The Hollow Ledger

LOCATION: DREADMOOR GROUNDS — ASCENSION TRIALS, DAY ONE

There were banners.

Like... fancy ones. Gold-threaded, crest-laden, absolutely-too-serious banners.

Gideon stood at the base of a marble staircase, staring up at the entry arch of the Dreadmoor Trial Grounds, which looked like a castle and a church had an angry baby.

Cassian stood beside him, gloves already on, expression set to modeling for a spellcaster magazine.

"You look tense," Cassian said.

"I'm wearing boots that cost more than my soul," Gideon replied. "I'm allowed to look tense."

---

LOCATION: TRIAL COURTYARD — THE LINEUP

There were twelve heirs total.

Each from a powerful family. Each dressed like they'd been summoned by a king and trained since birth. Because they had.

They all stood in a perfect line. Posture stiff. Eyes forward.

And then there was Gideon.

Crooked coat. One sock slightly visible. Hair slightly unbrushed.

He was the only one holding chalk in a ziploc bag.

Cassian was three people down, whispering to a dark-haired heir from House Dorrington. They smirked at Gideon. A few heirs laughed.

The announcer stepped forward — an old man with voice like thunder and teeth like tax penalties.

> "These are the Ascending. Let the Trials begin."

---

LOCATION: TRIAL STAGE ONE — SPIRIT BALANCING

The first trial was basic.

"Balance the spirit. Free its name. Seal the debt."

A spirit was released onto the field. A wandering soul fragment — confused, lost, flickering in and out of view.

The heirs stepped forward one by one. Clean glyphs. Soft chants. Controlled seals.

They each passed.

Then it was Gideon's turn.

He stepped up.

The spirit turned.

It froze.

Then it screamed.

> "YOU. YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE—"

Gideon blinked. "Okay, not ominous at all."

He tried Bindroot. Too slow.

Tried the Ledger's modded glyph. It fizzled. A wisp of smoke, then nothing.

The spirit charged him.

He stepped back. Tripped. Fell into the ceremonial salt circle like a drunken exorcist.

The spirit's claws slashed at him — and stopped mid-air.

Something was holding it back.

No one else seemed to notice.

They just saw him flailing.

---

LOCATION: UPPER BALCONY — HARROW SEATING BOX

Seraphine sat like a statue.

Alar leaned forward, cane tapping once against the marble.

"Hmm," he muttered.

"He's embarrassing us," Seraphine said without looking.

Alar didn't reply.

He was watching the spirit.

And something... off about it.

---

LOCATION: TRIAL COURTYARD — POST-FAIL

The Trial Judges conferred. Whispered.

Gideon stood, brushing salt off his knees.

A judge approached.

> "You may continue to the next round… barely. We expect improvement."

Cassian smirked behind him. Gideon didn't turn.

But the Ledger whispered:

> "That ghost wasn't part of the trial."

"...What?"

> "It was real. Planted. Someone's playing dirty."

---

LOCATION: TRIAL STAGE TWO — DUEL OF GLYPHS

Each heir was paired for a spell duel.

Cassian stepped forward. Of course, he won. Effortlessly.

Gideon was up against the Dorrington heir.

The guy had two chalk wands, glowing boots, and a smirk that said he'd already ordered lunch after this.

Gideon raised his hand. The Ledger's glyph glowed faintly in his palm.

"Alright," he muttered. "Let's not explode this time."

He cast.

The glyph worked.

For five glorious seconds, the air shimmered, locking his opponent's movement.

Even the judges looked surprised.

And then—BOOM.

Explosion. Backblast. Gideon launched off his feet, again, into the nearby water basin.

Cassian didn't laugh this time.

But others did.

---

LOCATION: UPPER BALCONY — LATER THAT NIGHT

The Trials paused for the day.

The balcony buzzed with conversation.

"He's clearly not ready."

"Embarrassment to the name."

"Did you see him try to cast with a modified glyph? Who does that?"

Alar sipped from a black cup. Still silent.

Seraphine sighed.

> "Why not pull him out? Spare us this shame?"

Alar turned. Eyes sharper than steel.

> "Because he saw the ghost."

She frowned. "The one from the first stage?"

> "That wasn't from us. That was something else. And he saw it. None of the others reacted."

She blinked.

> "You think someone's interfering?"

"I think someone's afraid of him becoming something more."

---

LOCATION: GIDEON'S ROOM AT DREADMOOR — LATER

He sat on the edge of the bed. Damp. Bruised. Spiritually insulted.

The Ledger hovered in front of him.

> "You're not the best."

"I noticed."

> "But you're the one they're targeting."

"Which means what?"

> "Which means... maybe you are dangerous. Just not to the right people yet."

Gideon looked down at his cracked chalk pouch. Then at his hands.

"I'm gonna fail, aren't I?"

> "Probably. But at least now you know why."

He laid back. Closed his eyes.

Tomorrow was the final trial.

The real one.

He had no clue what was coming.

But someone wanted him gone.

And Gideon was finally starting to care.