Kelly gritted her teeth, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. She shut her eyes, trying to make sense of why she was reacting like this.
Sure, the thing in front of her wore her father's face—but that's all it was. A face. This demon wasn't him. It didn't smell like him, didn't carry his warmth, and most importantly, it didn't have his eyes.
What it did have was a twisted personality designed to break her down.
And yet… she couldn't explain the emotions flooding her chest. It was like the love she had for her father had somehow been transferred into this monster, stitched into her mind against her will.
If that was the case…
Her eyes snapped open, her face filled with deep bone-chilling coldness. Cosmic Dust sparked to life in her palms. Purple particles swirled and danced along her arm, gathering in her hand until they shaped themselves into a long, glowing blade.
The man stumbled back, unease flickering across his stolen face. The cruel glint in his eyes faltered, replaced with nervousness.
"Kelly, please… I'm scared. Don't kill me. I—I don't want to die." His voice cracked, breaking into sobs.
Her grip on the blade trembled. The Cosmic Dust wavered, threatening to scatter as those foreign emotions clawed at her, urging her to stop. She forced herself to hold on, even as the weapon in her hand shook like it might vanish at any moment.
"Cut the crap," she spat, her eyes burning with a deep purple glow. "Spare me the pathetic act."
She hated it—the warmth creeping in, the affection she couldn't control. It was wrong. An insult to her father's memory. So she'd crush it, even if it meant killing the version of him lodged in her head.
The man's sobs cut off abruptly. Then, just as quickly, his face lit up with a smile. The shift was so sudden, so bizarre, that it was hard to believe he'd been crying at all.
"I'm curious," he said, eyes narrowing. "In your mind, I see so many humans you carry regret for. Your father was an obvious choice. Yet here you are, eager to kill him—even after I mirrored the affection you held for him. Tell me, Kelly… were your emotions dead from the very beginning?"
The blade in her hand flared, its purple glow spilling across the cave walls. Kelly's lip curled in disgust. "You're wrong," she hissed, her heartbeat hammering as she battled against the emotions clawing at her to let go. "It's because of those very emotions that I must kill you."
And maybe that was the truth. Maybe her stubborn determination to end him, despite the storm in her chest, was why it happened.
Something shifted inside her. A pull. A connection to the Cosmic Dust stronger than anything she'd ever felt before.
The world around her dimmed to black, until nothing existed except her and the glowing blade in her hands. Her senses sharpened to razor clarity. She could feel everything—the way each particle of Cosmic Dust aligned and fused, how they wove together seamlessly into a blade harder than diamond. She traced their patterns, the rhythm of their constant forming and reforming, flawless in their dance.
And then, it was like stepping through a door.
The blade in her grip lifted from her palm, hovering in midair. A moment later, it split into a perfect duplicate. Then again. And again. In seconds, dozens of blades filled the space around her, multiplying until fifty gleaming purple weapons spun at her command.
Her temples throbbed from the strain, her mind stretched thin—but she gritted her teeth and snapped her fingers.
The air howled as the blades whirred to life, spinning with violent force. Wind ripped through the cavern, the pressure alone enough to shake the stone around them.
The monster wearing her father's face went pale. He didn't even have time to move.
The blades surged forward in a storm of light, their speed breaking the air with sonic cracks. Flesh and muscle shredded in an instant. His scream—high, raw, inhuman—tore through the cave as his body was ripped apart.
From the ruined shell burst something new.
A spider-like creature, no bigger than a fist but bristling with jagged limbs, scrambled free from the torn human vessel, screeching as it landed on the stone.
Without hesitation, Kelly directed the blades downward, ready to finish the monster once and for all—only something unexpected happened.
The ground split open.
A wave of spider-like creatures poured out, crawling over each other as they swarmed the body she was trying to destroy. The sound of their clattering legs filled the cavern, so thick and relentless it made her stomach churn.
Kelly summoned a platform of Cosmic Dust beneath her feet and lifted herself above the swarm. The shrieks of the spiders filled the cave, a deafening cacophony that turned the space into a hell of noise and chaos. They clawed over one another to reach her, their countless eyes gleaming with hunger.
Enough.
The one she was after was still alive—somewhere down there, breathing, taunting her with memories of the people she loved. And here she was, wasting her strength on distractions.
What good was all this power if she couldn't even avenge the memories of her family? Her father?
Why was it still alive?
How dare these things try to stop her from having its life!
The blades spun faster, vibrating so violently they sparked with purple light. Winds howled through the cavern as she clenched her fists, sending the storm of blades crashing down into the swarm.
And then—hell.
The spiders were torn apart instantly, shredded into unrecognizable pieces. Green gore and fragments of flesh rained down in sheets. There were no screams, no lingering deaths. It was over before they even had the chance to fight.
When the storm cleared, a boy sat trembling on the ground. Naked. His face pressed into his knees as he sobbed.
"Kelly… I'm sorry," he choked out, his voice breaking. "I don't want to die again. I remember the fire—it still burns. I can feel my flesh charring, hear myself screaming your name." His sobs grew harsher, ragged. "Kelly, save me! Please—it hurts! You just watched before, you let me die. And now you want to kill me again? Wasn't watching enough? I just want to live! Is that too much to—"
He never finished.
