How many hours had he been riding this motorcycle, enduring the monotonous thump of repetitive music blasting through his earbuds? Kaen squinted against the wind, trying to shake off the unease that had settled in his stomach.
"Um, Mr. Darius?" he finally ventured, breaking the heavy silence.
"Yeah, kid?" Darius replied, his voice barely rising above the roar of the engine.
"What happened to my dad?" The question hung in the air, heavy and foreboding.
At the mention of Kaen's father, Darius let out a long, weary sigh, his gaze fixed on the winding road ahead. "Your dad…"
Kaen felt a pang of anxiety grip his heart as he awaited the dreaded news. The air around them thickened with tension, the bike rumbling beneath him as if echoing his racing thoughts.
"He… is fine. In the hospital."
Relief washed over Kaen like a wave, crashing against the shores of his fears. "What? You thought he was dead? Hahaha!?" Darius's laughter pierced through the tension, but Kaen stared at him, bewildered.
What was wrong with this guy? Did he really think this was funny? Kaen's mind reeled as he considered the absurdity of it all. "So, about this entrance exam...?"
"Ah, that's the best part, kid. I don't have to tell you anything—you'll find out for yourself."
Darius's cryptic response made Kaen's stomach twist again. Was he seriously being kidnapped under the guise of some twisted trial?
"Listen, kid, I chose you for a reason. Don't embarrass me out there." With that, Darius slammed the throttle, the motorcycle roaring to life as they shot forward, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
"I don't even know what's gonna happen!?" Kaen shouted over the wind, panic rising in his chest.
"You'll see when we get there!!" Darius yelled back, the excitement evident in his voice.
After what felt like an eternity, the motorcycle screeched to a halt in the middle of nowhere, the vast expanse of wilderness stretching endlessly around them.
"Uh, Mr. Darius?" Kaen called out, glancing around at the desolate landscape, confusion settling in as he noticed Darius was fiddling with something behind the bike.
"Hush, kid, you're disturbing me," Darius snapped, his focus entirely consumed by his task.
"Fine…" Kaen muttered, crossing his arms and shifting uncomfortably. That was when the air around them began to crackle ominously, a sound like static electricity causing him to glance back at Darius in alarm.
"Wha—what's happening?" Kaen stammered, eyes wide with disbelief as space began to shatter like glass, sending shards of reality spiraling into nothingness.
"That's it! Now you'll see!" Darius's voice was charged with exhilaration, and before Kaen could respond, they were pulled into a swirling vortex, the world around them twisting into a blur of colors and light.
When the chaos subsided, they stood before an immense gate that towered above them, its structure shimmering with an ethereal glow.
"Whoa!?" Kaen gasped, craning his neck to try and glimpse the top, which seemed to vanish into the clouds.
"Surprised? Well, don't be. There's more in store for you," Darius said, a broad grin stretching across his face, revealing a hint of mischief.
Before Kaen could voice his shock, a booming voice echoed from the gate, reverberating through the air. "Darius, you're late."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just open the gate," Darius replied dismissively, waving a hand as if he were shooing away an annoying fly.
The voice paused for a moment, silence hanging thickly in the air. Then, a long-suffering sigh broke the stillness, as if the owner of the voice had resigned themselves to Darius's antics.
"Now, kid, be prepared, okay?"
"Y-yes," Kaen stuttered, his heart pounding in his chest as the colossal gate began to creak open, revealing what it held