The fog swallowed sound.
What little light flickered from the roots above cast jagged shadows across the stone floor. Cold. Tight. Like the ruins were breathing around them, watching them move. Judging.
They walked in silence for a while. Just the soft echo of footsteps, a low creak from shifting stone above, and the occasional hiss of unseen creatures behind the mist.
Akitaka took the lead. Not because he wanted to. Not because anyone asked him to.
No one else moved fast enough.
He didn't care where they were going. Only that it would eventually end.
Behind him, the silver-haired girl muttered something under her breath, loud enough to be heard but too low to seem like she meant to be heard.
Silver-Haired Girl (grumbling):
"Don't know who he thinks he is. Lone wolves die first."
Akitaka (without looking back):
"Wrong. They just leave the others to die first."
Flat. Dry. No effort. Like he was just correcting bad math.
That shut her up for a beat.
The hooded boy at the back snorted, amused.
Hooded Boy:
"Well, this is gonna be fun. I'm Sora, by the way. Scout-type. Fast feet, fast reflexes, faster mouth."
He made a peace sign nobody saw. No one had asked. He said it anyway.
The silver-haired girl sighed like she regretted being here already.
Silver-Haired Girl:
"Kaine. Gunslinger. Two shots, two kills. Don't slow me down."
Red-Haired Boy:
"Reiji. Brawler. If you fall behind, don't expect me to come back."
Akitaka didn't stop walking.
Didn't introduce himself.
Didn't care.
But all of them were waiting. Staring at his back. Expecting him to play along.
He didn't.
Instead, as he walked ahead into deeper fog, his voice cut through the mist like a slow blade.
Akitaka:
"If I'm dead weight, then leave me behind.
If I'm not… try not to become mine."
They didn't respond.
Not immediately.
Sora (low whistle):
"Alright… well, that's not ominous at all."
Kaine (to Reiji):
"He's a walking problem. Can we trade?"
Shikaku (in Akitaka's head):
"I like her. She's got a pulse."
Ikari (softly):
"You could try… being a little human."
Akitaka:
"No point pretending."
They reached a break in the tunnel. The path opened into a wide chamber of black stone, lit by torches that flickered violet and blue, as if they were struggling not to die. Carvings lined the walls—roots, corpses, and long-forgotten symbols that breathed ancient warning.
Then a sound. Mechanical. Sharp.
A screen flickered to life above, static washing over Kurodan's far-too-relaxed face.
Kurodan (on screen):
"Triallings! Welcome to Sector 3: Old Roots.
Your goal? Simple. Make it through the ruins alive.
Monsters, traps, and your own egos will try to kill you."
Akitaka blinked slowly.
Kurodan:
"You pass if your whole team makes it.
So try not to let anyone die… or do. Your call."
The screen cut out with a violent buzz.
The wall in front of them split open, revealing a fog-drenched tunnel lined with crooked roots and stale breath. Like the earth had rotted from within.
Kaine (under her breath):
"You're not gonna last five minutes with that attitude."
Akitaka (without moving):
"Cool. Bet I'll still last longer than you."
Reiji:
"Big talk for someone who hasn't shown anything."
Akitaka pushed off the wall and stepped forward, not to lead this time—just to move. Just to keep going.
Akitaka:
"Just stay out of my way."
Kaine (mocking):
"Can't wait for something to eat you."
Shikaku (laughing):
"She really hates you. This might be my favorite group yet."
Ikari (quietly):
"This won't be easy."
Akitaka:
"It never is."
They walked through the tunnel. Further in. Step after step into a place that felt less and less like a ruin, and more like a test built by something that hated people.
Then—
Trial System:
"Team Trial: Divergence Path Initiated.
Split into pairs. Each door leads to a unique trial.
Failure on either path results in complete team failure.
You have 30 minutes."
Two doors rose from the floor ahead—one glowing red, the other green. A countdown materialized in the air above.
29:59. 29:58. 29:57…
Everyone froze.
Sora (stepping forward):
"Alright. So we split up. Two and two?"
Kaine:
"Just not with the icebox."
Reiji (without hesitation):
"Then I will."
He looked at Akitaka. A test. A question in his stare.
Akitaka didn't blink.
Didn't flinch.
Akitaka (quietly):
"You're asking if I'll have your back.
Wrong question."
Reiji frowned.
Akitaka:
"Ask if I'll need you to have mine."
Sora nodded, half-smirking.
Sora:
"Well, that answers that."
Kaine and Sora moved toward the red door. Without ceremony. Without farewell.
Sora (over his shoulder):
"Try not to die, boys."
The red door sealed shut behind them with a low boom.
Akitaka and Reiji stepped into the green-lit doorway. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the temperature dropped.
Fog thickened.
The floor crumbled behind them.
No turning back.
Trial System:
"Begin."
Ahead lay a twisting path of jagged stone, moving vines, and whispers in the mist. One step wrong, and something waited.
Something hungry.
Shikaku (in Akitaka's mind):
"You and punch-boy versus the dark.
I give it twenty minutes."
Ikari:
"Don't joke. This could be serious."
Akitaka (hand drifting to his sword):
"It always is."
Then they disappeared into the dark—two strangers, one silent storm, and a trial that cared nothing for names.