Chapter 28: Into the Shadows

The moment Kael stepped into the Field of Shadows, it felt like the world shifted around him. The mist was thick, clinging to the ground like a suffocating blanket, swallowing up everything more than a few feet away. His footsteps were muffled, the ground beneath him soft and uneven. The gate clanged shut behind the last recruit, and a heavy silence fell over the field.

Kael’s grip on his sword tightened. His eyes flicked from side to side, scanning the limited visibility around him. The other recruits had dispersed quickly, some darting ahead into the mist while others moved more cautiously. There was no time for hesitation—the Field was designed to disorient, to trap those who lingered too long in one place. The longer you stayed still, the more vulnerable you became.

Mira, Alec, and Tarin fell into step beside him, their faces grim as they surveyed the ominous landscape before them. There was no way to see where the traps or illusions lay, but Kael could feel the unnatural energy in the air. The Field was alive with danger, each step forward bringing the promise of something lurking just beyond their sight.

“We stick together for now,” Kael said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. “We need to cover ground fast, but stay alert. The Field’s designed to make us lose our way.”

Alec nodded, his sharp eyes already scanning the mist for signs of movement. “We move, but cautiously. The faster we move, the more likely we’ll trigger something.”

They moved forward in silence, Kael at the front with Alec close behind, Mira and Tarin keeping an eye on the rear. The mist swirled around them, thickening as they ventured deeper into the Field, and every now and then, Kael caught a glimpse of movement—other recruits, or perhaps something far more dangerous.

It didn’t take long for the first signs of trouble to appear.

Kael’s Sharp Senses (Stream) flared as he heard a faint, almost imperceptible sound ahead—a low, hissing noise, like something shifting in the mist. He froze, holding up a hand to signal the others to stop. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the sound.

“Do you hear that?” Mira whispered, her voice barely audible as she scanned the fog.

Alec’s expression hardened. “A trap.”

Kael nodded. He didn’t need to see it to know that they were standing on the edge of danger. His Sharp Senses picked up subtle vibrations in the ground beneath his feet—something was waiting ahead, lying in wait for the first unfortunate recruit to step into its path.

“We need to go around,” Kael whispered, his voice steady but tense. “If we trigger it, we’ll be sitting ducks.”

The group carefully shifted to the right, skirting the perimeter of whatever trap lay ahead. Kael’s heart pounded in his chest as they moved, the silence around them unnerving. Every step felt like a gamble, but they had no choice. The Field wasn’t just about surviving the other recruits—it was about surviving the Field itself.

As they moved forward, Kael caught a flash of movement in the distance. His God Eye flickered to life, honing in on the source of the movement. It was another recruit, sprinting blindly through the mist. Kael could see the panic in the way the boy moved, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he ran, unaware of the trap directly in his path.

Kael opened his mouth to shout a warning, but it was too late.

The ground beneath the recruit erupted in a violent burst of energy, the air shimmering as an invisible force slammed into him. He was thrown backward, his body crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. The mist swallowed him up as he lay motionless, unconscious or worse.

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Mira gasped softly, but Kael kept his focus. The Field wasn’t going to let them pass without a fight. They needed to keep moving.

“We can’t stop to help him,” Alec said grimly, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. “If we do, we risk getting caught in the same trap.”

Kael hated the cold truth of Alec’s words, but he knew there was no other choice. They couldn’t afford to hesitate. The Academy’s trial was ruthless, and any sign of weakness could mean failure—or worse.

They continued forward, moving more cautiously now. The mist grew thicker, and the landscape around them seemed to shift, twisting into unfamiliar shapes. Every now and then, Kael heard faint echoes—other recruits battling their own way through the Field, some in combat, others falling victim to traps and illusions. The sounds seemed distant, almost dreamlike, but they were a constant reminder of the danger that lurked in every shadow.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Kael’s feet shifted again, and this time, he barely had time to react. His Sharp Senses screamed a warning, and Kael leaped backward just as the ground in front of him cracked open, revealing a pit filled with jagged spikes.

“Watch out!” he shouted, pulling Mira back as she nearly stepped into the trap. Alec and Tarin quickly adjusted their positions, their eyes wide as they realized how close they had come to falling in.

