After they somehow fixed Harvey's wrist up (he wasn't sure how, but he didn't want to know) they left him alone. Except for the occasional wolf coming in to deliver food and bandages and making sure he wasn't planning another suicide, or Vesper barging in as soon as classes were over, or Scarlet reluctantly slinking in to remind Harvey that she never cared about him, Harvey was utterly left alone.

Here, they didn't coddle or pity people. And when you're the Reader who tried to kill himself, they stay as far away as possible.

"It's not the first time a Reader tried to you-know-what," Vesper said reassuringly one day. "You'll be fine."

Harvey turned away. In his opinion, this entire dilemma was Vesper's fault, and he wasn't about to forgive so easily.

"Just give life a chance. You gave death a chance, and look how that turned out!" Vesper told him.

"Thanks to you," Harvey said sarcastically, but Vesper's words stuck in his conscience.

Vesper was silent for a moment. "I'm gonna go now," he said finally.

Harvey waited until the doors shut before turning back around. His wrist still throbbed underneath the bandage, and he resisted the urge to rip it off. Tears pricked his eyes again, but he allowed them to fall this time. No one was here. He'd let himself cry if no one was watching.

Perhaps it had been a bad idea, as Vesper suggested. But Vesper didn't understand how empty Harvey had felt. How he lost the sense of living shortly after Vesper and Stella claimed he would never see his family again. And it wasn't as if Harvey had any friends here.

Footsteps neared the door, and Harvey hastily swiped at the tears. This time, it was Lady Lesso, followed by Scarlet. Lady Lesso walked in a sauntering manner, her chin held high and her violet eyes flashing. Scarlet's shoulders were slumped, her hair and face suggesting she was forced unwillingly out of bed.

"Reader," Lady Lesso said as a form of greeting. "I tried to let you off the hook, but now I've had enough of the leniency. You are doing your homework, and if you don't want to fail, I suggest you best get going." Then Lady Lesso wrinkled her nose at the pile of untouched homework assignments. "Don't be expecting any mercy from your professors. No one without half a brain will pity someone who deliberately tried to kill themself." Lady Lesso glanced around the room one more time before leaving.

Scarlet placed the stack of parchment she was carrying onto Harvey's overflowing nightstand. "Lady Lesso isn't kidding," she said solemnly. "If you keep this"—Scarlet gestured around the room—"this foolishness up, then you'll be a stone gargoyle by next week." Then Scarlet added quickly, "not that I care."

Harvey eyed the parchment. "I'd rather be a gargoyle," he said. His voice was slightly hoarse from days of disuse.

Scarlet shrugged. "I've got much bigger problems to worry about, anyway. The Trial by Tale is coming up. That Ever Indigo is currently my biggest threat."

"That's nice," Harvey said in a monotone.

Scarlet paused. "Lady Lesso says you will resume classes tomorrow. You better prepare. And make sure you cheer for me at the Trial by Tale."

The Trial by Tale. Whichever student wins the Trial by Tale, not only do they win glory for themselves, but their school basks in the glory also. Only the top-ranked students from both schools are entered, and they compete in the Blue Forest. The School Master had prepared attacks against the competitors, and when a competitor would want to surrender, they would drop their provided kerchief (white kerchiefs for Evers, red kerchiefs for Nevers). When that happens, they are safely whisked from the Trial, but they are also eliminated.

The Trial will consist of thirty total students—fifteen Evers and fifteen Nevers. The last competitor standing wins the Trial—

"—And of course, Good has consecutively won the past two-hundred Trial by Tales," Pollux said, beaming.

"I'll gladly change that," Scarlet muttered into Astrophel's ear.

A nymph stepped forward.

"The Trial competitors for this season: Sadie will represent Good and Vesper will represent Evil."

Scarlet turned to Vesper. "Since when were you in the top fifteen?" she demanded.

"I've been studying," Vesper said.

"Nate will represent Good and Raven will represent Evil," the nymph continued.

"That's good," Raven whispered, sighing in relief. "I've heard of that Everboy Nate—he's a dunce. This is going to be too easy."

"Bernadette will represent Good and Jezebel will represent Evil—"

Bernadette whipped her head around to look at Jezebel, who grinned toothily in response.

"...Huntley will represent Good and Ivory will represent Evil, Stella will represent Good and Draven will represent Evil..."

Stella bit her lip nervously.

"...Asher will represent Good and Astrophel will represent Evil. And finally, Indigo will represent Good and Scarlet will represent Evil."

The students murmured among each other as they took this in.

"In the following week, those who are competing in the Trial will participate in lessons training you for the Trial," Pollux said.

"YOU ARE DISMISSED!" Castor screamed.

Lately, Vesper studied in Harvey's room, insisting that Harvey needed his company. Luckily for Harvey, Vesper was far too busy with preparations to make small talk.

"The spell that can only be undone by the one who casts it...Petrification..." Vesper mumbled to himself as he scribbled something down.

Indigo was already ranked first, but she worked harder than ever, self-teaching herself advanced spells and hexes while determinedly ignoring Huntley. Scarlet worked hard too, but not as much. She felt confident in her skills. She could easily be ranked first without trying, and besides, how hard could it be to win the Trial?

On the day of the Trial by Tale, Evers and Nevers gathered in the field as Pollux and Castor explained the procedure.

