The battle within the coliseum raged on as three ascended stood against one another.
These three were Sandro, Alexander, and Curie. Despite his visible injury's—and unresponsive arm—Sandro hopped from foot to foot, excited at the prospect of creating another spectacle, as he had done before. Alexander applied pressure to the wound on his chest while keeping his blade drawn. His mind was sharp and focused as he attempted to discern which of the two was the most dangerous. Curie radiated an aura of soul energy from her eye sockets, her glowing irises darting between the two as she analyzed them. Though her face remained expressionless, her mask of indifference showed slight cracks, betraying the pain she was in.
All three got into ready stances, and just as they were about to charge at one another, a voice loud enough to be heard throughout the entire coliseum boomed: "The trial has now ended! All applicants, stand down!"
Upon hearing this, Sandro stuck his tongue out, mocking both Curie and Alexander. "Wow, I'm relieved for you guys. If the trial wasn't over, I would've taken you both down with one hand behind my back!"
The two paid no attention to his mocking and began making their way toward the exit of the coliseum.
Dozens of machines entered the arena, tending to the injured ascended who had failed the first trial.
...
Within the inner walls of the coliseum, Gaia sat at a desk in her office. In truth, calling it an office was a bit too formal. Gaia had transformed the room ever since she acquired it, ensuring it was both conducive to work and comfortable.
Her desk was more akin to a circular couch placed in the center of the room, with a circular wooden table at its heart. Dozens of unique potted plants were scattered throughout the space, creating a natural atmosphere. Some of the flora even possessed an otherworldly beauty. A large fish tank, filled with unique marine life, took up the entirety of the left wall. At the far end of the room, large windows allowed natural light to pour in.
Gaia lounged on the circular couch with her arms spread wide across its back. A device embedded in the wooden table projected a holographic image of the recent trial. She was about to begin analyzing the information to prepare a report when she noticed an oddity in the room.
The shadows seemed to deepen, becoming akin to black voids. The portion of the couch's shadow behind Gaia rippled like disturbed water, and a figure crawled out of it.
The figure was a woman, her form reminiscent of a spider, with a wide waist, near shoulders and long spindly arms. She had pale skin, snow-white hair, and black sclera framing crimson irises. She wore a short-sleeved black trench coat that extended to her knees, paired with a black button-up shirt and form-fitting black pants flared at the ends.
Her ensemble was predominantly black, making her appear more shadow than human, though the presence of red accentuated her eerie visage. She wore deep red lipstick, red leather gloves, and a pair of red-heeled shoes.
A malicious smirk curved her lips as she conjured a jagged tendril of shadow, striking it toward Gaia's neck. The tendril stopped a mere few millimeters before making contact. Leaning down, the woman whispered into Gaia's ear, "You shouldn't let your guard down. You never know what might be lurking in the dark."
Gaia's expression remained calm as she maintained her relaxed posture. Tilting her head to look up, she replied, "One can afford to let their guard down when they have wrathful eyes in the sky."
The faint hum of electricity filled the room. The woman in black tilted her head up and was met with the sight of a floating stone sphere, crackling with radiant electricity.
Gaia paused before adding in a more annoyed tone, "You know we have doors. There's no need for you to move through shadows, Selene. It's rather rude to sneak up behind people like that."
Selene's malicious smile shifted into a more mischievous one as she dismissed her shadow tendril, causing it to dissolve into the darkness. She hopped over the couch, taking a seat next to Gaia, and said in an amused tone, "Oh, I could. But what's the point of being able to travel through shadows if I don't use the ability to indulge myself a little? Besides, I wanted to see if you're still as sharp as I remember."
Gaia dismissed her stone sphere before reminiscing aloud, "It has been a long time since we last met, hasn't it?" She then added curiously, "Though I am pleasantly surprised to see you again, why are you here? A special administrator was only meant to be present for the last trial. You're quite early, aren't you?"
Selene smiled as she rested her head on Gaia's shoulder. "That's true. But when I heard you were managing the trials in this region, I just had to come early to catch up." She added with mock concern, "Why, aren't you happy to see an old friend?"
Gaia chuckled, amused by Selene's antics. Her demeanor then grew slightly more serious as she gently pushed Selene's head off her shoulder. "As much as I've enjoyed seeing you again, I have a report to write on the trial."
Hearing this, Selene's playful and caring expression shifted to a reserved and serious one. "In that case, I'll assist you with the analysis," she offered.