“That was close,” Tarin muttered, his breath coming in quick bursts. “These traps are everywhere.”

Kael nodded, his heart still racing. “We’ll have to rely on our instincts. The Field is trying to trick us, but we can outsmart it.”

They moved around the pit and continued deeper into the mist, the atmosphere growing more oppressive with each step. Kael’s mind raced, trying to stay ahead of the traps and the illusions that surrounded them. The path to the banner wasn’t just about speed—it was about navigating the unknown, about pushing through the fear and uncertainty that threatened to pull them under.

As they ventured deeper, the mist began to thicken, turning into a near-impenetrable fog. Kael’s God Eye flickered again, and he strained to see through the haze. Something was moving just ahead—something large.

Kael raised a hand to signal a halt, his body tensing as his Sharp Senses flared. The fog shifted, and out of the mist emerged a hulking creature, its form massive and twisted, with glowing red eyes and thick, armored skin. It stood at least twice the height of a man, its grotesque body bristling with spikes and sinewy muscles.

“A guardian beast,” Mira whispered, her voice barely audible. “They’ve unleashed the creatures of the Field.”

Kael’s heart pounded in his chest. He had heard of these creatures before—monstrous beings that roamed the Field, created specifically to hunt down and eliminate the weakest recruits. But seeing one in person was far more terrifying than he had imagined.

“We can’t fight it head-on,” Alec said, his voice low and urgent. “Not without attracting more attention.”

Kael knew Alec was right. The creature’s sheer size and strength made it a formidable opponent, and any noise they made would only draw other recruits—or worse. They needed to outmaneuver it.

“Follow my lead,” Kael whispered. “We’ll move around it, slowly.”

They crept along the edge of the mist, their movements slow and deliberate. Kael’s God Eye tracked the creature’s movements, watching as it prowled through the fog, its massive claws digging into the earth. The creature’s low growls sent shivers down Kael’s spine, but he forced himself to stay calm. One wrong move, and they would be caught.

As they moved, the fog thickened once more, and for a moment, Kael lost sight of the creature. His heart skipped a beat—where had it gone?

Suddenly, a sharp roar cut through the air, and Kael’s blood ran cold. The creature had spotted them.

“Run!” Kael shouted, his voice breaking through the eerie silence.

Without hesitation, the group bolted, sprinting through the mist as the creature’s thunderous footsteps shook the ground behind them. The world blurred around them as they ran, the fog swallowing up everything in its path. Kael’s lungs burned, his legs screaming in protest, but he pushed forward, knowing that stopping meant death.

The creature’s roars grew louder, closer. Kael risked a glance over his shoulder and saw its massive form barreling toward them, its glowing eyes locked on them with a primal hunger.

“We can’t outrun it!” Tarin shouted, his voice filled with panic.

Kael’s mind raced. They couldn’t outrun the creature, but they might be able to outsmart it. The Field was filled with traps—if they could lead the beast into one, it might give them a chance.

“Head for the trees!” Kael ordered, his voice sharp with urgency. “There’s bound to be traps in the denser part of the Field!”

They veered sharply toward a cluster of twisted trees that jutted out from the mist, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands. Kael’s Sharp Senses flared as they entered the area, and he could feel the presence of something dangerous nearby.

The creature followed, its massive form crashing through the underbrush with reckless abandon. Kael’s heart pounded in his chest as he led the group toward the danger zone.

And then he saw it—a faint shimmer in the air, just ahead of the trees. A trap.

“Keep running!” Kael shouted. “Lead it straight into the trap!”

The group sprinted toward the shimmering line, narrowly avoiding it as they darted past. The creature, blinded by its rage, charged straight into the trap.

A deafening explosion rocked the air as the trap activated. A net of shimmering energy erupted from the ground, ensnaring the beast and lifting it into the air. The creature howled in fury, thrashing wildly as the net tightened around it, but it was caught.

Kael and the others didn’t wait to see what happened next. They sprinted deeper into the Field, the sounds of the creature’s roars fading into the distance behind them.

As they slowed, catching their breath, Kael’s heart finally began to steady.

They had survived.

But the banner was still far away.

And the Field of Shadows wasn’t done with them yet.