The battlefield had finally fallen silent.
The monsters were gone.
The Trial Forest was free.
The cursed Shadowed Area no longer existed.
For the first time since entering the trial, peace descended upon the land.
Hundreds of survivors stood before their doors.
The doors home.
The doors leading to their appraisal.
The doors leading to the next chapter of their lives.
But nobody moved.
Aaron stood beside his door and crossed his arms.
Then he pointed toward Jade.
"I think our leader should say a few words before we leave."
A chorus of agreement followed.
Everyone looked toward Jade.
Some smiled.
Some laughed.
Some had tears in their eyes.
Many of them would never have survived without him.
Jade scratched his head awkwardly.
"Do I really have to?"
"YES!"
The answer shook the forest.
Jade sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
He stepped forward.
For a few moments he simply looked at everyone.
The survivors.
The wounded.
The exhausted.
The people who had fought beside him.
Then he smiled.
"When we entered this trial, I thought we were all going to die."
The crowd laughed.
"Seriously."
"I saw some of your fighting styles."
More laughter erupted.
Henry pointed at him.
"Hey!"
Jade grinned.
"I'm just saying the truth."
The convoy laughed again.
The tension vanished immediately.
Then Jade's smile softened.
"When we first entered this place, we were strangers."
"We came from different places."
"Different families."
"Different dreams."
"But when the monsters came..."
"We became something else."
His eyes slowly moved across the crowd.
"We became comrades."
The laughter faded.
"We fought together."
"We bled together."
"We survived together."
His voice became quieter.
"And many of us..."
"We lost people."
The forest became silent.
No one spoke.
Everyone remembered.
Friends.
Brothers.
Sisters.
Companions.
People who had entered the trial beside them.
People who would never return.
Jade lowered his head.
"I know everyone wants to go home."
"I know everyone misses their family."
"I know everyone wants to leave."
His voice grew heavy.
"But before we do..."
"I have one request."
The crowd listened.
Jade pointed toward the distant battlefield.
"Let's bury them."
Silence.
"We survived."
"They didn't."
"At the very least..."
"They deserve a proper farewell."
Many heads lowered.
Some people wiped away tears.
Others clenched their fists.
Aaron slowly nodded.
Henry nodded too.
Soon everyone agreed.
No one objected.
For the next several hours, the survivors spread across the Trial Forest.
The bodies of the fallen were gathered.
Graves were dug.
Names were spoken.
Memories were shared.
Stories were told.
Some cried.
Some laughed while remembering old jokes.
Some simply stood silently before the graves.
The Trial Forest that had once been a battlefield became a resting place.
A memorial.
A reminder.
By the time they finished, the sun was beginning to climb higher.
It was nearly noon.
Then Jade disappeared into the forest.
Nobody knew why.
An hour later—
He returned.
Dragging an absurd amount of food behind him.
Aaron blinked.
"Where did you get all that?"
Jade shrugged.
"I stole it."
Aaron's eyes widened.
"You WHAT?"
Jade immediately laughed.
"I'm joking."
Half the convoy almost attacked him.
Even Sarah looked ready to throw a stone.
The meal began.
People sat together.
Stories filled the air.
The survivors ate, laughed, and celebrated.
For the first time since entering the trial, they felt alive.
Jade moved from group to group.
Talking.
Laughing.
Listening.
Helping.
Remembering.
Eventually the sun reached its highest point.
Twelve o'clock.
It was time.
The doors glowed brighter.
The trial was ending.
Slowly everyone stood.
Nobody wanted to leave.
Yet everyone knew they had to.
Aviana walked toward Jade first.
She stared at him silently.
Then suddenly hugged him.
Again.
Jade laughed.
"You're becoming clingy."
"I don't care."
Her voice was immediate.
"I really don't care."
Jade smiled.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Finally Aviana stepped back.
Her eyes were slightly red.
Then her body dissolved into golden and black light.
Ant Demon appeared beside her.
The giant creature bowed its head toward Jade.
Then both of them retreated into Jade's Soul Sea.
Silence followed.
For some reason—
Jade felt tears gathering.
He quickly wiped them away.
Aaron saw it.
And immediately smirked.
"Oh?"
Jade glared at him.
Aaron laughed.
Then his smile softened.
"You remember what I told you?"
Jade nodded.
Aaron continued.
"The day we met."
"I told you not to believe we'd become friends."
Jade laughed weakly.
He remembered.
Aaron stepped forward.
Then hugged him.
A proper brotherly hug.
No jokes.
No sarcasm.
No arrogance.
Just sincerity.
Jade hugged him back.
Then quietly said,
"Don't worry."
"I'll be your friend for life."
Aaron chuckled.
"Even if you have to die for it?"
Jade nodded.
"Even then."
Aaron looked away quickly.
"You're making this awkward."
Jade laughed.
"So are you."
The two separated.
Then Henry hugged Jade.
Then Blake.
Then Ella.
Soon almost everyone wanted to say goodbye.
The Trial Forest became filled with farewells.
One by one.
Until finally—
Only Sarah remained.
She slowly walked toward Jade.
For once she wasn't joking.
For once she wasn't smiling.
She stopped in front of him.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
Then Sarah sighed.
"I'm sorry."
Jade looked confused.
"For what?"
Sarah smiled sadly.
"For a lot of things."
She looked toward her door.
Then back at him.
"In another world..."
"Maybe things would have been different."
Jade remained silent.
Sarah continued.
"My parents would never allow it."
A small laugh escaped her lips.
"So I probably won't be able to love you in the real world."
Jade blinked.
Then laughed awkwardly.
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"But..."
Her smile became warmer.
"I can still be your friend."
"A very annoying friend."
Jade smiled.
"I can live with that."
Sarah nodded.
Then pointed at him.
"And no more passionate kisses."
Jade nearly choked.
"THAT HAPPENED ONCE!"
Sarah laughed.
"Exactly."
The atmosphere lightened again.
Then she hugged him briefly.
A simple goodbye.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Finally she stepped backward.
Toward her door.
The time had come.
One by one—
People entered.
Henry.
Blake.
Ella.
Sarah.
Aaron.
The convoy.
The survivors.
Each person disappeared into their doorway.
Returning home.
Returning to reality.
Returning to the future.
Eventually—
Only Jade remained.
The Trial Forest was empty.
The battlefield was silent.
The graves rested peacefully beneath the sunlight.
The wind moved gently through the trees.
Jade looked around one last time.
At the place where they had suffered.
At the place where they had grown stronger.
At the place where they had become family.
Then he smiled.
A small smile.
A genuine one.
"Goodbye."
With that—
Jade stepped through his door.
And the Trial Forest became empty.
At last.
The First Trial was over.