"Have you heard?"

"Another shackle has been broken."

A discussion among the eight specks of light took place.

"What could have caused this chain of misfortune within the lower realm?"

"Truly a baffling question. All efforts of the lower beings to prevent this outcome seem to have failed. What are the authorities in True Earth doing?"

Their distorted voices carried a grave inflection, adding a surreal tension within the already gloomy abyss. The fog wasn't present at the time, which eased the pressure.

"How many have been released?"

"Over thousands," a weak, breaking voice answered.

***

Outside the bustling city of Leon...

A man with a sturdy build, hellish red eyes, and jet-black hair rested his back on a pillar as he sat beneath a large bridge. He let the cold, subtle breeze slam faintly against his body.

His name was Cole Raden, a veteran mercenary, one of the best at his job.

Or at least he was.

The recent string of abnormal, unexpected events had long humbled him in terms of how he perceived strength and power. Calmly, he waited for the sun to rise; the next day was a special day, after all.

The next day was his trial and inauguration into the Eerie Gothel faction. The concept of worry evaded Cole; he didn't really care about what trials they had for him because he'd succeed. Compared to what he went through before, a simple entrance test couldn't be too difficult.

Unless a certain someone decided to make things difficult for him that is. Cole rolled his eyes at the thought.

He still had brief questions on where the Chronicles went or, more accurately, who stole it.

'I can't imagine a book with elementary knowledge getting stolen by indulgers. It must have something worth going through the trouble for; if I hadn't experienced all I did, I wouldn't be taking the theft so seriously,' he thought.

'Also, the return date is far overdue.'

'That book might have something important written in its pages.' He lowered his head to construe a bit more. 'Once I join the Eerie Gothel, I'll have to try and find it. Where is "she" anyway? Her silence is beginning to bother me...'

Cole raised his head with focused eyes. 'She might be plotting something.'

His eyes bagged as small lines drew under them, his hellish red features extinguished. Cole's hair fell below his face, hanging on his head like malnourished weeds from stress.

"I've been getting more and more deprived of sleep lately."

'All is well.' He gazed into the horizon.

Finally, when morning came, it was time for Cole to get ready. He couldn't risk accessing his account, so he washed up by a lake and recycled the same clothes.

Peacefully, he sat at the lake bed, swinging both his feet, waiting for his transport to arrive. A purple mist fluttered in front of Cole's face. It deformed then reconstructed into the shape of a moth that hovered near the water. The moths gathered, floated until it became a cloud, then released a line of swirling gas like a tiny dust devil.

'This must be it.' Cole stood from his spot.

A pierce marked the air, opening like a portal; the other side exposed a wide layer of books arranged in a completely separate construct. The decor and setting reminded Cole of the library section where he found the Chronicles.

With tucked hands, Cole stepped into the portal, a weary expression discernible on his face. The vague purple light clung to his clothes and features as he entered.

After passing through, the portal stitched itself shut, returning the air to normal. Cole surveyed the area using his eyes; the familiar yet alien interior bewildered him. His mind was at ease though; the fear of death had long vanished from his thoughts.

The place was a bit stuffy; from the smell of sages and scent leaves to the brownish amber glow caused by the installed candles, Cole didn't see himself being too fond of the place.

"I'm here!" he announced in a smooth voice. His tuckered face highlighted his composed state.

"Ahh... so you're here." A voice spoke to Cole from above. "Anita did a fine job then."

Cole adjusted to find the speaker. Landing on a flight of curving stairs, his searching gaze led him to an upper region at the side, held up by planks and shelves like a veranda. He saw a man flipping through the pages of a book but couldn't make out his identity or appearance.

"And you are?" Cole asked, his tone casual.

"Call me Dean. I'm the owner of this place you stepped into."

"Okay, DEAN. Why am I here?"

"It was on my orders." A belligerent female voice rang across the room.

A female voice Cole was familiar with nonetheless

AA tangy iron taste plagued his tongue immediately he distinguished who it belonged to.

'Yup, it's her.'

Antadisma sat on a feeble railing poorly held up by shelves with insouciance. "I arranged a private test before the main one just for you. You are a special case, after all."

Despite the distance, Cole understood she tried to act menacing but wasn't bothered. '50/50, I guess.'

