The corridors of the Temple of Lost Memories twisted unnaturally, as if reality itself were bending around Jaswant. Every step he took echoed in eternity, and the faint whispers of his past grew louder, almost tangible, crawling over his skin like icy fingers.
Suddenly, the walls split open, revealing a chamber bathed in black light. At its center floated a translucent gate, pulsing with symbols from a language he could not yet fully comprehend. The ultimate god system notification blinked insistently:
[The trial begins of The Third Soul Essence: The Essence of Balance]
---
The world dissolved around Jaswant as he stepped through the transpant glowing gate.
His vision dimmed — first light, then color, then sound.
When his senses returned, he was standing in a vast expanse suspended between night and day.
The sky was split in half — one side blazed with golden sunlight, the other shimmered with an endless night of stars.
The ground beneath his feet constantly shifted — from molten gold to pitch-black stone.
A strange wind whispered, carrying both warmth and frost.
[Trial Initiation: The Trial of Shadow and Light]
[Objective: Achieve harmony between divine radiance and inner darkness.]
[Warning: Failure will result in complete soul collapse.]
---
The Arena of Duality,
In front of him appeared two altars —
One bathed in pure, holy light.
The other shrouded in pulsating shadow.
From the altar of light emerged a glowing form — his divine self, serene and majestic, radiating calm power.
From the shadow rose another — his darker self, with burning eyes, wild aura, and raw aggression.
Both looked like him.
Both spoke with his voice.
"We are what you divided," said the Divine.
"We are what you denied," whispered the Shadow.
The Divine form stepped closer.
"Embrace the light. Let go of pain, rage, and doubt."
The Shadow growled.
"Embrace the darkness. Power is born from pain. Without it, you are nothing."
Jaswant stood frozen — both voices echoing inside his head, each word tearing at his mind.
---
The ground split as light and dark collided —
a storm of radiance and shadow erupted around him, forming a battlefield that felt alive.
The Divine Self raised his palm, releasing waves of searing white flames that burned through the dark fog.
The Shadow roared, summoning tendrils of obsidian mist that consumed everything in their path.
Jaswant was caught in between.
Every blast of divine energy blinded him.
Every shadow that touched him chilled his blood.
He screamed, kneeling — both halves tearing at him, each demanding dominance.
[System Warning: Soul integrity — 68% … 54% … 43%]
The Divine Self shouted,
"Purify yourself, Jaswant! Let light reign supreme!"
The Shadow countered,
"Kill the false light! Embrace the chaos! Only darkness gives freedom!"
---
The storm intensified — the two halves now directly clashing.
The Divine raised his hand to the sky, summoning a radiant spear of celestial light.
The Shadow formed a massive blade from condensed darkness.
Both turned toward Jaswant — not to fight each other… but to erase him.
"You are the imbalance," they said in unison.
"You must die for balance to exist."
Jaswant staggered backward, bleeding light and shadow from his skin. His body flickered like a dying flame.
He shouted desperately,
"I am not your enemy!"
But his voice was swallowed by the chaos.
He fell to his knees, coughing blood. The world warped around him — every breath heavier, every thought fading.
[System Alert: Soul fracturing — Immediate action required.]
He pressed his hands to the ground, trembling.
His vision split — one eye saw daylight, the other eternal night.
"No…" he whispered.
"You are both… me."
---
The storm froze.
The Divine and Shadow halted mid-strike.
Jaswant slowly rose, his aura flickering with both white and black energy.
He raised his hand — one glowing with divine light, the other burning with darkness.
"You are not enemies," he said softly.
"You are pieces of the same whole."
He stepped forward into the crossfire — between the light spear and the shadow blade.
Both pierced his chest simultaneously.
The world exploded.
But instead of dying, Jaswant's body absorbed both energies — merging them.
White fire and black mist fused, spiraling around him like twin dragons.
[System Notification: Balance Achieved — Essence Stabilized.]
[Divine and Shadow Energies in Harmony.]
The arena began to dissolve —
Day and night merged into a tranquil dawn.
The Divine and Shadow selves knelt before him, fading back into his soul.
"We are one again," they said together.
"Remember — balance is not peace… it is control."
---
A glowing orb rose from the merged altars — half black, half gold — pulsating in rhythm with his heartbeat.
He held it in his palms.
[The third fragment of Soul Essence of Balance Acquired]
[New Skill Unlocked: Dual Harmony — Control opposing energies in perfect equilibrium.]
[Title Earned: The Equilibrant.]
As he absorbed the orb, a calm unlike any he'd ever known filled him.
The air stilled. His power no longer raged uncontrollably — it flowed like a river under his command.
He looked at his hands — one glowing faintly white, the other shadowy black.
For the first time, they didn't fight.
He smiled.
"Balance isn't the absence of darkness or light…
It's knowing when to use both."
