Lazar Kiyokazu POV -
I launched myself into a full sprint, surging straight toward the first obstacle on the path.
Constructed entirely of packed earth, the first barrier was a low hurdle standing roughly ninety centimeters high. It wasn't something I could simply stride over without effort.
Closing the distance, I planted my foot, leaped cleanly over the ridge, and kept my momentum going. Just a few paces ahead, the second obstacle was already waiting for me.
It was a low-crawl trench, featuring a narrow opening carved directly beneath a shelf of frozen dirt.
I dropped to my knees and slid flat onto my stomach into the ice-cold snow. The moment I made contact, the freezing chill soaked straight through my thin shirt, biting into my skin and sending a violent shudder through my frame.
„This is freezing..." I thought through gritted teeth, dragging myself through the tight space.
The second I scrambled back onto my feet, another hurdle loomed just a few strides ahead.
"What is he?" Elias's harsh voice echoed through my mind. "You were the one who should have saved him."
How can he say that when he knows damn well there was nothing I could have done out there?! I wondered silently, leaping over the hurdle.
Past the barrier lay a dense cluster of earthen pillars. Just as I had seen Darius do, I began weaving through them, dodging left and right to maintain my speed. Some of the columns were fused together, forcing me to quickly alter my path, but it wasn't a particularly difficult section, just a matter of navigating the maze until reaching the other side.
Left, right, then right again, and I broke through the final set of pillars.
Directly in front of me stood a solid earthen wall. It rose about two meters high, requiring a full leap to catch the top edge and haul myself over.
I drove off the ground, launching my body upward and snapping my fingers onto the rim. But as I pulled up, my numb fingers slipped on the icy surface, and I plummeted straight back down, hitting the snow hard.
„Just what I needed... ice on the ledge."
Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself off the ground and took two quick steps back, resetting my stance to prepare for another try.
These obstacles are exhausting enough as it is. I don't need this frost that makes it even worse.
„I have to do this way faster if I want to pass it."
I charged the wall at full speed, leaped into the air, and caught the ledge once more. Digging deep, I hooked my right leg over the top, swung my weight around, and hauled myself over the crest to land on the other side.
„That was a rough one."
Beyond the wall lay another dense cluster of earthen pillars, forcing me into another serpentine dash between the frozen columns.
Once clear of the maze, I came face-to-face with an obstacle that threatened to freeze whatever confidence I had left, it was none other than the monkey bars.
I looked up at the overhead bars, and noticed a slick layer of snow and frost clinging to the frame.
„Is this going to be slippery too?"
Stepping beneath the frame, I reached up and locked both hands onto the first earthen bar. Suspended in the air like an ape, I began swinging forward from bar to bar—left hand, right hand, back and forth. There were ten rows in total. And every time my hand clamped down onto a new rung, my grip slipped slightly on the ice. I had to wait until my hold stabilized before daring to reach for the next bar, slowly picking my way across.
It took more time than I would have liked, but I managed to navigate the entire length without falling once.
Directly after the bars, another wall blocked my path.
Just like before, I sprinted forward, leaped, hooked my leg over the top, and pulled my body across.
Uncurling myself as I landed, I immediately locked eyes on the next section: five standalone pillars arranged in a zig-zag pattern one on the left, one on the right, and so forth.
I sprinted toward the first pillar on the left, looped entirely around it, and darted toward the second, repeating the motion until I had circled all five.
Directly after the last pillar came an obstacle similar to the low crawl, but considerably longer. It was completely enclosed on all sides except for a tiny entry gap. I dropped back down into the snow, tilting my head sideways to fit through the narrow opening before dragging myself inside.
The clearance was so tight I couldn't even hold my head upright without slamming my skull into the earth above me.
My heart hammered wildly against my ribs. Being trapped in such a claustrophobic space only amplified the panic threatening to take hold at any moment.
„Superiors who don't care about the weak... How can they just turn a blind eye like that?"
I picked my way through the tunnel step by step, inching my arms and legs forward until I finally saw light near the exit. Reaching up, I grabbed the outer lip of the structure and dragged the rest of my body out into the open air.
Ahead of me lay three large earthen blocks arranged like steps, each higher than the last. I scrambled up the blocks, reached the third tier, and leaped off the far edge landing right in front of another low hurdle.
I leaped over it, dropped straight into another low-crawl trench to slide through the snow, and emerged right in front of another set of five pillars, circling each one in turn.
As I made my way around the fourth pillar, heading toward the fifth, a sudden, violent knot tightened in my stomach, bringing me to a dead halt.
„I feel sick... I'm gonna throw up..." I muttered to myself, forcing my aching legs to carry me around the final pillar.
Once clear, the path led into another maze of densely packed columns.
„Come on, Lazar... You have to finish this."
Beyond the columns lay another familiar sequence: a hurdle, a low crawl, and one last hurdle.
„Does this ever end?!"
I cleared the first hurdle and immediately lowered myself into the crawl, dragging my body through the slush.
„How much further...?"
