After a ruthless defeat, Ether drifted to sleep. His eyes were heavy, body powerless, and care wasn't there. As he went to bed, he imagined what the Light Legion's next step was going to be.
A counterattack perhaps. An all out siege against Volknair or maybe even the death of Encur or Ophus. But he wasn't worried about that, not now.
Minutes later, Ether opened his eyes. Despite them being wide open, he still saw nothing. The whole world around him was an empty abyss. Leaving the Zesher in the middle.
Until lights turned on. He looked down, hoping to see a sign of where he was. But realized those lights lit up a path.
Bright white spots on the floor guided him in a direction he was unsure of. Yet he took the step forward. With each one he took, he could feel the sense of something watching him.
After walking for hours, Ether stopped. The path split up into two. On his right side, there was a room with sand replacing the empty void. On his left side, there was a room with stone floors replacing the empty void.
Unsure if what to expect, Ether took the right path. He carefully made his way closer to the sand. Head looked down to see if it was real. When his foot came down on it, the sand behaved like sand.
Because it was real. That sand was real sand. And that empty world was now an arena. Horns blared to life, startling Ether. Sending him to his knees out of confusion.
His head looked around trying to see where he was. Then he realized something, there was an audience up on the arena's seats. Rows upon rows of every Variant screamed calamity at him.
Making Ether feel like a pet, something used for entertainment. He could feel the bright sun bake his body. Which made Ether realize something, he was naked.
Every bit of him was revealed for the world to see. For them to comment on and pick apart. Their bloodthirsty minds twisted Ether's body into mangled versions of itself.
Somebody stomped their foot, catching his attention from his naked body. Ether looked up to see another naked Variant. They looked at each other. One confused, the other determined.
Upon seeing his challenger, Ether instantly recognized what was going on. This was a test of Will. Where two or more Variants faced off against each other naked to prove their strength.
It was a tradition saved specifically for traitors, captured warriors, or a fight for their lives. Despite not knowing the context of what was happening, Ether knew the situation was grave.
Nowhere to go, no one to rescue him. It was up to his own wits, endurance, and Will to fight back against the blood hungry challenger.
He got up on his feet and blindly charged at the challenger. They slammed their fists down, hoping to bring Ether to his knees. But he dodged it. Sliding under his challenger's legs.
Being in a good spot, Ether used his strength to push his enemy to the ground. The two collapsed, but his enemy was quick enough to flip the positions.
Now, a much more aggressive and determined Zegus was on top of Ether. Ready to beat his head in.
"This is it, your end. And also the start of my life as an elite!" His raspy voice celebrated early.
He was unaware Ether already thought of being in a position like this. Being on the bottom of a beat down. So he trained specifically for dominating from bottom position.
Ether grabbed his hair and began pulling it closer to himself. When he felt it was ready, Ether wrapped his legs around the Zegus' neck.
One thumb went into his eye, blinding the Zegus. Ether let go of his hair, and began beating the other side of his head with his free hand. The Zegus tried to escape, but instead handed power to Ether.
He climbed on his back, and wrapped both arms around the Zegus' neck. Wanting to secure himself further, Ether wrapped his legs around his torso. Giving him enough freedom to snap his neck.
Suddenly, Ether felt the Zegus get thinner but bigger. He looked down at him to realize he also became a female. She collapsed on the ground, face down.
Ether turned her over to see Pearl's lifeless eyes staring up at him. He stumbled back out of fear. When he landed back on the ground, the arena vanished. His clothes came back and the body disappeared.
[To survive, it means to let go of those you love.]
A voice spoke. Being disheartened to continue and partly broken, Ether began hugging himself. Trying to make sure he was alright. Hoping to give himself the love and comfort he needed.
But he felt more alone. One single Zesher, alone in a world full of nothing. Until more lights turned on in front of him. Ether slowly got on his feet, then began walking forward.
When he looked back, he realized both paths connected to the one he was on. But they were different. The one he came from had an exact replica of himself, but naked and dead on the ground.
While the other path had a chained up version of himself. His arms and neck were chained against a wall that wasn't there. Something he didn't understand.
So he continued forward. Pushing on through the vast darkness.
After walking for days, Ether came to a stop between two more paths. On his right, there was a forest floor. Mud and grass replaced the lonely floor.
To his left, there was a red floor. The crimson colors interested him in stepping through. Which he did. Upon touching that new material, the world around him shifted.
It silently moved to fit the new environment. Like the genes of a Zegus when introduced to a new world. Until it was ready.
After blinking, Ether realized he was in the middle of a large building. Weapons and armor lined the walls as mangled beast corpses scattered the floor.
Where no one would reach, there were arches. Allowing sunlight from the outside world to come in. But there was no sunlight. Only a crimson sky.
It unsettled Ether. He was alone here. No horns, no crowds, no threats. Except for the sound of a pillar crumbling.
He realized along the carpet he stood on, where large stone pillars. They held up the massive roof. Across the room from him, one of them tumbled down.
Each piece shattered like icicles falling from their high domains along winter homes. But unlike those icicles, this one implied there was something in there powerful enough to cause its destruction.
That's when Ether saw it. Two white, glowing eyes caught his attention. Its owner soared through the room. Landing against another pillar before kicking its feet to boost it to Ether.
He didn't know how to react to it. He had never seen another Variant do something like this. Especially have legs powerful enough to crumble pillars and shake entire rooms.
It stormed through the room, landing right in front of Ether. Before he could do anything about it, the Variant jumped into a back flip. Its foot struck Ether's chin. Lifting him up off the ground.
The Variant landed and grabbed Ether's ankle, then slammed him against the stone floor. It shattered upon impact, the blunt pain traveled through his body. Overwhelming his senses.
Then the Variant threw Ether against a nearby wall. It too shattered on impact. Leaving Ether in a small crater inside.
"W - who are you?" Ether tried to talk.
It slowly approached the injured Zesher. "Me? You'll know about me soon enough. I'll be seeing you in Yarno."
It charged, fist ready for a bone breaking punch. But before it could collide with Ether's body, the world went back to black.
He opened his eyes, heart pounding like a drum. His head began to ache and strength began to disappear. This was an empty abyss, directed just for his punishment.
[To survive, it means to withstand torture.]
That same voice came back. As it faded away, more lights appeared on the ground. Lighting up the path Ether had to take.
He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to endure anymore of these dreams. This was all in his mind, yet they felt so real. As if this was the truth.
Experiences pulled from timelines that haven't happened yet. As if this was all put in place, designed for his trial. Perhaps it was true, he was nothing more than a lab rat.
'Test subject,' that title stung like a thorn. It injected a vile chemical into his bloodstream, making him hate what he has become. From newborn, to son, to adult, to test subject. His life was all planned.
Small to big events, all were pre-planned. Designed by something greater. By the Nine. Which enraged him. He didn't want to suffer while they watched, using his brother as a vassal.
Out of spite, he continued marching forward. Walking through the endless emptiness of his mind. As he was getting further away, Ether looked over his shoulder. Trying to see the aftermath.
From his right side, there was an exact replica of himself with his stomach busted open. Guts and gore covered his body, painting his face into a sickening red color.
While on his left was his head on a spear. Mouth hung open, as if his final moments were full of agony. Below the spear was a rotting corpse, his body. It remained there, motionless.
Despite twisting his stomach, Ether endured. He knew these paths meant he didn't succeed where he needed to. Each one was a glance of what was to come, and the outcomes of not preparing.
So after walking for a week, Ether planted his foot between two paths. Courage and instincts filled his heart, preparing for his decision.