Trust

As death approached, its visage revealed my true form: a lost soul, bereft of memory, identity, and purpose. My vision blurred, my limbs grew heavy, and my breath came in ragged gasps.

I faced the ghouls with a smile, knowing that this would be my last glimpse of sunlight. Their festering flesh and rotting eyes filled me with disgust, but I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing my fear.

Then, a voice rang out, pure and clear: "Stop!"

I turned to see Lina, her white hair flowing in the breeze and her blue eyes flashing with determination. She raised her hammer

With a mighty roar, Lina brought the hammer down upon the earth, and a wave of blessed energy erupted from the ground. The ghouls writhed and screamed in agony as they were consumed by the holy flames.

She started fighting them in a way that made me feel very shocked. She was graceful and precise, her movements flowing like water. She knocked down ghoul after ghoul, her sword flashing in the moonlight.

I tried to help, but I was too exhausted. My wounds throbbed, and my vision blurred. I collapsed to the ground, and everything went black.

Upon opening my eyelids, I felt myself ensconced on a luxurious surface, like a cloud of silk. A soft voice, melodious as a songbird's trill, queried, "Did you wake up?"

I lifted my head and found myself nestled on Lina's feet. Her delicate hand, with its slender fingers and perfectly trimmed nails, stroked my hair with the tenderness of a mother's caress. I gazed into her gentle blue eyes, like pools of azure serenity, and realized that there are things more beautiful than the sun's radiant glow, the sea's gentle caress, and the night's serene embrace.

I did not respond to her, but a calm utterance swelled within me, like a symphony of unspoken words: "Lina, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."

I swiftly stood up, lest I succumb to the enchanting allure of her beauty. In a calm yet determined voice, I inquired, "What next?"

Lina's gaze darted to a door beyond the palace walls. Her voice tinged with apprehension, she replied, "The next test."

All my wounds had vanished, miraculously healed by Lina's grace. 

"How have you acquired such masterful skills with the sword at such a tender age? Have you been training tirelessly?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

I hesitated, reluctant to reveal that I had never held a sword until a week before the competition. Yet, a deep-seated intuition whispered that I was naturally gifted with weapons. Whenever I grasped a weapon, regardless of its form or function, it felt like an extension of my being. I instinctively knew how to use it, how to move with it, as if I had been training for a lifetime. Reda had sensed this innate talent during our brief training sessions.

As we approached the door, a single thought consumed my mind: "What will the third test be like?" Anticipation gleamed in my eyes as we stepped through the threshold.

A expanse of land stretched before us, followed by a yawning chasm. On the other side, another expanse of land beckoned. Lina's voice echoed through the air, "We must reach the other side."

"And what about yawning chasm? do we need to jump ? " I asked calmly, 

Lina's laughter pealed through the stillness. "Do you truly believe you can leap this far?" she taunted.

I shook my head, my lips curving into a wry smile.

Lina stepped forward; her eyes gleaming with determination. "The solution lies in trust each other," she declared.

Without hesitation, she leaped into the air, her body soaring through the void. 

"What are you doing, you crazy woman?" I shouted, my heart pounding in my chest.

Before Lina could fall, a rock appeared below Lina's feet. She leapt onto it with the grace of a butterfly landing on a flower. Then, she turned to me with a radiant smile that made my heart skip a beat.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I'm amazed," I replied. "How did that happen?"

"One of us must have their foot touching the ground," she explained simply. "When that happens, a rock appears below the other person's feet when they jump. It's part of the game."

She paused, her eyes searching mine. "But if we both jump at the same time, the rock won't appear and I'll fall."

My breath caught in my throat. "So, to get to the other side, one of us has to trust the other to not jump and kill him?"

Lina nodded. "Exactly."