Nero and company didn't head towards their objective in a straight line, but rather approached the temple from the southeast after circling it. Any potential non-medal contestants closer to the point of Luna's scream, they figured, would be on extremely high alert and could be more dangerous.

Thus, night had already fallen on them by the time they were close enough -some 300 yards, give or take- for them to observe the temple in detail. It was a beautiful structure, with curved rooftops and some gardens with ponds in them; the temple was surrounded by a ring of water, which had few accesses by bridges, and was well-lit both outside and inside; cozy yellow light escaped through the rectangular windows.

"Nobody seems to be around...", whispered Nero.

"They are likely hiding.", stated Sharmon.

"Is it my turn?", asked Selene.

Sharmon took out a pocket watch grandma Lonia had lent to Nero out of the chest of his coat and looked at the time.

"We still have three hours. It would be best for you to rest for an hour before proceeding with the scouting. Let us step away from the cliff to remain hidden."

The group walked a few meters back into the forest to take a break.

"Whew... finally."

Nero sat on the grass. They had no light sources other than the beautiful twin moons -a big green one, Yda, and a smaller one, Teo- and the stars above them. The boy looked up and took in the sight with a peaceful smile.

"They are dancing tonight.", he commented.

Luna looked above to see what he meant, and observed Teo was catching up to Yda and covering a small portion of his bigger sister.

Sharmon, too, was gazing up at the stars.

"Do you know anything about them?", Nero asked him.

"If I am not mistaken, the twin moons alter certain frequencies of arcana, resulting in more diverse forms of magic that people in this land do not commonly employ."

"What kinds of magic can you do with moon arcana?", asked Khina.

Sharmon's gaze turned to Luna.

"Dark magics."

Nero lowered his eyes away from them and looked at Sharmon.

"I've read the term before. What does it mean, exactly? Is it some form of evil, or corrupted power?"

"Dark magics are not given their name based on moral categories."

"Where does it come from, then?", asked Khina.

"You all, with the exception of Luna, remember the boy's barrier. Its color was a bright mix of yellow, reminiscent of a weak sun."

They nodded.

"His spell was one of Light magic. Dark magics offer a different variety of colors; from black, to dark purple, to lilac and various shades of reds, among others."

"So it's strictly based on color palettes?"

"Indeed. There is another reason, however, for the distinction to be made."

"That being...?"

"Light magic is stable whereas dark energies are known to be highly volatile."

"...you mean, kinda like an explosion?", asked Khina.

Sharmon nodded.

"Volatile magics have explosive and combustive properties to them. They tend to be highly destructive."

"I'm surprised the scholars haven't learned to use it..."

"Its volatility is highly unpredictable; long-term practice of it is not sustainable. Sooner than later, its use incurs in fatalities."

Nero's eyes turned to Luna.

"Is her magic... one of darkness?", he asked.

"It is. Had we been in her proximity at the time of the incident, we would have been able to see a distinct blood red aura around her during her outburst; likely a circular one, I would even wager."

Luna looked at him in visible surprise, and nodded.

"Khina's shock wave attack was a rather light blue one...", Nero remembered.

"Light magics."

"It look dangerous, though."

"The girl can use the same amount of arcana seven times in a row, and she would release the very same shock wave, whereas repeating the experiment with dark magics would likely grant you seven different results with the same amount of arcana."

"And why is that...?"

Sharmon's eyes went back up to the skies.

It is likely the moons are intervening, and whatever is happening there has repercussions here, modifying the result despite the base value of arcana offered."

"Then, how does someone like Luna use her magic reliably... if she does it at all, that is?"

Sharmon's eyes went once again to her.

"That is a good question. She should be able to tell us herself."

Luna gulped.

"...I don't always use the same amount of arcana."

"Can't say I'm surprised to hear that.", said Khina, crossing her arms.

"But then, how do you know how much you should use?"

Luna's eyes went down to the grass in embarrassment. She didn't seem to be very used to talking about this with other people.

"I'm... I just... feel it releasing... so I regulate the flow...", her tone had gone from low to near-inaudible again.

Nero frowned.

"That's so weird. I have to, like, mega focus to get it out of my body."

Luna shook her head.

"...my arcana goes out all at once if I don't regulate it."

"So... it's kinda like Light magic is all about pushing a cart that's stopped to get it moving, whereas dark magics are trying to accelerate violently, pulled by horses, and you gotta restrain it in order for it to go at the pace you want it to?"

Luna nodded.

"Regulating is very difficult... because there are fluctuations and spikes during the release... I open and close the tap... that's how I call it."

"Running water... that's a good analogy.", Nero thought.

The group kept chatting idly for a good two hours, until Sharmon checked his watch once again.

"It is about time, girl. Get ready."

Selene stood up.

"I am ready."

Man, she was almost copying his mannerisms at this point.

"Wait... what time is it?"

"Ten minutes until eleven.", said Sharmon.

"WHAT...!? The temple opens in ten minutes and we haven't discussed how we're going in and we didn't scout anything...!"

