The three of them stood frozen in front of the door, the crumpled note fluttering slightly in the breeze. Serina's dramatic wail echoed off the stone archway.
"RENOVATION?! AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!" Her hand slam against the door, nearly knocking Yuri off Kara's shoulder from the noise. "Does the universe want me to fail? First the hallway mess, now this!"
Seth just stared at the door, his face deadpan. "I knew this was a waste of time."
"It's not a waste yet!" Serina spun around, her blonde hair flying. "We just... need a backup plan! A Plan B! Or C! Or whatever letter comes after B when Plan B is also 'just break in'!"
Kara blinked, trying not to smile. "Plan B could be... asking Professor Vance for another trial or help? Since he's the one who told you about Professor Leon in the first place."
Serina's eyes lit up like a lightbulb, and she grabbed Kara's hand so fast the brunette nearly stumbled. "KARA, YOU'RE A GENIUS!"
Before either of them could react, she was already dragging the brunette away from the closed door, yelling over her shoulder. "Seth! Come on! We're going to find Vance!"
The white-and-purple haired boy just sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and following at a more leisurely pace. "This is going to end in disaster, isn't it?"
They raced through the academy grounds. Serina in the lead, Kara trailing along while dodging other students in a run just to kept up with the blonde.
"Watch out! Coming through! Future Grand Ascend champions on a mission!" Serina yelled, parkouring around the students in the way.
She slides down the stares handle, prompting the brunette to following.
"Sena, maybe we should slow down?"
"Nonsense! Speed is key, Kara!" Serina grinned, but she did let up just a little, enough that they stopped disturbing pedestrians, at least. "Besides, Vance likes it when you're 'proactive'! That's what he said last time I broke his favorite mug during training."
"Did you at least apologize?"
"Of course! I left him a new one. It was lopsided, but it held coffee!"
Seth caught up to them just as they rounded the corner to the faculty wing, his expression as grumpy as ever. "You two realize the faculty office is on the third floor, right? And that running up stairs in a skirt is a bad idea?"
Serina looked down at her skirt, then back up at him with a mischievous grin. "Good thing I wear shorts underneath! See?" She did a quick little spin, making Kara's face flush bright pink.
"SENA!"
"Relax, relax!" She laughed, grabbing Kara's hand again. "Let's go, Vance isn't going to wait all day!"
They burst through the faculty office door without knocking, making Professor Vance nearly spill his tea all over his desk.
The older man looked up, adjusting his round glasses with a sigh that suggested this was not the first time Serina had barged in on him.
"Einhart," he said, his voice calm but tired. "To what do I owe the pleasure of having my door nearly ripped off its hinges?"
"Professor Vance! You have to help us!" Serina rushed forward, slamming her hands on his desk. "Professor Leon's trial area is closed for renovation! We need another assignment!"
Vance raised an eyebrow, taking a slow sip of his tea. "Renovation? I wasn't aware of that. Let me check my schedule..."
"THERE'S NO TIME FOR SCHEDULES!" Serina leaned in so close her nose was almost touching his glasses. "We need to start the trial run today! Seth's already mad at us for being late, and Kara's probably hungry, and—"
"Serina," Vance interrupted gently, "take a breath. You're going to make me pass out."
She leaned back, huffing. "Fine. But please? We're ready! We've got our team—well, almost a team, we don't have a name yet, but that's beside the point— and we're raring to go!"
Vance looked past her at Kara, who was standing awkwardly by the door with her bound hiding in her hood, then at Seth, who was leaning against the wall looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.
A small smile touched his lips.
"Alright, since you come all the way here." he said, setting down his teacup. "I suppose you could take on my Trials for today. But you have to promise me one thing."
"Anything!"
"No more breaking my mugs. Or my doors. Or anything in the school property. Deal?"
Serina saluted. "Deal! Cross my heart and hope to... well, not break anything!"
Vance shook his head, pulling out a piece of paper from his desk drawer and scribbling something on it. He folded it carefully and held it out to Serina, his expression shifting from amused to serious in a heartbeat.
"Here," he said, his voice low and steady. "This is where we'll meet. It's a mountain top, the one far behind the school, past the western forest and the old building."
