I stretched my back, muscles still taut from the last trial, and let my eyes sweep over the garden. The scent of morning dew lingered in the air, a soft fragrance woven into the cool breeze brushing against my cheek.

  "Maybe I'll take a few more laps around the garden before heading back inside," I murmured.

  I moved at an easy pace, footsteps quiet against the soft earth. My breathing settled into a steady rhythm, matching the rustle of leaves and distant birds perched atop the walls.

  There was something about this place. The vivid colors of the flowers. The gentle breeze. It felt peaceful, even if only for a moment.

  Too peaceful, almost. Like the garden was pretending nothing cruel had ever happened here. Well, that would be true if there were no witnesses, or you lived long enough that your brain had rotted.

  After a few laps, I headed back inside. The stillness clung to me like a second skin. But it never lasted.

  Six months. Fifty trials. A hundred injuries. Too many nightmares to count.

  I collapsed onto the hard ground, limbs aching, head foggy from exhaustion. My back pressed against the unyielding floor as I stared at the ceiling.

  "Ugh... 394 tests to go," I muttered, raising a hand weakly.

  My voice sounded thin. Every word felt heavy.

  Bang!

  The door slammed open, snapping me upright. I turned, heart jumping. And there she was. Lady Nozomi, presence sharp and overwhelming as ever.

  Once, I used to flinch. Now… Now I just blinked and sat up.

  She crossed the room in a few strides and hauled me to my feet. "Stop lazing around. Master wants to see you."

  I blinked. "Huh? Master wants to see me?"

  She didn't come here to announce the next test? Or could this be it? Sneaky...

  Nozomi nodded briskly. "Yes. Now hurry. Master is waiting."

  I brushed off the fatigue clinging to my bones and followed her down the hallway.

  The chamber felt the same as always.

  Master sat calmly, sipping tea from a porcelain cup, fingers steady and precise. The kind that could break a neck as easily as hold fine china. Hands that had likely done both.

  I bowed, then grinned. "I'm here, Master. Miss me?"

  She set the teacup down, amusement glinting in her eyes. "Someone trying to be cheeky, hmm?"

  I chuckled and relaxed into the seat across from her, even whistling softly.

  My gaze lingered. I remembered our first meeting, how distracted I’d been by her robes and beauty to remember basic manners. The second time, I dared to meet her eyes.

  That was when I realized. Master wasn’t just wise. She wasn’t just strong. She was beautiful in a dangerous way. But more than that, she had gravity. A quiet pull that came from seeing too much and surviving it.

  I was still staring when her voice cut in.

  "It's rude to stare, little chipmunk."

  I jolted. "Why does Masta call me a chipmunk? Because I'm cute?" I posed dramatically, while puffing up my cheeks.

  Master laughed, covering her mouth with her sleeve. "Not just cute. When you eat, your cheeks puff up like a chipmunk hoarding food."

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  Just because of that? So you're calling me a glutton. I groaned. "I don't like to be called a chipmunk."

  Master tilted her head. "How about a shrew? Small and cute."

  Shrew? That word doesn't sound innocent. That sounded like a trap. I narrowed my eyes. "...A shrew, huh?"

  She nodded with almost too much joy.

  "Nah," I said flatly. "I don't want to be called a shrew."

  She slammed the table. "Why not?"

  I stared back. "Judging from your reaction, I guess it's not an adorable animal."

  Master looked at me with disappointment. "That's not true. Shrews are sweet creatures despite their voracious appetite. They eat three times their own weight and can't survive more than two hours without food. But they're still endearing."

  I flailed my hands. "I'm not like that, Master! Yeah, I eat a lot, but I'm not a gluttonous beast who devours everything in sight!"

  Master folded her arms. "Have you forgotten the last few months? Nightly fridge raids. What happened to your 'healthy diet'?"

  Her glare pinned me in place. I yelped and crawled under the table.

  From above, Master declared with wicked glee, "Shrew of the House of Aum. Or little Llyne Shrew. It has a nice ring to it."

  I lifted my head to protest but accidentally smacked my head against the table. I rubbed my injured head and groaned. "Master isn't going to change her mind, huh…"

  I shot a desperate look at Lady Nozomi. Oh, my Angel of Death. Help me.

