Trials of the Continent

Chapter 22: Shifting Loyalties

The ground trembled violently as the labyrinth dissolved into chaos. Walls crumbled and vanished into the void, leaving a jagged, collapsing platform suspended in an endless expanse of darkness. Each tremor felt as though the world itself was being unmade.
"Hold on!" Ameir shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of destruction.
Finn scrambled to grab hold of a ledge as the ground beneath him shattered, leaving him dangling precariously over the abyss. Kaito darted forward, his movements quick despite the shifting debris. He grasped Finn's wrist and, with a strained effort, hauled him back to safety.
"That's twice I've saved you now," Kaito said, his voice tight but tinged with a hint of wry humor.
Finn, shaken but grateful, nodded curtly. "Yeah, I'll remember that."
Isabel's eyes scanned the rapidly disintegrating terrain, her mind racing. "We can't keep running," she called out, her voice carrying a rare edge of urgency. "We need a plan!"
"Where do we even go?" Ameir asked, glancing around at the fragmenting ground.
"Up." Isabel pointed toward the glowing monolith that now floated above them, pulsating with an almost hypnotic rhythm. It radiated an intense, magnetic energy, drawing floating fragments of debris upward toward its core. "It's the only way out."
The ground beneath them split further, forcing a decision. Massive chunks of debris began to rise, pulled skyward by the monolith's force.
"We can use those," Ameir said, determination igniting in his voice.
"Jump on floating rocks? That's your plan?" Finn snapped, incredulous.
"Do you have a better idea?" Isabel retorted, her tone icy.
Without waiting for agreement, Ameir took a leap onto the nearest fragment. The jagged platform wobbled under his weight but held firm. He turned back to the group. "Come on!"
One by one, they followed, each leap fraught with danger as the unstable platforms wavered and shifted. The gap between them and the monolith narrowed, but with every step closer, the air grew heavier. The monolith's energy pressed on them like an invisible weight, draining their strength.
Ameir's legs burned, and his breath came in short gasps. The force seemed to sap his will as much as his body.
"Is it just me, or is this getting harder?" Kaito asked, his sharp tone dulled by exhaustion.
"It's the monolith," Isabel replied, her voice strained. "Its energy is... pulling at us."
A sudden scream cut through the tension. Finn slipped, his footing lost on a tilting fragment. His fingers clawed for the edge as he dangled over the abyss.
"Help!" Finn shouted, all bravado gone from his voice.
Kaito stepped forward instinctively, but Isabel grabbed his arm. "Wait," she said, her voice low and measured.
Kaito turned to her, disbelief flashing across his face. "What do you mean, wait? He's about to fall!"
Isabel's jaw tightened. "Think about it. This could be another test. If we keep carrying people who can't pull their weight, none of us will make it."
Ameir whirled around, anger flashing in his eyes. "You can't be serious!"
Her expression remained cold, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in her gaze.
Ameir didn't wait for her to respond. He lunged toward Finn, gripping his wrist and pulling him back onto the platform. The strain sent a sharp pain shooting through his arm, but he didn't falter.
Finn collapsed onto the fragment, panting. "Thanks... I owe you one," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"No," Isabel said sharply, her eyes locking onto Finn. "You owe all of us—for slowing us down."
A heavy silence followed as the group resumed their ascent, the rift between them widening with every step.
Ameir's thoughts churned. He glanced at Isabel, who remained stoic, her focus ahead. Then to Finn, whose usual bravado was replaced by a quiet, humbled silence.
Is this what the trials have done to us? Turned us into people who see each other as liabilities instead of allies?
The weight of the monolith's pull grew unbearable as they reached its apex. The glowing structure loomed before them, pulsating with an ominous rhythm.
Suddenly, a deafening voice filled the air. "Evaluation incomplete. Remaining participants: unstable. Final trial initiation imminent."
The world around them shifted in a flash of light. When it faded, they found themselves on a circular platform suspended in the void. The monolith hovered above them, its glow harsh and unrelenting.
"Welcome," Dr. Ames's voice echoed, though he was nowhere to be seen. "You have proven resourcefulness, resolve, and adaptability. But unity... that remains to be seen."
Ameir stepped forward, his fists clenched. "What are you trying to prove?"
Dr. Ames's voice continued, calm yet cutting. "Not all of you can move forward. Unity must be earned. This phase will separate the worthy from the rest."
The platform trembled as six glowing pillars rose from its edges, their bases inscribed with the same runes as the artifacts.
"This is your final test," Ames said. "Prove your trust—or your betrayal. Only four pillars will remain. Those who stand on them will proceed. The others..."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Finn broke it, his voice filled with disbelief. "You're making us choose who to leave behind?"
"Exactly," Isabel said grimly, her gaze hardening.
"No," Ameir said firmly, stepping forward. "We're not doing this. There has to be another way."
"There isn't," Isabel shot back. "Wake up, Ameir. This is the game. We either play it, or we lose."
Tension crackled between them as they exchanged wary glances. Kaito moved first, stepping toward one of the glowing pillars.
"Don't take it personally," he said with a smirk. "I plan to be one of the four."
Isabel followed, her face an unreadable mask.
Finn hesitated, his hands trembling before he stepped onto another pillar, avoiding the others' gazes.
Ameir stood frozen, his mind racing.
Do I join them? Or do I stand by my principles?
The platform beneath them began to crumble, the edge falling away into the void.
"Ameir, move!" Isabel shouted.
His heart pounded as he made his decision, stepping onto a pillar.
The moment his feet touched it, the platform collapsed entirely. The six of them now stood on glowing pedestals, suspended in the void.
The monolith's light flared, and Ames's voice returned, colder than ever.
"Let the final test begin."