I pushed myself up from the trench and staggered toward the final hurdle. Unable to jump cleanly in my exhausted state, I hauled myself over it much like I had with the walls, swinging one leg over first before dragging the rest of my weight across.
Speaking of walls, the next obstacle was precisely that. It stood tall and unyielding, blanketed in snow, waiting for me to break myself against it.
Unlike the previous walls, I didn't have the energy to sprint. I approached it on foot, leaped, and tried to muscle my way up with my arms. But my hands slid helplessly against the frost, sending me sliding back down.
„Don't tell me I actually have to sprint for this one too...?"
I backpedaled two paces, forced my lungs to draw in cold air, and launched into a sprint. I jumped, hooked my leg over the top, and barely managed to scramble over to the other side.
The next section consisted of another cluster of pillars. This time, my pace was drastically slower. The muscles in my legs were burning intensely, throbbing with a sharp, deep ache.
I trudged between the columns, slowly picking my way to the end of the maze.
When I raised my head, a short tunnel carved into the earth lay directly ahead.
„What is this...?"
The tunnel wasn't very long, maybe five to ten paces across. And I could easily see the clearing on the other side.
Caution guiding my movements, I stepped forward and planted my foot inside the entrance. The instant my boot touched the ground in that tunnel, a staggering weight slammed down onto my foot, driving it ruthlessly toward the dirt.
„No way!"
It was the exact same crushing force that had slammed me into the snow earlier. Heavy, oppressive, and utterly merciless.
„Elias." He came first to my mind, „This is his doing, isn't it?!"
I whipped my head around to check our surroundings, but the only person in sight was Darius on my left who was simply staring at me from a close distance. Elias nowhere to be seen at all.
I pulled my leg back out of the tunnel, and the pressure vanished instantly. But the moment I thrust my foot back inside, the suffocating force slammed down on me all over again, trying to pin me to the earth.
„There's no doubt about it, this is 100% Elias's trick. But how the hell am I supposed to get through it?!"
„I already know I can't break free if the force pins me to the ground. If I try to walk through slowly, he's definitely going to lock me to the ground like before. But if I don't finish this course, I'm going to get hit with even more punishments. Or maybe I would be cut off like those two guys before."
„There's no way in the void I'm doing extra push-ups or disciplinary chores again like before."
I pressed a thumb against my mouth, mind racing. „What do I do...?"
"Lazar!" a voice shouted from the side ahead.
"Luiz...?"
"What's with that face?!"
"Come on, Dangles! You got this!" Tavon chimed in from the sidelines. Reaching his thumbs up looking at me.
„That doesn't help me at all..."
"You have two minutes left to finish the course, or you're disqualified," Darius called out casually.
I glanced at Darius, my mind working in overdrive. „Think, Lazar, think!"
„I only have one option left. All or Nothing."
I backed up as far as space allowed, dropped my shoulder, and charged into the tunnel at a full sprint.
Just as expected, the crushing pressure slammed down on me the second I crossed the threshold. But I refused to stop, forcing my legs to drive forward through the heavy air.
"AAAAARRRGH!"
„I HAVE TO PASS THIS! NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT HURTS, NO MATTER HOW NUMB MY BODY GETS! I HAVE TO CLEAR THIS TO BECOME A HUNTER!"
„Just a little further! Just a few more steps, come on, Lazar! Just three steps and it's over, I can do this!"
"AAAAAAAA!"
One more step!
"ELIAS CURSE YOU!"
Reaching out, I clamped my hands onto the earthen walls of the tunnel, using my arms to physically pull and propel my body forward against the crushing weight.
THUD.
I burst out of the tunnel, collapsing onto the snow just as the weight snapped away. Ahead of me stood one final obstacle and beyond it, there was nothing else.
Driven entirely by pure momentum, I threw myself forward and leaped at the wall. My stomach slammed hard into the dirt ledge as I landed, sending a sharp wave of pain through my abdomen. Ignoring the sting, I swung my right leg over the crest and dragged myself over. Barely.
With that, I cleared the final barrier and crossed the finish line on the right track.
"Hell yeah!"
Luiz was the first to rush over to me.
"Nice work, Dangles! I knew from the start you could do it!" Tavon yelled, jogging over alongside him.
"I feel sick..." I groaned, clutching my stomach. "Uuugh..."
I stumbled toward the tree line. The moment I reached the edge—
"Hey, are you alri—"
BLEAARGH!
I doubled over and vomited into the snow.
"..."
"Uuugh, man, that's disgusting," Tavon said, wincing as he watched me wipe my mouth with the back of my left hand. "UGH! I can't look at this!"
"Just take it easy, get it all out," Luiz said gently, stepping up to hold my forehead.
"It's not like anyone's forcing you to watch," Kieran retorted, stepping up on my other side. "Are you alright, Lazar?"
I gave a weak shake of my head before doubling over to throw up again.
"Just breathe. You passed, you did amazing," Luiz encouraged me. "I expected nothing less from you."
