Cole sat calmly in the center of the room; he was slightly weirded out by the creepy objects and weird organs in jars sitting on shelves. The room was rather vast from his point of view; when he gazed up at the ceiling, the dome-like roof didn't show any clouds or a sky beyond.

A light brownish cloud with yellow particles floated as it covered the window from outside. Pressing both hands against each other, Cole waited patiently for the rest of his fellow "Fresh blood" indulgers, following Antadismas words before she strode off with a seething rage.

Nothing mattered to him more than proving his innocence as quickly as possible, and the Eerie Gothel was his best option. Cole didn't appreciate being threatened though; he planned to have a word or two with the head once he became an official member.

Dean observed Cole like an obsessed stalker from the veranda while Murana hid in the shadow behind him.

"We have another buyer," she spoke in an exhausted voice.

"Already? I'm not prepared to sell it yet; we still have to examine it to evaluate its worth." Dean's body language changed to something between nervous and pressed. "Has it opened yet?"

"No, it's the same as it's been these past few weeks. The book hasn't opened since we placed it in Fuuka."

'Odd, isn't it?' Dean wondered.

"Keep it inside Fuuka for now; all the new indulgers will soon arrive here for their trial. We can't let anybody find it; loss of money aside, we'll be counted as traitors for hoarding a valuable artifact." Dean whispered cautiously.

Murana blinked on purpose. "As you wish." She then dug into her jean pocket.

"By the way, it's ready."

Swiftly she tossed something towards Dean; by stretching up his arm, he caught it without stress. The sound of the bottle clanging against his palm was short and unnoticed.

Dean grinned in anticipation at the sight; a green bottle with writings across its body made him display expressions of intrigue and fascination.

"Cole!" he called, tossing the bottle with a nimble swing.

Cole tilted his head back, letting the spinning bottle pass his face as it pierced through the air like an arrow. Before it crashed on the ground, Cole extended his left arm, using his palm as a barricade, he swiped the bottle with relative ease.

'If he weren't fast, that would have dug through his skull and killed him,' Dean played an impressed face.

Cole looked at him and asked, "What's this?" "Drink it and find out."

'Not like it's gonna kill me.' Cole took 2 sips.

"Hm....is this vinegar?"

The liquid in the bottle bubbled out the glass; Cole's stomach shrunk back as he groaned in light pain; his black hair color melted, leaving pale white strands; his dull crimson eyes gained a bright life. His build morphed into that of a malnourished person.

"Haaa.....aaahhh" Cole exhaled a frosty white gas. He stared at his reflection through the table in front of him; the face he saw wasn't his nor did it resemble any of his family, as though his identity had been swapped completely. Eyes widened, Cole glared at the estranged person gazing back through the polished surface.

"We can't have people knowing you're with us; for your safety and ours."

"Understandable." Cole adapted to the change quickly.

'That's interesting; I thought for sure he'd freak out or at least whimper after his appearance changed,' Murana stretched an impressed smirk.

In that moment, a portal swirled open; from within, people entered. Each ranging from their 20s to at most 40s, at least from what Cole presumed. The people occupying the room steadily increased till it reached about 40 people. The other rookies met Cole sitting comfortably like a top-tier indulger.

Firstly, loud murmurs and chatter deluged the place; from each angle Cole heard the voices thrust into his ears and slowly got annoyed.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

"That's enough, everyone!" Dean ordered with a stern, authoritative voice.

The rowdy crowd joined a United silence; every member stood in a rigid, obedient stance except Cole, who sat frivolously on his seat.

"Who is that guy?"

"He isn't standing at attention; he's obviously a mid or top tier."

"Could he perhaps be the examiner for our trial?"

"He looks so cool!"

"Frigging show-off."

Such were the whispers sneaking through the room; the gossip spread like a wildfire amongst the people till it became too noticeable to conceal.

"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" The room slumped into a steep muteness.

"My name is Dean; I will be your trial coordinator and the one who will brief you on what to expect before you're sent off on your trial today." Dean cleared his throat.

"Good day, my young indulgers..."

"Young? Some of us are older than him!" Someone whispered.

"...I would like to congratulate you for making it this far; the training phase wasn't easy, I know, but considering what you'll face when you become indulgers, it is but a small pebble in a larger ocean bed."

His demeanor transformed into a significant figure, exuding care and diligence with every word, exhibiting bold movements as he demonstrated with experienced body language, making his words penetrate deeper.

"Some of you might not return with your life; others might not return with their limbs or sanity. Those who manage to pull through, however, will become full-fledged indulgers of the Eerie Gothel."

"You have a choice before you now; the moment the portal appears, it's too late; your lives are on a 50/50 scale, and only you can tip it to your favor, but it will be far from easy. My young indulgers, do you wish to leave and try again another time or go now of your own free will."

"Those who wish to quit, step back; we won't hold it against you."

"...."

"It seems nobody wants to leave; this view brings me joy."

"Now listen closely; the trials work like this. Once you enter, you'll have a task to accomplish, and it's typically to defeat a soul drainer class entity. By trying to accomplish that, the wavelength you've unlocked through training might manifest into a special ability by merging with the very core of your soul. That is the overall point of these trials, to create awakened!"

"The journey to achieve that will be perilous, dangerous and morally challenging. I wish you all the best of luck, including you, Rolan Swindle."

He concluded, facing Cole. Cole raised his brow before stretching a long smirk. "Thank you, sir."

"He's a rookie like us?"

"He didn't seem like one at first."

"He must be among all those special, talented types."

"I knew he was a show-off." Among the crowd of Fresh bloods, Snider stood at the center.

He, too, was going on the trial to become fully awakened; funny enough, he wasn't informed about Cole's participation nor his identity swap.

'Could that possibly be Cole Raden? I wouldn't be surprised if these pitiful humans altered his appearance. It's a far more tactical approach, after all.'

Snider was as ignorant of what lay beyond as the other participants in the trial.

The moment of truth arrived; a portal swirled open at the center of the room. The loud swirling gave them chills, aside from Snider and Cole. Purple sparkles stuck to every surface as the gateway to uncertainty lay before them.

With heavy yet determined steps, the rookies marched forward, going in one by one till only Snider and Cole remained. Cole stood up, dusted his clothes and walked in with tucked hands.

Snider watched him closely as he entered, trying to determine his true authority. Rolan gave him a cold, unfamiliar stare. "Why are you stalking me, bro?"

"Oh, sorry; my bad. I mistook you for someone else." Snider chuckled as he scratched his head.

"Before you go, Rolan..." Dean tossed a small pin. Rolan caught it and studied the object with a blank face.

"It's to distinguish members of the Eerie Gothel faction." The pin dissolved in his palm and vanished.

"Okay. By the way, where are we going?"

Dean smiled. "The north pole."

'The north pole?!' Rolan exclaimed.

"I see; luckily, I have family there." He responded smoothly.

Rolan went into the portal; Snider followed as well. "Why do you think they're being sent to the north pole of all places?" Murana asked from within the shadow.

"I'm not sure; according to Antadisma, it's because they're experiencing a man-eater infestation. Some other factions will be holding their trial there as well."

"Do you really buy that story?"

"No." His voice dragged. "There's more to it; I'm sure of that much."

"Should I go just in case?"

Dean calmly synthesized an answer. "No. Cole and Snider are there. And the rookies should be able to handle themselves. To become a good indulger, you need to experience the worst of life's hand and grow from it; this trial might teach them just that."

"How many do you think will make it back?"

"In my opinion, honestly, just 2 people, I'm sure of."

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