The enormous hall stirred once more.
One by one, participants stepped away from their seats and gathered beneath the four towering
stone doors carved into the mountain wall.
NORTH.
SOUTH.
EAST.
WEST.
Voices rose into a steady murmur as applicants compared the markings burned into their wooden slots before moving toward their assigned lines.
Some walked with confidence; others hesitated with every step.
The examination had not yet begun... Yet already, strangers were becoming future allies—or future enemies.
Kairo lowered his eyes toward the word engraved inside his slot.
WEST.
"...Looks like this is mine."
The others immediately checked their own.
Renjirō looked up first.
"East."
Neyo blinked "...Seriously?"
He flipped his slot over again just to be certain before grinning.
"Hah! Mine's East too!"
Renjirō threw both fists into the air.
"YES!"
He grabbed Neyo by both shoulders.
"We're teaming up!"
Neyo laughed.
"Looks like you're stuck with me."
"I'd say you're the lucky one!"
"You wish."
The two immediately began arguing, already sounding as though they had survived the
examination despite it not even starting.
Bobo scratched the back of his head before checking his own.
"...West."
He smiled toward Kairo.
"Looks like it'll be the two of us."
Kairo returned a small smile.
"Yeah."
His attention shifted toward the remaining member of the group.
"...Zuki?"
Zuki quietly stared at his slot for another moment before answering.
"...North." A brief silence settled over the five boys.
North.
East.
West.
Three different regions, three different starting points.
Kairo looked at him.
"...You've recovered?"
Zuki met his eyes and smiled reassuringly.
"I'm alright."
"The doctors cleared me yesterday."
"I'm ready."
Kairo smiled giving a small nod.
"...Good."
For a moment... None of them spoke.
The reality of being separated had finally begun to settle in.
Then....
"...I've got an idea."
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The four boys looked toward Neyo.
He folded his arms confidently.
"It doesn't matter if we're all starting in different regions."
"We can still work together."
Bobo tilted his head.
"...How?"
Before Neyo could answer....
Renjirō suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Oh!"
"I know!"
He grinned proudly.
"We all conquer the territories in our own regions!"
He pointed dramatically at each of them.
"That way, even if we're apart, we'll all prove we're stronger than everyone else!"
Kairo slowly closed his eyes, his hand rose to his forehead.
"...That's..."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"...Not what he means."
Neyo stared at Renjirō.
"...No, stupid."
Renjirō blinked.
"Huh?"
Neyo shook his head.
"What I meant is..."
He pointed directly at Zuki.
"We all head for the North."
"The five of us meet up there..."
"...and work together."
A brief silence followed.
Bobo frowned slightly.
"...Will that even work?"
Neyo nodded without hesitation.
"Of course it will."
Kairo spoke up, his tone more thoughtful.
"...But..."
"The eye-patch lady said we'd have to claim a territory in our own region first..."
"...before moving to conquer another one."
The group fell quiet.
Then...
A slow grin spread across Renjirō's face.
"...Then..."
He cracked his knuckles.
"...we'll just break the rules."
Everyone looked at him, His grin only widened.
"Besides ...who's going to know?"
For a second... Nobody said anything.
Then Bobo scratched his cheek.
"...Actually..."
"The eye-patch lady did say there weren't any rules once we're inside."
Silence.
The five boys exchanged glances.
One after another... They smiled.
"...Then it's settled," Neyo declared.
"We'll meet in the North."
He stretched out an arm toward the middle of the group.
"Promise?"
Without hesitation, Bobo stepped forward first.
"I'm in."
Renjirō placed his hand on top with an excited laugh.
"This is gonna be fun."
Zuki smiled softly before adding his own.
"You guys ...I'll be waiting."
Kairo looked at the four hands stacked together.
A smile appeared on his face.
He placed his hand on top.
"...We'll meet on the other side."
The five boys leaned in together, shoulders touching like teammates before the start of a match.
"No matter what happens..."