[System announced, 3/5 fragments collected – only two fagments are left]
With steady steps, Jaswant walked into the portal that opened before him —
the path leading toward the next trial, one that would test not his strength or will…
but his heart.
---
The Trial of the Dying Star
(The Fourth Soul Essence: The Essence of Sacrifice)
---
As Jaswant emerged from the portal, the air turned cold — painfully cold.
The new realm stretched before him like a shattered cosmos.
Floating islands of broken stone hung in the void, illuminated by dim, flickering embers of once-glorious suns.
At the center of this desolate expanse stood a colossal temple —
its spires twisted toward the sky like dying hands,
its walls carved with murals of stars being born… and dying.
A voice echoed through the emptiness:
[Trial Initiation: The Trial of the Dying Star]
[Objective: Restore light where none remains.]
[Warning: Compassion without wisdom leads to oblivion.]
Jaswant took a slow breath, his heart already heavy.
He could feel the sorrow woven into the air — a pain so ancient it made the stars themselves weep.
---
Inside the temple lay a vast chamber, at the center of which hung a massive, dying celestial being —
a star spirit bound by golden chains, its once-bright form now cracked and bleeding light.
Each pulse of its dimming glow sent tremors through the floor.
Its voice, though weak, carried the echo of eternity.
"Child of flame and shadow… you have come to witness the end of a god."
Jaswant stepped closer, feeling waves of heat and grief radiating from the being.
"Who did this to you?" he asked, fists clenching.
"I was the Star of Life," it whispered. "I gave warmth to worlds… until they forgot to give gratitude. They drained my essence… and when I faltered, they chained me here to die."
A heavy silence followed.
Jaswant could barely stand beneath the crushing sorrow that filled the room.
Then came the choice.
"End my suffering, mortal god," the being said, its eyes dim.
"But know this — to free me, you must give up part of your soul. Your light will fade. Your power will diminish."
---
The system flickered before Jaswant's eyes.
[Choice Detected: Terminate the Dying Star — No Cost]
[Alternative: Restore the Dying Star — Sacrifice 40% Life Energy]
[Consequence: Permanent Loss of Strength Potential.]
The world seemed to hold its breath.
Jaswant's heart raced.
He had come too far to risk his survival — yet…
how could he claim to be a "god" if he walked away from suffering he could end?
Memories flashed — the innocent villagers who once worshipped him,
the faces of those he failed to protect,
the sacrifices his mother made to raise him,
and the promise he made to never again turn away from pain.
He fell to one knee before the dying star.
"Even gods fall," he said quietly, "but not all rise again.
If my life can light yours once more… then let it burn."
---
Jaswant pressed his palm against the star's cracked surface.
Instantly, unbearable pain surged through his body —
as if his veins were turning to molten fire.
His life-force poured into the celestial being,
a torrent of white-hot energy that made his vision blur.
[System Alert: Vitality Level — 78% → 53% → 29% → Critical]
The chains began to break.
Each shattering link sent shockwaves through the temple,
tearing the ceiling apart and flooding the chamber with blinding light.
The star screamed — not in agony, but in rebirth.
"Your soul… it burns with compassion," it said, its voice growing radiant.
"No god who sacrifices his light for another will ever truly fade."
The light consumed everything.
---
When Jaswant awoke, he was lying on the temple floor, weak but alive.
Before him floated the star spirit — no longer dying, but reborn.
Its body glowed with a soft golden aura, gentle yet infinite.
It looked upon him with eyes that shimmered like galaxies.
"You have given part of your essence to restore mine," it said.
"In return, I grant you the gift of Life Itself."
The being transformed into a radiant orb, descending slowly until it merged with Jaswant's chest.
[The oul Essence of Sacrifice Acquired]
[New Ability Unlocked: Restorative Energy — Heal others by channeling your own life-force.]
[Side Effect: Compassion Intensity Increased — Emotional Resonance Amplified.]
His veins glowed faintly gold. His heartbeat pulsed like distant thunder.
He could feel the energy — warm, calm, alive.
Jaswant stood, trembling but resolute.
"Power means nothing if it only serves yourself," he whispered.
"True strength… is the courage to give."
The temple collapsed around him,
but from the falling ruins bloomed thousands of golden petals —
each one a fragment of the reborn star's light.
They floated upward, forming a luminous bridge leading to the next gate.
---
"Those who burn to give light," said a voice from within,
"never truly die.
For every act of sacrifice… becomes the seed of eternity."
As Jaswant crossed the golden bridge, the system echoed faintly:
[Fragment of fourth Soul Essences Acquired — One Remaining]
[Next Trial: The Trial of the Final Guardian Awaits.]
He looked back one last time at the fading light of the resurrected star,
then forward — toward the last, most perilous test of all:
The Temple of Lost Memories.
(Now it's time for the final trial and final battle — Will Jaswant be able to clear his last trial)
---