"RECRUIT! GET OVER HERE!" Darius's booming voice barked from behind us.
I turned my head toward him. He was standing with his hands resting on his hips, his massive shadow stretching over the snow. Elias was casually strolling up beside him.
"Time?" Darius asked, looking at Elias.
"Four minutes and twelve seconds. Hardly a result worth bragging about," Elias replied dryly.
"Four minutes and twelve seconds..." Darius repeated. He placed a hand over his mouth, looking down at me intently.
Gulp. I swallowed hard, bracing myself for whatever harsh judgment was coming next.
„Four minutes and twelve seconds, that's good right?" I said to myself.
Thump. Thump. Thump. My heart is pounding as I await to hear what he has to say.
"Hm," Darius grunted, scratching at his beard. A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his mouth beneath his beard. "Well done, recruit. Good job."
"That's considered commendable?" Elias interjected from the side, scratching the back of his head with a look of utter confusion and reluctance.
"You may head back whenever you're ready," Darius said to me. "But once I return, I'll assign your extra duties."
I didn't answer. I just stared at him, before glancing sideways at Kieran and Luiz.
"You can stay and watch the rest if you wish," Darius added, turning his back to walk back toward the starting line. "Tavon! You're up!"
"YES SIR?!"
"Get over here. You're next."
"Right, coming... (╥‸╥)" Tavon groaned, a comical look of despair plastered across his face as he trudged past us. "Wish me luck, guys!"
"Yeah, yeah. Good luck, try not to die, wow" Kieran replied deadpan.
"That wasn't encouraging at all! (` ᴖ ´)"
"Stop fooling around and get over here now!" Elias shouted, forcing Tavon to break into a frantic jog toward the track.
"What a strange man..." Kieran muttered, watching Elias wait for Darius to give the starting signal. He turned back to me. "How was it out there?"
I simply shook my head left and right two or three times.
"I hear you."
"So, what are you going to do now?" Luiz asked.
I shrugged my shoulders without saying a word.
With a helpless expression across his face Luiz looked at me, "This isn't getting us anywhere. It's really tough when you're under a gag order, huh?"
I nodded once.
„And it's all because of that guy on the trail..."
My eyes lowered to the snow as thoughts of the fallen man drifted back into my mind.
"Why are you still thinking about him?" Luiz asked, turning his gaze back toward the obstacle course. "We left him behind, and that's it. There's no point dwelling on it anymore. You heard Elias, he said no one else is coming. He must have done something about him, he wouldn't just leave him out there to freeze to death."
„I'm wondering the same thing, Luiz..."
"I think so too, Lazar," Kieran chimed in. "He wouldn't have said it so definitively if he hadn't handled it."
„But he said it himself that he won't waste time helping a weakling who can't handle the "bare minimum." Have you both forgotten that already? I argued in my head, staring into his eyes."
"Staring at me isn't going to help, man. I can't read your mind," He said with a soft laugh.
"You only brought trouble on yourself by bringing him up," Luiz added softly. "Not to mention screaming at Elias like that. You're making too many mistakes, Lazar." He paused for a second, his voice dropping. "I'm worried that if you step out of line again, they'll cut you out. Elias already got his eye on you. And it looks like he's targeting Tavon as well, just look at the way he's watching him."
"Oh, and while we're on the subject," Kieran cut in, "didn't Elias mention something that someone brought you here, Lazar?"
I tilted my head slightly.
"Yeah," Luiz agreed. "He said Darius is turning a blind eye to your antics because of whoever brought you here. Who brought you to this place, Lazar?"
„Who brought me here?" I thought about it, „I don't even know the answer to that myself."
„I remember running toward the village... I remember the trolls attacking us. The suffocating stench of blood in the air... I remember them... killing my mother right in front of my eyes. After that, everything went blurry and black."
„What happened to me? How did I even end up here? Who brought me to this place, and why am I even here?"
"UGHH!"
A sudden, agonizing pain spiked through my skull, and I clutched my head with both hands. The headache hit out of nowhere. Intense, sharp, and unrelenting, like a rusted nail being driven straight into my brain.
I collapsed onto my knees in the snow from the sheer intensity of it.
"What's wrong?!"
"Hey, Lazar!"
"It's the headache again, isn't it? Hold on, let me help," Kieran said hastily, pressing his cold fingers against my skull. Just like before, he began massaging my head to soothe the pressure, but the pain refused to recede.
"H---y... L--z-r..."
"C-n y-- h--r m-...?"
My vision blurred violently, and their frantic voices began to echo as if I were submerged deep underwater. The world bled into a muted grey, surreal and distorted.
Mother... help me!... Mother! I screamed repeatedly in my mind as the agony kept pounding inside my head like iron hammers on wood.
Through the haze of my failing sight, a strange, incomprehensible shape began to materialize right in front of me. Only a split second after it appeared, a crushing blow slammed violently into my stomach.
At that moment, all strength instantly drained from my limbs, and my body began to tilt forward. As I fell, light and sound vanished completely, plunging me into absolute darkness...