's already resonating."
The figure stepped forward, partially in view. A cloak rippled. Symbols danced across his arm.
"Then… it's almost time."
📘 End of Chapter 11