As Haruto conquered his trial, Sylvie remained trapped in hers, the past playing out like a dark, twisted memory. 'If this is a trial, what am I supposed to see? What's the point of showing me this?' she wondered, standing outside with her parents and sister as the Ageton's grand carriage came to a stop. The air was thick with tension as the doors of the carriage opened, revealing a man of great stature with fiery red hair and a striking woman beside him. Behind them, a young boy stepped out—one whom Sylvie recognized immediately. It was Gram.
'I don't remember this memory,' Sylvie thought, her brows unknowingly furrowing as Gram's sharp eyes caught her expression. He sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Hey, I don't like that look on your face. You should be grateful we even bothered to venture out to this trash heap you call an estate. My stable is bigger than your entire home."
Sylvie's frown deepened, but before she could respond, a voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Boy, mind your tongue!" his father snapped, his tone uncharacteristically harsh. "How dare you spew such nonsense when Sylvie has already become a Middle-ranked Uncommon and is pushing into the upper ranks? You've barely broken into the Uncommon rank despite all the resources at your disposal. Until you prove you're worthy of your name, sit there and hush."
The outburst stunned not only Sylvie and her parents but Gram as well. His eyes narrowed in anger, clearly not used to being spoken to in such a manner, especially by those he considered beneath him.
Then, an ominous force descended upon everyone except Gram, pressing down on them with crushing weight. Sylvie and her parents immediately dropped to one knee, instinctively submitting to the overwhelming power. Everyone except Danity. Sylvie's heart pounded in her chest as she realized what this meant—only one person could command such fear and respect. The head of the Ageton family had arrived.
"My foolish son, my grandson is correct." An elderly man, exuding an aura of sheer dominance, stepped out of the carriage, his presence suffocating. Gram's sneer grew wider, more menacing. "Sometimes one must be reminded of their place in this world. A caterpillar, no matter how much it dreams, is meant to be preyed upon by the hawk."
Sylvie's stomach churned as the memory rushed back to her, and she knew exactly what was coming next. The elder's gaze was sharp, cold, as he assessed the situation.
Gram's father nodded silently, a subtle acknowledgment of the elder's authority. "But sometimes," he said carefully, "that caterpillar becomes a beautiful butterfly, whose wings even the hawk fears."
The elder's eyes flickered dangerously. "Are you saying I am wrong?" His voice was calm, but the pressure that followed his words was anything but. It crashed into Gram's father like waves against the shore, relentless and punishing. Sylvie's mind raced—why was Gram's father going so far to defend them? When this initially happened, she had been too young to understand the internal strife within the Ageton family—two ideologies clashing, each vying for dominance. Now, she saw the Ageton head for what he truly was: a monster.
"Grandfather, that's enough," Gram finally spoke, his voice tinged with a mix of arrogance and respect. The elder eased up, but his eyes fell on Danity, who still had not bowed.
"Girl, why do you not bow?" he asked, his voice cold.
Danity, though nervous, held her ground. "Warlords bow to no one except the King," she replied, her voice steady and confident.
"A Warlord, are you? You must have participated in the most recent initiation, then." The elder's voice dripped with disdain as he spoke of the King. "Disturbing the natural order of things out of pity for those beneath him. What a foolish king."
His contempt was palpable, and the air grew colder with every word.
"Well then," the elder continued, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement, "since you're so confident in these servants, how about a duel? My grandson against the common girl. If she wins, my dreaming son, I'll take your way of thinking into consideration. But if she loses, I never want to hear you speak such nonsense again."
Sylvie's heart skipped a beat. The request was as unexpected as it was terrifying. She looked at her parents, who were visibly shocked, and then at Danity, who remained stoic. The Agetons, on the other hand, seemed almost eager for the confrontation.
"Very well," Gram's father agreed, his voice steady. "Let's head to the grounds."
As Sylvie stood across from Gram on the dueling grounds, her nerves were frayed, just like that time long ago. Her parents watched her with hopeful eyes, Danity by their side, newly crowned as a Warlord. On the opposite side, the Agetons watched with cold, calculating expressions.
"Let the duel commence!" the elder declared.
Gram wasted no time, rushing forward with a sneer, his magic flaring as he summoned his power. Sylvie responded in kind, but doubt gnawed at her mind.
"Hex Magic: Totem of Rights!" she called out, her voice shaky. Floating totems materialized across the ground, firing off wild, inaccurate bursts of energy. Gram dodged them with ease, twirling his spear of magic with practiced precision.
"Is this what you're so proud of?" Gram taunted, easily closing the gap between them. With a vicious strike, he slammed his spear into Sylvie's side, sending her sprawling across the ground. The pain was excruciating, but it was the sense of déjà vu that cut even deeper. 'It's exactly how I remember,' she thought, her mind racing. His attacks were far more powerful than they should have been. 'What's the point of this trial? What am I supposed to see?'
As she struggled to find an answer, Gram was suddenly beside her, his face twisted with rage. "You dare let your mind wander in a fight against me? Am I not worthy of your full attention, you filthy commoner?" he roared, attacking with relentless fury. Sylvie barely managed to defend herself, each blow pushing her closer to the edge of defeat.
'How is he so strong? Think, Sylvie, think!' she urged herself. Another magical spear appeared, slamming into her back, and she cried out in pain. 'If I recall this memory correctly, Gram beat me decisively… wait, that's it!' A realization struck her like lightning. 'The figure said Resentment or Enlightenment. One will give you your wildest dreams, the other will damn you. I've always resented Gram for this duel—a match I should have won but lost. After this, I promised myself I'd never allow him to beat me again. Well, I won't break that promise now!'
Her mind cleared, and with renewed determination, Sylvie gathered her strength. "Not this time! Hex Magic: Territory Constraint!"
Vines erupted from the ground, but instead of trying to restrain Gram, they lashed out like whips, striking at his feet and arms. As Gram tried to fend them off, something small and metallic fell from his pocket, disappearing into the earth. Sylvie's eyes widened in realization. 'An item! That's how he was so strong! He was using a magical item to enhanceis abilities!' She couldn't believe she had never considered it before. But then, how could she have seen it back then, blinded as she was by her frustration and anger? Resentment had clouded her vision, and she had missed the truth.
With the item gone, Gram's attacks became noticeably weaker, a far cry from the overwhelming power he had displayed moments ago. Sylvie seized the opportunity, her mind clear and focused.
"Hex Magic: Enigma!" she called out, her voice filled with newfound confidence. The battlefield shifted as a purple ring formed around Sylvie, lifting her off the ground. Energy swirled around her, growing more intense with each rotation. The power shot towards her, then down towards Gram, overwhelming him completely. Gram dropped to his knees, defeated, his face a mask of disbelief and shame.
Sylvie landed softly, nearly fainting from the exertion, but a triumphant smile played on her lips. She had won. As she looked up, she saw Gram being dragged away by his father, the elder Ageton glaring at him with pure disgust. Suddenly, she understood why Gram hated commoners so much. No matter what he did, no matter how much he cheated, he could not surpass those he deemed inferior.
As they walked away, she noticed the elder mouthing something to Gram. She knew exactly what he said.
"Using an item to beat someone lesser than you, and you call yourself an Ageton? Pathetic. You're no better than a commoner. An oversight I will correct."
The shadowy figures vanished as the memory faded, leaving Sylvie alone on the dueling grounds. She had not only won the duel but had also gained a profound understanding of herself and the bitterness that had once consumed her. As she sat and contemplated the experience, a door appeared behind her, shimmering with light. 'Enlightenment, was it?' she thought, standing up. With a deep breath, she walked through the door, leaving the trial behind as she vanished into the light.