Zane sat on a rock, his legs still aching from hours of climbing in the orb chamber, the red crystal orb resting in his hand, its glow pulsing like a distant star. Eight hours and a few minutes had crawled by in Zoic's time—an eternity in the trial's warped reality—when a shimmer of air announced Onilia's arrival. She emerged second, her hair damp with sweat, her face etched with exhaustion but brightening when she spotted Zane.
"What? You're already here?" Onilia said, her voice a mix of relief and disbelief as she trudged toward him, her boots scuffing the ground. She sank onto the rock beside him, her shoulders slumping, her breath heavy. "Guess I was worried for nothing." She glanced at the red orb in his hand, her own red orb glinting in her lap, and opened her mouth to ask about it when another shimmer interrupted. Nenis appeared, her expression sour, her eyes flicking from Zane to Onilia. Onilia being there before her was no surprise—she was Apex-ranked, after all—but Zane beating her? Nenis turned away, her lips tight, refusing to acknowledge him.
One by one, the trainees materialized, their faces pale, their bodies trembling from the trial's toll. Some clutched blue orbs, others red, a few empty-handed, their eyes hollow with defeat. The plain hummed with their uneven breaths, the air thick with tension as they awaited the verdict.
Instructor Marius appeared in a blink, his dark cloak settling around him like a shadow. "Now, let's begin the selection," he said, his voice cutting through the murmurs, sharp and commanding. He raised a hand, pointing to either side. "Those with red crystal orbs to the left. Blue orbs to the right. No orbs, middle."
A trainee near the back, his face smeared with dirt, muttered to his friend, "Who'd pick the red orb? Weren't we supposed to get the blue one?" His voice carried, sparking whispers.
"Right?" another hissed, clutching a blue orb. "You'd have to be stupid to grab the red one."
Zane stood, his movements slow but deliberate, and walked to Marius's left, the red orb glowing in his hand. Heads turned, eyes widening, the crowd's murmurs growing louder. Doubt rippled through the trainees, their confidence in their blue orbs wavering. When Onilia joined Zane, her red orb catching the light, the whispers turned to gasps. A lanky trainee with a blue orb leaned toward a fellow trainee, his voice low. "What is it this time? Did we miss something?"
The other trainee's frown deepened, his eyes locked on Zane and Onilia. 'Everything twists when that guy's around,' he thought, his fingers tightening around his blue orb, frustration simmering. It got worse when Nenis, Drex and a little over thirty trainees moved to the left.
Onilia nudged Zane, her voice low but curious. "You chose the red orb too?" She tilted her head, studying him. "I thought I was crazy for picking it."
Zane shrugged, his sharp eyes meeting hers. "It was the obvious choice."
"Really?" Onilia's brows shot up, surprise flickering across her face. "You mean I was right?"
Zane's lips twitched, almost a smirk. "Wait, you picked the red orb without analyzing the test?" He realized Onilia hadn't puzzled out the incantation like he had—she'd acted on instinct.
"Something like that," Onilia admitted, a grin breaking through her exhaustion. "But seeing you with a red orb? I knew I was right." She paused, her grin fading as she glanced at the crowd standing on the right. "Look at them. They're second-guessing their blue orbs just because you're holding red. You passing the Master's first test changes everything."
Zane opened his mouth to respond, but Marius's voice boomed, silencing the plain. "With everyone here, we'll begin." His eyes locked onto Zane, sharp and probing, the red orb in his hand a glaring anomaly. The trial wasn't just about retrieving an orb—it was a crucible designed to break the mind. Those who conquered the fear stage, bypassing snakes, flames, or drowning waters, still faced years of descending in the orb chamber's warped time. The endless stairs, the suffocating dark, forced questions: 'Why am I here? Is this real? Who am I?' The repetition drove most to doubt their sanity, their purpose, their very existence. Only by questioning reality itself could they see the truth—up was down, red was blue, nothing was as it seemed.
Marius stepped forward, his cloak rippling, his gaze fixed on Zane.
Marius stood at the center, his dark cloak a stark silhouette against the red sky, his voice slicing through the murmurs. "Before we proceed, I'll explain the grading for the first test," he said, his tone sharp and deliberate. "One hundred points for first place. One hundred points for choosing the right orb. One hundred points for breaking the existing record. The next test—dueling—offers only one hundred points. This means first place and the right orb could make you top trainee, even if you struggle in the duels."
