Upon entering the chamber, the two noticed that it was completely empty compared to the last chamber which at least had the stations in it, and the only other person in the chamber was the proctor.
She was a striking figure with her long, straight locks of pink hair cascading down her back, catching the light in a soft, ethereal glow, her pale skin setting off the vibrant hue of her hair. With bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle with intelligence, Dorine's gaze held a certain magnetism, drawing the two in with its intensity. Her defined jawline spoke of determination and strength, hinting at a personality that's as sharp as her features. She opted for a simple yet stylish attire, wearing a cozy gray sweater that contrasts beautifully with her hair, paired with sleek black pants that accentuates her athletic build. A small silver chain delicately adorned her neck, adding a touch of understated elegance to her ensemble. Completing her look are the crimson jewels that dangled from her ears, catching the eye with their rich hue against her pale complexion. At 5 '7, she commanded a presence that was both graceful and confident, moving with the fluidity of someone who's in tune with their body and surroundings.
Dorine: "Welcome to the second test, I am your proctor, Dorine." She spoke before moving gracefully across the room, standing in front of the two. "As displayed on the sign outside of my chamber, this is the Psyche Test. In the back of the chamber there are two doors, as you can see."
Dawn noticed two doors on the wall behind Dorine, but he couldn't recall seeing them when he and Diogenis originally entered the room.
Dorine: "You will both enter a room, staying separate from one another as you may not be tested in the same space." She spoke with authority in her tone. "Once you are in your room I will explain the process further, now go on and choose the room you wish to go in." She said before stepping off to the side.
Diogenis: "I don't really care which room I go in, so you can choose." He said with both hands behind his head.
Dawn noticed that Diogenis seemed to be rather comfortable in this situation which made him feel a bit better about the test.
Dawn: "Does it matter what room I choose, or are they both the same?" He asked, looking for an answer from either one of the two.
Dorine: "Both rooms are the same. Test protocol just does not allow me to have two people in the same room while taking this test." She spoke softly, her tone still filled with authority.
Diogenis: "Last time I took the test there were three other people, everyone passed so it wasn't a big deal. Just thought I'd let you go first." He gave Dawn a smile.
Dawn: "Okay, I think I'm going to take the door on the right hand side then." He said before approaching the door.
Diogenis: "You sure about that one man?" He responded in a tone of curiosity.
Dawn: "What?" He quickly turned around, confused by Diogenis' words.
Diogenis: "You really want to take the door on the right?" He started to look a little worried.
Dawn: "I thought the rooms didn't matter.." He was now starting to regret his decision.
Diogenis: "No, I'm just messing with ya!" He started laughing at himself.
Dawn: "You're an asshole." He sighed before continuing his approach to the door, feeling like an idiot for falling for Diogenis' joke.
Dorine: "Diogenis, make your way to the other door." She said while rolling her eyes.
Diogenis: "Yes ma'am!" He responded before making his way to the other door.
Dawn and Diogenis exchanged a glance and a nod before walking into their testing room. As Dawn entered his, he noticed that this room was also empty except for a chair in the middle of the room. The chair was sleek and angular, with sharp lines and metallic accents that gave it a futuristic edge. It looked as if it was designed for both comfort and utility, with plush cushioning and adjustable features to accommodate the user. The upholstery was a dark, matte material, with subtle stitching adding a touch of detail. Integrated into the chair was a plethora of high-tech gadgets and tools.
Dorine: "Make your way to the chair and get yourself comfortable on it." Dorine's voice echoed in Dawn's mind.
Dawn quickly looked around the room to see where she was speaking from, but no one was present.
Dorine: "Calm down, Mr. Carter. I am communicating to you via telepathy. Just do as I say to have the best, and most comfortable testing experience."
Dawn made his way over to the chair, examining it once more before sitting down. He sat awkwardly in the chair as he wondered how it was even possible that Dorine could communicate with him through his mind.
Dorine: "Please lay back in the chair, Mr. Carter."
Dawn: "Oh, sorry." He apologized before laying back in the chair and positioning himself in a way that was much more comfortable to him.
Dorine: "Now adjust the chair in any way you would like. You can lower the back of the chair and raise it, but if you do not wish to change anything that is fine as well."
Dawn: "It is fine how it is, but why exactly is there all this technology?" He said while frantically looking back and forth between these foreign objects.