"Be quiet, brat. Scouting earlier would have been pointless. Acting on information gathered hours earlier could very well mean proceeding with outdated information. Selene shall go down, examine the perimeter, and we shall go with few minutes to spare."

"I get that, but if we make it into the temple now, then the rest of the hour will be stress free! We'll have passed the test!"

Sharmon shook his head.

"Listen to me and you will all pass this exam."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Nero sighed.

"Shall I go now?", asked Selene.

"Yes. Take the watch with you. I want you to be back up here at eleven forty five exactly, not a single minute earlier or later. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

Sharmon handed her the pocket watch, and Nero watched her disappear. Once he was convinced that she was out of their reach, Nero addressed Sharmon.

"You know, there's nothing keeping her from just walking into the temple camouflaged. She already has her medal, and now my grandma's watch, even though she doesn't need it", said Nero in a rather dissatisfied tone.

"I am fully aware of that."

Nero frowned in confusion.

"So what's your plan? What do you have in mind?"

"If she does not return, we shall attempt a forceful breakthrough through the south west bridge."

"And what about Selene?"

"In that case, she will have passed the test without us."

"...and you're just gonna let her?"

"Listen, boy. If we had not sent Selene to scout, she would be sitting here with us, doing nothing."

"Yeah.", said Nero.

"Meaning that her betrayal, and we not using her, equate to the same result: no scouting.", said Sharmon.

Khina hit her palm with her other fist.

"I see! It's better to have a chance at scouting than simply giving up on it, right?"

"When you put it like that... I guess it makes sense. Can we actually pull off an offensive move like that, though?", thought Nero.

"The banshee and I are more than enough."

"Her name's Luna."

"Wait, so I'm also useless...!?", asked Khina in surprise.

"What do you mean, also?", asked Nero.

Khina let out an awkward laugh and scratched the back of her head.

"Sorry, didn't mean to call you that. It just came off the wrong way."

"And by the way, now that we don't have the watch, how can we know the hour for sure?", wondered Nero.

Sharmon looked up to the stars.

"The twin moons will tell us."

Nero also looked up.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Teo and Yda keep moving in the sky as time goes by.", said Khina.

"No, I know that. But how can you tell it's been forty five minutes just by looking at how much they move? And they move so slow I can't even see them moving if I stare at them."

"The moons orbit at the same speeds all year long. Once you learn the relation between minutes and degrees of angle, you can calculate it accurately.", explained Sharmon, "all I need to know is where they are know, and I will know when the accorded time has passed."

"What do we do if she's late?"

"If she is, even by a minute, we go down without her."

"And if she's early?", asked Khina.

Nero was about to tell her not to be tedious for the sake of it, but Sharmon's reply left him speechless.

"Then I will take it as an indication of a betrayal, and fight her immediately."

"...a betrayal?"

"She will have no reason to respect the allocated time if she decides to ambush us with other people."

"What reason could she have to do something like that?", asked Nero.

"As far as I am aware, she has none."

"Then, why...?"

"It is a precautionary measure, boy. The world lives around us and we do not always know what is happening. Thinking that you know everything is a fatal mistake."

"...so we prepare for the unforeseen."

Sharmon nodded.

"Statistically, chances are she will return."

"Out of loyalty?"

"It is in her best interests for the future. If she betrays us now and enters the temple with your watch and the medal I gave her, then she will have us to answer to later", Sharmon's eyes gleamed intensely.

"Hey... what if something happens to her while she's exploring, though? How can we help her?"

"We may be unable to."

"So we aren't that much more trustworthy than she is...!", said Nero.

"Every alliance has its roots on trust, boy, and we have both proved our trustworthiness, her with her previous scouting, and we with our medal acquisition in her favor."

Khina crossed her arms again.

"Right. So, just like you said, statistically speaking..."

"Chances are she's coming back... makes sense.", finished Nero.

Sharmon nodded.

"That girl was right. You do reek of worry, brat."

"Her name's Luna.", repeated Nero.

"Hm."

Yeah, yeah, I know I haven't refuted your damn comment; just leave me alone.

Man, talking to him could be so exhausting at times, and that day in particular Sharmon was being even more incisive than usual. And speaking of Luna...

"You okay? You're awfully quiet", said Nero.

"...I don't have anything to contribute, so I prefer to say nothing."

"Silvy was right, you're so shy that it's kinda cute.", laughed Khina.

"You could learn from her, boy."

"I'm cute enough, thanks."

Khina and Luna laughed at his joke, but Sharmon shook his head in disappointment and turned his eyes back up to the stars.

"Twenty minutes remaining.", he noted.

Nero also looked up, even though he had no idea how to measure the passage of time. He could tell, however, that Teo was further in front of Yda by a slightly noticeable margin.

"I can see it's a little more to the left...", Khina voiced Nero's thoughts.

"North.", Sharmon corrected her.

Alright, smart-ass.

"Right, north."

Well, she didn't seem to be as annoyed as he was. Maybe it's because she didn't have to deal with him on a daily basis?

