Page 133 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

Twenty-Six

The Ascension Grounds were eerily quiet when we arrived, the usual crowd of cadets and instructors conspicuously absent. Only Major Ledor stood in the center, arms crossed over his chest, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever.

“It’s time for your next trial,” Major Ledor announced as we formed a line behind our banner. “This one is called the Crucible of the Aether.”

My squad exchanged uneasy glances. I’d never heard of that trial, and judging by the uncertain expressions on Jax’s and Riven’s faces, neither had they.

Major Ledor stepped forward, his gaze as sharp as a blade. “The crucible is designed to test your endurance—both physical and mental. The objective is simple—Survive by stabilizing the wellspring inside the Aetherfield.”

He stretched his hands into the air, and suddenly, the wind shifted. The air thickened, like the very oxygen around us had been replaced by something heavier, something... unnatural. The ground beneath our feet vibrated, and the sky above darkened to a swirling mass of gray and violet clouds.

Tendrils of glowing mist spiraled from Major Ledor’s fingertips, coiling like smoke before slamming into the earth with a pulse that rippled outward. The air seemed tohissas shimmering runes carved themselves into the ground, each one glowing faintly with electric-blue energy.

The earth cracked open, splitting into jagged seams that bled with violet light. From those fractures, a maze of shadowy constructs began to rise—walls of smoke and shifting stone that stretched and twisted as though they had a mind of their own. The paths coiled like serpents, forming dead ends and false trails. Arches of swirling mist shimmered above the paths, occasionally flaring with arcs of lightning that danced between them.

“You must each make it to the other side,” Major Ledor said grimly. “The walls are illusions, but the pain they cause... is not.” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “The crucible will test your mind. It will feed on your fears and memories. Whatever you see in there, whatever you face... is yours alone. If you fail to push through it, you may never emerge from the Aetherfield.”

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. The twisting maze seemed to breathe, the violet veins pulsing like a heartbeat beneath the ground.

“Any questions?” Major Ledor asked.

“What happens if we fail?” Naia’s voice was even, but her fingers clenched into fists at her sides.

Major Ledor’s expression was grim. “Then you don’t come out.”

Jax cursed under his breath, but I kept my focus on the maze. The glowing symbols twisted and curled in endless patterns, like a language I couldn’t begin to understand.

“Step forward when you’re ready,” Major Ledor ordered. “One by one.”

I stepped closer, my gaze locked on the churning mist.

Survive,I reminded myself.Just survive.

I stepped into the Aetherfield, and the world shifted.

The air turned cold and thin, like I was breathing through a wet cloth. The ground beneath my boots felt uneven, the stones warped and unstable. The mist closed in, swallowing the sounds of the world behind me. No wind, no distant murmurs of my squad—just silence.

I kept walking, gripping the hilt of my dagger at my waist. The path twisted ahead, the stone curling like a snake’s spine. I couldn’t tell if I was going deeper into the maze or circling back on myself.

A flicker of movement caught my eye.

“Who’s there?” My voice seemed to die before it could reach my own ears.

Nothing.

I moved forward, stepping carefully around a jagged crack in the stone. The mist thickened, and suddenly, I wasn’t alone.

Remy stepped from the fog, his face shadowed beneath his hood. His eyes weren’t warm like I remembered—they were cold, empty.

“You think you can fight me?” His voice was low and sharp. “You think you’re strong enough?”

I swallowed hard and kept walking, brushing past him.It’s not real,I reminded myself.Just an illusion.

But the voice followed me.

“You never mattered,” Remy sneered. “You were a mark. Just a job.”

I kept moving, even as the tightness in my chest tried to pull me under. The path twisted and turned until I reached a small clearing. A flash of silver shone in the mist—my throwing stars.