"By my life, I swear to be just. By my honor, I swear to uphold truth. By my blade, I swear to strike down evil. I shall stand as a shield to the defenseless, a sword against tyranny, and a beacon even in the darkest times. No fear shall break me, no temptation shall sway me, for my oath is my soul, and my duty eternal."
The words were spoken, the oath was complete. Kneeling before the royal family Edric Wakefield had pledged his life. His own family was standing close beside, watching with pride.
The king rose from his throne and unsheathed his sword.
"Then rise, young Edric, sworn knight of this realm. Let your blade serve justice, your heart remain steadfast, and your soul bear the weight of your oath. May your name bring honor to your house, your ancestors, and all who will follow. Arise now, not as mere warrior, but as guardian of the people, a beacon of chivalry, and a shield against darkness. The kingdom's hope now rests upon your shoulder. Carry it with pride."
Under thunderous applause Edric rose, as the youngest knight of Denenburg. Clad in white ornamental robes and a poised back, he rose his sword high into the air. Eliciting even more excited shouts.
"Now then." The old king held up his hand, silencing the crowd. "It is time for you to face your trial. To honor the Wakefield family, the third princess will accompany you to the gate."
Seated slightly behind the king's throne, the princess gracefully stood.
She wore a stunning white dress, unlike any he had seen before it shimmered like moonlight. A striking blue cross adorned the brodice, drawing attention to her graceful form. Her golden hair draped past her shoulders in soft waves, complementing the sapphire hue of her eyes.
Strangely enough she didn't speak a word as she approached Edric, nor did her expression show any enthusiasm-something he could more than understand. This was likely not the first time she had been used to honor a knight or appease a noble family. She must've been tired of it by now.
Yet it was curious that she at least didn't try to hide it. Every noble, high or low, hid their true thoughts on a daily basis.
However this was a rather welcome surprise for Edric, as he was not in the mood to exchange shallow pleasantries. His mind was already occupied enough of what would await him in his trial.
The princess, seemingly unfazed, walked straight past him; her indifference was almost palpable. Taking her cue, Edric sheathed his blade and wordlessly followed her.
As they distanced themselves from the great hall, the jubilant applause faded, its echoes repeating like a curse in his mind. Unbothered to keep up his appearance any longer, his proud posture sagged. No one every spoke of the trial, not even in whispers. It was as though every single one who had absolved it, feared even the thought of just remembering it.
The further they moved into the castle, the darker the halls seemed to grow. The air colder. As a noble, he had naturally been to the castle before, but never this deep. The once somewhat familiar surroundings now felt foreign.
"Here," the princess said pointing to a staircase. "Once you enter, there will be no return until your trial is over."
"And why exactly are you telling me this?" Edric asked, his voice tinged with confusion.
"You don't seem very eager to face it," she said, her tone neutral.
"Surprised you noticed. But no, I don't particularly want to," he answered truthfully.
"Your expression gave it away," she said, looking at Edric with her unreadable expression. "Now is your chance to run away."
Edric let out a dry, humorless laugh at the absurdity of her words. "Where? They'll find me and execute me for breaking my oath. And going beyond the wall is equivalent to suicide."
Apart from the kingdom Denenburg every other part of the world had been destroyed, dragged to ruins during the long night. Beasts of unimaginable power and terrifying shape roamed the wastelands. Nobody who valued their life dared to journey the forgotten realm.
"Then why did you swear the oath?" For the first time, Edric thought he heard something akin to emotion in her voice.
He exhaled sharply, gaze drifting to the stairway below. "Because I had no choice."
"You did have a choice! Just don't speak the words."
Edric scoffed, getting annoyed by the clueless princess. As much truth as her words held to them, they were shaped by naivety.
"And then what?!" Edric snapped, frustration bleeding through his voice. "Disgrace my family? And watch as everything I've known turns its back on me?"
The princess didn't speak, taken aback by Edric's sudden outburst. The latter didn't wait for a response and began descending the stairs.
"As a noble, I have responsibilities to fulfill. Maybe if I had been born a peasant I'd have a choice."
