Chapter Title: Soul Trial - The Awakening
Darkness. Nothing but darkness.
Metro sat on a stone chair in the middle of a vast, pitch-black void. No walls, no floor, just shadows and silence. His fingers clutched the arms of the chair tightly, his heart pounding. His voice echoed as he shouted into the emptiness.
"Hey! HEY! Is anyone here?! Why am I here?!"
The only response was his own voice bouncing back from the void. His breathing grew heavy until, finally, a voice emerged from the shadows.
"Can you please shut up?" said a figure, emerging from the void. Metro stared.
It was...him.
The figure was identical to him, except for its glowing eyes and a faint aura of power radiating from its body. He sat on a chair beside Metro as though he'd been waiting forever.
"Don't you recognize me? I'm your power, your true essence. I brought your soul here."
Metro blinked. "You? My power? Wait... why did you summon me here again?"
The power chuckled. "I didn't summon you here. Your soul did."
Metro raised a brow. "My...soul? How?"
The power leaned forward, eyes burning. "Because you are dead in the real world."
The words hit Metro like a blade.
"W-What? Dead?"
"Yes. Your body was sacrificed in the ritual. The blood ran dry. The spell tore the last thread holding your soul. Now, your soul is searching for life, for rebirth."
Metro lowered his head. "I see... I died without even learning who I really am. Used by a friend. Hunted by everyone."
SLAP!
"AHHH! What the hell?!"
His power had slapped him across the face. "You fool. Are you going to cry about it or do something?!"
Metro rubbed his cheek, scowling. "You didn't have to hit me!"
His power stood. "You want to live? Then unlock me. Unleash your power by pushing past your limits. Once you do, you won't just live—you'll awaken."
Metro stared. "Unlock you... like a key?"
With a snap of his power's fingers, the void transformed.
The empty blackness gave way to a surreal floating city. Skyscrapers floated on islands of stone, defying gravity. Yet Metro and his power remained on a single hovering platform.
"This," said the power, "is your deep mind. The place where your intentions, memories, and essence reside."
"Deep mind..."
"We're going to train here. You must unlock the sword of yourself. But fail, and your soul will perish. You will be erased forever."
Metro looked nervous. "So I'm inside my own mind?"
The power nodded. "Yes. And that tornado over there..."
Metro turned and saw a massive red vortex in the distance, tearing through the floating city like a god's wrath.
"...is your time limit. If it reaches this place, your mind and soul will be obliterated."
"WHAT?!"
The power smirked. "Now, let's begin."
A katana materialized in the air. Metro caught it.
"That blade is empty. No soul. No owner. Make yourself worthy of it. Pour your will into it."
"But how?!"
"By fighting me."
The power drew his own katana from the shadow and charged.
---
Meanwhile, at the Demon Ritual Hall...
The sacred chamber echoed with unholy chants. Black torches burned with blue fire as the Nine High-Rank Demons circled a massive ritual glyph. Metro and his father, CLader, lay at its center.
Sara, in her butterfly shadow form, hovered above, her wings dripping with darkness. Caleb stood beside her, smirking.
Sara whispered, "I sense the slayers approaching."
Caleb nodded. "Any moment now."
CLader's fingers twitched.
"Shit... Shit... I messed up again," he muttered. "I only wanted to be strong. I wanted people to see me. Why did I fail?"
His breath grew sharp.
"Why... WHY?!"
Suddenly, his eyes glowed red. The ritual glyph cracked. The room trembled.
The demons froze.
"He's awakening," said Caleb.
CRACK!
CLader broke free from the ritual chains. In a flash, he stabbed one of the demonic choir members, then spun around and stabbed another. The twin demons fired a massive cero beam at him, but he vanished.
He appeared behind them.
SLASH!
Both were cut clean in two.
A high demon leapt to retaliate, but CLader dashed forward, slashing the demon's eyes, sending him screaming to the ground.
CLader locked eyes with Caleb.
"I'm going to kill you!"
Caleb caught CLader's blade with his bare hand.
"You finally awakened it... the Infernal Core. Impressive. But it's too late."
Suddenly, STAB!
A shadow blade pierced CLader from behind. Sara hovered with a vicious grin.
"Power without control is still weakness."
CLader gasped, blood pouring from his mouth.
---
Back inside Metro's Deep Mind...
The sword clash was deafening. Metro blocked, barely, as his power came at him again and again, each blow heavier than the last.
"You fight without conviction!" his power screamed.
Metro gritted his teeth. "I want to live!"
"Say it louder! Say it with soul!"
Metro roared. "I WANT TO LIVE! I WANT TO KNOW WHO I AM!"
The sword in his hands began to glow faintly.
His power stopped. "Good. Again."
Metro closed his eyes. His pain. His fear. His hope. He poured it all into the blade.
"My name is METRO! I was betrayed, abandoned, hunted! But I will rise! I will become stronger than ANY of them!"
The katana ignited.
A burst of blue-white light exploded from the blade, washing the platform in energy. The tornado slowed.
His power stepped back, smiling. "Not bad... now let's see if you can finish it. Round Two begins."
Metro held his now-glowing blade. A fire burned in his heart.
He wasn't dead yet.
Not by a long shot.
---
TO BE CONTINUED...