Nero attempted to distract himself with these thoughts, but deep down his anxiety was starting to pile up. Sharmon had said they would attempt a forceful breakthrough if Selene didn't come back, but how were they going to make use of Luna? If she used her wail right next to them they'd all get knocked out instantly, bar maybe Sharmon himself. And what about Selene, too? Was she going to be alright? She probably could, rationally thinking about it, but still... he couldn't help but worry.

"...I would recommend you don't bite your nails.", murmured Luna.

Nero looked at her.

"It will break your teeth."

He took his fingertip out of his mouth.

"Yeah, you're right."

"Also, it's gross.", said Khina.

"Alright already..."

Silence.

It was only a few more minutes until the appointed time, though Nero didn't know how many. It was nerve-racking. Without his normal coping mechanism, he unconsciously started to move his left leg at a rapid pace and biting his own lip. He stopped when he noticed Luna staring at him; instead choosing to process his emotions inside and not make anyone else stressed, too.

Breathe in, breath out.

He was calming down.

Breathe in... breathe out...

The bushes rustled.

"Who goes there...!?", shouted Nero, getting up abruptly.

A familiar figure appeared seemingly from thin air. It was Selene.

Nero pressed his lips and looked down in embarrassment.

"Right on time, Sharmon, as you told me.", she said, giving him the watch.

The sorcerer took it without even looking at it and gave her a quick nod.

"Tell us what you saw."

Selene squatted and everyone gathered around her.

"Okay, so... The north and eastern bridges are all out of the question. Our best bet is the southwestern one. The other ones are either heavily camped by contestants or are being currently contested. The southeastern one, specifically, is being fought over by no less than twelve people."

"You mentioned the southwestern bridge. It unguarded?", asked Nero.

She shook her head.

"There's five guys lying in ambush to the west of the road that takes us to that bridge."

"Alright, what's the plan?"

"Maybe we go into the forest and ambush them before taking the bridge?", proposed Nero.

"We do not have the time for such a thing.", said Sharmon.

"Yeah, I wonder why that is..."

"Haha...ha...", Khina always felt uncomfortable when this happened.

"At present, both medal and non medal contestants are fighting each other, dwindling their own numbers respectively, giving us a simple way to walk in while they are all busy. Here is what we shall do. Listen well, for I will not be repeating myself..."

----------------------------------------

Tap, tap, tap...

"Man, everybody really is somewhere else, huh...?", commented Khina, looking around her.

The road to the southwestern bridge was deserted.

"...yeah. Seems our intel was right.", agreed Nero, walking right next to her.

Sharmon was walking behind both.

Then, he sharpened his eyes to his left.

"Get ready.", he murmured.

"Yeah.", said Khina.

Suddenly five contestants rushed out from the forest, some of them with light magic in their hands, some others with makeshift weapons.

"Now's our time...! Go, go, go...!", they shouted.

"Idiots..."

They jumped at them from too far a distance, giving Nero plenty of time -an entire three seconds- to put up a wall big enough to separate Sharmon, Khina and him from them.

"What...!?"

"Circle around it...!"

Well, they certainly tried, but the two of them who went to the right tripped and fell flat on the ground.

"Ouch...!"

"Da fuck is happening...!?"

"I don't know, man! Something hit me in the leg...!"

To the left of the barrier, Sharmon promptly held off two contestants with his fast cane skills, assisted by Khina who held off the fifth opponent.

"Shock wave...!", she shouted, pushing them all behind the barrier.

"Crap...!", One who, seemed to be their leader, had a bleeding wound on his right leg.

"Now, boy!"

"Yes...!"

Nero bent his barrier above and to the sides, creating a C shaped shield facing west.

"All set, Luna...!", shouted Khina, blocking her ears.

A white figure descended from the cliff above, where the team had set up their brief camp, floating in ghastly white clothes.

Her beautiful reddish strawberry hair started to elevate, defying gravity, and then...

Nero's body desperately wanted to close its eyes, but his mind forced them to stay open. He had to see it, or he wouldn't fully believe it.

Luna's eyes turned white; she raised both her arms towards the five contestants who lay on the floor and a faint, white light began to be drained from them.

"Gaaaahhh...!", their attempts to scream came out as nothing more than soft exhales... it was as if Luna was also draining them of their voice alongside their very life essence.

They all dropped, asleep, after a few seconds.

...well, asleep was the polite word for it. They were likely in a coma, and close to dying.

Luna floated down slowly and touched the floor very softly.

"...it's done.", she announced.

Nero undid the barrier, panting.

"That... was creepy...", panted Nero, "...just like everything we do around here..."

Luna's lips curved into a very faint smile.

"Do they have any medals on them?", asked Selene.

Khina approached the bodies.

"...just one."

"Take it.", said Sharmon.

"What for?", asked Nero.

"Just in case..."

It had been not the sorcerer but Khina who had replied. She handed the medal to him and not Nero.

"How much time do we have left?", he asked, trying not to think too much about that.

"Eight minutes. Let us proceed.", Sharmon led the group forward across the bridge and past the empty open southwestern gates of the square-shaped temple triumphantly.

What they were met with on the other side of the doors, however, would shatter that feeling into countless pieces in an instant.