A voice echoed in the endless void, deep and resonant, as though it came from the marrow of existence itself.
"That child did not lie about the boy… he possesses a soul as brilliant as ours."
The voice lingered, heavy with judgment, then fell into silence for a breath before it spoke again.
"This trial will temper him. It will be beneficial. But should he fail… it does not matter. There are others who can take his place."
And just like that, the void dimmed, falling into absolute quiet.
****
A cool breeze rolled across a vast stretch of grassland. The blades whispered as they bent, carrying the smell of dew. On the ground, a young man lay flat, his chest rising and falling in the rhythm of sleep.
The young man was a nineteen year old, with White hair tied loosely at his back. He had calm mask on his face, until his body tensed. His eyes snapped open, blue irises cutting across the horizon with a sharp glint and the calm shifted to alarm.
