Page 57

One moment, I am standing on the frail wooden stage of the old playhouse, and the next, solid rock replaces the worn floorboards under my feet.

A bone-chilling cold wraps around me, and a wave of dizziness makes me stumble. For a few heartbeats, I am blind, lost in a void so dark it feels like my eyes were painted black.

Blinking, I fight to regain my bearings. Shapes slowly emerge from the gloom, and soon, I realize I am standing in a vast cavern that appears to swallow the light alongside the other eight who stepped through. Water trickles from hidden cracks, the sole sound breaking the heavy silence.

My gaze drifts to the ground’s abrupt end a few steps away. The chasm below is a dark abyss that seems to plunge deep into the very heart of the world. The sight is disorienting, and I shiver at the thought of falling into that endless void.

Nine paths, made of separate stone pillars, stretch across the abyss.

“There.” Faelas strides to a scrap of parchment near the cliff’s edge and picks it up before reading it for the rest of us. “Leap from one pillar to the next, claim your prize until you have gathered enough. Choose your path wisely, for once taken by one, it cannot be used by others.”

I look toward the first row of pillars as I try to estimate the length we’ll need to jump. The distance is neither a crow’s flight nor a simple step. Although I don’t see any coins, the message suggests they will be there if we jump.

I am certain—as certain as I can be in this cursed place—that I can clear the distance to the first row of pillars with a running start.

Zanyar stands to my right, his gaze fixed on the pillar ahead of him, with a cool and collected expression reflecting a man who has already tasted victory.

With seven coins between us, we need only two more.

A simple jump from each of us, and victory will be ours.

The real challenge, the true test, lies ahead for those needing multiple coins. The rows of pillars seem to vanish into the abyss, but it’s clear that the distance between them increases with each row. Every leap will be longer and more precarious than the last.

“If this is some kind of sorcery or an illusion, can we truly die if we fall into that abyss?” Roshana asks, her voice trembling slightly.

“A powerful illusion can shatter even the strongest minds. If your mind succumbs to the fear of death, your body will follow,” Zanyar replies.

“A comforting thought,” Samira mutters sarcastically. “So, we might die, or we might not. How delightful.”

The Gajaris have already claimed the last two paths on the left. Without coordinating with anyone else, they jump over the first row and land effortlessly before regaining their balance. As soon as their feet touch the pillars, golden coins appear where they land, and they quickly collect them.

Zanyar gives me a nod, signaling that it’s time to move. We take the last two paths on the right. Darian stands in front of the path to my left while Faelas and Bahador are positioned beside him. Samira and Roshana occupy the next two paths between them and the Gajaris.

I eye the first row with trepidation. The distance doesn’t require a giant’s leap, but the pillar looks slick with moisture, which promises doom if I slip.

“I can jump two rows,” Zanyar says, apparently noticing my hesitation.

“No, it’s not that far,” I respond firmly.

“It’s too deep,” Roshana squeaks, her face turning a rather unflattering shade of green.

“Not a fan of heights?” Samira asks .

Roshana doesn’t even manage a reply. She only shakes her head, closes her eyes, and clutches her stomach.

Putting her out of my mind for now, I refocus on the path ahead, take a long step back, and with a running start and a silent prayer to anyone who cares to listen, I jump across the chasm, landing with an ungraceful slip.

Thankfully, my reflexes are sharp, and I manage to steady myself, even if it means landing on all fours.

Zanyar, meanwhile, lands on the pillar to my right with the grace of a lion, the sigil of Aramis.

He effortlessly bends down to pluck his coin from the pillar.

I pick up mine, too, and place it in my pouch alongside the other two.

To my left, I notice Darian watching me. He, Faelas, and Bahador are still standing on the precipice. Their hesitation seems to melt away when I glance at them as if they were waiting to see whether I land safely first.

With a synchronized nod, all three jump into the cavern’s gloom, landing lightly on the slick stone. Once they secure their golden coins, they share another wordless exchange before launching themselves toward the second row.

My heart lodges in my throat as I watch them jump. The distance between the first and second rows is frighteningly far, but they clear it as easily as a Gajari scales a palm tree.

Darian and Faelas have six golden coins between them. For them to claim victory, only one of them needed to jump to the second row. They must be helping Bahador, who needs four coins for him and Lila to pass the trial.

