Nobody spoke for a long moment after Bellan's warning.
"Forced to survive it," Gad finally said. "Or fail to pass at all. What happens if we fail."
"The notes didn't say," Bellan admitted. "Only that nobody who attempted the journey alone ever returned to explain."
"Then we don't go alone," Mira said. "We already knew that."
Vesk shifted where he sat, drawing attention despite his silence through most of the exchange. "This changes the calculation. If the mountain judges each person individually, numbers alone won't guarantee success. It'll simply mean more people facing whatever it decides to show them."
"You sound like you've heard of this before," Doran said, suspicion sharpening his voice.
"I've heard fragments," Vesk admitted. "Old empire records, dismissed as myth by most who r
