Page 469 of Axis of Fire

and that I hadn't just hurt someone.

I hadn't exactly excelled at physics in school, but even to me, this seemed painfully logical.

Lighting the dry leaves at the end of the branch, I slowly reached toward the balloon, hoping to warm it...

not burn it.

At the same time, I couldn't stop wondering what this trial was actually meant to test.

Which realm was I honoring by completing it?

And which realm had caused my map to burn?

The tiny flame stayed a safe distance from the balloon.

I waited.

Hoping my reasoning had been right.

It had.

The balloon rose slightly—

and was immediately sucked into the side entrance of the tube on the left.

Inside the transparent maze, it shot forward like a bullet.

My eyes barely managed to follow its violet blur before a loud crack echoed through the clearing.

Damn.

The balloon smashed straight through the glass tubing and slammed into the mirror at the end.

Instead of bouncing off...

it disappeared into it.

I stared, waiting.

Nothing happened.

It looked as though the trial was over.

My gaze dropped to the map.

It, too, seemed frozen.

Then a heavy thud sounded only a few feet away.

The mirror had fallen to the ground.

Its surface began to glow, as though inviting me to come closer.

So I did.

And froze...

the moment I looked into it.