ShadowBound: The Need For Power-Chapter 574: First Trial Of The Month

After stepping through the portal, the first-years emerged into a vast clearing ringed by towering trees whose canopies stretched high above them like a natural wall. Sunlight poured down mercilessly from a sky where the sun hung unnaturally high, its heat pressing against their skin with an intensity that felt jarringly out of place. The contrast was sharp—only moments ago, it had been morning within the academy grounds, yet here it felt closer to midday, as though time itself had shifted slightly the instant they crossed over.

"Is it just me," Dylan said slowly, turning in a lazy circle as he surveyed their surroundings, "or does this place feel a lot like Vlardia?" His tone carried a hint of unease, memories surfacing of the realm the academy had once sent them to for their midterm examination, where they had been forced to survive for five grueling days.

"Ugh... please don’t tell me we’re stuck in the woods for days again," Max groaned, his shoulders slumping as discomfort crept into his voice.

"Hm?" Dylan glanced at him, lips curling into an immediate grin. "Don’t tell me you’re scared of demons now, Maxie."

"I’m not," Max replied flatly, waving the comment away. "I just hate staying in forests for too long. It gives me the creeps."

"I don’t buy it," Dylan shot back with a sly edge. "You’re totally afraid. No need to deny it."

"I said I’m not, damn it," Max snapped, irritation finally bleeding through.

As their bickering continued, Liam paid them little mind. His gaze swept across the clearing with quiet precision as he extended his perception outward, probing the surrounding area for any trace of danger. He searched for the familiar signatures of hostile entities, especially demons, trying to determine whether they had truly returned to Vlardia or been sent somewhere else entirely. After a brief moment, his senses came up empty.

That left him with two possibilities. Either they were not in Vlardia at all and had been brought to an entirely different location, or they were in Vlardia and whatever lurked nearby was simply beyond his current range. Whichever the case, Liam kept his expression neutral, his posture relaxed but ready, deciding it was best to wait for the instructors to clarify their situation.

Letting his perception recede, his attention shifted to the students around him. His eyes moved from face to face, recognizing some from past encounters despite not knowing their names, while others were completely unfamiliar. As he took them in, he noticed the subtle yet unmistakable wariness directed his way, much like the day before.

’Looks like they still haven’t gotten over the fact that I’m a dark mage,’ he thought inwardly, a faint edge of irritation creeping in. ’It’s only been a day, I suppose. I can’t really blame them for being cautious... but those looks are starting to get annoying.’ He exhaled softly. ’At least none of them have tried anything stupid yet. Especially those three.’

His eyes drifted toward three all-too-familiar figures standing a short distance away. Chris Rature—Queen Lucy’s son—stood at the center, flanked by his two usual shadows, Lucian and Logan. Even at a glance, Liam could tell nothing had changed.

Chris wore his arrogance openly, chin slightly raised, posture stiff with entitlement, as though everyone around him existed on a lower rung. Lucian looked much the same as well, solidly built for his age, his expression carrying a faint sense of boredom, like someone who didn’t particularly want to be there but felt obligated to remain at Chris’s side. Logan, on the other hand, radiated loyalty, his demeanor reminiscent of a trained hound—attentive, eager, and more than willing to do whatever was asked of him.

’I hope it stays that way,’ Liam thought as he turned his gaze elsewhere. ’Though I doubt it will.’ His eyes swept the clearing once more. ’That aside... where are the instructors?’

As if in direct response to his thought, a deep, familiar voice rose from the front of the clearing, cutting through the remaining chatter and forcing everyone into silence.

"You all seem very lively," Kaelen’s voice rumbled, rich and commanding as his gaze settled on the gathered students. "That’s very good."

Every conversation died instantly as the students turned to face him, along with the other instructor standing beside him.

"First of all," Kaelen continued calmly, "this area will serve as your training field for the entire week. All drills, exercises, tasks, and evaluations will take place here." He gestured subtly to the surrounding forest. "This is a secured training zone established by the academy on the eastern side of the kingdom."

At his words, a visible sense of relief passed through much of the group. Shoulders loosened, and tension eased as the realization set in—they weren’t trapped in another hostile realm this time.

Kaelen’s gaze lingered on the students as the tension visibly drained from their shoulders, the collective exhale almost audible in the clearing. The subtle shift did not escape him. His brow lifted slightly, not in surprise, but in something closer to mild disappointment.