Zane leaned back, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. 'Perfect,' he thought, rolling the red orb between his fingers. 'With every bastard here out to get me, this grading system's a lifeline.' The trainees on the right, clutching blue orbs, shifted uneasily, their confidence crumbling. Seeing Onilia, Nenis, and other top-ranked Awakeners—plus Zane, the one they grudgingly respected as the sharpest, though they'd never say it—standing with red orbs made their choice feel like a misstep. Whispers grew louder, their eyes darting to Zane, doubt gnawing at their resolve.
"Zane Walker, step forward," Marius commanded, his gaze locking onto Zane, sharp and expectant. Zane took a step, his movements slow, almost lazy, as he yawned and stretched his arms overhead, his joints popping softly. The trainees bristled, their glares burning into him. 'Arrogant bastard, your big brains won't save you in the next test,' one thought, gripping his blue orb until his knuckles whitened. 'Tch, just a loser who got lucky,' another muttered in his head, his jaw clenched.
Marius's voice sharpened, his eyes boring into Zane. "Zane finished first; I want him to explain how he did it." The plain fell silent, the red sky casting a bloody glow over the crowd. Even the Master, watching from his observatory above, leaned closer to the screen, his tea forgotten. No one knew what happened inside the orb chamber except those who'd faced it, and Zane's speed—mere seconds in Zoic's time—had left even the Master desperate for answers.
Zane sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, his sharp eyes flicking across the crowd. 'Why do I have to explain? I could use a nap right about now,' he thought, his body aching from hours of climbing and mental strain. 'Oh well, let's get this over with.' He straightened, his voice steady but casual, like he was recounting a walk in the park. "From my deduction, the test had four stages," he began, holding up the red orb, its glow catching the light.
"The first was the iron gate itself. I didn't walk in right away—something about it felt off. When I turned to leave, a gust of wind dragged me inside. That's when I saw the timer: nine years, six months, twelve days. Those who went in blindly must've missed it."
"Wait," a trainee interrupted, his voice sharp with disbelief. "The gate was a test?" Murmurs erupted, heads turning as the crowd realized they'd all rushed through without hesitation, their faces paling at the thought of missing a crucial step.
Marius's eyes narrowed, his interest piqued. "How did you know the gate was part of the test, Zane?" he asked, his tone probing, like he was dissecting Zane's logic.
Drex, standing among the red-orb holders, stepped forward, his brows furrowed, his voice tinged with frustration. "Yeah, tell us, how'd you know walking away was the right move?" he demanded, his fists clenched.
Zane shrugged, his hand resting on the orb, its weight grounding him. "It's not in my nature to walk blindly into a creepy room. But if you want a real answer, I'll give you one. Why set us up outside if entering was the only option? There had to be a choice to make first. I turned to walk away, and the wind forced me in. That told me the gate was a test of hesitation, of thinking before acting. Instructor Marius could've sent us straight inside, but he didn't. That was the clue." His voice was calm, but his words carried a weight that silenced the crowd, their eyes wide with reluctant respect.
"Any more questions, or can I keep going?"
Drex's face reddened, his thoughts bitter. 'How the hell was I supposed to know that? You think I'm a sage or something?' He bit his lip, glaring at Zane, his blue orb feeling heavier in his hand.
Zane continued, his voice steady, "Inside, the timer was the first thing I saw—nine years, six months, twelve days. It wasn't just a countdown; it was a taunt, meant to shake you. But that wasn't the next stage. The second stage was fear. The darkness alone, that void, is enough to make anyone feel small. It's designed to break your will. Many tend to waver in unfamiliar situations; with no light in sight, one's rationale is sure to drop."
"Like the snakes?" a trainee blurted, his voice trembling at the memory, his blue orb shaking in his hand.
"Snakes?" Zane frowned, his head tilting, genuinely puzzled.
"Yeah, and the creepy bugs," a female trainee added, her eyes wide with lingering terror.
"Bugs?" Zane's confusion deepened, his brows knitting together.
Marius stepped in, his voice cutting through like a blade. "Those are illusions, conjured from your deepest fears—animals, objects, elements. Snakes slithering on the stairs, insects crawling, fire burning, water drowning. They haunt you until you conquer the fear. It's all in your head." His eyes flicked to Zane, a flicker of disbelief in them.
'I see, so he was able to pass the second stage not because he conquered his fears but because he never had them to begin with. A person without fear in his heart? Is that even possible?' he thought, his mind racing. Zane's calm, his lack of reaction, suggested he'd faced no illusions, no phobias to break him—only the darkness and the stairs.