The blades closed in around him and tore through his body. His cries were cut short, lost to the shriek of the relentless blades. In seconds, there was nothing left but mangled pieces of flesh and green blood splattered across the cave floor. The spider-thing that had worn his vessel lay beside the remains, its limbs severed and twitching, its carcass just more gore among the ruin.
Kelly touched her face and froze. Her cheeks were wet. She hadn't realized she was crying. The Cosmic Dust blades unraveled into nothing as she released her hold, and the platform beneath her lowered to the ground.
The ache in her chest only deepened. The tears wouldn't stop. She had just killed twisted imitations of her father and brother—and even if they weren't real, the emotions inside her were.
Kelly groaned and clenched her teeth, forcing the sobs back down. But before she could collect herself, the cave shook violently. Stones tumbled from above. The ground trembled under her feet.
She turned and ran.
Her steps faltered, heavy with emotion, but she pushed forward. Rocks crashed around her, one striking so close it showered her in shards and dust. Her heart thundered in her chest as she coated her legs with Cosmic Dust and sprinted faster, dodging as the cave collapsed.
At last, she burst through the exit—only to stop short.
The sandstorm.
She had forgotten.
But outside, the storm wasn't raging the way she expected. It had halted at the mouth of the cave and gone no further from there.
She drew in a deep breath. She had no choice.
Kelly bolted into the storm. The sandy hell swallowed her whole, and without hesitation she sprinted south—the only direction untouched by its fury.
The still sandstorm began to move, its whirlwinds spinning up red, sandy crystals that reached for her, trying to pull her in.
Kelly was beginning to understand. The Trial of Aether wasn't random. The storm was guiding her—first to the cave, and now, toward the next trial.
But this time was different. Before, her mind had been steady. Her body had been ready. Now her legs shook beneath her, her chest ached, and her thoughts were a mess. The weight of killing the twisted versions of her father and brother was dragging her down, slowing her pace and shaking her control over the Cosmic Dust.
"No, not now," she muttered, breath ragged as she stumbled through the desert. Tears stung her eyes. "Focus, Kelly. Focus—or you'll die." She repeated it like a mantra, clinging to the words. And somehow, it steadied her. A little.
The storm closed in, red winds whipping violently around her, tugging at her body like hands trying to drag her under. She fought back, wrapping her legs in as much Cosmic Dust as she could muster. But the storm grew fiercer, sensing her resistance.
Her strength was slipping. Her chest burned. The particles stung her skin like a thousand cuts. The ache inside her hollowed her out.
"I… feel tired."
Her knees buckled. Her eyelids grew heavy.
"I can just close my eyes."
It would be so easy. Just stop fighting. Just rest.
"Yes," she whispered, swaying. "A little rest won't hurt."
But then—his face. The boy. The one who had thrown her into all this. The memory cut through the haze like a blade.
She hadn't killed him yet. She couldn't die. Not until she did.
Her eyes snapped open, and Kelly screamed. The sound ripped out of her, raw and furious, carrying every ounce of pain, grief, and stubborn defiance she had left. The storm pressed harder, but so did she.
Her legs throbbed. Her body screamed. But still—she ran.
Because she couldn't die. Not like this. Not yet.
At some point, the pain blurred into numbness. Her body felt like it had shut down, yet somehow, she kept moving. And then—through the haze—she saw it.
A jagged outcropping of black stone rising against the dunes. A cave.
"I can make it," she rasped, pushing harder. Her legs begged her to stop, every step sending waves of fire through her muscles, but she didn't slow.
The storm surged violently as she neared the cave, the winds howling with sudden rage as if trying to drag her back. She stumbled but caught herself, forcing her body forward one last time.
And then—she was inside.
The moment she crossed the threshold, the storm roared behind her, swallowing the desert in a fury of red. Kelly collapsed to the stone floor, her body giving out at last.
Darkness claimed her before she even hit the ground.
***
When Kelly opened her eyes, she was shocked to find herself lying on a soft bed. She sat up slowly, her body tense, eyes darting around the room in wary confusion.
The place was elegant—almost too perfect. A couch sat neatly by the side of the bed, a chandelier glittered from the ceiling, and rows of books lined the shelves built into the walls. Sunlight spilled in through wide curtains, bathing the room in a warm orange glow.
The creak of the door startled her.
A girl stepped inside—a pretty, blue-haired girl no older than seventeen. And the moment Kelly saw her, something foreign crashed into her mind. Memories and emotions that weren't hers. An overwhelming flood of affection for the girl seared itself into her chest, so sharp it made her gasp.
She fought it, tried to push it away—but it was useless. The feelings weren't hers, yet they clung to her like chains.
"Squeeee!" the girl squealed, running forward. She grabbed Kelly's hands and pulled her up with surprising strength. "Sister! How can you still be in bed when it's my wedding day? Come on, up, up! There's so much to do, I refuse to allow you sleep off today!"
The word sister hit Kelly like ice.
That's when it clicked. She wasn't herself anymore. She was inside someone else—Ritrea Zoltan. And the girl beaming at her with so much love… was Ritrea's sister.
Kelly's chest tightened. She had a sinking feeling about what this meant.
The second trial of Aether wasn't going to be like the first.
No. This was going to be something far more dangerous.