Bond Of Blood

Chapter 9: A Test of Trust

The morning dawned cool and misty, casting a veil over the valley as the small group packed their camp and prepared to continue. Though their laughter and warmth had cut through the night’s chill, Adam sensed an underlying tension now, something unspoken that weighed on each of them. Today would not be easy.

As they walked, the valley’s gentle beauty began to give way to rocky outcroppings and jagged slopes, signs of harsher terrain ahead. The path was narrowing, and everyone instinctively fell silent, their senses on high alert. Eldric led the way, his gaze keen, as though he sensed something none of them could see.

After some time, he stopped abruptly, lifting a hand. “This is where things get… complicated.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “You mean more complicated than shadow-wraiths and poisonous serpents?”

Eldric’s face remained grim. “This is different. We’re nearing the boundary of the Vale of Trials—a place where your strengths and your weaknesses are laid bare.” He glanced at each of them in turn. “It will test you, in ways you may not expect.”

Adam exchanged a wary glance with Jack. “So… what exactly is going to happen?”

Eldric hesitated. “The Vale is known to warp reality, showing you visions, memories, fears. They’re crafted from your own heart and mind. To pass through, you’ll need to confront what it shows you—and trust one another to find the way out.”

Liana crossed her arms, her brow furrowing in thought. “Sounds intense. But I suppose we don’t have a choice, do we?”

“No,” Eldric replied softly. “Not if you wish to reach your destination.”

With a nod, Adam stepped forward, determination in his eyes. “Then we’ll face it together.”

As they entered the Vale, the air around them thickened, almost as though they were wading through invisible water. Shadows shifted, and faint whispers floated in the air, tugging at Adam’s memories and filling his mind with strange, fragmented images.

It wasn’t long before the path forked into five narrow trails, each one snaking into a darkened thicket. The others stopped, glancing at one another uneasily.

Arin shifted, her face pale but resolute. “Are we… supposed to split up?”

Eldric nodded. “Each path will show you a part of yourself—a trial meant for only you. There is no one right answer, but you must find your way through.”

Adam felt a knot tighten in his stomach. “And what if we don’t?”

Eldric’s gaze was steady. “Then you may be trapped within the Vale forever.”

Jack clapped a hand on Adam’s shoulder, forcing a confident smile. “Guess we’ll just have to be back before dinner, huh?”

Despite his nerves, Adam grinned. “Yeah, let’s not keep the others waiting.”

One by one, they stepped onto their chosen paths. As Adam walked his trail, the mist thickened until it closed around him completely, leaving him in a world of silence and shadow. His heartbeat was loud in his ears, and he swallowed hard, steeling himself for whatever lay ahead.

Suddenly, the mist parted, revealing a familiar sight—his childhood home, standing alone in a field. A light glowed warmly in the window, inviting him inside. But even as he approached, Adam felt a pang of unease. Something was wrong. The field was too still, too silent.

He stepped up to the door, his hand hovering over the handle as memories of his parents washed over him. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked inside.

The interior was dim, lit only by the faint glow of a single candle. Shadows flickered across the walls, and the silence was deafening. Then he heard a voice—a soft, familiar voice that sent chills down his spine.

“Adam…”

His heart raced as he turned, finding his mother standing before him, her face serene but her eyes filled with sorrow. She smiled, but there was a sadness in it that tore at him.

“Why did you leave us?” she whispered.

Adam’s chest tightened. “I… I didn’t leave you,” he stammered. “You and Father… you were taken from us.”

His mother’s gaze seemed to pierce his very soul. “But you left, Adam. You chose to walk away. Do you not feel the weight of that choice?”

He took a shaky breath, struggling to push back the guilt that rose within him. “I had to. Jack and I had to move forward… to survive. You always told us to be strong, to carry on.”

She nodded slowly, her gaze softening. “Yes, but strength is not always in moving forward. Sometimes, it’s in remembering what you leave behind.”

Her words lingered as she began to fade, her form dissolving into the mist. He reached out, wanting to hold onto her, to apologize, to say something that would ease the ache in his heart. But she was gone, leaving only silence.

As he stood there, he felt a warmth on his shoulder—a steadying presence. He turned, half-expecting to see Jack, but found only the faint outline of his own shadow, stretched long across the floor. For the first time, he understood his trial. His parents’ loss had cast a shadow over him, one he’d carried for years, letting it define his journey.

Taking a deep breath, he whispered, “I won’t let this hold me back anymore.”

With that, the vision began to fade, and he found himself back at the fork, the mist parting as he emerged from his path.

One by one, the others returned. Jack’s eyes were clouded, as though he, too, had faced a painful memory. Arin looked pale, her hands shaking slightly, while Liana’s expression was calm but distant.

Eldric was waiting for them, his gaze gentle. “You’ve all returned. That, in itself, is a testament to your strength.”

Adam nodded, glancing at his companions. “The Vale… it made us face things we’ve all tried to ignore.”

Jack placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “But we made it through. Together.”

The bond between them had deepened, forged by the trials they had faced. And as they left the Vale behind, they felt a renewed sense of purpose, united by shared struggles and the unbreakable trust they had gained.