Medium reality, Earth 03, end of the Dense Tropical Forest.
It was early afternoon, the sun was blazing. They could feel their bodies getting hot and sweat filling their eyes, bothering their walk and their throats getting dry from lack of hydration , followed by the pink sky and the small moon on the horizon, signaling that the next night would be a full moon .
Jack, Jhenefer and Michel were arriving at the entrance to the maze. In the distance, there was armor gleaming in the sun, a man with gray hair and a whitish beard, who looked to be about 50 years old and six feet tall in full armor. It looked like it was actually quite similar to those from the medieval period, but nothing in particular that could differentiate Earth-3 from Earth-1.
- Hey! Who are you? - Shouted the man who showed too much anger a hardened face as if he already wanted to strangle or punch anyone in front of him. His short, overweight body made him the subject of constant jokes, however, instead of putting up with it he simply beat up anyone who mocked him.
"Yeah, as I see it, it won't be easy to get into. I think it will be even worse on the way out. "
thought Jhenefer , worried by his furious appearance.
As they approached, the sky darkened for a few seconds and a purple beam of light crossed it. At that moment, Jack felt discomfort in his body and chest. Strange the reaction of the physicist, his unconscious gradually began to despair, because something abnormal had happened.
"What's happening to my body?" He thought in a heightened tone of concern and impatience.
– What do kids like you want in these parts? Do you know where they are by any chance? - Said the guard with a closed expression and wide eyes for the group, who reacted in a scared way , moving away from it, which always seemed to be his peaks of exaltation.
– Sir, good afternoon! We've come a long way, we've passed through a long forest in two days, and we're tired from the journey. And on top of that, I'm so impatient I wouldn't dare witness it. We just want to get into this damn maze soon, train and get out, preferably alive.
– You can turn around. Do you know what this maze is? Simply the most terrifying and bloody place a person can train. It's not impossible to get out, but if they do, it will only be in two ways: dead or near-dead and invalidated. Few still manage to walk away, but still, everyone is torn apart.
– Here's the thing, the guild attendant informed us about it, told us that this is the only place for people like us. Her nomination was not what I expected, but we had to accept it. So let us through. - Retorted with a certain authoritarianism already getting agitated with the situation.
– And who would you be anyway? What I perceive are three filthy commoners who think they're brave just for having crossed a forest. - Asked the man intrigued by the lack of intimidation that the boy showed in front of him, and this made him more angry.
At that moment, Jack closed his expression and fixed his eyes on the man in front of him, those that startlingly began to glow, generating a beam of light on a wide scale. The man in front of him fell to the ground with wide eyes and mouth open with saliva slowly running down the corners of his lips, he had literally crashed to the ground, the open places where the armor doesn't reach were slightly bruised, some minor scratches covered his arms and knees hit the floor hard, and he practically whispered in a lapse of disbelief and a mixture of mental confusion, in a frightened tone:
– Don't tell me you are...
– Exactly what you thought. So stop staring at us thinking we're just commoners in this shitty land of yours.
– Are you the reincarnations of the magicians?
– If you want, I can show you another proof. I don't think it would be necessary, but you're kind of asking for it. - He faced the man severely with an expression that made him frantic and frightening, however, he was not in a mental condition that could be considered calm.
Not knowing if it was what he was thinking or just a slight speculation, he quickly raised his light brown shirt, demonstrating another expected proof in the man's hope to see that the whole situation was really true.
- Now I realized why this level of cunning and daring, you are the reincarnation of the mage of high wisdom, even if it still does not seem at all that you have any knowledge in your head of wind.
– Are you calling me an ass, old man? I still don't know anything about this "wisdom wizard" or whatever, but if I have to step over someone, I do it without thinking twice.
– What animal bit you, boy? It's too audacious for someone your age! You must be what, fifteen? - Asked trying to demonstrate superiority for his age and wisdom, with a face expressing doubt, but not regretting on your part.
– For your information, we are sixteen. If you think you can stop us, you can take your horse out of the rain, or simpler, just taking your beautiful body out of the entrance will help us.
– Oh, you… How dare you face me with such disrespect, do you want to die, you filthy brat? – he screamed in tremendous rage and red-faced with his veins bulging, eyes bulging, ready to kill him right then and there.
– Sleep. - Said a mysterious voice making the man shoot at once on the ground, thus sleeping soundly.
- What? What was this? Did he sleep? - He asked himself, startled by the unexpected reaction.
- Fast forward you three, we do not have time to make small talk. Remember, you'll spend days inside, so the sooner you get in, the sooner you're out. - Said the creature inside Jack, making him swallow his saliva and agree with the same.
- Let's go people! You heard him, we will have to do everything very quickly!
– Okay, let's go.
- Before entering, I need to alert them of something. We are creatures created from the powers and memories of ancient wizards. As they passed and fought in various universes, their powers faded and were forcibly taken away from them. As a result, our memory remnants were scattered throughout the universes. In conclusion, you will need to recover them to be able to use the powers at their full strength.
"So how are we going to learn something if you don't even remember?" he asked, already enraged by receiving such information at the last minute.
