I lift the tablet and place it into the first slot on the wall. The walls around me pulse with light, confirming I’ve made the right choice.
I move to another tablet, the one representing wisdom. Rylan had told me about this king—the strategist, the one who guided the kingdom through its hardest times with his intellect, never rushing into battle, but always thinking ahead.
“Wisdom was the second key, to shape their fate and set them free.”
I press the second tablet into place, the light growing stronger as I remember Rylan’s words. He had always admired the balance between strength and wisdom, but for him, courage still came first.
The third crest belongs to the king who built the kingdom’s strength through sheer force of will. This was the king who stood against overwhelming odds, his strength both physical and moral.
“Strength was earned with sweat and bone, the mighty arm to guard the throne.”
I place the third crest in its slot, and the air seems to hum around me.
The fourth king was the one who brought unity, the king who had pulled together the warring factions and forged the alliances. He didn’t rely on the might of his army, but on his ability to unite people, to forge bonds where there had been division.
“Unity became their call, to build a land where none would fall.”
I place the tablet into the fourth slot, the wall’s glow intensifying.
Finally, I reach the fifth crest—the king of hope. This had been the one I connected with most. Rylan and I had laughed about it later, how my heart had chosen hope, the quiet belief that no matter how dark things became, there was always a way forward.
“Hope was the final, brightest flame, a light that bore the kingdom’s name.”
I hold the tablet for a moment, remembering how Rylan had smiled at me that day, the warmth in his eyes as we stood by the gates. He’d teased me for being too idealistic, but I hadn’t minded. Hope had always been my guide; even now.
I place the final crest into its slot, and the room trembles. The stone walls around me shudder, the symbols flaring with brilliant light as the doorway ahead opens. I’ve done it. The puzzle is solved.
Selene’s face tightens with surprise, and she storms past me, pushing first through the newly revealed tunnel. But I don’t care. This victory ismine. I solved this, and it wasn’t because of magic—it was because I cared enough to learn the kingdom’s history, to understand its heart.
I follow Selene into the tunnel, my heart steady and my mind sharp.
Whatever comes next, I’m ready.
The moment I step out of the chamber, the temperature drops again, and a hundred metres of flat, glistening ice stretches out before me like a frozen ocean. The air feels sharp in my lungs, my breath misting in the cold. My connection to my Strength, to water and ice surges back, the cold seeping into my veins as magic floods through me.
This is it—the final test.
And there, waiting for me on the battleground, is Selene.
Her eyes lock onto mine, narrowed with determination andfury. There’s no room for hesitation now, no more alliances, no more recitation of history.
This is the fight we’ve both been building to, the one that will decide everything. It’s about who can outlast, outthink, and outfight the other. The stakes have never been higher.
Winner takes all.
Selene moves first, summoning an ice board beneath her feet and glides forward with alarming speed. Her magic crackles in the air, sharp and focused. She’s already attacking me fast, launching ice spikes toward my path. Her intent is clear—overwhelm me quickly, give me no chance to recover.
But I won’t be taken down that easily.
I throw my hands out, summoning a towering wave of water from the moisture around us. The icy crest rises above me, and I leap onto it, riding the surge forward. The water roars beneath my feet, pushing me forward away from her attack, but she’s already adjusting. Her ice spikes shoot up from the ground, deadly sharp, forcing me to swerve to avoid being impaled. I twist, barely dodging her, each movement straining my already exhausted muscles.
She’s relentless, faster than I anticipated this far into our trial. As I dodge, she hurls a spear of ice directly at me. I summon a shield of water just in time, freezing it into a barrier. The impact rattles through me, but I hold firm. Her smirk shows she thinks she has the upper hand.
Let her think that.
I retaliate, summoning a blast of freezing water aimed straight at her. The torrent hits her side, knocking her off her board for a moment, but she recovers quickly. She twists mid-air, gliding smoothly across the ice as if it’s second nature. She’s good. So I’ll just be better.
The distance between us closes, and the battle intensifies. Every breath feels like fire in my lungs, the cold bitingat my skin. My legs burn with the effort of keeping pace, but I can’t stop. Not now. Not when everything is on the line.