Serina took the paper, her eyes scanning the address. "A mountain top? That sounds epic! Like a scene from those old battle legends!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Vance warned, his gaze sharp. "I'm not assigning this to you because it's 'epic'. This won't be a game, Einhart. Or you two either," he added, glancing at Kara and Seth.
He leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "I don't want you three to leave now, you'll have to get fully prepared first. Check that your weapons are in perfect condition. Bring a first aid kit, plenty of water and food. And most importantly..." He paused, looking each of them in the eye.
"Be mentally prepared for the challenge. It's not going to test just your strength, it's going to test how well you work together. How well you trust each other."
Serina's grin faded a little, but she nodded firmly. "We can do that. Right, guys?"
Kara nodded, her silver eyes serious now. While Seth pushed off the wall, finally speaking up with a tone that matched Vance's gravity.
"How long do we have?"
"Sunset," Vance said. "If you're not there by then, the trial is off, and you'll have to wait a week for another chance. Now go, and be careful on the way. The path up that mountain isn't kind to those who rush."
They all stood still for a moment, letting his words sinking in. Then Serina folded the paper and tucked it into her pocket, giving him a determined smile.
"Thank you, Professor. We won't let you down."
Without another word, she turned and headed for the door, opening it gently instead of bursting through it. Kara and Seth followed, the hallway outside quiet now that the rush of students had passed.
As they walked back through the academy grounds, the playful energy from earlier was gone, replaced by a quiet focus.
Seth pulled out his Slate, scrolling through something. "I know a nearby store in the main gate with extra supplies. We can grab first aid, water, and snacks there. Serina, your sword is at the training grounds, right?"
"Yep," she said, her expression calm. "I'll run ahead and get it, make sure it's properly tightened this time. Kara, can you meet us at the main gate in twenty minutes? Bring whatever you have for Yuri too."
Kara nodded. "Got it. I'll grab my gun and check the ammo first."
They split up at the courtyard, each heading their own way with purpose.
Yuri popped his head out of the brunette's hood, looking up at her with concerned eyes.
"It's okay," she whispered, scratching behind his ears. "We'll be ready. Or more so, i have to be mentally ready.."
. . .
Down at the mountain's base, rises from the earth like a great stone giant, its peak swallowed by low-hanging clouds. From down here, you can't even see where the sky ends and the rock begins.
Just a wall of gray that makes Serina whistle under her breath.
"Whoa... I knew it was tall, but this tall?" She throws her arms out wide, as if trying to wrap them around the mountain itself. "It's like touching the sky! No wonder Vance picked this spot, it's perfect for a grand showdown!"
Kara creeps toward the dark stone entrance tucked between two boulders, Yuri peeking out from her hood to sniff the air. She leans in, squinting up the stairwell.
"That's a lot of stairs." Her voice comes out a bit shaky, "How many do you think there are? A thousand? Ten thousand?"
Serina shoves past her, grinning as she claps a hand on the entrance frame. "Pfft, stairs are just vertical ground! How hard can it be? I bet I can run all the way up without breaking a sweat."
Seth, who's been tapping away at his Slate this whole time, lets out a short huff. "Vance just messaged. He's already at the top."
"What?!" Serina's eyes go wide, and she practically bounces over to him. "How?! Did he fly? Is he some kind of beast in disguise? That would explain the scaly eyebrows!"
"His eyebrows are not scaly." He said, not looking up.
"He took the cable car." Seth pauses, then reads aloud. "He sent instructions too. Says we have to climb to the top for warm up. Trial begins only if we make it before afternoon. No short-cut, Arcana are off limits too."
"A warm-up?!" Serina throws her hands in the air to gesture what they're getting themselves into. "This guy thinks climbing a mountain's just stretching?! Next he'll tell us to do push-ups on the way up!"
"Stupid cable car. Stupid no-shortcuts rule. Stupid... scaly eyebrows."
Kara lets out a small giggle, "I don't think his eyebrows are scaly when i saw him in the entrance exam. Just bushy."
"See? Kara gets it!" Serina points at her, then grins. "Fine. If we have to climb, we climb. But I'm warning you—I sing when I'm bored."
"Great, just what i needed. A leader who won't shut up and her partner who's afraid of height." Seth slips his Slate back into his pocket, heading for the archway.