- We still have the beginnings of their memories, how to learn the basics of powers. However, how to use it will depend solely on your imaginations, the memory remnants will help you to raise the level of power, but it will not give you new abilities. However, it has a bright side. With them you will have the same memories of them, knowing what life was like and the way they used their powers. However, they will not be able to use them, they will have to create their own abilities.
– You guys are a pain in the ass. - Retorted indignantly.
The moment they entered, you could smell blood all over the floor, and this made them more cautious and frightened, because they did not know what, nor who they would find in that mysterious and unexplored place. The smell of decay invaded his nostrils, Michel felt a reversal in his stomach, Jack flinched and Jhenefer let his legs go weak for a moment, the three felt uncomfortable with the way the place presented itself to them, destroying their last remnants of hope that they would come out of that labyrinth alive.
– Okay, now that you're in, let's release the first memory for you. With her they will know how to use the powers of their elements. Close your eyes, and only open them again when the process is complete.
They closed their eyes and concentrated, as soon as the memory was released, they began to slowly glow, demonstrating that the process was in progress. After a few minutes, his eyes returned to normal and opened again, as if they were being born again.
- Was he like that when he was my age? Now I know why his name really matches his personality. Wisdom high right, weird little name that, but it's just like him. - Jack said a little surprised, but the name itself than the powers.
– My magician's name was Thinker Skillful , it's hard to pronounce. But she was a very wise and smart woman. Too bad we only saw their early teens . - He said Jhenefer curious to know more information.
– My reincarnation... I was already hoping it would be like me. Name of those who like to fight, Heated Fighter . Sincerely? I liked him. - Finished Michel, who for some reason, felt excited.
– We have a warning for you. According to the progression you have, the personalities will change little by little, because your subconscious are with memories of two different people, so eventually they will merge into one. It's not just the knowledge of the powers you'll acquire, but the personalities as well, which is good as those of you aren't good for kids that age.
– That you hadn't told us before. Why did you tell us now?
– You didn't need to know that, but you'll find out on your own… In your future dreams.
– You're not saying thing to thing. But from the powers I understand, we can use both our magic and everything around us, and also shape the way it is released. But what was that? How did I manage to say all this? - He asked, startled by the sudden words he uttered without having any idea what they were.
- His memory is already taking effect on you, young man. Get used to it. But that's exactly how they're going to use their powers.
– Now I know why you told us to create our own techniques. The ones they created were banned, right?
- Exactly! For this reason they were somewhat feared in some universes, precisely because they were too strong and possessed forbidden techniques.
– Well, let's get this started. I want to see how this works in practice. You two too, do your best on this to get us out of here together and alive.
- That's right! – The two of them replied, trusting in their best friend.
Average Reality , Earth 03, Labyrinth.
They managed to successfully enter the training site, but not knowing if they would leave it alive or dead. As they would spend more than a week in that place, it would require a drastic change in attitudes and decisions, that would decide the whole game. They passed through the first three corridors without much difficulty, already thinking it would be easy as nothing there threatened them at the time. However, something unexpected happened.
– Did you hear? - Jack asked focusing his hearing on the surroundings.
– Yes, I heard. But it was low. – Jhenefer replied , taking his friend's doubts.
– Is it a monster? If it is, it must be small. We're on easy, it wouldn't make sense if he was too strong. – Michel said arguing about the mysterious sound that made him shiver.
– Let's move forward carefully and alertly. - Pronounced to his two friends, who were with the nerves on edge.
In a quick movement of legs, behold, the monster emerged. The one that was entirely made of stone, more than two meters high and almost a meter wide. It was almost like a humanoid being made of boulders, large rocks and with their shapes totally different from each other. Before the monster hit them the first time, they managed to dodge by luck and run as fast as they could.
- What? A stone monster, and from this height? Are you sure we're on easy mode here? – screamed Michel desperately as he ran frantically from the monster, who was a few inches away from them.
– It is not because we are in the easy that literally means easy. This monster must be the weakest for being right at the beginning, but that doesn't mean that for us it is weak. - Jack replied in the same situation as his friend.
Before they could escape, the monster took a giant leap into the air, as if it were flying, and landed almost above them. But the impact was tremendous that it made them black out for an instant.
– Wisdom ... Wisdom , don't be afraid, I'm your protector, I won't let anything shake you. - Said a female voice and light in your mind.
- Do not fear Wisdom ... your greed is with you everywhere you go, I am your best companion. - Spoke another female voice, this one that was more charismatic and insightful.
– Protector? Greed? What's this, who's talking to me? - He asked with the voices in his head. He was starting to lose himself in his mental daydreams.
– I am your protection, I am the waning moon that will light your paths to victory. - The first voice spoke, as if he wanted to reassure him and motivate him to something.
- I am your greed, I am your new moon, the one that will get any light, no matter where it is and I'll get it just for you. - Spoke the second voice, as if he wanted everything for herself and no one else.
- What? Who are you? Whose voices are these?
- We are half of each other , but with you, we complete each other. We are your moons.
To be continued...