The voice of the reaper echoed through the hall, the tone so dark and chilling it seemed to resonate with the very core of the room. Every word was slow, deliberate, as though it came from a place where time itself was irrelevant. The air thickened, heavy with the weight of its words, pressing down on everyone in the room.
"You mortals," the reaper's voice boomed, a sound of cruel, unforgiving iron, "all will die. The world is in peril and will be saved only on one condition. There will be chosen humans who will face a Reaper's trial. If they make it through and complete it, the world will be saved. Those who succeed will receive power beyond their imagination.
Then there was a pause, a silence that seemed to stretch into eternity. The reaper's glowing eyes turned, sweeping over the group at the table, and its presence seemed to grow larger with every passing second.
"You can choose only one human yourself," the reaper continued, its voice darkening, "but know this: you will not be the only ones to face this decision. The world is at stake, and only the strongest will live."
Veledriana felt a shiver run down her spine. Her mind was racing as she digested the gravity of the situation. A trial? Survival?
Time seemed to freeze as the air cracked with electricity, and then suddenly, in front of her very eyes, a familiar pink screen flickered to life and flashed brightly in the silence.
-__________________
[You must enter the trial. It will be dangerous, but you can grow stronger.]
[If you survive, you will receive abilities and power unfathomable.]
[The world's destiny rests upon your triumph. Do you accept the challenge of the Reaper?]
__________________
Veledriana's breath was caught in her throat. It was sudden, overwhelming, yet. somewhere deep inside, she knew this was the moment she had been waiting for. The weight of the system's words pressed down on her, but a flicker of determination sparked in her chest.
She glanced at her family, now frozen in shock, their faces pale and their eyes wide with fear. Do I choose one of them? Her gaze swept over her father, her sister, and her brother, each uncertain, each uncertain of their place in this deadly trial. Could they survive? Or was it her responsibility alone to face whatever was to come?
But the reaper's shadow loomed larger, and the air grew colder.
Veledriana looked back at the screen in front of her, a decision hanging on her next move.
The room was stifling in its silence, every eye fixed on the towering figure in the doorway, the weight of the moment pressing down on them. The reaper's ominous presence filled the air, thick with death and uncertainty. Yet, in that stillness, Veledriana stepped forward, her boots clicking softly against the marble floor, her movements poised and purposeful.
Her chest hammered against her heart, yet she held her head, letting the weight of her choice be a far cry from the blaze inside of her. She set her chin, her gaze firm and direct as she fixed on the reaper.
"I, Veledriana Monroe, shall be one of those chosen mortals," she proclaimed with unbreakable strength in her voice. "I shall endure the trial."
Her words shattered the stillness like a hammer striking the air." She stood under the unyielding glare of the dark, glowing eyes of the reaper, as if weighing her resolve. Veledriana cold in room seeming to deepen, yet she did not waver. Her confidence only grown stronger in the voice.
Her family—her father, sister, and brother—all just sat there, shock and denial etched on their faces. They hadn't been expecting this. They hadn't expected her to stand up. Her father seemed worried but proud, a deep look in his eyes as he examined her. Emilia's eyes went wide with shock while Alistair looked torn, his face a mixture of fear and admiration.
"Are you sure?" the reaper's voice sounded, its deep tones inflecting with a light smattering of amusement. "The trial is not for the fainthearted. Many have stepped into it and never gone out."
Veledriana looked straight ahead, though her heart picked up speed. "I am sure. This world cannot be saved if such is not given up to be saved. If I need to be the one, then I will be," she said firmly.
The reaper said nothing for a moment, its cold eyes looking at her with an unreadable expression. Then, it nodded slightly and stepped back, making way for her to pass.
"So it shall be. You have chosen your fate, Veladriana Monroe. The trial awaits."
The reaper's form flickered, and then, as quickly as it had appeared, it dissolved into the air with a terrifying, otherworldly screech, leaving only an unsettling silence in its wake.
The pink system screen flickered once more before her, a notification flashing.
__________________
[You have accepted the Reaper's Trial.]
[The world is waiting for your decision. Be strong, the trial can begin at any moment.]
[Prepare yourself.]
__________________
The room seemed to be holding its breath as Veledriana's decision weighed upon them all. No longer was the future uncertain for her-now it was in her hands.
With one final, steady breath, she turned back to Veladriana family. "I will return, stronger than before."
As the form of the reaper dissipated into the air with a low, unearthly wail, its final words hung in the air like an omen.
"The trial may start at any time," it intoned, the voice disappearing as fast as it had come.
Stillness and quiet filled the room. All understood the ominous burden that this reaper brought: nobody was ready to stand against judgment. Yet Veledriana felt an unexplainable calm settle in her bosom. Such tension hardly made any difference in this; yet she was unmoved. Anything can happen when the court opens.
Her fingers brushed against the cool surface of the marble table. She could feel the pulsing power within her now, the system's presence - like an unseen force- guiding her, whispering re-assurance. The screen, which had appeared earlier was still there in the back of her mind, it was strange but comforting at the same time.
She felt the system in her; she wasn't alone with that realization. Her chest filled with the silent surge of confidence. She let the initial grip of fear subside into a settled resolve. It would be perilous; the trial of course, would be that. But she knew well that the system would come and go through all of that, guiding her; she'd only come out stronger. The whispering promise of power, survival; she listened, a challenge to accept.
She turned away from the table and walked toward the window, looking out over the grounds of the mansion. The sun was rising high now, and a warm glow covered everything. Everything feels so normal, she thought, though uncertainty about what lay ahead tugged at the edges of her mind.
She could feel it now, the weight of the decision hanging over her. But in her heart, she knew she had made the right choice. The reaper had given her a chance—a chance to prove herself, to show that she was capable of not only surviving but thriving in this world. I'm not just a player in this game, she thought, her resolve hardening. I am the one who decides the rules.
The system hummed softly, and a message appeared before her.
__________________
[The trial will not wait forever. Prepare yourself, Veledriana Monroe.]
__________________
She had the edge of the windowsill between her gloved hands and clung there when she turned to her family. They looked at her now, a question still lingering in the look, but some kind of silent respect now. She knew that nothing now was the same again-the one who had stepped into this room.
"I'll be fine," she said, her voice steady, though there was an undeniable edge of determination in it. "The trial may begin at any moment, but I won't back down. I will face it, and I will return stronger than ever."
Her father, though still concerned, nodded slowly, pride swelling in his chest. "You are my daughter, Veledriana. I know you can do it."
The weight of her family's support settled over her, and she took a final deep breath, preparing for what was to come. Whatever the trial entailed, she was ready to face it head-on.