Before him was a bubbling pool of magma, which took a huge section of the pedestrian walkway. Sprouting for the magma pool were long rusty metal spikes, which seemed impervious to the stagnant magma.
Behind him, reality faded like the luster of a long worn attire. The subtle dreamlike reality have way to a naturistic advanced world. A utopia where giant machines routed the stratosphere.
As pedestrian walkway changed slowly to the grassy plains of the yet alien world, Kalen looked forward.
Forward at a goal.
Across the menacing bubbling magma pool, his sister stood. Still, eerily watching him as if in a hurried wait. Soon some distant silhouettes appeared at a distance and began approaching her.
His eyes widened from the realization, " No, No, Nooo!! Don't you dare touch her, don…don't you dare. " He screamed struggling to move forward.
The silhouettes came closer, all men, dressed in a matching red apparel. They descended upon Mavlin and began hitting her brutally. Fists, bats, chains and a myriad of weapons assaulted her delicate frame.
Standing at the other side Kalen shuddered, his eyes filling out with tears. ' No… ' he mumbled taking a step backwards. " Save me…, Save me Obi." She cried out, her hands clutched to her abdomen.
" Come Kalen, rest easy, forget the past, start a new life in a better world." A calm alluring whisper assaulted his hearing. His eyes went white as if under a mind hex.
Slowly he turned around to walk in the grassy plain. His feet came down, but before it would touch the grassland, he spun around and banged his head hard on the building besides him.
With that he surged forward, stepping into the spikes. A wave of pain immediately crashed into his physical being. His instincts raced to retrieve his bare foot from the morbid path.
But Kalen had already taken three steps forward and was ever still going. The heat acted on his skin quickly peeling it away. A gutteral scream left his lips but he pressed forward.
Step by step, his feet sank deeper into and deeper into the uneven bedding of spikes which he stepped on. Waves of pain washed over him, each surge greater than the last.
The torrid heat had successfully cleared out his epidermis. Logically he was supposed to be dead from the first step but this world was somewhat illogical.
Nevertheless Kalen knew it would be game over once he's feet touched the magma.
Behind him the grassland followed him closely with every step, a voice whispering as it followed. " Leave behind you suffering, throw away your burdens, a heavenly life awaits you." Kalen barely listened to the voice as the sound of his heartbeat was louder.
A sharp misstep caused him to stumble, landing with his knees and palms. Blood tickled down the rust spikes to the magma; instantly it evaporated into a mist of red gas.
He screamed inhumanely, his voice sounding like grating metal clashing against each other. He rose, his form disheveled and barely human.
Clenched his fists which were now mostly skeletal. His muscles had shrunken, some parts fallen off. Most of the skin and muscle of his face were gone, an eye socket lay open streaming with scalding water.
Quietly his mind and heart were succumbing to defeat. Every part of his body longed to just collapse and die. But his will wouldn't allow it, his resilient soul fueled by hate drove him forward.
" I… wil… Kzills… them, I… wll… rip… them from… thiz world, none… shill… rise against me. " He said falling to the ground, besides Mavlin's lifeless naked body.
Both siblings lay under the ethereal sun of the ethereal world, one violated by the wickedness of men and the other by his own will.
The world faded carrying them with it.
Pain echoed, heat persisted. The trial was over but its arduousness had been etched into Kalen's very soul. He rose from the ground.
Dressed in a casual hoody jacket, t-shirt and demin jeans. His tan skin was smooth and flawless, but the pain was still remembered.
Looking around the dim menacing hall, first thing he found amiable was the size of the place. Peristyle marble columns stood brilliantly in rows, creating inner cellas of darkness.
The roofing which was more than a mile above him was probably made of ancient terracotta tiles from the way they looked.
Immediately he realized, he was in an temple. Of course incense burners stood with each pillar, filling the hall with a fragrant mist.
Facing the door, he heard a very familiar voice say to him. " Welcome Kalen, You have proved yourself worthy of Divinity. " A tempting alluring voice said.
He turned to the voice and was instantly petrified by what he saw. Two thrones were built on the far end and on them were the statues of two beings. One macabre, the other untainted.
They both were recognized as divine.
The macabre one, male. He was depicted as a quite handsome fellow with dragonic bony wings.
Flying around him were grotesque creatures which resembled skinless birds but of a worm like form. They bare eyes and maws all around their bodies and weren't larger than a mice.
Kalen wondered how the sculptor managed to keep the flying creatures suspended on mid air. He studied the other statue, that one was female.
She had an intricate halo with spikes hovering above her head. Her apparel was a gown, Kalen realized to be celestial if it wasn't made of alabaster.
In her hands was a staff bearing the same height with her when she stood. Floating above the staff was a orb with seven orbits around it.
As he studied, the lips of the goddess parted and she said in a calm alluring voice, " Welcome Kalen, you have proven yourself worthy for a noble missions."
Then everything went bright.
When Kalen received sight, he was basically in the same place but everything had changed. The temple was now in a state akin to a sinking ship, but this time in sand instead.
The architecture was sloped as if falling into a sinkhole. Observing the area, Kalen noticed the temple to be in a state of ruin. It's exiting part was missing.
Most its roof were knocked away, its pillars toppled over and the previously dark cellas now bare grotesque statues of undead creatures.
Before him was power, divine power. A strong pressure forced Kalen to his knees and blood streamed down his lips. ' What is this. ' he thought feeling all his bones crack under pressure.
" This is 0.1 percent of a Gods aura, my counterpart can't conceal all her might. Unlike we the cosmic." A male voice said, " Kalen Obiora Vale, you have been chosen to wield great power."