  Lady Nozomi noticed my plea and snickered. In return, she shot back a thumbs-up and a wink.

  Traitor. I snarled.

  Master clapped once. "Enough with the chit chat. Let's focus on the main topic."

  "I still ain't a shrew…" I muttered.

  "I was just joking. Don't pout too much," Master said lightly. "Or you'll grow old faster," she teased.

  Well, not like she has much of a choice. Master's lips curled into a sinister smile, a glint of unchecked amusement flickering in her eyes. I'm the Master. She's the slave. That means I can call her whatever I want... Fufufufufu.

  Looks like she's not going to stop, I thought, noticing the creepy grin stretching across her face. A cold sweat ran down my neck.

  I looked back at Nozomi. She looked... confused. And vaguely disturbed.

  I shook my head. Yeah. Same, girl. Same.

  "Fine," I said, giving up with a long sigh.

  "Good," Master's said. "Now that that's all settled."

  She nodded to Lady Nozomi, and she bowed.

  Before I could ask what was happening, the room exploded with party supplies. Hats. Balloons. Confetti. Cake.

  "Wah! What's all this for?"

  "Congratulations on passing fifty tests!" Nozomi beamed, lighting candles.

  I stared at the cake. There's no poison in there, right? I sniffed it carefully. Smell safe. For now... Then I turned back at them.

  "...Do we really need to celebrate for something like this?"

  Master chuckled, sipping tea. "The celebration is more for me. It's been a long time since someone made it this far."

  My brain froze, thoughts scattering. Did I just hear that correctly? She's just joking again, right? Should I try asking more?

  My gut was screaming 'No!' But my curiosity won the day, again.

  I laughed awkwardly, trying to crack a joke. "Oui… What did you do to them? Devour them?"

  Master's eyes flickered at me. She stared at me for a second. I felt a chill crawling up my spine. Then she continued. "You still have 394 tests remaining," Master said, utterly unbothered. "How have the tests been treating you thus far? Easier? Harder?"

  Uh-oh. I'd better give her a thorough report or else she'll ring me up like a wet cloth, just like last time. I straightened.

  Nozomi poured me tea. I drank and cleared my throat.

  "Initially, they were brutal. Fever. Fainting. Allergies. Dizziness. Sleepless nights. I thought I'd die after every test. But now, I've adapted. I've grown. These days, I can finish multiple tests in one go."

  A grin split my face. I threw up a victory sign and took another huge gulp of tea. Be dazzled by your competent, soon-to-be-disciple, Master.

  "I see. That's great. If not..." Master smiled. "...you'd most probably die."

  I spat out the tea I was drinking. "...Eh? Die? Why? Did I miss something here?"

  I thought the worst case is give up and live on the street like a beggar.

  Master set her cup down.

  "Before you, I had several people who took the test. But they died. I always wondered why. So I checked their conditions before each stage. Turns out, if they had too much trouble in the previous one... they didn't make it to the next."

  "That's all," she said, like she hadn't just dropped a boulder on my chest.

  That's all...? What do you mean, that's all?

  I froze. The tea in my stomach curdled. My hands dangled weakly by my side.

  So the moment I fall behind, even slightly… Death. No retries. No do-overs. Just death.

  "...I see..." I mumbled the words, but inside, my brain briefly considered abandoning me. It decided that it would live longer as long as it's away from me. I don't blame it.

  Fifty down. Three hundred ninety-four to go. Each one could be my last.

  Every trial I had survived rearranged itself. The fevers that wouldn't break. The nights my body trembled so hard I thought my bones would splinter. The tests I laughed through, thinking stubbornness alone would carry me.

  Had I really been that close to dying each time?

  And Master… she had watched. Calmly. Patiently. Like a gardener noting which seedlings survived the frost.

  My throat tightened.

  For the first time, the number ahead of me felt heavier than the ones behind.

  This wasn't training. It was a selection.

  A thin laugh slipped out. Out of one pit, into another. If Ma were here, she would laugh at my misery. Like always.

  Everysekai

  by Bluesycobalt

  > Female Lead with cast of developed side-characters

  > A lot of poking at Isekai tropes

  > Rational and Underpowered Protagonist fighting for her life

  > 1500-2500 Word Chapters

  Updates MWF at 7:10pm EST