Chapter 14 :- Trials of Unity and Ascension
Scene 1 - Bonds Forged in Ashes
The Campfire Pact
The fire crackled, casting shadows over Yoshito's scarred hands as he offered Sayuri a steaming bowl. The air hung heavy with unspoken grief—Ledger's grave loomed in the distance, its flowers swaying like silent sentinels.
Yoshito (gruffly):
"I… misjudged you."
Sayuri (stirring the broth):
"Anger blinds us all." Her gaze flickered to Keisuke, sharpening. "But your teacher… he saved me once. Taught me that strength isn't just a blade."
Keisuke (leaning forward):
"Why leave Aryavarta? You were a general's candidate."
Sayuri's knuckles whitened. "Fernando's sacrifices—children, nobles, even his queen—they're fodder for his ascent. Nero's death was a lie. Just another pawn crushed."
Yoshito's sword hummed. "Then we gut him together."
Sayuri (smirking):
"With this?" She flicked a pebble, shattering a boulder. "You'd die mid-sentence. The generals are blessed by Alesta—Goddess of Perfected Skill. Their weakest strike is lethal."
Yoshito (grinning):
"So we get blessings too. "
Scene 2 - The Crucible of Elements
Nightshade Groove — Realm of Eternal Trials
Nero's breath misted in the frozen air, his body a tapestry of scars. Two years had blurred here—each trial a lifetime.
Baltimore (observing from a spectral throne):
"Calamity of Wind: slain. Fire: reduced to cinders. Earth: buried. Thunder: silenced. Darkness… ah, that one screamed."
Nero (wiping blood):
"Rewards better be worth it, Grandpa."
Each victory had carved power into his soul:
Wind: Speed that blurred time.
Fire: Flames that devoured magic.
Earth: Skin like tempered steel.
Thunder: Reflexes sharper than lightning.
Darkness: A void-shard dagger, hungry for life.
Now, the sixth trial: Calamity of Frost.
The beast towered—a glacier given fangs, its breath freezing the air into jagged shards. Eri's barriers shattered like glass.
Eri (collapsing):
"Nero… together."
Their hands clasped. Light erupted—a fusion of soul and storm. Nero's blade, sheathed in Eri's azure magic, pierced the beast's core.
Baltimore (whispering):
"Unity… the first key to the Gates."
Scene 3 - The Oracle's Gauntlet
The Seventh Trial — Chambers of Truth
Eri awoke in a starless void. A woman materialized—her face shifting like smoke, eyes twin supernovae.
The Oracle (mocking):
"Hello, little spark. Let's see if your bond is more than pretty words."
Eri (summoning blades):
"Where's Nero?"
The Oracle:
"Answer three, or he dies screaming."
"What do you fear most?"
Eri's mind flashed: Nero consumed by darkness, her hands too weak to pull him back.
"Would you sacrifice him to save millions?"
Her voice broke. "No… and that's why I'll find another way."
"What is your truth?"
"I love him," she whispered. "Enough to let go."
The void shattered.
Nero's Trial — The Obsidian Judge
A man clad in shadows awaited, his voice echoing from a hundred throats.
Obsidian:
"Three truths, boy. Lie, and your soul burns."
"Do you seek power… or vengeance?"
Nero hesitated. "Both."
"Would you raze Aryavarta to ash for your family?"
"Yes."
"What will you become?"
Nero's eyes flickered void-blue. "A monster… if that's the price."
Obsidian laughed. "Reward granted: The Gate's Echo. Use it wisely… monster."
Epilogue: Whispers of the Divine
Baltimore's Journal — Hidden Entry
"The trials are a ruse. The true test? Whether Nero embraces the Gates' corruption. Eri's love may anchor him… or snap. And Fernando—he's close. The Primordial stirs under Aryavarta. Pray the children are ready."
Writer's Note:
The path to power is paved with fractures. Nero's duality deepens, Sayuri's past looms, and the Oracle's truths linger like poison.
—Where blades and bonds collide.