'W-What… does this mean?'
Chaos filled Nico's mind. He scrambled to make sense of what his eyes were showing him.
How could this be?
Why did the symbol of the ancient Empire renowned for its crafting show up in his trial?
"I see you have stumbled upon the insignia of my Meosan Empire."
As Nico was deep in thought, an aged voice streamed into his ears.
He stiffened. Slowly turning his head, Nico's eyes reflected a beautiful figure.
Her brown hair that was tied into a braid… sombre expression, piercing hazel eyes, and the way she carried herself… all of it combined to give Nico the impression that he was standing in the presence of a Huntress.
'Wait… Huntress…'
Nico's eyes slowly widened in recognition.
"Y-You are…"
"Yes, you are correct. I am Sharp Gaze, one of the three Ancient Heroes."
The brown-haired boy watched as the woman's incorporeal form nodded. Her features were still sombre and grave.
Nico blinked.
Why had the trial spirit shown herself now?
"I know you have many questions, but first, I must ask you a question of my own…" Sharp Gaze stared at Nico intensely, as if willing to put the weight of the entire world behind her next words.
Nico did his best to straighten himself, amidst the increasingly large desire to shrink back under her gaze. He took a shaky breath and steeled his mind.
"What is hope?"
Suddenly the world around Nico shattered like glass. The scene shifted. It displayed a tall tower consumed by a burning inferno.
Black dots surrounded the tower watching the building crumble in on itself. The screams of the dying filled the air.
Peering closer, Nico's vision zoomed in on the 'black dots'. Up close, they towered over everyone, standing to a height of nearly two meters. Some of them had leathery wings, webbed fingers, bestial maws filled with razor-sharp teeth…
'Demons…'
A surge of white-hot fury flowed through Nico once he noticed the victorious snarls on the faces of the ghastly abominations. An equally crippling wave of sadness and grief sprang up and clashed with the rage.
In its wake, Nico's chest felt incomparably heavy.
The scene in front of him broke and shifted once again.
This time a wide battlefield filled Nico's vision. It stretched as far as the eye could see on a seemingly endless plain.
On the horizon, the sun hung low on the sky, ready to retreat for the day. A crimson haze enveloped the landscape.
Nico narrowed his eyes. Countless corpses littered the plain. Both fetid black blood and dark crimson blotches stained the ground slick in a nauseating sight.
Forcing himself to continue watching, Nico saw a myriad of lights flash in the sky. All colours were on display… red, green, orange, blue, gold.
Looking closer, the brown-haired boy observed the spells speed through the air and crash a few meters away into what seemed to be an impenetrable obsidian line. There were bullets made of fire, slashes of wind, and large, compressed spheres of earth.
…All of that hurled toward the Demons.
Yet, what was the result?
Under the illumination provided by the magical spells in the quickly darkening skies, Nico witnessed the plethora of magic crash into the ranks of the abominations. Black and blue blood splattered through the air… yet even after that tremendous magical wave, the number of Demons did not thin by much.
Several grotesque creatures stepped forward to replace their fallen brethren.
Utter despair appeared on some of the warrior's faces. This battle was futile… everything was futile… they were all going to die… there was no point resisting.
The scene in front of Nico cracked and changed for the final time.
This time, he received an up-close view of the battle against the gargantuan shadow.
The two figures - one an indomitable Knight who was the very embodiment of courage, the other a Spearman who possessed determination that rivalled even the largest of constellations - constantly clashed against their terrifying foe.
Some parts of the Knight's armour appeared cracked and dented, a result of tanking one or two blows, it seemed. His companion, the Spearman, kept thrusting with a manic grin on his face, even after blood streamed down his body from countless wounds.
Strong gales and hurricanes formed from their every attack… yet the shadow remained unperturbed. Studying the enormous being, Nico could just make out a set of all-encompassing wings.
Its outline seemed flawless and divine, not for mortals like him to get a glimpse of…
Nico groaned.