"I'm not scared. . I'm just not a big fan."
Serina loops an arm through hers, giving her a gentle squeeze. "It's okay. We'll do it together. I'll count the stairs so you don't have to think about how high we are. One... two... three...." She starts walking into the archway, pulling Kara along with her.
"Wait—we haven't even started climbing yet!"
Serina laughs, her voice echoing off the stone walls as they take their first step up. "It's never too early to practice. One... two... three... four—hey, Seth, are you coming or what? Last one to the top buys the other two ice cream tomorrow!"
The hot-headed boy shakes his head, but followed through.
. . .
[First landing - 30 minutes in]
The stone under their feet is already starting to feel like fire. Serina's still grinning, but her voice is a little breathier as she counts. "...four hundred and twelve... four hundred and thirteen... hey, Kara, did you know stairs were invented by someone who hated legs?"
Kara leans against the rail, gasping, while Yuri licks sweat from her cheek. "I... I don't think that's... historically accurate..."
Seth plops down on a nearby rock, pulling out his water bottle. "Four hundred thirteen steps. We're not even a quarter of the way up."
Serina waves a hand dismissively, then stumbles when her legs wobble. "Pfft—quarter my butt. This is just the warm-up to the warm-up!" She starts singing off-key. "Climb every mountain, ford every stream—"
"Please stop."
"Follow every rainbow, 'til you find your dream—"
[Second landing - 1 hour in]
Serina's singing has devolved into a raspy mumble.
She's draped her greatsword over her shoulder like a dead weight, her blonde hair stuck to her forehead with sweat. "...eight hundred and... ninety... something... Kara, how're you holding up?"
Kara's face is bright pink, but she's still climbing steadily, one hand white-knuckled on the rail. "I... I stopped looking down... that helps..." She pauses, then adds quietly: "...eight hundred and ninety-seven."
Seth's Slate pings again. He squints at it, then groans. "Vance just sent a photo. He's drinking tea at the top. With a croissant."
Serina's eyes flash with new energy, then she trips over the last step to the landing and face-plants into the moss. "STUPID CROISSANT!"
[Third landing - 2 hours and 40 minutes in]
All three of them collapse in a heap the second they reach the flat stone. Serina's shirt is completely soaked through, Seth's hair is sticking up in every direction, and Kara's hood has fallen back, revealing Yuri passed out on her shoulder, still clinging on for dear life.
"...one thousand... two hundred... and forty-two..." Serina mumbles into the ground. "I take it back. Stairs are evil. Vertical ground my ass."
Kara pulls out her water bottle and hands it to her. "Here... you need to drink...."
Seth pushes himself up, wincing. "We've got twenty minutes to make it before afternoon hits. Vance said he won't start without us if we're late, but we'll lose the trial slot entirely."
Serina looks up at the endless spiral still twisting above them, then at the bright blue sky peeking through the top, the sun still high enough to cast sharp shadows on the stone.
She lets out a dramatic wail, "WHY DID I BET ON ICE CREAM?! I'M GONNA BE BROKE AND EXHAUSTED BEFORE LUNCH!"
[Top of the mountain - 5 minutes before afternoon]
They stumble out of the stairwell like zombies, tripping over each other onto the flat peak. The sky is a clear, brilliant blue, and sure enough—
Professor Vance is sitting at a small table, sipping tea and eating the last bite of a croissant.
"Ah, right on time," he says, smiling gently. "Nice warm-up?"
Serina collapses face-first in the grass, her sword clattering beside her. "...warm-up... my legs... are... noodles..."
Kara leans against a boulder, trying to catch her breath, while Yuri finally wakes up and starts licking her face. "We... we made it... before afternoon..."
Seth slides down the boulder to sit on the ground, his chest heaving. "...you owe us... ice cream... tomorrow..."
Vance stands up, walking over to them. "I heard the bet. Impressive you kept going through all that. Now. . ." he claps his hands once, and the air suddenly feels sharp and serious ". . . the real trial begins."
Serina lifts her head just enough to glare at him. "...can... can it begin... after a nap... and maybe that croissant...."
"Ah, i already ate all of them." The older man laugh.
They all drained out before the Trail Run even start.