I Win

Blood and sweat soaked his robes as Sol ran through the forest as fast as he could. Stones hurled past as he moved in a zigzag manner, using the trees to protect his exposed back.

A glance behind was all he needed to see the small army of furious goblins chasing after him. Their gazes were brutal and their intent to kill was as clear as the night sky.

Bam.

A rock struck Sol's shoulder which made him stagger a bit and almost lost his balance. He used the tree as support and quickly picked himself up before he continued running.

Swish!

A spear flew past him and grazed his cheeks in the process.

"Gah!" Sol let out a painful groan as he felt his cheek burning.

A warm liquid flowed out of his wound, worsening his already bad situation. While the other goblins used slingshots and rocks, only one used spears. A suspicious feeling swelled in his mind which made Sol frown and silently pray he was wrong.

Sol shot a glance back and just as he had expected there was a goblin blending into the midst of the goblin army. What gave it away was its blazing white eyes and the unusual hostility in its eyes.

Beside this unusual goblin was another goblin carrying a quiver of numerous wooden spears.

"Lukas!" Sol gasped in shock as he increased his running speed.

Lukas may have been unwilling to exit the cave and expose himself, but nothing stopped him from transforming into a goblin and hiding amid the goblin army. It became apparent to Sol that the pendant he had taken from this horseman must have been far more valuable than expected.

Swoosh!

Another spear blew past Sol, and it sliced open his waist as it moved which caused blood to squirt out as he fell to the ground.

Bam.

Sol held his injured waist but also gritted his teeth in pain as he felt the wooden spear lodged in his right shoulder move causing him even more pain. 

He began thinking twice about leaving the wooden spear lodged in his shoulder, but he knew he had already lost a lot of blood, and losing more would be life-threatening for him.

Sol could see the goblins getting closer, so he gritted his teeth as he forced himself back to his feet before he continued running.

…. Meanwhile….

The entire city of Aetheria had gone silent as they original festive mood was replaced with harrowing silence. They watched as their descendants were being slaughtered systematically within the testing area. 

The movements of the beasts there seemed organized and planned. They laid ambushed, lured unsuspecting students, and even went out to meet them on the open field in large numbers.

It had become a one-sided massacre!

Old Man Chamberlain stood there with furrowed eyebrows. His nails dug deep into his palms causing them to bleed while his eyes remained glued to the images on the water sphere.

It wasn't just Sol that was struggling, everyone in the testing area was in danger and their lives were at risk. It became clear to everyone watching that by the end of the day, there may be no students left surviving.

At that moment a guard walked in and fell on one knee, his head was bowed and a parchment scroll in his hand. Old Man Chamberlain nodded at him and quickly took the paper with a frown.

He read the content in silence and a look of relief, but a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

"Lord Tepes and Lord Darkmoon have taken it upon themselves to leave Aetheria and save the students," Old Man Chamberlain muttered. "But even then it would take two days or so to get there and that's if they don't get held up by the beasts roaming hallow mountain," 

The testing area was just a secluded location within Hallow Mountain. The teleportation arrays made it possible for them to send students over and summon them back to the safety of Aetheria without having to leave the safety of Aetheria's walls.

Things had gotten complicated! 

"I only hope the young master and the rest can hold on until they get there," Old man Chamberlain muttered to himself.

—--------------

Sol staggered out of the forest looking like a porcupine. Wooden spears filled his back, with blood sipping out of his wounds. He let out low groans as he reached the edge of the land and was met with a fierce wave of cold wind.

At the edge of the cliff was a breathtaking sight of a waterfall. A powerful stream of water poured off the river ahead, racing towards the body of water below, shrouded in darkness.

He looked up to the moon, unsure of how much time had passed, but it was clear he had been running for hours. 

His bare feet were bloodied, and each step felt like he was walking bed on needles. 

Swoosh!

Blegh!

Another spear tore through the wind and stabbed into his back, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood as he staggered forward. His eyes carried dark circles and his body felt too heavy to carry.

Instinctively, Sol walked towards the edge of the cliff with a tired look on his face. His energy was spent, and his mental power was depleted.

"You thought you could escape me," a cold voice rang from the forest as the army of goblins rushed out.

"You thought you could steal from me…" the voice continued while its blazing white eyes burnt fiercely. 

"Run?" Sol laughed weakly. " I thought we were playing a game of tag over here," he joked.

Swoosh!

Bam!

Another wooden spear flew forward, standing into Sol's belly. His eyes revealed shock as he spat out another mouthful of blood while he staggered back.

At this point, he was standing at the edge and the range in Luke's eyes had vanished and was replaced with fear.

"Give me the pendant and I will spare your life…" he said, his voice carrying a tinge of anxiety that Sol could sniff out easily.

Sol smiled deeply, which revealed his bloodied set of teeth. He stretched forth his right hand and stuck out his middle finger.

"Fuck you." He said as he took a final step back.

"Noooooo!" Lukas roared as he dashed out of the forest in his goblin form, but it was too late.

He could only watch in shock as Sol fell off the cliff with a mocking smile on his face.

It was as if Sol was saying, 

I win.