Neyo said with a grin,
"...we'll meet in the North."
"Together."
"Together."
The promise had been made.
Without another word, the five boys exchanged one last look before separating, each making their way toward the line marked by the direction engraved inside their registration slot.
North.
South.
East.
West.
The vast hall gradually settled into order as the remaining participants gathered beneath the colossal stone doors carved into the mountain wall. Conversations faded into uneasy silence. Even the most confident recruits now wore expressions of quiet concentration.
Kairo found his place in the western line.
Several steps ahead stood Bobo, adjusting the straps of the pack slung across his shoulders.
Across the hall, Kairo caught a brief glimpse of Neyo and Renjirō laughing together in the eastern line despite the tension surrounding them. Farther away, Zuki stood alone beneath the northern gate, calm and composed, his wooden slot held loosely at his side.
Soon... Every line stood ready.
The Second Commander stepped forward, his sharp eyes swept across the hundreds of recruits. Without speaking, he raised one hand, at once; four Missionaries detached themselves from the walls and approached the massive stone doors.
Each stopped before one of the ancient doors, they extended a hand and pressed their palms against the cold limestone.
For a heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then....
RUMBLE...
The entire Induction Vault trembled.
A deep vibration echoed through the mountain itself as dust drifted from the ceiling overhead. Many participants instinctively stiffened.
Thin lines of pale light spread beneath each Missionary's hand, racing like veins through the ancient stone.
The doors awakened.
A low grinding roar filled the chamber.
The center of each colossal door slowly split apart, the two halves retreating into the surrounding mountain as though the stone itself had come alive.
GROOOOM...
A cool wind rushed into the hall.
Beyond each doorway stretched a narrow forest path disappearing into endless shadows.
Towering trees stood like silent giants on either side, their tangled branches weaving together to swallow the morning sunlight. Thick mist drifted lazily between the trunks, concealing whatever lay deeper within.
No birds sang.
No insects buzzed.
Only silence waited beyond the doors.
The Dead Forest of Root-Veil.
Several recruits unconsciously swallowed, some tightened their grips around their bags; others took half a step backward.
Beside each massive stone doorway stood a carved stone plate with a narrow opening cut into its center. As the participants moved forward, it became clear that each person was expected to drop their wooden registration slot into it before stepping through the gate.
The Second Commander stepped forward, his ocean-blue greatcoat swaying lightly behind him as his sharp eyes swept across the hundreds of recruits.
"Before entering," he commanded, his voice carrying effortlessly through the vast hall, "each of you will surrender your registration slot."
He gestured toward the carved stone plates beside each gate, "Deposit it into the receptacle before crossing to the other side."
His expression remained unreadable.
"Once you enter the Dead Forest... your registration ends, and your survival test begins."
A quiet murmur rippled through the lines as the participants instinctively tightened their grip on the wooden passes in their hands before turning their attention toward the waiting stone receptacles.
A faint smile appeared upon his face, it held no warmth, only certainty.
"...I'll see you all in seven days."
The pause that followed seemed to stretch endlessly, "If you're still alive." Silence consumed the hall.
The western line finally began to move.
One recruit stepped through the door.
Then another.
Then another.
Bobo took a slow breath as the entrance drew near.
Just before crossing, he glanced over his shoulder.
His eyes met Kairo's.
Neither of them spoke.
They didn't need to.
Earlier, they had already agreed upon their first objective.
A map.
Before they could reunite with the others...
Before they could make their way north...
They first needed to obtain a map from the territories in their location. Without one, wandering through Root-Veil's endless wilderness would be no different than walking blind.
Bobo gave a small nod.
Kairo returned it.
The next moment, Bobo stepped through the ancient door, his figure disappeared into the Mist.
Kairo drew one slow breath, then with steady footsteps, he crossed the threshold into the Dead Forest of Root-Veil.
Behind him... The world of civilization remained.
Ahead...
Only the forest awaited.