Elysia put on a smile as she held one hand out at me, but her eyes were dead serious.

  "Ohhhh, what a plot twist!" Ace cackled, her own eyes glinting with a flippant glee. "Looks like things are getting iing."

  "What the hell..." Null muttered, staring at Elysia in disbelief. "You know, when I said this was b. I wasn't expeg this."

  Forest Willow nodded in agreement, narrowing her eyes as she gripped her bow tightly.

  I crawled to my feet, still dazed by the sudden impact.

  My shock began to sink into fury, and then faded into fusion. "Wh... what are you talking about, Elysia?"

  Aickered, leaning against her scepter. "Man, this is priceless. I couldn't make this up if I tried."

  "Look, Lux," Elysia started as she crossed her arms. "We o be pragmatic here. You know that, don't you?"

  "But... we just..."

  "I was weighing the odds, and I 't afford to lose in a gamble like this. Not with everyone's expectations riding on my back."

  "But we..." I bit my lip, shaking my head as I closed my fists. "I trusted you, Elysia."

  Her eyes turned gssy, and she stepped toward me, holding out her hands as she tried to pcate me. "Listen, this is just a game, remember? If you really want to unlock the gate..."

  I immediately recoiled, gring at her as I set my jaw. "So what's the deal here? You're on their side now?"

  "Eh, sort of," Ace chirped, smirking as she looked between us. "Why don't you take a look at the instrus?"

  Aurora caught me as I stumbled for a sed, and helped me steady myself. "Are you okay, Lux? Does it still hurt?"

  "It's not important." I turoward the pque. "I have no clue what's going on anymore."

  But hopefully I would find out soon.

  Null whistled as he came to stand beside me, shaking his head. "What a mess..."

  "Oof, looks like we're starting to see the cracks," Ace tittered. "Oh my!"

  "Then you'll be gd to hear there's a fix," Elysia tinued, ign the stage magi.

  She sighed, trying to close the distaween us again. I gred at her warily, bag up to match her step.

  "That hurt me a lot to do," Elysia looked away. "But I think I did figure out the trick here. And I don't think I really keep up the facade I put up any longer. I... I want you guys to take the lead for this puzzle, Lux. It's a test of our critical thinking skills, and I want you guys to get something out of this."

  I bliilting my head as I studied her expression.

  She eaking early, and there was no sarcasm or cruel mali her voice.

  "Okay... what's the deal with all this then, Elysia?" I muttered, trying to shake off the st vestiges of shod surprise. " you please expin what's going on here?"

  "To be straightforward - if you guys 't e to an alternate solution, we'll py this out as per the instrus. Which means that we'll have to fight you."

  I frowned, "Ugh. I thought we were supposed to be friends! You're not making any sense here."

  "We are," Elysia asserted, her tone softening. "But I... I think really highly of you, Lux. It hasn't been long, and I don't want to e off as a weirdo, but I would love to see you to kie serious butt. It's really terproductive for me to just mow everything over for you while we're in training."

  She let out a huff as she g her hand, studying her fingernails. "So sorry about that. I really just o emphasize that I was willing to carry it through, that's all. Please don't hate me for this. It's an exercise at the end of the day, and we're all practig to be heroes."

  My rage evaporated, repced by a toupathy and uanding. "I... I guess I uand that."

  Aurora seemed to agree as she let out a relieved sigh. "Yeah. Still, I doly want to fight Elysia."

  "her do I wish to fight you. But you'll have to work it out amongst yourselves, as I made my choice. That's all there is to it," Elysia tinued, her expression hardening as she eyed the others.

  Welp... what a mess.

  I frowurning back toward the pque. Then I leaned over, studying the instrus as I squinted my eyes.

  The Trial of Alig: The Rite of KeysEsteemed students, you now stand before the Gate of Assion, where the paths of valor and fate iwine. In your possessiowo sacred keys, each bound to the path its bearers have walked. This gate stands as a test of resolve for those who have walked different roads to reach this point.

  The Triangur Key of Will belongs to those who rose from the ashes of camity, who stood against the tide when all seemed lost. With no map to follow save their hearts, they weathered the storm of chaos and terruided and banced only by their love and ce. They who fought to protect the world and is from its darkest night, their strength born in moments of despair. They who learned not from books, but from blood and fire, carry this key—a symbol of trials overe in the face of certaih.

