Kael slowly looked at the system window that appeared before him. He didn't know if he needed to read it; because every line, every word was almost memorized. Still, out of habit, he began to read. The white letters appeared on the cold blue background on the screen:
"Divinity detected in your body!"
"You have reached sufficient maturity for the Aurelis realm."
"You will undergo a difficult trial before entering the Aurelis Realm!"
"Your trial mission has been assigned."
There was no surprise on Kael's face, no questioning either. His eyes were motionless, his expressions frozen. It was as if all this had been told to him countless times before and it was just a repetitive ritual.
He waited for the next window to open. When the new window appeared, he also began to read carefully:
"Trial Test: The Lost Reflection"
"Find the mystical object required for entry into Aurelis!"
"This crystal is only located in the forgotten area called 'Mission Site'!"
"Warning! This place is very dangerous; risk of death exists!"
Even when Kael read the word "death," he showed no slightest tremor or emotional reaction. His pupils were empty, fixed on the text before him. He was thinking: "Here we go again..." As if trapped in an endless loop. His behavior clearly reflected this.
For a moment, he closed his eyes. He took a deep breath.
Just then, he suddenly heard a loud explosion echoing in his ears. He opened his eyes and looked toward the source of the sound. A red beam of light was sliding down from the sky. The light pointed right to the middle of the nearby forest.
If people around had heard this sound, they might have fainted from a heart attack out of fear. But unfortunately, no one seemed to notice this terrible event. The sky had almost split open, the red light appeared magnificently; yet couples nearby continued their conversations, and people hurried about their own busy matters. It was as if they neither heard nor saw anything happening around them.
A man walking next to them, while talking to his friend, slightly turned his head and whispered to Kael:
"Look at this guy, what's he doing? Where's he looking? He's definitely crazy."
"Yeah, totally crazy... Just staring blankly around," the other replied with a mocking laugh.
Unaffected by the indifference around him, Kael slowly started walking toward the forest where the red light descended. Each step was determined but carried a deep weight inside; this mission was very different and perhaps much more dangerous than the previous ones.
Without increasing his pace, he moved as if every motion were a deliberate ritual. As he approached the forest's edge, the red light grew even brighter, and the sky darkened. The silence inside Kael combined with the forest's murmur and ominous sounds from afar, creating a frightening yet mesmerizing atmosphere.
As Kael slowly advanced toward the forest entrance, he noticed construction barriers rising before his eyes. Large, bright yellow signs and red white tape surrounded the area, with a prominent "Entry Forbidden" notice. Cranes, iron bars, and piles of construction materials were scattered around. The ground was covered with pits, broken boards, and old rubble pieces. The air was full of dust, and a light wind stirred the debris gently.
For an ordinary person, this environment was a danger zone they wouldn't want to approach. Even the noise from construction would keep many people away. Walking here was like stepping onto an unknown path toward danger. But for Kael, it was just a minor obstacle.
He looked around carefully. There was no one nearby; silence reigned. Suddenly, all at once, he jumped, defying the laws of physics. He leapt three meters high, almost twice the height of a human. He glided through the air and landed quietly just beyond the gate. His body moved gracefully and controlled, without any collision or impact.
This movement was at a speed and agility beyond human comprehension. It happened at a moment no one could see. His eyes carefully scanned the surroundings. His steps were silent but determined among the dust, rubble, and debris on the ground.
Kael began walking slowly but confidently. With every step, the soil moved slightly, stones shifted gently. He passed through pits, rusty metal pieces spread on the ground, and broken boards without any difficulty. He was not a stranger in this chaotic environment; on the contrary, he was like an entity controlling everything, moving within his own domain.
As he advanced among the clouds of dust, the air grew colder, and the wind blew stronger. The shadows of the massive trees around him made Kael's long black silhouette even more distinct.
When Kael finally reached the rocky area, he wiped himself slowly with tired but determined steps. He lightly adjusted his black coat covered in dust and dirt. He was gradually approaching the direction where the red light shone. The number of trees around him gradually decreased, and the dense forest gave way to a wide and open clearing.
In front of him, at the very center of the red light, rose a statue that caught attention with its elegance and grandeur. A winged angel figure... Made of stone, carved with delicate craftsmanship, this statue, though seemingly out of place in the middle of the forest, was never ordinary. The human mind might question why such a magnificent and graceful statue existed here. Every detail of the statue was dazzling and aesthetic; like a work of art.
Kael approached the statue with slow steps. When he reached the base of the stone column, he looked once again at the detailed figure of the statue. The fine curves of the wings, the calm expression on the face, the carved patterns on the statue… They all might have carried meaning. Among his thoughts, he took his hands out of his pocket and slowly reached toward the cold stone column. His finger gently touched the surface of the column.
At that moment, where Kael's finger touched, a bright and vivid beam of light appeared before him. Words written in white letters rose on the stone's surface, appearing like floating words in the air:
"The entrance gate of the trial test is opening."
Before Kael could begin reading the words, he was startled by a sharp laser sound coming suddenly from behind. He quickly turned around and followed the sound. Before him appeared a large door shape formed by red lights. The red lights curved to form a passage, and the door seemed to open slowly, beckoning Kael.
He paused for a moment; took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and spent a few seconds alone with his thoughts.
After feeling the depth of this moment, he slowly stepped his right foot into the door surrounded by red lights. Each step was filled with uncertainty about what awaited him in the future. But Kael had now stepped onto a path with no return.
Then, carefully, Kael placed his left foot inside the door surrounded by red lights. At that moment, the laser lines around him began to slowly close; the mechanical clicking sound was a signal of a barrier closing behind metal doors. The red lights before his eyes gradually went out, giving way to a dark void.
As the bright, light filled area behind him gradually vanished, Kael found himself completely inside darkness. The silence surrounding him had become almost tangible. The darkness was not only absence but also a void felt with its weight and presence. Cold, deep, and with undefined boundaries.
Kael was alone in this darkness; there was neither light nor sound around him. Only the quiet echo of his own breath created a faint hum in his ears. His footsteps made no sound; the ground beneath his feet was not visible; it was as if he were walking in an endless void.
With every breath he took, the silence grew heavier, and Kael's presence became more pronounced. The darkness both embraced him and tightened like a trap that pushed his limits. Inside, there was that strange unease brought by confronting the depths of the unknown.
Lost in deep thoughts, Kael paused for a moment in the bosom of silence. The emptiness inside him was parallel to this external darkness, like a reflection. There, he was in a place no one could reach.