Opening Scene – The Shelter
The mist had followed them into the night.
It clung to the cave entrance like a ghost, swallowing the forest beyond in a shifting wall of pale white.
Inside, the cave was small, barely wide enough for five people to sit. The fire Riku had managed to light crackled weakly, its glow dancing on the stone walls.
Kaen sat closest to the entrance, one knee up, weapon balanced across his lap. He didn't trust the silence outside. It was too deep, too unnatural. Even the crickets seemed to have vanished.
The others huddled around the fire. Their shadows stretched long and crooked across the wall, as if the cave itself was filled with more people than just them.
A crow's caw echoed faintly somewhere in the fog.
Everyone flinched.
Kaen's eyes narrowed.
"Even the birds sound like they're mocking us."
The First Crack
Fin's hands shook as he tried to hold his food. He dropped a piece of dried meat, cursed under his breath, and then stared at the flames.
His voice trembled.
"W-We won't last three days. We can't… they'll find us."
The words cut through the fragile quiet like a blade.
Daren's head snapped up, eyes sharp.
"Tch. Stop whining! Do you think crying will save you?!"
Fin flinched. "I'm not crying, I—"
"Yes, you are! And you're dragging us all down with you!"
His voice echoed harshly in the cave.
For a moment, no one moved. Only the fire cracked, as if it were the only thing keeping the silence from crushing them.
Then, Lyra spoke. Her tone wasn't sharp or loud. It was calm, but firm — like still water.
"Yelling won't help either. We're all scared. Pretending we're not is just lying to ourselves."
Daren's glare faltered. He looked away, muttering, "…Whatever."
Kaen's hand tightened around his weapon. He didn't speak, but inside, the words echoed like steel.
"She's right… The fear is in all of us. It's not about who's strong or weak. It's about who can carry it… and still keep moving."
Shadows of the Past
Fin pulled his knees to his chest, staring into the fire as if it could shield him from the memory.
"My brother… he took this trial years ago. He failed. He came back alive but… not the same. He was broken. He never spoke of what he saw. He never smiled again. I don't… I don't want to end up like that."
The flames flickered in his eyes, reflecting both fear and sorrow.
Lyra shifted closer, her usual composed expression softening.
"You won't. Because you're not alone this time."
Fin blinked at her, surprised. Her voice wasn't a command, nor was it false comfort. It was quiet… but it carried weight.
She gave a faint smile, brushing hair from her face.
"I pretend to be calm because I have to. My little sister… if she knew I was afraid, she'd never forgive me. I can't go back empty-handed. I can't let her think I gave up."
For the first time, her voice cracked at the edges.
Daren clenched his fists. His pride wouldn't let him admit it outright, but finally, in a low growl, he muttered:
"…Strength isn't enough. I thought I could fight my way through anything. But those warriors… they make me feel like I'm nothing. Small. Weak. Worthless."
The words shocked the others. Daren never admitted weakness.
The silence grew heavy, but not cold — it was the silence of shared pain.
The Anchor
Riku, who had been listening without a word, finally spoke. His tone was steady, calm — the kind of voice that sounded like an anchor in a storm.
"You're still alive. That's already winning."
The others turned to him.
Riku's gaze was firm. "This isn't about strength. It's not about speed. It's about breathing one more breath than the one who falls. Every second you're alive, you're closer to surviving the trial. Don't waste it thinking about losing."
Kaen felt something stir in his chest. Not hope exactly… but something like it. Resolve.
He lowered his head slightly, shadows hiding his expression.
"I don't need to say anything. Not yet. My answer will come when it's needed."
Atmosphere – The Weight of Night
The cave grew quieter.
The fire burned lower, its glow softer, almost like a heartbeat.
The mist outside curled tighter at the entrance, as though it wanted to swallow the cave whole.
Sounds became sharper:
The drip of water from the ceiling.
The faint pop of burning wood.
The shallow breaths of exhausted trainees.
In anime, this would be the "lingering still shot" moment — where the camera moves slowly across each face:
Fin's trembling but slightly calmer expression.
Lyra's tired eyes, still holding a fragile flame of resolve.
Daren's clenched jaw, pride cracking but not shattered.
Riku's steady posture, back straight, eyes sharp.
And Kaen, silent, watching the mist like a wolf waiting for the night to end.
Whisper in the Mist
Then it came.
Faint. Low. Carried by the fog like a ghostly breath.
A whistle.
The same one that had signaled the start of the trial.
Kaen's eyes snapped open. His grip on the weapon tightened until his knuckles turned white.
He turned toward the cave entrance, heart pounding.
The mist shifted, almost deliberately, as though something was moving within it.
But he didn't wake the others.
Instead, he moved silently closer to the entrance, crouching low, weapon raised.
His thoughts echoed, sharp and cold:
"They're out there… watching. Maybe they've been watching us the whole time. This cave isn't a shelter. It's a cage. And we just walked inside."
The fire crackled behind him. The others stirred faintly but didn't wake.
Kaen's silhouette stood against the mist, alone, eyes gleaming in the faint firelight.
The Night Watch
The minutes dragged like hours.
Kaen didn't move from his position at the cave mouth. His back ached from tension, but he forced himself still. Every nerve screamed to run, to fight, to do something, but he didn't.
His father had once told him:
"Sometimes survival isn't about courage. It's about patience. The beast that moves first… often dies first."
The mist curled, shifted, breathed. Once, Kaen thought he saw the outline of a figure. A silhouette, tall and unmoving, like a phantom standing in the fog. When he blinked, it was gone.
His heart thundered.
"Was it real… or just the mist?"
Behind him, Fin whimpered in his sleep. Lyra stirred, half-awake. Her voice was faint, but carried to Kaen.
"…You're still awake?"
Kaen didn't look back. "Someone has to be."
There was a pause. Then, Lyra's voice, soft but steady:
"You carry too much alone. You'll break if you keep it all on yourself."
Kaen's jaw tightened. He didn't answer.
Lyra continued, almost in a whisper.
"When this night ends, we'll still be here. Together. Don't forget that."
Then she drifted back to sleep.
Kaen stared at the mist, but for the first time, his grip eased slightly.
The Circle Tightens
Hours crawled by.
At one point, Kaen swore he heard footsteps — deliberate, slow, circling the cave.
He pressed himself against the stone, every muscle taut.
The sound came closer. Closer. Then stopped.
A shadow passed across the misty entrance, tall and sharp-edged.
Kaen didn't breathe. His pulse pounded in his ears.
Then, as suddenly as it came, the shadow moved on. The footsteps faded.
But Kaen knew.
"They weren't passing by. They were checking. Testing. Waiting."
The Special Squad wasn't hunting blindly. They were toying.
Dawn
When the first light bled into the mist, Kaen's eyes burned from exhaustion.
The fire had died. The cave smelled of ash and damp stone.
The others stirred awake, groggy, stretching their stiff limbs.
Fin rubbed his eyes. "We made it through the night…"
Riku corrected him, voice calm but heavy. "Through a night. Not the night. Remember that."
Daren grunted, pushing to his feet. "Then we'll survive the next. And the next. Until they can't touch us."
Lyra tied her hair back, her expression composed again. "One day down. Two more to go."
Kaen rose last, shoulders stiff, weapon still in hand. He glanced at the fog outside, thicker than ever, hiding everything in its folds.
"It's not over. It's only just beginning."
The whistle still echoed in his ears.