"...."

Silence ensues between Ciel and I as we sit opposite each other in her abode.

The atmosphere is tranquil, but there is a certain tension that pervades everywhere, making it hard to let a word out.

I glance around to buy time, taking silent notes of the various kinds of charms that decorate the walls and ceilings. I remember the first night I spent here, and—

"Javier, focus…" Ciel's voice snaps me out of my reverie, forcing me to stare at her with a solemn gaze.

"I am."

"Good." She responds. "As I said, of the one hundred and forty nine Leviathans that this Sanctuary has produced, myself included, less than twenty succeeded in their Apotheosis. And all of them, without exception, were terrified once they ascended."

"...."

"They all agreed that even if they hadn't reached the end of their lifespan and could get the opportunity to undergo a second one, they would not dare to."

"Sir Arthur Snow also said something similar in his journal." I respond calmly.

It's obvious what Ciel is driving at.

"I already know Apotheosis is frightening, and it has a low chance of success. But I'm still determined to take the risk and try."

Not only do I have a goal to accomplish, but I desperately need strength to be able to compete in the much broader world beyond the Randalorion Kingdom.

Also, Lady Anastasia said we would meet during my Apotheosis.

I have many things to ask her, and if I am able to learn a lot more secrets before leaving for Dustinville, it could give me a major edge.

There are too many reasons why I need to undergo Apotheosis now.

"You understand that it is a dangerous venture, but do you know why that is?" Ciel sighs deeply, her sharp gaze piercing into mine.

"... What do you mean?"

"I mean I know what my predecessors faced in Apotheosis. Not the details, but the general trope that they had to overcome." She tells me without flinching.

"Those weren't in the records you showed me."

"It's an oral tradition passed from one Guardian to another. My predecessor told me all about it, and I was instructed to only tell my successor before I begin Apotheosis."

"Will you tell me?"

Ciel pauses for a moment before finally nodding.

"I trust you, Javier. Although those words may not seem like much, given our history… and I know the feeling might not be mutual, but this is how I truly feel."

"...."

"You have proven yourself as a true ally of my people, and despite having many opportunities to take advantage of us, you have been fair in our dealings. I will entrust this secret to you, not because of our alliance, and not in exchange for anything, but as a sign of goodwill."

"Ciel…" I whisper softly, although suspicion flashes in my eye.

'What is her angle right now?' That question appears in my thoughts. 'Does she truly mean what she's saying?'

No… let's logically examine this.

Ciel knows she won't be a match for me once I become Rank 2. At peak Rank 1, I'm already stronger than her. In fact, I was already stronger than her long before now.

But, at Rank 2, the gap between us will widen to an absurd extent.

Because of this imbalance of power, our alliance will turn into a flimsy thing which I can just ignore.

She must have recognized this and chose to extend this sign of "goodwill" to appease me. Her declaration of trust, as well as her emphasis on my virtuous nature, is likely to remind me of how I should act even as a Disciple.

That could indeed be the case.

But is self preservation truly her only motivation?

If she truly considered me a threat, she wouldn't offer this secret to me and increase the chance of my failure.

I haven't yet told her about Anastasia, and due to her extensive knowledge on Apotheosis, she should know that my chances of failure are extremely high.

She has no reason to help me if she knows how much of a threat I'll become.

Plus, even if I fail, she'll have one additional Leviathan and also has access to the recipes and materials to make the Potions.

I have also involved her in enough Dark Guild dealings, so she should know how to procure more materials and even take over my secret empire.

But she isn't resorting to any of that.

Yes, I will be a much bigger help to her and her people as a Rank 2 Leviathan, but I would also be a bigger threat.

Ciel is a careful person who doesn't like to take any chances.

She wouldn't help me so much if she was a little suspicious that I would threaten her people.

That means…

'She is being sincere.' An emotion stirs within me as I feel a loud thumping in my heart.

Ciel has grown to genuinely care about me.

I was hoping for this, which is why I showed her all my good sides, but now that it has happened, I don't know how to feel.

I can certainly trust her a lot more now.

But can I reciprocate these feelings?

I'm not sure.

"It seems you have a lot going on in your head right now, but don't think too much about it. Like I said, this is just a show of goodwill. You can be suspicious of my intentions all you like, it doesn't matter to me. I've decided to help you anyway, so deal with it—"

I reach out for her hands and hold them. Then, I squeeze them softly and smile at her with a measure of sincere gratitude.

"Thank you, Ciel… Truly."

"Hmph! Whatever…" She scoffs, turning away from me.

I don't think she has noticed how bright red her cheeks are, but I won't be the one to tell her that.

Instead, I laugh aloud.

Who would have thought Ciel was this kind of person? I suppose we all have different sides to us, and my dear Seeker is no exception.

"J-just shut up and listen!"

After hearing her loud growl, I cease my laughter and ensure my expression turns dead serious to match hers.

"Apotheosis is no joke, okay? The moment you begin, although your body remains, you'll be taken to a different world."

"A different world?"

"Yes… a Secluded Domain where you'll experience a Trial Scenario. That is the test of the Apotheosis. Pass the test and you successfully ascend. Fail… and you experience Deviation."

Deviation, huh? I saw it in Sir Arthur Snow's notes.

Deviation could mean many things.

Death… Insanity… or Depravity.

A quick death is the most merciful fate. Insanity only serves as a disgrace to the Leviathan, as they are merely empty shells filled with madness.

I think back to Zarius and shake my head.

Such an end is dreadful.

But it's not compared to the last fate.

—Depravity.

'Even I don't know what it means, but Sir Arthur Snow was terrified of it.'

"All my predecessors who failed only experienced death or madness. None of them experienced this Depravity, so I don't know about it either."