"The first pair of Trial competitors will enter at sundown," Pollux was saying. "After approximately fifteen minutes, the next pair of Trial competitors will enter, backwards-ranked order. At sunrise, the wolves will announce the end of the Trial, and whoever returns through the gates is declared winner."

The wolves handed out kerchiefs to the Trial Evers and Nevers as Pollux spoke. The unpicked Evers prepared themselves with snacks and cozy blankets, watching and talking and laughing while the Trial Evers nervously repeated defensive spells to themselves. The unpicked Nevers watched judgmentally as the Trial Nevers picked at their Trial uniforms. The teachers and professors were watching too; Lady Lesso's gaze on the Nevers was cold and hard while Professor Dovey shot encouraging smiles at the Evers.

After Pollux finished explaining the rules, the wolves beckoned the first pair—Vesper and Sadie—to the gates. Sadie turned out to be a timid Evergirl with her brown hair cut stylishly short. She clutched her white kerchief in one hand, poised as if ready to drop it.

"READY...!" Castor began.

Vesper shoved his own kerchief into his pocket. He wasn't planning on giving up too early.

"...Steady..." Pollux said.

Harvey emerged from behind a group of cloaked Nevers, his gray eyes on Vesper. He had forced himself out of bed in time to watch the Trial by Tale.

"GO!" Castor roared.

The golden gate doors opened on its own; Vesper and Sadie both hurried through, each parting ways as the Evers and Nevers roared and cheered.

The Trial by Tale had begun.

Vesper had only one goal: survive without surrender until the end. But "the end" wouldn't arrive until hours later. Vesper thought about this as he slowed to a walk. The forest was rapidly dimming, and Vesper summoned the glow in his finger. He wasn't easily scared, but the ominous hoots and snuffles of unknown animals sent shivers down his spine.

An oak tree creaked its branch. Vesper froze, staring at the tree, which now stood motionless.

"It's nothing," Vesper whispered to himself. "Silly Vesper. You're just being imaginative."

"You would think," a voice murmured, and Vesper gasped.

"Who said that?" he demanded, fear echoing in his voice.

"No one," the voice said.

Vesper didn't try to find the source of the voice. Instead, he ran. He could hear cries and howls somewhere, deep in the forest, but Vesper kept running. Branches snagged at his clothes and clawed at his skin, but Vesper continued to run. He ran until he couldn't, and finally, Vesper rested against a tree.

Someone screamed, crying out for help. Vesper shuddered but made no attempt to act. It could be Sadie calling out, or it could be a trap. And anyway, Sadie was an opponent, someone he shouldn't be helping at all.

The tree Vesper was leaning against shifted ever so slightly, but Vesper felt it. He quickly straightened and backed away from the tree just as the same, mysterious voice sounded out.

"Hello again."

Vesper lit his finger, holding it up high. "Show yourself," he said as fiercely as he could muster.

"I did," the voice said. Then Vesper saw it. The tree. All the trees. Each tree had a face, all with different facial expressions. But each face had a wicked demeanor to them. And the trees were everywhere.

Vesper shot a burst of magic at the nearest tree just as another tree began to grow. It was tiny at first, but then it grew and grew, bigger and bigger, until its branches hovered over Vesper. Other trees also began to grow, and Vesper realized they were growing in the shape of a circle, enclosing him in.

Panicked, Vesper sparked a flame and shot it at the nearest tree, which caught fire. Then as the trees grew thicker, Vesper fired a bolt of magic at a gap between two trees. The spell widened the gap, but only temporarily. Vesper shoved himself through the gap, and just as he had almost managed to escape, a vine from a tree shot out and wrapped around his ankle.

Vesper aimed a spell at the vine, which easily retreated. Until another vine grabbed at his arm, and another tightened around his waist. The scream Vesper had tamped down ever since the start of the Trial rose to his throat, and this time Vesper let himself scream.

A thick vine, which had been hovering indecisively, now shot towards Vesper and winded itself around his throat. Vesper choked, his scream stifled. He numbly relit his finger and aimed it at the thick vine.

Through the midst of all this, an announcement could be heard.

"NEXT PAIR, AT THE READY!"

No, Vesper thought. That couldn't have been only fifteen minutes. It felt like an hour...

Vesper could easily reach into his pocket and drop his kerchief to the ground. It would whisk him to safety, but it would also eliminate him from the Trial. Even now, Vesper couldn't let himself surrender. And besides, even if he did surrender, all the Nevers will make fun of him for surrendering after only fifteen minutes in.

Magic exploded from the tip of Vesper's finger, and the vine released its grip on Vesper's neck. Gasping frantically for air, Vesper hastily brushed off the weaker, thinner vines with his magic. Then, slowly, each vine shrank back and the faces melted off the trees. Soon, the forest was back to normal again, as if there hadn't just been talking trees and vines that strangle people.

Minutes ticked by. Outside, Harvey watched as Sadie's name vanished off the scoreboard, and the Nevers cheered and booed at the Evers. Vesper was still in, and so was Raven and Nate. Castor and Pollux prepared to send in the next pair.

"NEXT PAIR!" Castor hollered. "WHO'S THE NEXT PAIR?"

Bernadette and Jezebel stepped forward.

"NEXT PAIR, YOU GO IN—"

"Five...four..." Pollux counted. "Three...two...one...go!"

The gates opened and Jezebel and Bernadette scampered in.

Like lambs to the slaughter, Harvey thought glumly.