The aura in the hallway was a creeping darkness that stung like needles, accompanied by a chilling cold that bit at the skin and pressed down on the mind. Ren and Eclipse stood inches apart from each other, their gazes locked. Eclipse was already emitting a murderous intent so thick it felt almost tangible.
From the corner of the hallway, two women in half masks observed in silence. One had short dark hair, calm eyes tracking the exchange. The other, with blonde twin ponytails, held a long smoke pipe to her lips. Her mask was slightly different from the usual design, with two narrow holes at the sides that allowed her to draw and exhale smoke without ever removing it. They had been watching since the very beginning.
The dark-haired woman finally spoke, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Is the new guy trying to get himself killed on the first day? Dude ain't even sworn in yet. Who the fuck does he think he is, going up against Eclipse?"
The blonde didn't answer. Instead, she took a long drag from her pipe, exhaling a ribbon of smoke that curled lazily around her before she stepped forward, sauntering toward Ren and Eclipse.
"Hey there, pretty boy." Her voice rolled out smooth and lilting as she draped a hand lazily over Ren's shoulder. Instinctively, he turned to face her.
"You must be the new guy… Silence's trial shadow, right? Word's been all over about you. We've all been dying to see what kind of guy you are."
Her gaze locked onto his, and she leaned in slightly, tilting her head with a sly grin, the curve of it visible even beneath her mask.
"Honestly, hon… I don't even need to see behind that mask to know that you're quite the looker."
Ren leaned back slightly, unease prickling at him.
'Who is this woman? Why is she so uncomfortably close?'
Then he noticed her eyes, one iris a vivid blue, the other a striking green.
'And what's with those creepy eyes?'
She flicked her gaze toward Eclipse, mischief dancing across her expression.
"Relax, big guy… I'm just borrowing this sweetheart for a while."
Eclipse's eyes narrowed, his head tilting with weary irritation.
"The hell you want, Smother? Can't you see I'm handling business?"
She smirked, mirroring the tilt of his head.
"Huh? Oh, honey… you ain't anymore. And I didn't ask. I told you, I'm taking him."
Eclipse's fist clenched, tension coiling tight through his arms.
"Tch… Why pull this stunt, huh? You think I'm scared of you? Nah. I don't fear nobody."
Smother chuckled softly, the sound carrying a dangerous lilt as her mismatched eyes gleamed. She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a playful whisper edged with menace.
"Oh, sweetheart… you should be. 'Cause trust me—" she lifted her pipe, exhaling a slow plume "—you don't want this smoke."
The haze she released thickened, curling and twisting until letters etched themselves in the air:
Fuck off.
Eclipse's jaw tightened. He ran a hand through his locs with a sharp hiss.
"Aisshh…"
His gaze slid toward Ren, heavy with a shadowed intensity.
"Always hiding behind someone else, huh? Pathetic. Next time, there won't be anyone to bail you out… and I'll make sure you don't walk away."
He withdrew his aura and walked off, brushing past Ren's shoulder as he moved. Ren pulled his own back, watching him go.
'What's this guy's problem? And I'm not hiding behind anyone. I was handling myself just fine…'
He turned to Smother. She had pulled back just enough to give him space, yet still leaned toward him, her gaze locked on his eyes with a playful sharpness. His own expression was caught between confusion and unease.
'What's the deal with this weird lady? She freaks me the fuck out… and why did she step in?'
Still, he couldn't deny he was a little glad she had. He wanted to avoid troublesome situations like this as much as possible.
"Uh… thanks for—"
"Don't thank me," she cut in, wagging a finger at him, her tone sing-song but edged. "I didn't do it for you, sugar. I just can't stand that proud bastard strutting around like he owns the place."
She leaned in again, close enough that the faint scent of smoke clung to the air between them, her mismatched eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Now run along, sweetheart. Didn't you say you've got an appointment with the Judicium?"
"Yeah… uh…" Ren had no idea what else to say. The whole exchange felt off-kilter, so he gave a slight nod and walked away briskly.
Gradually, the crowd around them began returning to their normal business, whispers fading as if nothing had happened.
The woman with dark hair approached Smother, her posture loose but elegant, eyes following Ren until he disappeared into the flow of bodies.
"What'd you do that for?"
Smother sucked on her pipe, cheeks hollowing with the drag, then blew out a puff that curled like a heart before breaking apart. "I already said why, Glacier… I cannot stand that proud bastard's guts. Ugh, makes my skin crawl."
Glacier's gaze shifted, unimpressed. "Mhm. From where I stood, you looked like a cat batting at a mouse that wasn't even yours. Waste of breath."
Smother gasped in mock offense, pressing a hand to her chest. "Ooooh, harsh! And here I thought you liked when I toyed with people."
"I don't like mess," Glacier said simply, shrugging one shoulder. "Especially yours." Her eyes slid back to where Ren had gone.
"To me… the proud one here is the new guy. People like that, who don't know their place, don't last. He's probably gonna get himself killed soon. Wanna bet?"
Smother stayed silent for a moment before shaking her head.
"Nah… I don't think so, Glacier."
Glacier frowned. "And why do you say that?"
Smother turned to her, pipe raised slightly toward the direction Ren had left. "Well… you see, I know Null Judge Silence. And lemme tell ya, she's not a woman, she's a fricken cataclysm… in slippers and a kimono."
She exhaled smoke, letting the words linger in the air. "If she of all people picked herself a trial shadow… trust me, Glacy, he's not going to be your run-of-the-mill rookie."
***
Ren followed the minimap up an elevator and into a hallway that was different from the other parts of the building. It did not look modern but rather, its architecture was ancient and entirely out of place. At the far end stood a massive door, its surface carved with shifting symbols that seemed to rearrange themselves when he looked too long.
As he approached, the door stirred. With a low, groaning resonance, it began to part on its own.
"Oh… okay?"
He froze for a breath, then stepped forward.
The chamber beyond was vast, cylindrical and cathedral-like, its curved walls soaring high above him into the arched ceiling. In the distance, opposite where he entered, three colossal thrones rose upon a dais, each carved into the chamber wall as if they had been grown from the stone itself. Between them ran a great half-moon table of black marble, its polished surface catching the light and reflecting a distorted image of the room.
Three figures sat upon the thrones.
On the left, a woman lounged lazily, head resting on one hand, her fingers of the other drumming against the table. Her white mask was etched with the word Oblivion in crimson.
At the center sat a man, broad-shouldered and composed, with pale blond hair that caught the dim light. His white jacket was pristine, almost regal. The mask upon his face bore the moniker Omega. Its presence radiating finality, as if nothing came after him.
On the right, a woman draped in a flowing black dress sat perfectly upright, her hands folded neatly atop the table. Her mask was marked with a single word in blood-red etching: Order. Even without movement, her posture exuded severity, like the silent inevitability of law.
The instant Ren's gaze fell upon them, the air thickened. Their aura pressed against him from all sides, vast and crushing. The Vira rolling off their bodies was unlike anything he had ever felt. He could tell instantly they weren't Shapers; they had to be above that.