"Everybody has a choice," she said, her voice steady. Edric turned around to face her. "Be it noble or peasant. You are simply running away from it. You'll see that soon enough."
After that, neither of them spoke a word. The stairway led them deep below the castle—it seemed endless, each step echoing the last. He began to wonder whether there truly was an end. His surroundings were unchanging: the same torches flickered at regular intervals, and the flawless, black stone steps offered no hint of imperfection.
Then, something shifted. The torches suddenly began to radiate a deep blue hue as an unseen force penetrated Edric's body. The energy pulsed through him repeatedly, drawing him ever downward toward their unknown destination.
Startled at first, he soon recognized it as mana—yet not the wild, unbridled mana he was accustomed to. This mana was different: controlled, deliberate, as if it served a clear, singular purpose. Mesmerized, Edric hastened his pace, the pull of the mana growing stronger by the moment.
After leaving behind the last stone step, the pair was greeted by over a dozen knights in plate armor standing next to a gate made of dark oak. The sight sent goosebumps down Edric's body; rarely ever were so many knights gathered in one place.
Even though he loathed the idea of facing the trial—risking his life for the honor of his oath—the scene stirred a strange longing in him, perhaps even hope. How had these warriors conquered their trial? What powers did they wield? And what powers, he wondered, might he come to possess?
His heartbeat quickened, as though only now, after being so close to it, he realised the reality of actually having to face the trial. He, Edric of House Wakefield, would soon begin his conquest.
In that very moment, Edric found himself torn between fear, pride, and even anger. Though the decision had been made for him, it also presented an opportunity—not only to honor his family but to unlock magical powers. This was a privilege not many received, yet in the end it was one forced upon him.
No, he definitely was angry, furious even. His family was bartering his life for honor, while the king did so to raise another knight.
Perhaps he should've forsaken the kingdom as the princess suggested, even now he still had the chance to. However he had already come too far, the call of the mana was too alluring and the fear of the consequences too imprisoning.
Edric wanted to laugh.
"I am Edric, second-born son of House Wakefield, knight of the Denenburg. I bid thee for entrance to face my sacred duty," he declared, his voice not betraying any sign of his uncertainty. However the knights stood still, as though they didn't hear his words.
The princess who had remained silent up to this point stepped forward, gently she raised her palm. Some of the ambient mana surrounding them was suddenly drawn to it, making her hand shine in a gentle golden hue.
"Open the gate," the princess commanded and so they did.
So she wasn't sent here with me to 'honor house Wakefield', but rather because I wouldn't be let in otherwise. How shrewd…
The princess walked towards the open gate, her step confident-unfazed by the gravity of what lay beyond. As though she had been here often times before. Edric followed, though a few paces behind her.
Four knights stepped away from their post to enter the chamber along with the pair, while the others closed the gate. A heavy groan of iron and wood reverberated through the massive chamber, as the massive door slowly sealed shut. Edric took one last glance over his shoulder, clenching his fists. Now there really was no turning back.
The air beyond the gate felt changed-entirly different from before. The mana was incomparably stronger, penetrating him with such ease as though it didn't acknowledge his existence, as though he didn't exist at all.
There was no heat or cold, only a pure state of being, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
How much of it was real and how much was simply his nervousness taking form, he didn't know.
The chambers obsidian walls seemed to expand endlessly, dwarfing even the grandest of halls he had seen before. There were no torches, no windows and yet it still wasn't swallowed by darkness.
Edric looked around, searching for something-anything-but even the gate through which they had entered had disappeared behind him. Just what the hell was going?
His gaze drifted upwards, but the ceiling, if there even was one, was lost in shadows. With each step he took nothing seemed to change, making him wonder if he was moving at all.
Still he continued to walk. The princess seemed to know where she was going, somehow capable of navigating this strange place.
"Where exactly are we going?" Edric asked, his voice quieter than he had intended.
"The trial chamber, of course," the princess responded simlpy.
He quickend his pace to walk beside her, casting her a confused glance spoke:
"Wait, I thought we already are in the trial chamber."
"We are. And we aren't."
