The guard led Kaiutsu to a place unlike any other.
A void…
Punctuated by staircases of light,
And distant voices whispering in unknown languages.
The guard said:
"This is the first threshold. Here, a person is measured not by their strength… but by their capacity to endure."
The pressure began.
Not on the body…
But on the mind.
Kaiutsu saw overlapping scenes:
A city burning
Yitayo falling
The mask laughing
A child flying in light
He cried out:
"Enough!"
The voice replied:
"If you cannot bear the memory… you will not bear the future."
He fell to his knees.
Then…
He rose.
He said in a hoarse voice:
"Show me everything."
The pressure stopped abruptly.
The guard said:
"You have crossed the threshold."