Alucard gazed upon the ominous iron gates, crimson runes pulsating with inner turmoil. Above read the words "Master fury or proceed no further." He felt a suffocating presence clawing at resolve from within. After a calming breath, Alucard pushed through the gates into a blood-red world.
The cavernous chamber walls flickered with molten veins. Searing heat clawed his skin as thick air choked each fiery breath. At the center stood a towering stone golem, jagged features carved in a snarling beast. Its eyes blazed violent red while its trembling form barely contained inner wrath.
As Alucard approached, the quaking ground shifted the walls, reflecting horrific visions from deepest memory. He saw Lazarus amid a battlefield of innocent corpses, drenched in death. The image warped into an unforgettable night—Eleanor's lifeless form in Lazarus' arms, her blood pooling at his feet.
The chamber whispered seducingly. "You hate him for your loss. Destroy him now. Burn him to ashes in your rage." Alucard trembled, clenching fists as wrath and grief burnt like a growing fire. Patience and wisdom alone could overcome this torturous trial.
Alucard swallowed hard, suppressing the tempest raging within. His clenched fists shook, nails biting palms until small beads of blood formed. Each breath came harder than the last, vision tinting red around the edges. The golem took another ground-shaking step, its voice a deafening bellow to match his internal turmoil.
"Enough!" Alucard shouted, drawing his rapier in a swift motion. He lunged at the stone colossus, strikes fueled by unchecked emotion rather than skill. The blade glanced harmlessly off its stony skin with each blow. The golem's massive arm swept through the air, barely missing as Alucard rolled away.
This approach would not work. Alucard knew yet couldn't stop. Memories of Lazarus and Eleanor assaulted him, each more vivid than the last. Rage blinded reason, driving recklessness. He leapt again, slashing at the golem's glowing eyes. But it grasped him mid-flight with crushing force, hurling his body against the molten-hot wall.
Groaning, he rose unsteadily to his feet. Blood trickled down his forehead while his grip faltered on the rapier. The golem stood motionless, as if taunting his weakness.
The chamber's voice returned, colder than before. "Anger enslaves you, making weak what could be strong. You've become a rabid cur on a leash, not master of your fate. Is this all there is to you - a plaything of passion?"
The words struck deep. Alucard dropped to one knee, chest heavy. He closed his eyes, blocking out visions, whispers, heat and pain. Instead, he recalled the Saintess' calm, steady voice. Once, she had counseled,"Anger is a weapon, but only if thou dost wield it. Let it control thee, and it becometh a shackle."
He took a deep breath, then another, slowly releasing the fiery rage within. Grounding himself in the weight of his rapier, he focused on the present moment.
Alucard saw the golem charging, massive fists raised. But this time, he didn't attack recklessly. With precise calculation, he sidestepped its blow, letting it stumble forward. A flick of his wrist struck the glowing core, where its energy converged.
Spinning to face him, the golem roared in anger. Undeterred, Alucard struck with deliberation, chipping away at its core bit by bit with each blow. With a final thrust, his rapier pierced the core. The golem cried out deafeningly before dissolving into dust.
Silence fell in the chamber as the oppressive heat dissipated, replaced by a cool breeze. The molten walls dimmed and crimson light faded. Alucard stood amidst the rubble, controlling every breath.
He had overcome the trial not through wrath but by mastering it.
As the dust settled, a second door appeared glowing faintly with a calming blue light. Though weary, Alucard stepped through. The chamber beyond was serenely tranquil, walls a soft blue like dawn's sky carrying a faint scent of lavender.
In the center, a pedestal held a single candle, its gentle flame casting long shadows across the soothing room.
A harmonious tone echoed endlessly, its cadence unwavering. "This is the Trial of Patience. Light cannot be hastened, just as time cannot be accelerated. You must tolerate."
Alucard frowned, confused. "Tolerate what?"
Instantly, the chamber was transfigured. The walls stretched limitlessly, the gentle azure radiance fading into darkness. The air thickened, oppressive, as if the passage of time had slackened.
He approached the pedestal cautiously. As he reached to touch the candle, the voice returned, harsher this time. "Do not extinguish the flame. Do not leave these quarters. Wait."
Alucard stepped back, puzzled. He glanced around the deserted room, his brow furrowed. Was this all? Was he meant to simply stand here?
Minutes passed. Then hours. Or so it felt. There was no means to tell how much time had truly gone by. Only the candle persisted, its small flame flickering delicately.
Alucard paced back and forth, his irritation mounting. This is ridiculous, he thought. He had faced countless enemies, survived the wrath of sword masters, and now he was being asked to do nothing? The urge to lash out, to demand an end to this farce, clawed at him.
But he compelled himself to stop. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
He thought of Eleanor again. She had always been the patient one, balancing his impulsiveness with her steady presence. He remembered the way she would sit by the fire for hours, lost in a book, content with the quiet. She had taught him that not all battles required swords and bloodshed.
Alucard knelt before the lone candle, his knees biting into the frigid stone floor. He fixated on the minute flame, allowing its soothing dance to ease his suffering. The cacophony outside faded into oblivion. There remained only the flame, unwavering in its constancy.
Time slipped by unnoticed. When the candle finally burned out, the room erupted in radiant light. The oppressive weight lifted, and Alucard stood, his heart lighter than it had been in years.
He had weathered the torment. He had maintained composure through patience.
The first test had met its conclusion.