The sun dipped behind the horizon, casting the world in hues of crimson and gold. A hush fell over the academy grounds as students gathered at the edge of the forest, where tall, ancient trees loomed like silent sentinels. Their gnarled roots twisted into the earth like veins, and mist clung to the undergrowth, swirling with an unnatural life of its own.
Aren stood with his team at the starting point of their assigned path. Before them lay the entrance to the Sylvan Wilds—an ever-shifting domain of mystery, where even time was said to behave strangely. His heart beat in steady rhythm with the anticipation buzzing through his teammates.
"Trial begins now!" a voice called out from a raised platform nearby. One of the judges—a tall, gray-haired instructor with a hawk-like stare—raised a staff, and a pulse of light surged from its tip. A magical seal shimmered over the path ahead before dissolving.
Without hesitation, the first teams stepped into the Wilds, swallowed by shadow.
Aren took a breath. "Ready?"
"Let's move," Dorian said, grinning. His Shockwave Lion growled, sparks dancing around its paws.
"Stick close. We don't know what tricks this place will play," Liora added, her Ice Wolf's breath misting the air.
Aric's Fire Salamander let out a croak of excitement, and Lyra's Shadow Falcon flared its wings silently above them.
They crossed the threshold.
Instantly, the temperature dropped. The forest seemed to hold its breath. Shafts of pale moonlight pierced the canopy, revealing flickering glimpses of movement—shadows within shadows. Leaves rustled without wind. The silence was thick, unnatural.
"It's… watching us," Talia murmured, drawing closer to the group.
Sharu trotted beside Aren, unusually alert, its silver fur gleaming like liquid light. Aren glanced at him, but Sharu only stared ahead, ears twitching. The deeper they moved into the forest, the more unreal it felt. The path behind them had already vanished, swallowed by the shifting trees.
They walked in silence for several minutes until the forest opened up into a small glade. At its center stood a stone archway, half-buried in moss. Strange runes glowed faintly along its surface.
"What is that?" Aric whispered.
Before anyone could answer, the air distorted. A deep growl echoed from the trees, and a blur of motion erupted from the shadows. Three beasts lunged into the clearing—massive hound-like creatures, eyes glowing with a sickly green hue.
"Corrupted beasts!" Liora shouted. "Formation—now!"
The team sprang into motion.
Dorian charged forward with his lion, which let loose a concussive roar that blasted one of the corrupted beasts back into the trees. Aric's salamander spit arcs of flame, cutting off another creature's advance.
The third one lunged for Aren.
"Sharu—go!"
Sharu leapt forward, moving faster than Aren had ever seen him move before. The silver beast twisted midair, claws glowing faintly. With a smooth, arcing slash, it struck the creature across the face. The corrupted beast howled and stumbled back.
"Is it just me, or is Sharu faster?" Aric called, launching another fireball.
"He's adapting," Aren said, his eyes wide. But there was more to it. Sharu's movements were too refined, too precise. As if he'd fought something like this before.
Liora's Ice Wolf lunged at the beast Dorian had staggered, freezing its limbs in place. Lyra's Shadow Falcon swooped from above, tearing at the beast's face with razor-sharp talons.
Within moments, all three corrupted beasts lay defeated, their bodies dissolving into black mist.
"That was our first trial," Lyra said softly. "They're not wasting time."
"Did you see their eyes?" Talia murmured. "Those beasts weren't just corrupted. They were controlled."
The team stood in the clearing, catching their breath. The forest had grown silent again, but now it felt as though the silence was waiting. Watching.
As they regrouped, Aren's gaze was drawn to the runes on the stone archway. They pulsed faintly in rhythm with his heartbeat. When Sharu approached the arch, the runes flared to life, and for a brief moment, the entire glade shimmered.
Then, a voice echoed in Aren's mind.
"Awaken the echo within."
He staggered back, clutching his head. "Did anyone else hear that?"
The others shook their heads.
"I didn't hear anything," Liora said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…" Aren looked at Sharu, whose expression remained unreadable. But Aren could feel it—the bond between them had pulsed again, stronger than before. And whatever this forest was… it was stirring something inside Sharu. And maybe inside him, too.
"We need to keep moving," Dorian said. "This place is only going to get weirder."
Aren nodded, though his mind was still on the voice—and the strange glow in Sharu's eyes when the runes had reacted.
Whatever the Trial of Echoes truly was… it had only just begun.