"It won't be too difficult, but if you fail like the pathetic dog you are, you'll not only be proven unworthy to be in the Eerie Gothel," she grinned madly, "you'll die."

'Was that meant to be intimidating?'

Cole and Dean both wondered.

"I've seen you at your best and was utterly disappointed. In all honesty, your death would serve our faction more. Not only will we grow in ranks but in prestige, status..."

Cole listened to her ramble on like a broken music player. He wasn't really disturbed by the cruel, unethical words she hurled at him; if anything, Antadisma's insults made him burnt out from sleep drought. Dean was awestruck by her use of vulgar words; he felt a tearing pain strike his chest as tears nearly rolled down in pity for Cole.

'What did he do to get on her bad side?' He covered his widened mouth, trying to avoid slumping into depression.

"...Do you understand me!" She pointed with enforcing hand movements.

Cole stood in the same place unhurt, tranquil with an easygoing face. Failing to utter a single response, he kept silent as though he waited for her to continue. From the obvious look on his face, none of Antadisma's words sunk in past the air outside his body.

'Dang!' Dean exclaimed with a large gape

Antadisma chuckled. "Let's start."

"Dean, open a portal to the mount Centura." She ordered.

Sweat ran down his cheek, but he complied. Dean flipped the book's page, chanted a few words in a foreign language, and a swirling gate opened at the center of the room. Beyond the gate was a rocky terrain; the landscape had many large slopes and inclined structures with various caverns and minerals within.

Cole also saw some creatures inside, resembling mountain goats with wolf heads and claws? Strange as it sounded, it was exactly what he saw. The winds from within vigorously tried to swallow Cole.

"At the top of the land structure, you'll see a dead Herves Mane. Bring it and return to the portal." Antadisma stretched a cocky, mocking smile. "Take as much time as you want, but after ten minutes the portal will close, so be quick."

"Don't you think that's a little unfair?" Cole's voice didn't reflect the severity of the test's predicament. He was practically unfazed.

"Indulgers risk their lives for tougher items. Feel free to qui..."

Cole didn't waste time letting her finish; he walked in as if he were called by a close friend.

Dean was dumbfounded, shaking from either excitement or surprise; a thirst to behold the final result spurred within him.

Antadisma rested her eyes as though she already knew the answer.

"Is this it?" A smooth male voice asked.

It was Cole, in his hand a giant corpse of the half sheep/ half goat or "Herves mane", bled with a motionless body. There wasn't a single scratch on Cole's body; his fists, however, were stained with red and other concerning matter.

'What the hell!' she exclaimed. 'It took me a lot of trouble to kill that Herves Mane and keep its corpse at the peak of that realm, over 50,760 feet!'

'If the faction head finds out I'm dead... what makes things worse is how easily Cole spoilt all my hard work. Damn it!' Her body shriveled from anger.

Dean's jaw dropped as his hands flapped; speechless, he glared at Cole with a mix of calculating and wondering eyes. Antadisma felt a stir of negative emotions brewing inside her gut. Gritting her teeth like a rabid dog, her cocky face switched into a lit fuse waiting to blow; one tight grip bent the railing with ease.

Cole watched them with parted brows and a blank face. 'I don't get it. Why are they so surprised?'

"Next test!" Antadisma burst out! "Next location, Dazima!"

"But it was only meant to be one," Dean responded in a panic.

She shot him a deranged growl, sending an oppressive vibe towards him. Swiftly, Dean conjured up the next portal.

A gate swirled; as it opened, a suppressing heat sizzled and poured out like a raging furnace. Beyond it was a blazing inferno, waiting to devour anything that dared step inside.

"Inside, you'll see a bronze cup floating within a burning vault." She waved passively. "Bring it that..."

Cole had already since entered the gate.

Only 3 minutes passed.

"I'm back." Cole spoke with a short wheeze, stepping out the portal in his birthday suit.

He inhaled a bit too much smoke and ash, but other than that, he was unscathed. Cole dropped the amber-red vase; its material melted the ground on contact, dipping into the floor like paper in water.

With a grim face and flickering smile, she spoke with forced breath, "Congratulations, Cole. You exceeded my expectations..."

Her eyes glowed a deep, souless color. "...And passed."

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