Ah yes, that made perfect sense…
Edric began to regret his decision of going through with this even more than before.
Before he could voice another question, a tremor shook the chamber. It was subtle, yet in a place so devoid of anything, it struck like thunder beneath his feet.
The air-if it could be called that- seemed to vibrate around him, humming in anticipation.
Insitnctively Edric wanted to reach for his sword, but one of the knights raised his hand stopping him. A firm grip held his hand in place. Gray walls shot out of the ground, high in the air and then suddenly all light vanished.
And then darkness- complete and utter darkness. For just a moment.
Warm torchlight flickered to life, revealing a stone chamber, far smaller and far more grounded than the one they had been in before. There was a table before him, in the center of the chamber, surrounded by chairs. Unbothered to count them all he slumped down in one, exhaling a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Everything alright?" The princess voice sounded from behind.
"Yes, yes. Just… catching my breath."
She stepped into view, taking a seat beside him, her expression as unreadable as ever.
One of the knights took of his iron helmet and placed it on the table with a quiet thud. Then he sat down across them.
His face looked carved from stone-deep lines, a crooked nose, and a jaw that looked like it had once been broken and never fully healed. Scars ran across his cheeks and forehead like an old map.
His hair had fully turned white, only a few black streaks remained. His eyes matched-gray.
"I am Sir Halric," he said, his voice low yet full of authority. "Of no noteworthy house. I have overseen the trial chamber for longer than I care to count. I'll tell you everything you need to know."
Halric let those words settle for a moment and the continued.
"Whatever you have on you, clothes, weapons, charms, and so on, will be replaced once you enter the trial, or maybe taken from you entirely. Ah, and you'll enter alone of course, no help from the outside. What awaits you inside… well nobody can tell. The trial differs for each and every one of us."
Edric blinked, his jaw dropping a little. "That's it?"
Halric looked at him deadpan. "That's it."
Edric leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Right… sounds simple enough," he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.
"Don't worry," Halric said. "So long as you know how to wield a blade-or any weapon-you'll be fine. If you're lucky there will be no need for violence at all. Though I would recommend finding a weapon, if you are not granted one from the start."
Then silence, for a few moments no one spoke.
"How many don't make it out alive?" Edric asked, fearing the answer.
Halric looked at him, the lines in his face deepening, his eyes engulfed by shadow. "Most never come back."
For the first time since entering the chamber Edric felt cold. Not a type of cold that made him shiver, but one that settled deep within him, creeping around his core-a dread that no fire could chase away.
The princess placed her hand on his shoulder-not in comfort, not quite. It was a reminder of the choice he had willingly made. She had given him the chance to run away.
Edric looked at her, then at Halric, then down at his own hands. To his surprise they were steady. He wasn't sure whether that meant he was brave, or just numb.
Pushing himself of his chair he took in a deep breath. "I'm ready."
"Good," Halric said, pointing behind him. "Then walk through that door."
Edric turned around-and frowned. It was a regular door. Plain wood, iron handle. No runes, no gold, no ancient carvings. Nothing to make it stand out as anything special. A door like any other.
The three other knights that remained silent until now each placed a hands on Edric. Whether it was of compassion, camaraderie, or respect he didn't know. But it felt good… to be aknowledged.
The princess also rose from her seat, giving him a curt nod. Without much thought he returned it.
Then Edric walked towards the door. He was conscious of each step, each breath, and every hearbeat.
But just as he reached to push it open-
"And where are you going, Princess?" Halric's voice rang out from behind, cutting through the stillness.
"Bidding my farewell to him," she said. "We've known each other for a long time."
A blatant lie, Edric thought. He narrowed his eyes, searching her face as she stepped closer, trying to make sense of her sudden behaivour.
Halric also didn't seem to be entirely convinced. "Go ahead then," he said reluctantly.
The princess closed the remaining gap and gently wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a tight hug. Something was off, but he didn't understand. At least until he felt her right hand reaching behind him.
Suddenly she applied pressure, and before Edric knew he stumbled backwards. The door behind him gave way. Halric shouted but it was too late, Edric and the Princess had entered the trial.