"Neither even the darkness can hide; even if the night shines like the day; darkness and light are the same thing."
It was all blurry, and I didn't know where I was. The ground was made of stone, which made my knees ache. There was so much energy from the aurora there that I couldn't breathe, and I understood why Sabrina wore a helmet. I looked ahead, searching for a sign of her, and she moved through the crowd. My lungs hurt as I tried to breathe, and weakly, I leaned on my spear and stood up. I can't believe it, but I'm really in the D'haime pit, the dwelling place of Mirana's descendants.
The pit is where those born in D'haime live. They have strong resistance to energy, but like us, they don't fully control it. Theoretically, transitioning to Icons is easier for them, but from what I've learned, D'haime's energy doesn't make everyone an Icon. It follows its own purposes, as if it were alive, which makes it even more competitive for them. Priority seems to be given to those who aren't from there.
I never imagined being there, let alone under these circumstances. It was different from the upper part of D'haime and grotesquely different from the Villages. People flowed rapidly, like in a market. There was a smell of something being cooked that I couldn't identify, and voices came from all sides, agitated about something. I still watched a group of children stealing pieces of food from one of the stalls. I needed to follow Sabrina to find the exit from that place. I let my hair loose and threw it in front of my face, trying to cover my eyes as much as possible. I pulled up the high collar of my jumpsuit and covered my nose to endure the smell. I walked with difficulty, knowing that if I lost sight of Sabrina, I'd lose my way back home.
The cross streets were full of buildings where they apparently lived, and at a certain point, I realized it wasn't the deepest place there. There was a slope that led to what looked like a construction site. A large rock emitted a lot of smoke, and people worked there, digging. Tubes surrounded the area, and when I looked up, I noticed that the brightness came from the upper part of D'haime.
There were animals, or mutated versions of animals I knew, of various sizes and types, caged and being sold. Some D'haime masters were buying them. They resembled tigers or bears, but with unimaginable aspects—horns, extra eyes, no fur, scales—and their eyes marked like those of the inhabitants. It didn't take long for them to sense me. The cages nearby started to force their way out toward me, and the ones farther along were getting agitated. I ran to avoid them realizing I was a foreigner. The people there harbored a certain anger toward villagers, and I didn't want to provoke them further.
A scream came from the rock. One of the workers was being attacked by one of the creatures. It fought to break free from the purple restraints, and when it did, what looked like a snake with clawed arms tore the poor man apart. Before the handlers could approach, it somehow used energy manipulation to guide it back into the cage.
My stomach churned. I had to get out of there quickly. The deeper I went, the more foul the smell became, and the ground grew slippery.
Sabrina approached one of the tubes, preparing to ascend. I stealthily moved to avoid her noticing me. The reason for the foul smell became apparent—besides the animals, there were torn bodies piled up, left unburied. Nausea hit me instantly. Desperate to escape, I positioned myself near the transport tube. As soon as Sabrina used it, I followed suit, and within a second, I was breathing easier, elevated to the upper part of D'haime. I glanced at my boots, disgusted by the goo stuck to them—probably someone's bodily fluids.
Looking around, we were at the boundary of the germinators' zone. This area fell under Tereza's domain—an Icon known for manipulating and passing down the arts of food creation. She was D'haime's healer, powerful enough to generate herbs and fruits instantly using D'haime's energy. Those who came here had to perform rituals to create something, even if they hadn't been chosen to be part of this place. They learned to make potions and remedies useful to the villages.
Sabrina stood inside the area, and I hurried ahead to seek help to get to my section. However, I couldn't reveal myself there; I needed to remain hidden. I tried signaling to Sabrina, but it was in vain. That's when Clarisse, who had been brought to this place, passed near Sabrina. Sabrina violently pulled Clarisse into the shadows.
Activating her swords, Sabrina attacked Clarisse. Clarisse struggled to evade the blows, hindered by the heavy robe she wore. I was in shock, but instinct kicked in. As I neared the tube, I realized Sabrina's true intent. I ran before she could throw Clarisse into the pit and pulled her away.
"_What are you doing, Sabrina!?"_ I shouted. She hesitated for a moment and then resumed her attacks. I tried to defend myself with the spear in my hand.
"_Sabrina?_" Clarisse said, looking bewildered. Her distraction cost her a scratch on the face. I pulled her away, and we ran toward our section, standing before everyone. When Sabrina realized where she was, she stopped.
"_What do you think you're doing!? All this over a knife!_" I was panting, scanning the faces around us, hoping someone would come to our aid. But no one moved. I looked at Tereza, delicate in her demeanor. She stood up, her calm demeanor barely concealing her irritation.
"_Gregório can't maintain peace when choosing a pupil, can he?_" Tereza said, wiping a leaf across Clarisse's cut face. "_I believe there must be a good explanation for this unfortunate incident._"
The portal had already opened, and he arrived, smiling.
"_Of course, my dear. Sabrina, that mask is no longer necessary._" Sabrina obeyed, her face flushed. She avoided eye contact with any of us, keeping her gaze on the ground. "_I think I should inform you that we have a new addition to D'Haime's selected group. Ladies and gentlemen, congratulate Sabrina and Catarina, who respectively demonstrated their worth and character today. Congratulations, Sabrina, for knowing how to distinguish the valuable from the ordinary. This will be a significant advantage for your elevation._"
Everyone began to applaud, but I was still confused. Was I D'Haime's new pupil? Was this all just a simulation? Clarisse hugged me, smiling. But I could barely return the embrace. Everything I had witnessed up to that moment was too much to process.
"_Well, my dear, the scare is over. Smile._" Gregório's gaze was icy, even though he smiled. I tried to smile to avoid that look, but my attempts at disguise were always impatient and restless.
"_Sabrina?_" I could only look at her. She clapped and smiled at me complacently, but her eyes didn't convey satisfaction. I don't know what to think anymore.