As Kael opened the door, he saw an old man flanked by two beautiful women, one of whom was the receptionist who had guided him earlier.
For a moment, there was an awkward silence. Then the old man's voice broke the stillness. "Please follow me, young master, to the chamber hall."
As he said those words, the old man turned around and walked straight ahead. The two ladies followed him. Kaelvren instinctively joined them on the walk to the chamber hall.
While walking, Kaelvren observed the figure ahead. He had worn a perfectly pressed uniform and carried an unreadable yet authoritative presence. Unlike the receptionist, he didn't have the emblem of the House of War on his chest but instead bore an insignia on his right chest — the insignia of the Enforcers from the Alliance. As he murmured in his thought "It seems like he's some kind of high-ranking officer, or maybe he's the one who manages this center."
His thoughts were broken when the old man spoke
"Young master, I know you're aware of this, but I must explain it as it's a standard procedure. The trial you're about to face will be based on your beliefs and if you manage to pass the trial you will be chosen by the Seeker and get awakened and if you fail you will transform into many strings of energy and vanish."
In his mind, Kaelvren said "procedure my ass what about those poor commoners do they explain it to them like this?"
But in reality he said this "I know about it"
As they reach the end of the narrow hall and enter the chamber hall.
In the chamber hall, Kaelvren was surprised to see only a few pods. They looked luxurious and were placed in the center. and it seemed that every single one of the pods was empty. The old officer turned to him.
"This is where it will begin." He spoke. "You will now undergo the trial of your belief. For most, it lasts between seven to eight days. In rare cases, years… even decades and for unfortunate youth they die"
Kaelvren smirked, voice laced with sarcasm. "Tell me something I don't know. Is this common chamber hall everyone use?"
The old officer replied to his second question "no this is the VIP hall" and ignored the first question.
He thought "oh VIP space"
He gestured toward an empty pod.
"Lie down young Master."
Kaelvren, without hesitation he stepped inside the pod.
The old man spoke once again "it would be better if you change into something more comfortable."
As he heard this suggestion he immediately transforms his clothes into something like a hospital gown by clicking on his black ring.
As his clothes were transforming the cushioned surface of the pod started to adjust itself for his body as the transparent cover slid shut.
A mechanical voice echoed through the chamber.
"Process beginning… putting the subject into a sleeping state."
As His eyelids grew heavy.
Before the darkness could claim him, he forced out a question. "Do they know about it?"
The old officer hesitated for a moment, then answered, "Yes."
Kaelvren's breath hitched. "Did you call them?"
Another pause. Then, a simple, unwavering reply.
"Yes."
Kaelvren hesitated but then said coldly, "The moment I come out of this trial... I'm gonna kill you."
The old officer chuckled softly. "Sure, young master it was done for your own safety"
As his eyelids grew heavy with each second and his mind went blank in the darkness with that he heard a whisper in his blank mind
"Welcome, chosen one to your first trial." Kaelvren's consciousness stirred. His thoughts were fragmented, scattered like shards of glass. Then a sudden haze of memories surfaced.He was in a field surrounded by many trees. In the center of the field there were two graves standing side by side. The names carved into the stone were familiar to him. It made him fall to his knees in pain when he saw their names.
Hexon stormborn and Saptaliya stormborn Below their names, a single title was etched: "Brave Warriors of Humanity." Kaelvren stood before the graves, his body frozen in place. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the memories of his past that he could never escape. His hands clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. Memories surged like waves of sea inside his mind, the last moments he saw them, the battle that took their lives, the helplessness that consumed him as they fell. He stood there, watching, powerless. He closed his eyes. "I only seek a life free of misery. I don't want misery in my life… after seeing both of you fall in front of me." Reaching forward, he traced his fingers over the cold stone. Then, beneath their names, he carved his vow on the cold stone through a small stone. "A life free of misery." As the wind howled. The memory faded. And then silence falls. A cold voice broke this silence "Welcome to Temple of belief." Suddenly he was falling. without any warning but he landed safely. His eyes snapped open.
Kaelvren found himself standing before the Temple of Belief. It was a massive broken structure, its stone walls covered in thick, creeping shadows. The structure loomed like a forgotten ruin, untouched by the world outside. Torches flickered dimly along creating a narrow stone path, their flames barely pushing back the overwhelming darkness that surrounded the temple. There was nothing else, only the temple, the torches, and the void that stretched endlessly beyond it. Kaelvren took a cautious step forward. His foot hit solid stone, the impact echoing through the emptiness. He walked forward, the torches casting eerie shadows across his path. With that he reaches the centre of the temple. There stood a stone platform and upon it was a round stone. He remembered his elders words.
Then, in one swift motion, he bit into his palm and the blood started to drip. As his blood dripped onto the cold stone floor. The air trembled. Before his eyes, the spilled blood began to shift spreading outward, pooling into a deep crimson mass that pulsed like a living thing. From its depths, burning red threads began to emerge, writhing and flickering like embers in the darkness.
Thin, smearing strands slithered across the floor, inching toward him like living veins. They coiled around his legs and arms, creeping up his body, constricting his chest.
Kaelvren gasped as the threads tightened, their pull relentless. His body lurched forward, dragged against his will.
"Crap! Why is it me?!" he screamed, struggling against the unseen force.
Instinct took over. He clawed at the ground, fingers scraping against the cold stone in a desperate attempt to resist. But it was futile.
The bloody pool beneath him rippled. Then, in a single violent surge, it swallowed him whole.
The trial had begun.