novelraw Chapter 84: Distortion
Chapter 84: Distortion
Lavayla’s final words had barely settled when the illusion answered.
At first, it was subtle, starting with a distortion.
A ripple moved across the shiny conference table like light bending through water. The glass wall behind the executives shimmered for a fraction of a second before stabilizing again. No one reacted.
Then came the sound—a thin, almost imperceptible crack.
Lavayla’s pupils constricted.
Another crack followed, longer and louder this time. A spiderweb of fine, branching lines fractured across the glass behind the CEO. Still, no one moved. They remained seated, watching her with a mix of confusion and irritation, as if her refusal were the only irregularity in the room.
Lavayla surged to her feet.
The moment she moved, the illusion collapsed.
The sound that followed was no longer subtle. It shattered through the room in a violent cascade as the glass walls exploded into fragments. The ceiling above splintered, cracks racing across its surface before entire sections broke apart. Shards rained down, catching the light in flashes of brilliance that would have been beautiful if not for the lethal force behind them.
The executives did not react, they remained frozen in place, their forms flickering faintly as the fragments passed through them without resistance, as though they were nothing more than projections.
Lavayla did not spare them a second glance.
Her body moved before her thoughts could fully form, driven by instinct honed through countless days of survival.
She pivoted sharply, her foot pushing off the ground as she lunged toward the door. A shard of glass tore through the space where she had been standing a moment earlier, embedding itself into the floor with a harsh, ringing impact.
More followed.
The air itself began to fracture, layers of the illusion peeling away in violent bursts. The once solid walls broke into countless pieces, each fragment spinning into the void in unpredictable paths.
Lavayla kept her breathing steady, her mind clearing as the adrenaline took hold.
She immediately twisted to the side as a cluster of shards descended in front of her, her hand catching the edge of the table as she vaulted over it in a single motion. The surface beneath her palm cracked on contact, splintering as she pushed off.
Her agility was no longer what it had been in her past life.
It was faster and stronger.
Another step, another shift. She ducked low as fragments sliced through the air above her, the faint whistle of their movement brushing past her ears. A larger piece struck the ground ahead, forcing her to change direction mid-stride.
The door was within reach, but the frame was already distorting, its edges breaking apart into translucent shards that drifted upward instead of falling. For a brief moment, it no longer looked like a door, but a fragile boundary on the verge of collapse.
Lavayla pushed forward.
A shard grazed her arm, tearing through fabric and drawing a thin line of blood. She ignored the sting.
She reached the handle, felt it crack beneath her grip, and without hesitation, she drove her shoulder forward, forcing the door open. The structure gave way instantly, disintegrating as she broke through it.
Lavayla threw herself forward as the room behind her shattered completely.
For a brief, disorienting moment, there was nothing but motion and light, fragments scattering in every direction as the illusion collapsed in on itself.
Then everything stopped.
Lavayla stumbled as her feet met solid ground, her momentum carrying her forward a step before she steadied herself. Her breathing remained controlled, but her heart beat faster than before, the remnants of adrenaline still coursing through her body.
She straightened slowly.
The conference room was gone.
In its place was a vast, transparent space, its boundaries faint and almost imperceptible, as though it were formed from glass so clear it barely existed. Beyond it, a dense layer of white mist stretched endlessly, obscuring everything beyond a few meters.
"Mirek."
Her voice echoed softly, swallowed almost immediately by the stillness.
There was no response.
Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides.
"Vai."
Silence answered her again.
A faint unease started to surface within her chest and she exhaled slowly, forcing the tension down.
"Focus," she murmured to herself, her voice steady.
She turned, her gaze sweeping across the space carefully. The transparent boundary around her resembled a chamber, faintly reflective, its surface smooth but clearly defined now that she focused on it.
Beyond it, the mist shifted.
Lavayla narrowed her eyes slightly.
Through the layers of white, faint shapes began to emerge. At first, they were indistinct, nothing more than blurred outlines. Then, gradually, they became clearer.
Trees.
Dense, towering trees, their forms partially obscured by the drifting mist.
The forest.
Recognition hit her instantly. This was where they had been gathering honey fruits before the illusion took hold. The terrain, the spacing of the trees, even the subtle variation in the ground beneath the mist matched her memory.
Lavayla stepped closer to the boundary, her hand lifting slightly, and watched her reflection flicker faintly across its surface.
Then a voice echoed through the space.
"Lavayla Kingsley, you have been chosen as one of the two deemed worthy of inheriting the Ravine Mist space. The trial to prove your eligibility began abruptly, yet despite the lack of preparation, you have successfully passed the illusion test. The second trial will now begin."
The voice was neither male nor female, calm and distant, as though it did not originate from any single point within the space. It simply existed, surrounding her from all directions.
"A beast of equivalent tier to your current strength will manifest. You are required to engage it in combat and weaken it sufficiently to pass. Upon completion, you will be returned to the forest."
The voice paused briefly, as if preparing to continue.
"Wait."
Lavayla’s words cut in before she could speak.
Her posture remained steady, but her eyes carried a trace of urgency that reflected the worry she felt.
"Is Mirek also undergoing his test? And Vai, where is he? What happened to him?"
There was a moment of silence before the voice responded.
"Yes. The Beastman is undergoing his own trial."
A brief pause followed.
"The child is unharmed. He is safe and in a stable condition. There is no cause for concern."
Lavayla exhaled slowly, the tension in her chest easing just enough for her to regain full clarity. She gave a small nod, more to herself than to the unseen presence.
"Understood."
Her gaze lifted, sweeping across the transparent chamber once more. "Let’s begin the second test."