The following morning...
The bronze bells of the Grand Academy rang across the Sacred Peaks.
Dong...
Dong...
Dong...
Their sound echoed through every hall, courtyard, and mountain path.
Thousands of applicants made their way toward the Examination Plaza.
No one spoke loudly.
Even the most arrogant youths wore solemn expressions.
Today...
The entrance examination would finally begin.
---
The Examination Plaza was unlike any place Kieran had ever seen.
It was vast enough to hold tens of thousands of people.
Rows upon rows of stone platforms extended into the distance.
High above them...
Several floating terraces overlooked the plaza.
Upon those terraces sat the Academy's elders and instructors.
None released their aura.
None spoke.
Yet their mere presence filled the air with quiet dignity.
---
An elderly instructor stepped onto the central platform.
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet every applicant heard him clearly.
"Welcome."
"You stand before the Grand Academy."
"Many believe we seek only talent."
"They are mistaken."
He allowed his words to settle.
"We seek those who deserve to pursue truth."
A ripple passed through the crowd.
---
"The entrance examination consists of four trials."
He raised one finger.
"The Trial of Mind."
A second.
"The Trial of Character."
A third.
"The Trial of Comprehension."
Finally...
"The Trial of Ability."
"The order may differ for every applicant."
"The Academy believes that no two Paths are identical."
Murmurs spread throughout the crowd.
Even many returning observers looked surprised.
---
Kieran quietly absorbed every word.
No two Paths are identical...
He repeated the sentence inwardly.
---
The first groups were called forward.
Instead of entering arenas...
They entered large stone halls.
Each applicant disappeared behind enormous bronze doors.
Minutes later...
Some emerged smiling.
Others looked confused.
A few appeared deeply shaken.
Yet none spoke about what they had experienced.
Almost as though they couldn't.
---
Eventually...
"Kieran."
An instructor called.
He stepped forward.
Alongside him stood nearly fifty other applicants.
Among them were Mira.
Ronan.
Selene.
And several noble youths.
The instructor opened the bronze doors.
"Enter."
---
The hall beyond was surprisingly empty.
Its walls were smooth white stone.
No decorations.
No windows.
Only silence.
The instructor gestured toward dozens of cushions arranged neatly across the floor.
"Sit."
Everyone obeyed.
Once the final applicant had taken their seat...
The bronze doors closed.
A deep hum resonated through the hall.
Soft light spread across the floor.
---
The instructor spoke calmly.
"This is the Trial of Mind."
"There are no correct answers."
"There are no wrong answers."
"There is only honesty."
Several applicants exchanged puzzled glances.
---
The light beneath Kieran's feet gently expanded.
Without warning...
The hall disappeared.
---
He found himself standing within the Hidden Valley.
The familiar river flowed peacefully.
Birds sang overhead.
The old wooden house stood exactly as he remembered.
Crystal was preparing breakfast.
Kael split logs nearby.
Everything felt...
Real.
Too real.
---
"Kieran."
Crystal smiled warmly.
"Come eat."
He took one step forward.
Then stopped.
Something was wrong.
Not with the valley.
With himself.
He knew...
Crystal would never interrupt his morning training without teasing Kael first.
Yet...
She hadn't.
---
The illusion continued.
Kael waved.
"You've trained enough."
"Take the day off."
Kieran smiled faintly.
"...Master."
"You've never said that before."
The illusion froze.
For just a moment.
---
Crystal walked closer.
"Why are you hesitating?"
"You've missed us."
Kieran looked at her quietly.
"I do."
The words were genuine.
"I miss you both very much."
His eyes softened.
"But..."
He slowly shook his head.
"My mother would never ask me to abandon the Path she taught me."
The valley began to crack.
Like glass.
---
The illusion Crystal smiled sadly.
"...You've grown."
Kieran bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
The world shattered into countless fragments.
---
His vision returned.
He was once again seated upon the cushion inside the white hall.
Around him...
Many applicants still had their eyes closed.
Some smiled.
Others frowned.
A few were crying.
Only a handful had already awakened.
The instructor glanced toward Kieran.
His expression remained calm.
Yet inwardly...
He was surprised.
"So quickly..."
---
Kieran simply closed his eyes once more.
Not to re-enter the illusion.
But to reflect.
The trial hadn't been about resisting temptation.
It had been about recognizing truth.
And Crystal had once told him:
«"The greatest lies are the ones we wish were true."»
---
High above the examination hall...
One elder looked toward another.
"The boy from the western mountains..."
"He completed the Trial of Mind in less than half the expected time."
The second elder nodded.
"But he didn't force his way out."
"He understood it."
A third elder quietly added,
"There is a difference."
None of them noticed...
Farther back...
The Headmaster had opened his eyes.
For the first time that morning.
His gaze lingered on Kieran.
Not because the boy had finished quickly.
But because of how he had finished.
The Headmaster said nothing.
He simply watched.
And for the first time...
He became genuinely curious about the quiet twelve-year-old from the western mountains.
End of Chapter 68