Chương 84: The Third Day of Tests – Part 1/8

The rest period was coming to an end. A magical bell rang softly across the recovery field, signaling that there were only a few minutes left before the candidates would be called again. Several who had been sleeping began to get up slowly, some still looking sleepy, others already tense. Joker opened his eyes when he heard the bell. Harley, who was still resting her head on his lap, grumbled something under her breath and sat up slowly, rubbing her face. — Already? — she asked, her voice hoarse with exhaustion.

— Already — Joker replied, stretching his arms. — Looks like the break is over. On the other side of the group, Astrid let out a low grunt and sat up, her face still marked by the grass. Rina yawned and slowly wagged her tails, trying to wake up. Marina, Sylvara, Lirien, and Kuroe also began to stand, all with tired expressions. Marina murmured, rubbing her face: — I swore we were going to have more time… The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Sylvara answered quietly: — Apparently not. They want to keep us as tired as possible for the next test. Lirien, whose voice was still a little weak, commented: — That makes sense. If we were too well-rested, it wouldn't really test our limits. Kuroe stayed silent, simply watching the other candidates who were starting to gather on the path back to the arenas. Her gaze was heavier than usual. Joker stood up first and extended his hand to Harley. She took it without saying anything and stood up as well.

The two stood side by side for a few seconds, looking at the others. Harley spoke quietly, only for Joker to hear: — Today I'm really tired… I can even feel it in my bones. Joker nodded once. — Me too. It's been a really long day. Harley gave a tired little smile. — It's strange. We've been through worse before… but today it feels like it's weighing on us more. Joker didn't reply. He simply kept looking ahead, thoughtful. On the other side, Astrid stood up with some difficulty and cracked her neck.

— If the next test is against those creatures again, I'm sleeping in the middle of the arena. Rina laughed quietly, her voice still sleepy: — I'll cover you while you sleep. Marina smiled slightly, but quickly became serious again. — Whatever it is… we're going to have to endure it. There's no going back now. The group began walking together toward the central courtyard, where the other candidates were also gathering. The atmosphere was heavier than in the morning.

Many looked nervous, speaking quietly about what might come next. Joker and Harley walked a little behind the group, side by side. Harley looked at the sky for a second and spoke: — You know… I don't know what's going to happen in the next tests. But one thing I'm sure of. Joker looked at her sideways. — What? Harley gave a small but determined smile. — We're going to stay together until the end. No matter what comes. Joker didn't answer with words.

He simply reached out and interlaced his fingers with hers for a few seconds, squeezing gently. The two continued walking in silence. The third day was still far from over. And what was coming next promised to be even more difficult than everything that had already happened. End of Part 1/8 (continues in Part 1/9)