Leon heard the voice in his head and let out a deep groan of pain. The burning was constant, but he couldn't even shout.

"Get on your feet, Leon," the voice came again. The same purple hands emerged from the ground and helped Leon stand, but the burning ground scorched his feet.

"Arghhhh!" he groaned in pain, but the hands kept him upright. His feet were burning, flesh searing, the pain immense, yet the hands refused to let him fall.

"Come to me, Leon," the voice spoke.

Leon slowly looked up, and at the end of the long stone bridge, he saw a figure seated on a throne made of skulls and bones.

He couldn't make out much about the being due to the distance, but for some reason, just looking at the figure made him want to get closer. So he took a step.

Searrrrr.

The pain intensified. His feet burned even more, flesh melting, bloody prints left behind with every step. His eyes burned with pure pain and anger.

"Arghhhh!" he groaned deeply, gritting his teeth as he took another step. The hands finally let go of him, and he began walking on his own.

"That's it, Leon. Let the pain wash over you. Let the pain be the guidance that drives you. Only those who know pain can have the drive needed to push forward.

"The goals you have, mold them in pain. You want vengeance? Mold it in pain. Let it rebirth you."

As her words reached his soul, his drive grew stronger. He moved one step at a time, the pain slowly fading in his mind as his goal locked firmly within it.

The bridge cracked and crumbled in places, yet he wasn't afraid. His steps remained steady, his eyes focused. The humanoid creatures flew overhead, screeching, but he ignored them and kept walking.

The more he walked, the faster he became, until he was moving upright and confident, strong despite the agony. After a while, he finally reached her throne.

She sat there, the very definition of beauty. Skin so pale it looked like porcelain, eyes like the abyss itself, dark purple hair flowing elegantly down her back.

She wore a completely black gown that reached her ankles, her feet clad in beautiful black heels. Her fingernails were long and sharp, black, yet elegant.

The moment he reached her, Leon fell to his knees, his head lowered.

She looked at him with a soft gaze. Extending her hand, she placed it beneath his chin and gently lifted his head until their eyes met.

"Hello, Leon," she said, her voice calm and warm. "It's you and me now, against it all. I can give you the power to have it all, to change it all."

She leaned closer, their faces only inches apart. Leon felt her cold breath, a stark contrast to the hellish heat surrounding them.

Leon looked at her like a lost puppy that had finally found its place.

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

She smiled. "Give your heart to me, Leon. That's all I'll ask for, and you'll have everything you could ever want."

Leon didn't hesitate. He nodded immediately.

Her smile widened. Her hand slid from his chin down his neck, then to his chest. It passed through his body as if flesh didn't exist, and she pulled out his still-beating heart without killing him.

"You'll be mine from now on," she whispered. "And I'll make your wish come true. You'll get your vengeance."

[.... ]

Aren stepped out of the gate back into the real world. The sun was high in the sky, the air smelling of normal carbon emissions and more.

He took a deep breath before walking away from the gate and out of the compound.

"Now, first issue, turning my coins into credits," he muttered. He didn't have a single lick of money on him. As a matter of fact, he was still dressed in full armor, which wasn't weird, but still.

Luckily for him, that issue was easily handled, since there was a bank close by that he could use for the conversion. So, without wasting any time, he headed across the road and went in. He figured he would get some cash from the coins, but when he was done, he was stunned. His ring was now carrying over a hundred thousand credits.

He walked out of there feeling like a rich man, staring at the ring on his finger. The only thing he could say was, "Damn."

"First order of business: get some clothes, get some food, return to my old place and get some stuff, get more food, then find June, take her out to get food, and yeah, that should be it," Aren said before hailing down a taxi.

The first place he stopped at was a simple clothing shop. He got a good grey hoodie, black trousers, and sneakers. He got dressed there, taking off the armor and unsummoning it.

"Now, food, and then June… or should I head home first?" he wondered. He decided to check out his place first and then go out for food. He got a taxi and headed that way.

While he was in the car, he went through the system, checking his stats and skills. He had gathered a lot in the short time they had been in the trials.

"I guess that's a perk of being SSS Tier. The issue now is the records have me as classless. I'm very sure people like Gordon or Legion are going to look into me, even Louise, and if that happens, it will raise suspicion.

"Tsk. There's nothing I can do about that. At least they don't know that I'm Shadow."

The car pulled up at the building. Aren got out and walked up. He reached his door, and that was when he realized he didn't have his key anymore.

"Shit, I forgot."

He was about to walk away when he heard some sounds coming from inside the room. There was someone inside.

Curious, he stretched out his hand, grabbed the knob, and twisted. The door opened immediately, and he stepped in.

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