The gravity of the situation further weighed on his chest. By now he knew what battle this was…
…This was the fight where the Three Ancient Heroes had sacrificed their lives to take down a Duke-ranked Demon.
He watched as the Demon unleashed a harrowing attack. Beams of compressed darkness thundered down from the heavens. The two humans paused before they released a fierce bellow.
Suddenly, rocks and earth, as well as minerals and alloys shot up from the ground and surrounded the Knight in a protective embrace. His partner, however, had a different power… the space surrounding the Spearman cracked and twisted violently in on itself, preparing to eviscerate anything it touched.
As the compressed darkness impacted against the earthen barrier and chaotic space, an explosion shook the entire world…
…that was all Nico saw before he returned to where he had started. Facing Sharp Gaze, the third Ancient Hero.
Nico clenched his fists.
The Huntress looked at him with something akin to empathy in her eyes, "I sense a great disturbance within you, child. You have experienced much at such a young age."
The brown-haired boy absently nodded. The earlier scenes still flashed in his mind, reminding him of the carnage, death, and destruction of the early days.
"How can people still hope… after all this suffering they have gone through?" Nico's voice came out hoarse.
Sharp Gaze sighed, her bearing turning downcast. "Hope is as much a deadly poison as it is the thing that empowers one's life. It is a double-edged sword, and if wielded in a nefarious manner… the cruelest thing in the entire world."
The Huntress slowly straightened, her voice growing clearer with each passing second, "However, we humans are tenacious creatures by nature. Not to mention the most adaptable species out there - and trust me, I've seen my share of races over the years… Even if the world is ending and everyone ends up dying, people will still hope… for lack of a better alternative. Remember child, the tiniest spark of hope can allow someone to achieve impossible things. And so that is why I must ask you again… what is hope?"
Nico stared into the Huntress's hazel eyes. His mind processed her words… yet his heart did not agree.
He knew a thing or two about losing hope, after all.
But so did she… as Nico continued to ponder, a subtle frown knit his features.
In fact, he could even say that Sharp Gaze knew more about this topic than he did… she had probably lost everyone close to her at the hands of the disgusting invaders of Crelerath. Yet here she was still standing, refusing to give in to the obstacles life threw her way.
'What marvellous will she must have..'
Nico sighed and rubbed his immaterial face tiredly out of habit. This was why he hated thinking too much… everything was just so damn complicated.
Eventually, the boy straightened his posture, gritted his teeth, and bowed his head… his voice coming out in a low whisper.
"Hope… hope is life."
As much as he didn't want to admit it, this was the one irrevocable truth about the world. Without hope, your existence would be dull and meaningless, aimless even.
The inverse was also true.
Hope allowed a person to continue forging ahead even in the direst of circumstances.
Throwing the thoughts of Cedric's demise to the back of his mind, Nico raised his head and stared at Sharp Gaze.
After hearing his answer, a subdued smile appeared on her face.
"I see… very well, then. Congratulations, you have passed this trial."
Nico's brows rose to his forehead in surprise. He slowly unclenched his fists, "Sorry, what? Isn't this too easy? Shouldn't I have done something more than this to pass?"
Sharp Gaze shook her head in amusement. "This trial tests one's ability at perceiving the truth of the world. After all, there is no point trying to save it, if you do not know of its deeper intricacies. You had an advantage with the loss you experienced, I suppose."
She gave him a knowing look.
Nico was at a loss for words for a moment, but eventually, he sighed in defeat. "Okay."
Sharp Gaze's expression abruptly turned solemn. "One last thing before I eject you out of here… beware, the cruel reality of history is often hidden behind an elusive veil. Know where to look and peer into its depths, and the answers you seek shall be right in front of your eyes."
The Huntress subtly nodded toward the ancient symbol, prompting Nico's eyes to widen slowly at her underlying message.
'What does she…'
That was all the brown-haired boy had time to think of, before Sharp Gaze snapped her fingers.
Nico's eyes drooped, and familiar darkness greeted his vision.
This time, the darkness did not seem so ominous, and for one sole reason:
He had passed the trials!