  The Circur Key of Wisdom belongs to those who found their way through the halls of mercy, whose journey was fraught with erial and tribution. They who saw the worst of man and found the best, whave the unfivable, and those who found light in their hearts. They who never gave up, who were always true to their values, carry this key—a symbol of redemption, purity, and hope for the world to yet e. They are the schors of discipline, walking a road shaped and banced by careful, even-keeled design. To them, the key offers the promise of actualization, earhrough persistend diligence.

  The Square Key of Order is the tral anchor that keeps these worlds from colliding—a necessary foundation for its order. Only through the harmony of bance either the Circle or the Triangle fulfill its purpose. Yet only oh may opeh forward: the path of chaotic will or the path of measured wisdom. To slot ohout bance is to guarantee failure.

  To opee of Assion, two keys may be presented, but only one plete the alig with the Square. On alig has been made, the remaining slot will sealed. Upon the passage of seven seds, the decision will be finalized.

  For the rightful path lies between opposing forces, and in the end, only one shall proceed.

  Choose your way carefully, for once a key is turhe Gate shall unlock, and the chosen path shall prevail.

  Beware, however, that this decision is not without sequehe world you leave behind in your wake will shape the future to e.

  For only those bound by the key they turn will asd. The other, left stranded in our midst, may find their journey halted.

  Yet, both may try to fit their key, but bance must be maintained—one key must be forsaken to alighs.

  Where the Circle guides with preparation and wisdom, and the Triatles through chaos and resolve.

  One must yield to the other for bance, lest the Gate deny you both.

  I frowned, stroking my as I followed the words with my eyes.

  "So, maybe we o find a way te the two paths into one?" Aurora asked, tilting her head as she looked over the pque.

  "Hmm, perhaps..." I replied, trying to digest the information.

  But no matter how I read it, it seemed to be telling us to either give up ht it out over the gate.

  I shook my head, taking a step back.

  Forest Willow gulped, scratg the back of her neck. "Umm, so we really 't just e to an agreement and try to go around this obstacle? Skip it? Maybe as a group?"

  Ace ughed, raising her hands. "Hey, don't ask me. I'm just here for the ride. I'm not against any of you guys at all, by the way. But rules are rules, right? Good luck!"

  She waved with a wink as Elysia joined her, watg our reas ily.

  "Let's walk through the problem out loud then," Aurora suggested, smilily. "Maybe we'll find a way out?"

  Elysia raised a brow as she crossed her arms, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Go ahead. I think this will be iing."

  "Well," Null started, mimig Elysia and crossing his own arms. "Our side has the Triangle of Will. That is, assuming they aren't trying to mislead us. The progress of all the emergency tractees lean oing it into its slot first."

  "And of course," Ace smirked. "I possess the Circle of Wisdom. And the same applies to us."

  "The Circle, the Square, and the Triangle. Only one align with the bahere's definitely a trick to this," I agreed, narrowing my eyes at the gate. "Do you guys think the other teams are fag these kinds of challeoo?"

  "No idea," Null shrugged, his eyes flickering as he pulled out the triangle-shaped key and turning it in his hand. "Still, we should have the heart to go on and solve the problem."

  Forest Willoardly smiled, walkiween us side. "Yeah. Any ideas?"

  I furrowed my brow, staring at the figuration of the puzzle.

  The Square was dead ter, and there was a slot for a circle on the left and a triangle on the right on altars roughly seven ht meters away from the square. The Square key was signifitly rger thaher two, and it had a strange fractaling spiral pattern in the ter.

  I g the key holders, each of them looking at their respective keys with equal frustration.

  "Hey, I think I got an idea," Aurora suddenly spoke up, her eyes lighting up. "What if we..."

  She trailed off, looking at me expetly.

  "Yes?" I asked, raising a brow.

  "What if we just... I don't know, tried slotting both keys at the same time? What if they fit together and plete the alighat way?"

  Forest Willow shook her head. "That was the first thiried, but the sed key literally flew out of Ace's hands and fell into the ground wheried to slot it with us. That's what led to us fighting it out."

  "Ah, that's a pity," Aurora replied, her face falling.

  I frowned, pag as I chewed my lip in frustration.

  Null grumbled, "It's a shame that we 't just merge the two keys together or something. Man, that stupid square key is a frigging eyesore."

  The square key...

  I stopped in my tracks, my eyes widening in realization.

  And then it hit me.

  I didn't know if I had the answer...

  But it was worth a shot.