"I can see it on your faces," he said, voice low and even, yet carrying effortlessly across the open space. "That look of relief. That quiet thought creeping into your minds—that because you are still on Amthar, because you are within the kingdom’s borders, you are somehow... safer."

The faint calm that had settled moments earlier shattered instantly.

"Let me correct that misconception now," Kaelen continued, his tone hardening like steel drawn from its sheath. "Your location does not grant you comfort. It does not grant you mercy. And it certainly does not grant you permission to relax." His eyes narrowed. "If anything, the fact that you are still on Amthar should make you more alert, not less."

The effect was immediate. Spines straightened. Loose stances vanished. Even the more confident students unconsciously adjusted their footing, attention snapping fully into place as though pulled by an invisible thread.

Kaelen gave a short nod, satisfied. "Good. Remember that feeling. You’ll need it."

He shifted his stance slightly, clasping his hands behind his back as his gaze swept over them once more. "Every time you are brought to this forest throughout the week, you should expect physical exertion. Not once. Not twice. Constantly." He gestured broadly to the trees, the uneven ground, the distant slopes barely visible through the canopy. "This place is not a classroom. It is not a testing chamber with neat rules and clear outcomes. It is an environment designed to wear you down."

A few students exchanged uneasy glances.

"You will run here. You will train here. You will be exhausted here," Kaelen went on. "Some days you will be pushed until your muscles give out. Other days, until your focus fractures. You will not be told the exact layout of each day in advance. You do not get the luxury of preparation through certainty."

He paused briefly before delivering the next blow.

"For the majority of this week," he said calmly, "your use of myst will be restricted."

The reaction was immediate and poorly contained. Groans rippled through the group, quiet complaints surfacing like cracks in ice. A few students muttered under their breath, disbelief and frustration coloring their expressions.

Kaelen didn’t raise his voice.

He didn’t need to.

The air itself seemed to tighten as his gaze sharpened, his presence pressing down with sudden, suffocating weight. "If I hear another sound of protest," he said softly, dangerously so, "you will run today’s course twice. Alone. And I will personally ensure you regret opening your mouth."

Silence slammed back into place. No one dared breathe too loudly, let alone speak.

"Good," Kaelen said after a moment, his tone returning to its prior steadiness. "Now that we understand one another..."

He turned and raised an arm, pointing past the trees toward the distant horizon. Following the line of his gesture, the students’ eyes locked onto a looming shape far beyond the forest’s edge—a massive mountain rising sharply into the sky. Its peak pierced the clouds, jagged and unforgiving, while its slopes stretched endlessly downward, steep and uneven.

"That mountain," Kaelen said simply.

A low murmur stirred again, this time not protest, but disbelief.

"It sits approximately thirty kilometers from this clearing," he continued. "Its peak rises between four to five kilometers above the base. The terrain leading to it is not kind, and the path upward is worse."

He lowered his arm and looked back at them. "Your task for today is very simple."

Several students stiffened at that word.

"You will run to the peak," Kaelen said, "descend it, and return here." His eyes hardened. "You will do so in eight hours or less."

The weight of his words settled heavily over the clearing.

"The conditions are as follows," he went on. "No myst usage. None. Any attempt to circulate, reinforce, or manipulate myst will be grounds for immediate failure." A brief pause. "Second—you will be wearing additional weight. Thirty pounds."

As he spoke, a sudden shift rippled through the group. The training uniforms clung more tightly, the fabric subtly adjusting as though alive. Students staggered half a step as the extra weight settled fully into place, the added burden immediately noticeable in their legs, shoulders, and backs.

A few sharp breaths escaped before they could be restrained.

"You are permitted to assist one another," Kaelen added. "If someone falls behind, you may help them. If someone is injured, you may support them." His gaze was sharp. "But do not mistake cooperation for comfort. Carrying another body is far more taxing than carrying yourself."

He gestured again toward the forest path leading outward. "Do not expect the route to be smooth. There are no myst-enhanced traps. No hidden beasts waiting to ambush you." A faint, humorless curve touched his lips. "The land itself will be enough."

The students stood frozen, eyes locked on the distant mountain that now seemed impossibly far.

Kaelen let the silence stretch just long enough for doubt to fully take root.

Then he spoke again. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Your time," he said calmly, "starts now."

And just like that, the first trial of the month began.