Focusing on the energy in his core, he commanded it to float up into where he assumed the implant was.
Right on cue, he felt a reaction from an area just above his heart, as if something vibrated.
Blue words suddenly appeared in his vision.
[Name: Charon]
[Rank: I (Novice)]
[Element: Death]
[Aspects: Soul, Undeath]
[Abilities: Soul Sense]
[Relics: None]
[Artifacts: Patience]
A few immediately popped out to Charon.
'So the first rank is Novice! I knew it had to be something, but I didn't expect it to be… fantastical? I thought it'd be like common or something!'
The next thing he noticed were his aspects and abilities, both of which he was curious about.
'So my aspects are soul and undeath. Undeath seems simple enough, I remember reading about a Necromancer once, but soul? What's up with that? At least I know it connects with my ability, Soul Sense. That must be how I'm able to feel where people are!'
The moment he saw it, he knew it made sense. The strange ball of energy he kept sensing was the soul.
'I wonder what other abilities I can unlock?'
The possibilities made him giddy. At least one of his aspects was good, which would make it easier to see success in Creed.
Evander watched him closely, slowly toning down the biting cold.
"I see you've seen your status. Now please, share with the rest of us what your aspect and ability are. It will help us figure out what to train you with."
Still clinging to Emerius' warning, Charon chose to lie about his soul aspect and the name of his ability, thinking quickly about what to call it.
"I have the undeath aspect, and my ability heightens my reflexes when in danger. It's called undying march, which seems fitting."
The High Priest only nodded leaning back as if disappointed.
"Well, as far as trial abilities go, that one is pretty shit. Considering it was your first ability, we can ignore that and hope for better in the future. Undeath, however…"
The man whistled, the action strange considering it came from an inky void.
"That's a rare aspect, and one that we are pretty notorious for. Undeath mages make some of the best officers, summoning legions of undead to fight their battles. One good Necromancer can be the equal of hundreds of mages."
Charon practically cooed with pride hearing Evander explain how nice his aspect was.
'I knew all the suffering was worth it!'
"Still, it's a shame you didn't get a summoning ability. Most Necromancers do, which means until you unlock one, you're one in the most basic sense only. I'm sure the Undeath Sect will want to keep tabs on you, they will probably offer you a pretty decent position once all this is over."
The man withdrew a notepad, writing down a few words on it.
Hoping he wasn't going to anger the man, Charon decided to speak up, making sure to wait until he had finished scribbling.
"You keep mentioning sects, what are those?"
Evander flipped the front page of his notepad and pocketed it.
"Just like how each element has aspects, every church has sects. Most mages join one at some point, it's just what you do. They are collections of an aspects users dedicated to mastering their specific aspect. If you want to learn more about magic, they are your best resource, if they admit you."
Evander shook his head.
"Not that that's a worry for you. Being a Trial-Born means every sect will be hoping to attract you. Given that you only have the Undeath aspect, it stops an interchurch conflict from erupting to fight over you, so thanks for that."
Mulling over everything he heard, a sudden thought struck Charon.
'It may be too risky, but I can't waste this opportunity, consequences be damned!'"When I was in my trial, I think I met someone who was part of a sect."
Evander withdrew his notepad again, tapping his pen before speaking.
"Thanks for the reminder. I almost forgot to ask you to explain the events of your trial. Given how few Death offers, we like to get as much information about them as possible. It's one of the few ways to know what our god intends, as well as what the other chuches are doing."
"What do you mean by that? What are trials supposed to be based on?"
Evander just sighed, quickly rambling off an explanation to satiate Charon's curiosity.
"Trials take place on other pockets of humanity throughout the galaxy, only connected by shared worship of the gods. When you enter a trial, the God of Death takes your soul, finds someone who recently died, and inserts you into an ongoing event, often twisting some of the local language to make it fit better."
The robed figure waved his hand for dramatic effect, unable to resist telling a good story even if it annoyed him.
"I bet in your trial, everyone knew your name, right? They weren't actually calling you that, your brain just thought it did. Same with the rest of the language. Most planets we connect teleportation gates to are only found due to someone having a trial on the planet, but establishing long-term contact."
Charon's jaw dropped for the umpteenth time that day.
'So everything I saw was real? That battle was happening, and it's still ongoing? What about Emerius and the priest?'
"Hey, don't go down that rabbit hole. I can see it in your eyes, everyone who learns this stuff debates the same. Honestly, don't think about it too much, it doesn't matter. Hell, almost every trial occurs within connected planets as it is. I remember hearing about twenty percent occur on Earth and its solar system."
Charon couldn't help but interject.
"Not mine! It was a medieval battlefield! Death warriors were clashing with someone trying to become the next Archon of Blood! There's no way it could be connected to Earth!"
Evander instantly changed gears, writing down everything Charon said at a lightning pace.
Once he finished, he looked back up, clicking his pen.
"Yeah, not the first time we've heard of events happening on that planet. You are right, it's not under our government yet, but we are getting close to that. Backwater place, it's unlucky you went there."
He clicked his pen again, the sound grating Charon's ears, and lifted his notepad.
"Please, continue."
Charon looked at the High Priest incredulously, wondering how he could just disregard such an important piece of information. Eventually, he just scoffed, and began to relay the events he witnessed.
He explained everything down the smallest detail, leaving out some key events. He didn't mention the artifact, their purpose there, or what Emerius had said about his ability. He also decided not to mention the priests betrayal, feeling it could lead to the wrong kind of follow up questions.
One thing he did change, however, was the sect the priest belonged to.
"That person I mentioned who was part of a sect was the priest. I think he mentioned the… soul sect. I wasn't paying too much attention."
If the previous magical outburst chilled Charon, the one he now experienced felt glacial.
The machines around him suddenly whirred, sparks ejecting from their gaps. The lights went black, all light vanishing from the room.
The air in his lungs was expelled as he found himself choking, unable to breathe under the extreme pressure Evander was subjecting him to.
'What's going on?'
The thought came out strained, his whole body struggling to remain functional.
'Am I going to die here?'
His vision grew blurry as he felt himself slip away from consciousness before it ended suddenly.
Charon fell forward, coughing violently as he clutched his throat, willing oxygen back into his starved chest.
The lights returned, blinking back into existence. The machines stopped whirring, normal functions resuming, albeit with the occasional spark shooting out of them.
Finally looking up, Charon recoiled as he saw what had happened to Evander.
His robes were cut in a thousand places, barely more than rags hanging from a human frame. The darkness clouding his face was deeper and more foreboding, two red orbs appearing where his eyes should have been.
Like Charon, he was breathing deeply, although his sounded more labored.
'How is he so hurt? What happened?'
Scooting to sit up against the wall, he kept his distance from the mage, praying that the event wouldn't continue.
Over a minute passed before Evander calmed himself, the red eyes slowly vanishing as the robes knitted themselves back together.
"I'm… sorry. That wasn't professional, please forgive me. I haven't had one of those in… many months…"
Charon didn't respond, hoping not to set the man off again.
'The hell do you mean not professional? You almost killed me! What kind of High Priest are you, you time bomb!'
Evander just looked away, reaching down to pick up his notepad.
"Charon, you are to never mention soul magic outside of today. You will tell me everything about this priest and the allies he may have. Outside that, you are to mention him to no one outside the High Order of Death themselves. If you do, you will be punished to the furthest extent of the church, including death."
His face snapped back to Charon's, his eyes burning a hole in his.
"Do you understand?"
All Charon could do was nod.