"Ciel…" I slowly mutter, staring intently into her eyes. "If I fail—"

"You won't!"

"I know."

"Then stop talking like that!"

"I don't intend to fail, Ciel. But in the unlikely situation that I do, please kill me if my Deviation does not do it for me."

"...."

"Swear it to me, Ciel."

After a painful few seconds of silence, Ciel finally heaves a sigh and nods.

"I swear it."

"Good." I nod and smile. "Thank you. You can continue with what you were saying."

"Haaa… where was I?"

"The Trial Scenario, the Test of Apotheosis."

"Ah, yes!" Ciel's expression turns even grimmer. "Although the conditions of passing vary, depending on the Apotheosis, they all share something in common."

"What's that?"

"You have to solve a major problem in the Trial Scenario you end up in. There is a main objective you must complete, but to achieve this objective, there are secondary goals that must be accomplished as well."

"Sounds like a complicated mess."

"Exactly!" Ciel's eyes widen as she exposes a deep revelation.

"Every Trial Scenario is a simulation of this world. But it's a paradoxical mess. It is a weird amalgamation of many things, and only by creating an outcome that stabilizes it will you succeed. Naturally, death means failure since it will prevent your world from advancing. This means dying in your Trial Scenario equals dying in the real world."

"I see…"

It seems like I won't simply be overcoming a simple challenge or fighting beasts to succeed.

My task is a lot more complicated.

It's no wonder so many Vey'lithars failed, considering how simple their society is and how difficult it would be to properly stabilize a chaotic situation.

Even I am not so confident in this.

'But I have had experience running the Dark Guild and managing some affairs of the Randalorion Kingdom. Plus, my relationship with the Vey'lithars have given me a unique perspective when it comes to different civilizations and methods of governance.

'Hold on…'

My eye bulges as I have a sudden realization.

'Isn't this what being a Leviathan is all about? Leviathans are the ones who move the world. They govern the affairs of humanity and rule from the high places. Having such challenges in the form of Apotheosis is the perfect test of their mettle.'

It not only prepares the Leviathan for their heritage, but it should also empower them on the path.

It must be why higher-ranked Leviathans stand higher than lower-ranked ones when it comes to the affairs of the world.

Besides an increase in power, there is also the vast difference in terms of knowledge and experience that can only be gained in Apotheosis.

So that's why it is referred to as an Enlightenment Ritual.

I understand it all now!

"That is all I know about the general details. The few who succeeded avoided talking about their experience there, and since each Trial Scenario in Apotheosis varies, such information wouldn't be useful anyway."

She has a somewhat sad expression on her face, almost like she wishes she could help me more than she already has

But this is plenty.

I am truly grateful for all she has shared.

"Ciel… thank you." I smile warmly while placing a hand on her shoulder. "I now feel more at ease with this information."

It's the truth.

Although I'll be experiencing something different from her predecessors, I at least have a vague idea of what to expect.

"You can also use your Conceptions in the Trial Scenario, so that's a silver lining!"

"Oh? That's a relief!" I smile.

Even with this advantage, I can understand why so many of the Vey'lithar Leviathans failed.

Most of them were Seekers, and in such a strange new world, even at peak Rank 1, they would need clues to properly use Clairvoyance.

Prophecy and Vision would only affect them, too. It would be unable to account for so many other factors in the strange new world. Thankfully, as a Harbinger, I have a versatile kit at my disposal.

Although I'm scared… I also have a surge of confidence surging through me.

I can do this!

I can succeed in Apotheosis!

******

The day has finally come.

Ciel leads me to an underground structure—a sacred place meant only for the Guardian of the Sanctuary and their successor.

In this vast room that resembles a temple, there are two rooms, with only a small hole meant to connect the two.

Several barriers also exist to separate these two rooms from each other.

"The successor stays in one room and the Leviathan stays in the other. The successor will witness the Apotheosis occur and pass out not too long after. When they wake up, they will become a Leviathan and exit the underground temple from their side of the room." Ciel explains the mechanics to me.

"What about the Leviathan? I mean, the one undergoing Apotheosis."

"Apotheosis can take any duration of time. Some last for a few hours, while others last for days or weeks. The successor usually regains consciousness and leaves first, and then will frequent the room once per day to check on the Apotheosis. If it succeeds, we let out the former Guardian and congratulate them. They are usually too shaken to respond, though, and spend several days tk a week recovering. In the occasion of failure, we take the corpse and preserve it until it's time to feed it to the Crimson Direwolf Emperor."

"... The one I killed."

Ciel sighs.

"That's right. For generations, it would bond with the Guardian of the Sanctuary and consume their Leviathan Corpse when they die."

Now it seems that tradition will have to stop.

"What about when they run mad?" I ask, quickly changing the topic.

"It becomes the duty of the new Guardian to put them out of their misery and lay them tk rest. I did the same for my predecessor and thanked her for her sacrifice."

"I see…" I only mutter to myself as I enter the room.

There is a sacred mat at its center, and I sit cross-legged on it. I look around the dark expanse and only see dim-glowing crystals and all kinds of charms vaguely dancing thanks to the updraft.

Ciel doesn't enter the room with me.

She only watches me from the entrance and nods with hopeful eyes and a silent prayer.

"Good luck."

She closes the door, leaving me to my fate while guiding the next Witness to her own room.

Unlike normal tradition, Ciel had chosen to remain in the room with the successor.

She also wishes to witness it again.

—Apotheosis.

'Oh well…' My thoughts subtly flow as I exhale loudly and tightly shut my only functional eye. 'There's no need for any further delays.'

I guide the stirring within me and let the spark erupt in magnificent brilliance.

"Initiate Apotheosis."

[A/N: It's finally time! The dreaded moment is now upon us! How will Javier fare?]

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