Each party member was doing the trial at their speed but there was no rest between trails so as soon as they passed the first trial the second one started.
"The next trial will start now. You must hold onto on pedestal until directed. Those that let go of the pedestal will be returned to their ship and forfeit their rights to partake in the trial Pythia forever." Declared the now familiar voice.
Chris didn't hesitate to take hold of the pedestal. He didn't know what to expect the moment he made contact all he could hear was an agonising scream coming from the room next door. The scream was pierced his soul and he wished he could see what was happening past the door. He didn't know if it was real or not.
Chris decided this was just a test and had decided to hold on to the pedestal no matter what happened. The screams intensified but he still held on believing in his intuition that this wasn't real and it was all a test. Finally, the screaming stopped, Chris was on edge but was glad it was over.
"Congratulations you have completed stage 1 of the trial, move to the next room." A door appeared in the direction from which the screams had originated. Chris walked through the door but was not prepared for what awaited him. The room was identical to the room he had just left except for the naked body of his Mum was on the floor.
"No, this isn't real! Mum awake up" Chris ran to his mother body, he had to touch it. This couldn't be real. He touched the corpse and it felt real, it was still warm. He inspected the body and it even had the same identification marks as his mother. It had the same scars and it smelled like her. Before he could process his grief the voice of the trial spoke.
"Knowledge of the future is sacred. There can only be one. Please prepare for stage two. Place your hands on the pedestal to start stage two." Chris couldn't believe what had just happened, surely this was just a test and none of it was real. He regretted getting involved in any of this.
"Screw you!, I want out" Chris was crying, no knowledge was worth the price he just paid.
"You may leave but the payment to leave is a life. You may choose yours, or one of your companions"
"What?! Before we could leave only forfeiting our right to the trial" Chris was angry he just wanted to leave and take his mother body with him.
"That was before a life was taken, now the cost of leaving, is a life"
Chris didn't know what to do. He had analysed the situation and knew he couldn't escape from the trial forcibly. He couldn't sacrifice Null as he knew he would be important to humanity one day. He didn't think he could live with himself if he sacrificed Jania.
"If I give up my life, can my companions leave?" he asked the voice.
"No, they must make their own decisions. Place your hands on the pedestal or make a decision"
Chris finally made his decision.
"I will offer up my life"
Earlier Lisa had undertaken the same trial, but as soon as she heard the screams she release her grip on the pedestal. She had decided that no amount of knowledge was worth hurting someone. She wasn't sure if it was a test or not but wasn't willing to find out.
"You have chosen to forfeit your right to the trial of Pythia." Lisa then collapsed unconscious where she was standing. The room had been filled with poisonous gas that had rendered Lisa in a state of near-death.
It was Jania turn to undertake the trial. Once she heard the screaming she had asked a question.
"Who is that?"
"Does it matter?" asked the voice in return.
"Yes it does"
"Than it is a criminal"
Jania then held on the pedestal until the screaming stopped, and she was directed to the next room. In the room, Jania was confronted with the dead bodies of both Chris and Lisa.
"You Lied! You said it was a criminal!" she was beside herself with guilt. She hadn't even questioned if the voice was lying and no by her action two people were dead. She ran over to both the bodies hoping that it might have been some kind of test or trick. Like Chris, she found nothing to suggest these weren't her friends and party members.
"He had killed his mother, so he was a criminal".
Jania had tried to leave just like Chris and was offered the same choice. When it came time to make the choice, she just couldn't choose to sacrifice herself. She instead decided to sacrifice Null to save herself. After her choice was made she also collapsed unconscious.
Null had taken the longest time to finish the first trial so he was attempting the second trial after everyone had already done so.
He placed his hands on the pedestal until the screaming stopped. He moved on to the next room and found Lisa on the floor. He tried to communicate with the system but he had found that he had somehow been separated from the system. He wanted to try to cast a healing spell but he didn't know any. Instead, he choose to at least freeze her in time in case she was still alive.
"Any use of magic during the trial will lead to the death of the whole party, choose wisely"
He quickly cancel the attempt at spell casting and decided to leave but was presented with the same choice as the others. When it came time to choose, he decided to let fate decide and held onto the pedestal again. Null did this two more times and in the end, he was the only one left alive.
Null was numb, nothing about this experience suggested it was fake. He couldn't imagine any knowledge worth the payment he had just made. He just couldn't make a choice. Null couldn't choose to kill someone he knew. 'I didn't kill them, the trial did'
He knew that he was trying to rationalise his action but that he was being cowardly.
They walked into the next room to see what new trials would await him.