Inside a large, damp cave, a fire crackled over a pile of wood, casting flickering shadows on the rough stone walls. Small bones and wooden sticks lay scattered across the ground.
Near the fire, Kai sat with his chin resting on his palm, unmoving. His gaze remained fixed on the dancing flames, lost in thought as they flickered and swayed in the dimly lit cavern.
{You know she has a family. Her parents missed her a lot too... She had to go.} A deep voice reverberated through the cave.
"Yeah, I know," Kai replied, still sitting there, unbothered by anything.
{So... do you hate her now?}
"I don't. I'm just... sad. I didn't want her to leave me. I just feel a bit lonely now," Kai said, his face slumping down in disappointment.
{Come on, chin up, boy. She's still your friend. You should work hard and get stronger—than you can meet her again one day.}
Zer tried to cheer him up, to which Kai hummed in response.
As they sat there, Luna made her way onto Kai's lap.
[I miss Mama,] she said, nestling against him.
"I miss her too, Luna," Kai replied, gently patting the little beast's head.
[But why did she leave?]
"I already told you, Luna, sh—"
[Isn't this her home too?] Luna asked, raising her head to look into Kai's eyes.
[Why couldn't she stay? Or… why couldn't we go with her?]
Kai remained silent, unsure how to respond to her questions.
Before little Luna could ask more questions, Zer caught their attention with his deep, gravelly voice.
{Alright, enough slacking off,} Zer said, straightening himself. {Time to get back to your training. You want to see Lira, right?}
[Yeah! Luna wants to see Mama again,] Luna declared, jumping off Kai's lap.
{Then stop wasting time and start training.}
Luna rushed toward Zer, while Kai lazily stood up and walked over.
{Sit in your positions,} Zer ordered, and they obeyed.
Kai sat cross-legged in the lotus position, closing his eyes, while Luna sat on her rear legs, keeping her front ones straight.
It had been over two weeks since Lira left. After her departure, both Kai and Luna felt down and depressed. Zer had tried cheering them up many times, but it didn't help much.
So, he decided to train them and help Kai awaken his Soul Essence, since he was already twelve years old—the average age for a child's awakening.
{Now, calm your mind. Take a deep breath...} Zer began instructing them, and they followed without question.
{Hold it... and release...}
Zer continued guiding them through breathing techniques to calm their minds and meditate properly.
Since one had to be in a completely calm state to enter the Soul Plane and begin the trial for awakening, this step was crucial.
After a few minutes of instruction, both of them had calmed down and remained seated in their positions.
Suddenly, Kai's breath hitched, and his brows furrowed. Darkness began to engulf him, pulling him into a deep abyss.
{Don't resist, boy. Your trial is about to start. If you mess up, there's no telling when you'll get another chance,} Zer's deep voice resonated in his mind, calming him down.
Slowly, Kai stopped resisting and let the darkness consume him. His vision blurred, his senses numbed, and the world around him faded away. He felt weightless, as if he were falling through an endless void.
His heart pounded hard in his chest as he continued to fall. A momentary fear gripped him, but he soon calmed down as Zer's earlier instructions about awakening trials replayed in his mind:
{You won't die during the trials...}
Kai steeled his resolve and braced himself for the impact, but...
Nothing happened.
Just a moment ago, he had felt like he was falling from the sky, but the next moment, he found a hard, uneven surface beneath him.
Confusion washed over him.
Kai gasped for breath, his heart still racing. He pushed himself upright and scanned his surroundings.
He found himself sitting on cold stone, inside a dark labyrinth.
A dim blue glow illuminated the ancient stone walls, which were covered in pulsing, shifting symbols—as if they were alive.
The air was thick, heavy, draining his strength slightly. Shadows flickered unnaturally across the walls, as if they were watching him.
"Haa…"
Taking a few deep breaths, he steadied himself.
After carefully looking around, he picked himself up and began moving. The eerie silence pressing against his ears.
This was his trial. He knew he had to act. Sitting around wouldn't get him anywhere—though, if that were an option, he would have gladly taken it—but, not in a test that could determine his fate.
If he failed here…
He might never awaken.
He might never be strong enough to survive in this cruel world.
And—
He might never see Lira again...
He couldn't afford to rest.
Clenching his fists, Kai pushed forward into the labyrinth, determined to complete the trial.
Minutes passed.
Tak! Tak! Tak!
Only the sound of his footsteps echoed in the air.
Then—
He came across a three-way split ahead.
Kai hesitated.
After debating for a few moments, he chose the left path.
But the moment he took a few steps forward, a strange feeling prickled at the back of his neck.
Something was… off.
Frowning, he turned around—
His breath hitched. His throat tightened. His heart pounded faster.
The path he had just taken…
Was gone.
A solid stone wall now stood where the corridor had been. The glowing symbols pulsed eerily on its surface.
"T-The walls… They're… shifting."
A sharp chill ran down his spine.
Before he could think, his body reacted—bolting forward, deeper into the labyrinth, desperate to escape before something—anything—found him.
The walls twisted and turned around him. The corridors stretched endlessly.
Faint guttural sounds echoed in the distance.
He kept running, turning blindly at every corner, his heart hammering in his chest.
But soon, his pace faltered. His legs burned. His lungs ached.
Grrr!
His stomach twisted in hunger.
He didn't understand what was happening, but one thing was certain—this wasn't just an illusion.
And worst of all…
He wasn't alone.