…
Ariel was kneeling in a room filled with whiteness, that seems to have no impurities. Not even as little as a dark spot, or a foot print. It was like there was nobody walking in that room, one only exchanged words through the window.
In the middle of it, in the direction were Ariel was facing stood a throne made of pure gold. With a tall muscular figure sitting there, this figure is whom Ariel was kneeling in front of. "Master, I believe the vessel is of greater quality than I expected. In such a short time, he has reached the third stage of his strength."
The figure looked to have a stoic expression, "Then I guess it's about time he meets her, I wonder how well he'll get along with her." Ariel was surprised, "Master, forgive my intrusion. But if I may, who is Master referring to?" The figure realizing that he thought out loud came back to his senses, and cleared his throat.
"I am referring to my sister, the 'Queen Of The Sea'. I'm pretty sure you know her well." Ariel was shocked, "But Master, won't that be more than Quinn can handle?" The figure looked at Ariel, "I thought you trusted this vessel, so why the doubt now Ariel?"
"I know I've seen his capabilities firsthand, but still your sister is just too much to handle."
"Worry yourself not little one, if he passes her tasks. Then his strength will increase significantly."
…
Quinn woke up in a dark room, but was illuminated by the water moving. Creating beautiful blue waves on the wall, Quinn wanted to spend all his eternity here if he died. Near the end of the room was a garden, it had red roses. Quinn couldn't help but admire these roses, he felt like he was in true heaven. While he was still lost in his thoughts…he suddenly felt a small but concentrated wound open up.
"Ouch!!" He felt his blood dropping like a tap left turned on maximum, 'Why can't I control this? What is happening to me?' He checked at the end of the room again for the roses, but they were now where his blood dropped at. He admired them again, and more wounds opened up.
'I don't know what this is, but it seems like it's going to be a troubling matter.' In total Quinn had around 9 wounds that were dripping blood. 'I believe these roses are not how they appear to be, they might be blood suckers. But one can never really see because they are too lost on the appearance, to the point that they fail to notice what one really is. I should cut these roses.'
Once that thought came to his head, the roses shrunk and turned pitch black like they didn't have water for a whole season. 'Huh!? What the hell is this? Can you guys read my mind?' He got no response, the only sound he heard was of leaves in a winter season.
'That's it, I'm slashing these.' While he was slashing and slashing, the blood went back in through the wounds they came out of. Every single drop went back, Quinn was panting heavily when suddenly he heard someone clapping hands. "Very good, I think you have something you would love to tell me."
Quinn thought for a while and found nothing, "Uhh, I may have destroyed your garden by mistake." The figure was dumbfounded, "You didn't learn anything relatable with this experience? The longer you drag on, the longer you are gonna stay here. Now tell me, what was your lesson?"
Quinn became serious, "My lesson was, even if the thing's outer appearance may seem like a delight. Without knowing first, you have got to not rush in. Otherwise you'll be severely hurt, which is funny because it's just like life. You don't know who are your real friends and who are your fake ones, for we all look like humans. And I believe I have to say something about my newfound abilities but I have nothing."
The figure was impressed by Quinn's statement from the beginning. But when he got to the last part, she changed her mind. "Very good, defining it in terms of abilities will be. Evil and darkness are everywhere, and they can corrupt even the most beautiful rose you've ever seen. These roses offer their beguiling lie…and before I say this, I believe you've earned the right to hear my name. I am Anemic Kripke, the 'Queen Of The Sea.' Now I believe those were enough pleasantries." After saying that, Anemic's expression darkened. She spoke her next words with extreme content, "Quinn, beware their thorns that will make you cry."
After those words, the room once again shifted. And this time Quinn was ready for it, Anemic's voice echoed throughout the room. "The key to the next exam lies in the garden where serpents slither, with tongues that drip of poison and bitter. Where apples hang, and since you're tired you can take a bite."
The voice drifted away, 'So this is like some kind of a test, but what kind of a test really? I guess the answer lies in there.' The room came to an abrupt halt in front a door made of metal, with a face encrypted on it. And a mermaid's tail was the knob of the door, Quinn opened it without hesitation. He was engulfed in total darkness, and all he can hear were hissing sounds.
'So I guess I'm now in the garden were serpents slither, but what does that even mean? There should be a key in here, but how can a garden be filled to the brim by such darkness? And how can this even be a garden if plants can't photosynthesise in here? This just became more troublesome than I thought.'
While Quinn was still thinking, he saw Ariel sitting on the branch of a tree and she was playing with an apple. Quinn felt a little at ease, but with a little bit of reluctancy. "Ariel, how are you here? And how are you associated with Anemic?" Ariel glanced at Quinn's direction when she heard footsteps getting closer, and she jumped down the branch that was at least 5 metres high. "Wow Quinn, you look very beat up and tired. Here, this will provide you with enough strength to complete this test."
She said so while she was already holding the apple in front of Quinn, "Take a bite Quinn." He really couldn't find the courage to resist, so he reached for the apple. He held it in his hand, 'This looks really mouthwatering, but what's this feeling that I shouldn't eat this? And also why can't I control myself, I seriously want to eat this. Do I really trust Ariel that much? Or is it these newfound abilities?' Quinn couldn't draw a conclusion, and he took a bite.
…
Quinn started rolling on the ground screaming in pain, his motion was that of a man on fire. STOP, DROP and ROLL, Ariel looked at him and took a half human, half serpent form. The upper body was that of a woman, with long ruby red hair that was covering her breasts since she had no clothes on. The tongue and the lower body was that of a second, light blue with black paintings in the back.
"Ssss…I can't believe…ssss…her majesty thought you…ssss… were going to make it…ssss… in the world of Shadow and Light, even ssssparring with you is a wasssste of time. You…ssss… get fooled easily…but hey…ssss…how can you not? Thissss shape shifter issss quite a deceiver. Sssahahahahhhaha!"
The shape shifter was quite amused with how easily she fooled Quinn, but he happened to join in the laughter. "Hahahaha, I must really look pathetic huh?" He spit out the piece of the apple he bit, "Guess who fooled who now," he started walking around with arms folded and one hand holding his chin.
"This is like Adam and Eve's story, that took place in the Garden of Eden. You thought I would take a real bite from this? I knew you was not Ariel all along, guess who played the playa…" The figure's expression darkened and she summoned a bronze trident, with very sharp ends. "Yeah, this gu…" Swoosh! "Huh?" Quinn's cheek was bleeding, "Damn it!! You…Ssss… don't get the chancccce to sssswear at thossse of the sssea!"