Dorine: "I will be fully connected to your mind in order to carry out the test, and in order to do so I require this technology. My telepathic capabilities are limited, so the technology will have to do."
Dawn: "Why are you connecting to my mind?" He had forgotten the entire objective of the test since he was now preoccupied with the thoughts of yet another invasion of his thoughts and memories.
Dorine: "This is a test of your psyche, Mr. Carter. It is essential that I connect to your mind."
As she spoke, the technology on the chair began to activate. A headset-like object emerged from the chairback, placing itself on Dawn's head. Other parts of the chair began to strap his body into place, limiting his movement.
Dawn: "Is all of this really necessary?" He sounded anxious as his breathing grew shorter.
Dorine: "I am afraid so, for it is required for your safety and so that I can get the most accurate results."
It was difficult for him to trust someone he had just met, but he remembered how calm Diogenis appeared to be when he entered his own testing room. Dawn knew nothing awful was likely to happen, but the thought of someone else entering his mind worried him.
Dorine: "I am going to start the process now. Do not be alarmed, but you will become unconscious within the next minute or so."
Dawn began to sweat in the cool room, but his body was heated, and combined with his abrupt hyperventilation, he was unable to remain calm. He had no clue why he was acting this way, but after what had happened with Madame Ruzha, he never wanted to experience such horrific events again, let alone have someone else examine them.
Dawn: "Are you sure we have to do this? Maybe there is some other way that you can assess my psyche, right? I think that maybe this is a little too extreme." He was in a full on panic now. "Miss Dorine? Are you there… Miss Dorine? Please an-... answer me please… Miss Dorine… I don't want… to do this… a-anymore… not again…" His words then came to a halt as he drifted into an unconscious state.
Dorine: "Test 2, Psyche Evaluation number seven-thousand and fifty-four, start."
After everything went black, Dawn was woken up to a beautiful field, a field that he recognized was close to Solart City. This was the field where everyone gathered to see the fireworks show. In the blackness of night, numerous stars flickered in the sky above. He felt at peace as the fact that he was in a false reality did not even matter to him. He was at home, and all was silent. There were no dead bodies surrounding him, and no one was ridiculing him. It was just him and his thoughts, that was until Dorine appeared in front of him.
Dorine: "Welcome home, Mr. Carter." She spoke while her pink hair flowed elegantly in the night breeze.
Dawn: "Why this field of all places?" He stared at her in his newfound state of tranquility.
Dorine: "This is the place in your hometown which you cherish the most." She said before walking closer to him. "This is the place in which you felt like you weren't alone. You were surrounded by people, your closest friends, your family."
As she spoke, figures of the locals, his closest friends, and second family flooded the surrounding area. Instead of being in a condition of fear and dread, the people were joyful and seemed satisfied with their situation. Sounds of laughter and joy filled the air around him. Although none of them acknowledged him or Dorine, he was happy to see that everyone was free. Free from the shackles of death, and from the encapsulating regret that stuck with Dawn and Warin from the moment Dusan died.
Dorine: "I can sense that you feel some sort of satisfaction." She stated as she stood next to Dawn, watching all the people around them talking and dancing along to the live music that was being played by random people who picked up instruments, just because they could.
Dawn: "Yeah, I guess you could say that." He said as tears began to stream down his face. "I am just happy to see them happy." He said as a real smile began to form on his face.
Dorine: "It feels good, doesn't it. The fact that you can see them alive, that feeling of regret and responsibility vanishing, the biggest weight in the world lifting from your shoulders."
Dawn: "It does feel nice, but I know that they are really dead." He said, coming-to. "This is just something you created in my mind, something fake."
Dorine: "None of this is fake, Mr. Carter. I took your memories and put them right in front of you. What you are seeing now actually happened, just with some of my own tweaks of course.."
Dawn: "See. You added tweaks, that means some of this is fake." He looked at her.
Dorine: "Be that as it may, it is all mostly authentic. It has to be authentic in order for me to get accurate test results." She reminded him of the fact that this was all a test.
Dawn: "What exactly is the test supposed to be?" He was starting to become confused as he thought the test would be a little more straight-forward.
Dorine: "I am not allowed to tell you that, but the test will become clear to you in due time." She said before her figure faded away into the night.
Dawn stared at Dorine as she vanished, only to find that everyone around him was also disappearing. Eventually the surrounding landscape turned into another darkness before Dawn was in another location. He was now outside Camcourt, with the graves of his friends spread out in front of him.