The chosen watched from far above the ground as the sky lit up with the kind radiance of the sun.
Henry looked away from the sun and towards what he and everyone else had been hiding from… the conduit.
'Soon, It's going to happen soon.'
The glowing light bothered him. Making it difficult to focus on anything else.
"Are you okay?"
A kind voice whispered into his ear, scaring Henry.
"Huh!"
Turning he saw Lumora a solemn smile on her face, her arms crossed, but slightly visible were her chewed nails. She was just as scared as everyone else, she could just hide it better.
"I said, are you okay?"
Her blue eyes pierced through Henry like daggers.
"S-something like that."
A soft laugh exited his body, but Lumora wasn't amused.
"It's going to be okay, I'm sure all of us will be put in the trial together, and we'll fight with each other, and even eventually pass it together."
'Wishful thinking.'
In the short time he had been conscious, Henry had absorbed how dangerous the trial was. It was akin to sending a normal human to kill slay a dragon. Sure, the chosen weren't "normal" but some above average recovery wouldn't be enough, you had to be cunning, you had to use everything to your advantage to pass the trial.
"What's up with Marlon?"
Pointing at their friend, Henry noticed he had curled himself into a ball on the seat and presumably gone to sleep. Lumora made a worried face towards him.
"I think it's because of the headmaster. I'm guessing their relationship isn't the best."
Lumora contemplated before replying to Henry.
"That's terrible, I can't imagine not getting along with my sister."
Henry perked his head up to listen.
"Sister?"
A giggle trickled out of Lumora's mouth.
"God, I sometimes swear it feels like you know nothing."
'If only she knew how right she was.'
"Listen, the gilded clan is one of the most well regarded in all the world. It's led by one of the original eight chosen. Aurelius Lucille, it is said that during the first trial he killed two of his comrades, using them as bait to beat his foe."
"So Marlon's grandfather was one of the first chosen? I'm guessing he's super strong."
Henry glanced at his curled up friend. Lumora let out another laugh.
"Of course he is! It's said that he received a powerful artifact for completing the trial, which is the basis of all the gilded clan's success. Also, he's not Marlon's grandfather."
"What?"
Lumora's smile slowly fell.
"Aurelius, Lucille, is Marlon's father."
Henry's eyes widened as he slowly turned his head towards his friend.
"Marlon, is the youngest child of the gilded clan, the Golden Falcon, Marlon Aurelius."
'There's no way.'
This whole time the closest ally to Henry, his best friend, was the son of one of the first chosen. He was a true celebrity.
"Yeah, but well, Marlon's the black sheep of the family. It's said that he's the only one in the family to renounce the legendary artifact, and deny using it."
'The "clan failure".'
The words that had started the fight in the cafeteria all those weeks ago.
"Is that why so many people dislike him?"
Lumora flinched at the question.
"I mean, that's part of it."
"What do you mean? What's the other reason?"
Lumora looked at Henry, then looked at Marlon.
"You really don't know?"
He nodded his head, and Lumora let out a brief sigh.
"If you couldn't tell, he's not the most humble, nor nice. He's mostly known around the academy for being an egotistical maniac."
'I thought he was just confident.'
Henry thought back to him and Marlon's interactions, but Marlon had always been calm with him.
'I guess I just haven't seen that side of him.'
"Also, he's gotten into multiple fights just for people asking about his father."
"I thought it was just the one with Arden?"
Lumora furrowed her brow at Henry.
"No, it's been multiple."
Henry looked at his sleeping friend. Was Marlon really that violent? Or was he just misunderstood?
'Regardless, he's a good friend to me.'
Lumora leaned back on her chair and closed her eyes to get some rest.
'I guess I should try to sleep as well.'
He played his head back and imagined the sound of his mother's voice, slowly dozing off into a deep slumber.
***
Henry was violently pulled out of sleep by Marlon shaking him.
"Hey, sleeping beauty, breakfast is ready."
In Marlon's hands was a plate of food. Looking around the helicopter, all the chosen were eating.
"What time is it?"
"Hell if I know, I just woke up when I smelled the food."
Marlon spoke in-between bites of food.
"Hey, do you know what the deal is with that Julian kid, I asked him if he was going to eat his ribs and he just started crying? Freaked me out pretty bad."
Henry turned and saw Lumora comforting Julian, who was indeed crying, and differently to all the other chosen had ribs on his plate.
"I don't know, he's just like that. I guess, I've never talked to him, so I think that's simply what he's like."
Marlon nodded and went back to eating.
Building up courage, Henry faced Marlon.
"So, are you doing alright?"
Slowly, Marlon put his food down, turning his head to face Henry.
"Peachy, amazing even, I've never been more ready for something in my life as much as I am for this."
A mocking grin appeared on his face.
"O-oh, okay, sorry, was just wondering."
Marlon snapped back.
"Yeah."
'Someone's in a bad mood, guess I shouldn't push it.'
As Henry finished his food, a man wearing tactical gear entered the middle of the helicopter.
"Hello chosen! In twenty minutes we will be arriving at the southeastern conduit, known as "Muerte" once we land you will have five minutes to prepare before you will begin the trial. Be prepared!"
The man walked away, the tensions growing with each step. The turning of the rotors, drowning out all audible activity. The chosen were each sweating, their minds filled with dread, fear, and worry at what was going to happen to them.
***
Before everyone knew it, twenty minutes had passed, and the helicopters began their descent. Everyone knew what was coming, but in an unspoken pact, the chosen would not spend their possible last moments talking about the trial. Everyone made groups and began talking about what they would do when they returned to the academy.
"I think I'd sleep the whole week!"
A charming young man said.
"I'm going to ditch class instantly!"
The crowd's each erupted into laughter, unfamiliar people instantly became longtime friends, joking, laughing, and confiding in each other. Henry, was not part of this crowd. He sat back, staring down at the artifact given to him by his mentor. Through all his research, artifacts were the least documented out of anything. He only knew that very few existed, and the ones that were known, were extremely powerful, being kept between familial clans, and hidden by strong awakened.
Henry thought of how crazy it would be if he passed the trial and progressed to the next stage, he would become an awakened.
A satisfied smile overtook his melancholy face. It would be pretty nice to relax after the trial.
'Well, no need to get cold feet now.'
Henry rose and walked into one of the crowds, joining everyone as they all did icebreakers, talked about family trips, embarrassing stories, and fond memories of loved ones.
Quickly, the chosen were all lined up, staring into a pitch black orb floating above the ground. The conduit released such a thick amount of miasmal energy that only the chosen could stand by it without choking on the influenced air.
The first chosen stepped closer to the conduit, releasing a large shockwave, blue light emerged from the orb and manifested a barrier circling the conduit. Beautiful runic patterns hovered on the barrier, incomprehensible to the newly chosen's mind's.
One by one, more entered the barrier. Henry stood next to Lumora hesitating, but looking at her all he could see was fear, and yet she still went in before him. He didn't have family, or anyone really that would care if he died, yet someone who had so many people that cared for them went before him.
He stepped into the barrier, and turned to Lumora.
"You better finish this with ease!"
She smiled retorting.
"The same to you! After this, we will all meetup in the field again!"
Henry smiled.
In a flash, they were all consumed with blue light, and from the outside when the light died down. The chosen, were gone.