I have watched countless beings meet death for the first time. Some scream. Some freeze. Some break. A rare few move forward anyway.
Erias was one of those few.
The moment his eyes locked onto the beast, the forest seemed to pull back, as if the world itself wished to see what choice he would make.
The creature stood half-hidden between the trees, its body low to the ground, muscles coiled like drawn wire. Its hide was thick and dark, layered with ridges that caught the faint light filtering through the canopy. Four legs, long and powerful. A head too narrow, too sharp, with a jaw that looked as though it had been carved to tear rather than bite. Its eyes reflected green and gold, unblinking, calculating.
It did not roar.
It did not charge.
It waited.
Erias' breath came slow and controlled, though his heart hammered against his ribs. His fingers tightened around the crude dagger in his hand. The weight of it felt wrong. Too light. Too small. Not like the swords he had trained with. Not like Kaelar's blade.
But those were gone.
This was what he had.
The beast tilted its head, as if amused.
Erias moved.
He charged forward without a shout, boots tearing through leaves and undergrowth. His instincts screamed at him to slow down, to measure the distance, but something deeper pushed him onward. If he hesitated, he would die. If he tried to run, he would die tired and terrified.
So he chose the only path left.
Forward.
The beast exploded into motion.
It vanished from where it had stood, reappearing to Erias' right in a blur of muscle and shadow. He barely had time to register it before something slammed into his side, sending him flying. He hit the ground hard, the air ripped from his lungs as he rolled through dirt and roots.
Pain flared along his ribs.
He pushed himself up just as claws tore through the space where his head had been a heartbeat earlier. He stumbled back, heart racing, eyes wide.
Too fast.
The realization hit him with cold clarity.
He couldn't outrun it.
The forest was dense, the ground uneven, and the beast moved like it belonged here. Running would only end with his back exposed and his throat torn open.
The beast circled him now, slow again, confident. Its lips peeled back, revealing rows of teeth stained dark with old blood.
Erias swallowed.
He adjusted his grip on the dagger, remembering Kaelar's voice, Seros' corrections, the Nightmare General's brutal lessons.
Close your stance. Don't overreach. Let the enemy come to you.
The beast lunged.
Erias didn't retreat.
He stepped in.
The world narrowed to movement and intent. He twisted his body just enough for the beast's jaws to snap past his shoulder, the rush of air hot and foul. At the same time, he drove the dagger forward, aiming for the softer flesh beneath the creature's jaw.
The blade struck but not deep enough.
The beast screamed, a shrill, furious sound, and slammed into him with its full weight. They crashed to the ground together, rolling through leaves and dirt. Erias felt claws rake across his arm, his shoulder, his side. Pain flared, sharp and blinding.
He screamed, not in fear, but in effort.
They separated, scrambling to their feet.
Blood dripped from the beast's neck.
Blood dripped from Erias' arm.
The beast attacked again, faster now, enraged.
Erias ducked, rolled, barely avoiding death with each movement. His body burned. His breath came in ragged gasps. His vision blurred at the edges.
Think, he told himself.
He remembered training alone at night, when exhaustion stripped away hesitation. He remembered Kaelar standing silent, watching, waiting for him to stop relying on strength and start relying on will.
The beast leapt.
Erias dropped flat to the ground.
The creature flew over him, momentum carrying it forward. Erias rolled to his knees and lunged, burying the dagger into the beast's flank with everything he had left.
The blade slid between ribs.
The beast shrieked and twisted, knocking him aside again, but this time it staggered. Its movements lost their precision. Blood soaked into its dark hide, steaming faintly.
Erias forced himself up.
Every instinct told him to fall, to rest, to give in to the pain.
He didn't.
He charged one last time.
The beast snapped at him, slower now. He stepped inside its reach, grabbed the dagger with both hands, and drove it upward into the base of its skull.
The creature convulsed.
Then it collapsed.
Silence returned to the forest, heavy and absolute.
Erias stood over the body, chest heaving, dagger slick with blood. His hands trembled. His arms burned. His legs felt as though they might give out at any moment.
He had killed it.
Before the realization could fully settle, slow clapping echoed through the trees.
"Well," a voice said lightly, "that was interesting."
Erias spun around, dagger raised.
Aven stepped out from behind a tree, completely unscathed. His clothes were clean. His posture relaxed. In his hand, he held his own dagger its blade dark with blood.
"I guess Kaelar really did choose someone worthy," Aven said, smiling.
Erias stared at him, then at the blood on Aven's dagger.
His grip tightened.
"You killed something," Erias said slowly.
Aven followed his gaze and shrugged. "Don't worry. Just beasts. I'm not here to kill you."
Erias didn't lower his weapon. "Then why are you here?"
Aven tilted his head, studying him like a puzzle. "I want to see what you become."
The words sent a chill through Erias that had nothing to do with the forest air.
"You came to the ritual," Erias said. "If you don't want to become the Blade, why risk it?"
For a moment, Aven's smile faded.
Something darker surfaced.
His presence changed not in strength, but in intent. The forest seemed to notice.
"Just because I don't want to kill you now," Aven said softly, murderous intent bleeding into his voice, "doesn't mean I won't kill you later."
Erias felt it then. The weight of the words. The promise behind them.
Then, just as suddenly, Aven laughed, the darkness vanishing as if it had never been there.
"Oh, relax," he said cheerfully. "If I wanted you dead, you'd already be bleeding out."
He turned away, waving over his shoulder. "Be careful out here. The other participants aren't as nice as me."
And with that, he disappeared into the forest.
Erias stood alone again, staring at the place where Aven had vanished.
His arms shook.
Not from fear.
From understanding.
This ritual wasn't just about beasts.
It was about people.
And somewhere deep within him, something stirred quiet, steady, watching.
The forest waited.
And Erias took his first step deeper into it.