Confirming my suspicion, Faelas tosses his freshly plucked coin across the chasm to Bahador, who catches it with ease. Now, Bahador has collected three coins and is just one away from victory.

“All right, you two, hold your horses. I’ve got this,” Bahador declares, eyeing the distance to the third row.

“Hold on,” Faelas says. “I’m lighter and faster. This one’s mine.”

“Well, in point of fact,” Darian interjects, “I am the most agile of us all.”

“NO!” Bahador and Faelas roar in unison, their eyes bulging as if Darian is volunteering to jump into the sun.

I blink, taken aback by the intensity of their reaction. It was just a suggestion, a risky one, sure, but hadn’t they all been suggesting the same thing? Clearly, the idea of Darian voluntarily throwing himself into the unknown, potentially facing a gruesome demise, is beyond their comprehension.

Darian rolls his eyes. “Enough with the coddling, both of you.”

As the three of them argue, I see Omeer and Othman standing on the second row of pillars, picking up their golden coins. Samira is on the first pillar after making her first leap, but Roshana is still standing at the edge.

“Care to jump back?” Zanyar’s voice startles me.

“Yes,” I say, though my feet remain rooted to the spot, my gaze fixed on the trials unfolding before me.

“All right, Bahador, go ahead,” Faelas concedes, waving a hand dismissively.

Just as Bahador’s smirk begins to widen and his eyes slowly move to the third row, Faelas, quick as a striking tiger, takes a half-step back and leaps into the air.

I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to bear the sight of him attempting a jump that seems impossibly, terrifyingly long. How could any man clear that void? My stomach clenches with dread.

Roshana’s scream, a raw, piercing shriek, slices through the silence of the cavern, ripping my eyes open, and my heart leaps into my throat.

Faelas… He’s on all fours, clinging to the front edge of the pillar, his body trembling with exertion. He must have slipped, his momentum nearly carrying him over the front edge of the pillar, a horrifying near-miss averted only by throwing himself on the pillar.

“Dammit, Faelas,” Bahador grumbles.

Faelas quickly rights himself and smirks as he pockets the coin. “Next time, be faster.”

Darian shakes his head and rubs his forehead. He takes a deep breath and turns to me. “Are you doing fine over there?”

I nod and offer him a reassuring smile.

Omeer and Othman’s mission is accomplished. They jump back to the edge and start heading toward the gates. As always, they act in silence, not bothering to communicate with the rest of the group.

“Wait!” I call out, stopping them on their track. “We might need to step back onto the gates together, like how we got here. Remember, the gates only opened when all nine of us entered simultaneously.”

They exchange a glance, and after a moment of thought, they nod and stay put. Turning away from the Gajaris, I assess the rest of our group.

Roshana remains frozen at the edge of the cliff. She needs to collect five coins, a daunting task made even more difficult by the absence of her partner. Defeat is evident on her face, a harsh reality she can’t seem to shake off, leaving her stuck and unable to make even the first jump.

In contrast, Samira is in motion. She’s already on the second row, her eyes fixed on the intimidating third.

Even if she jumps from the second row to the third like Faelas, she needs four coins for her and Olanna.

The gap between the third and fourth rows feels like an endless abyss, a distance that seems impossible to conquer for any creature without wings.

However, Samira’s determination appears unshakable. She isn’t focusing on her future steps; she is fixated only on her next target. Taking a half-step back, she summons her strength and jumps.

My heart lodges in my throat as I watch her launch herself into the air, like a soaring arc against the backdrop of the abyss.

Her first foot lands on the edge of the third pillar, and her body lunges forward, desperately seeking purchase.

She fights to bring her other foot up, to gain solid footing, but her first foot slips on the slick stone, her body pitching forward and then… downward.

A strangled gasp tear from my throat. For a single, agonizing eternity, she is falling, a terrifying freefall that halts only by a desperate, frantic grip of her fingers over the pillar’s edge.

Now, she hangs suspended, like a silhouette against the yawning emptiness below, dangling precariously between life and oblivion.

Roshana screams again, and we all watch as Samira hangs in the air with only one strong arm. Time stretches thin; each moment feels like a lifetime. My hands fly to my mouth, and terror claws at my throat as she struggles to lift herself up .

“Dammit,” Bahador curses.

“Don’t let go!” Darian’s shouts.