Kelvin didn't answer immediately. He simply sat there, eyes half-lidded, as if weighing the question in his mind. Hope thought, for a moment, that he was done answering questions—that maybe he had shared enough. But then, after a long breath, Kelvin finally spoke.
"You used the word Awakened," Hope had asked. "What does it mean?"
Kelvin's voice was steady as he began to explain.
"There are four stages of power ascension through the Veil," he said. "And the lowest of them are the Survivors—people like us. Those who have been trialed by the Veil, survived, and had their dormant abilities awakened. Since they have 'awakened' to their power, they're commonly called the Awakened."
Hope absorbed the information carefully. So, if he survived this nightmare, he'd be considered an Awakened? It seemed simple enough, but Kelvin wasn't done.
"Then there are the Masters," Kelvin continued. "An Awakened can challenge the Veil again, pushing themselves to the edge of death, seeking to ascend their power even further. If they survive that second trial, they become Masters. These people are also called Ascended, because they've taken their abilities to a whole new level."
Hope's eyes flickered.
"So… someone who survives the first trial becomes Awakened. And if they survive another, they become a Master?"
Kelvin nodded.
"Exactly. But it doesn't stop there."
Hope listened carefully.
"Some Masters," Kelvin said, "are not satisfied. They seek more power, more strength, more understanding of the Veil. And so, they challenge it again. If they survive, they transcend into something far more terrifying—Saints."
The word sent a chill down Hope's spine.
"Saints?" he echoed.
Kelvin's gaze darkened slightly.
"Yes. These people… they are monsters in human skin. Saints can destroy a city if given enough time. Their power bends reality itself. When they step into battle, entire landscapes change. A single Saint could wipe out an army. Only another Saint—or an entire force of Masters—could hope to stop them."
Hope swallowed.
"And that's the final stage?"
Kelvin hesitated for just a fraction of a second.
"No," he admitted. "There is one more."
Hope's brows furrowed.
"What's beyond a Saint?"
Kelvin sighed, as if reluctant to say it.
"There are whispers… rumors of beings who surpass even the Saints. Those who have transcended the Veil itself. No one knows for certain if they exist. But if they do…" Kelvin paused. "Then they are no longer human."
A heavy silence fell between them.
Hope clenched his fists.
The path of power through the Veil was clear now. Survive the first trial, become an Awakened. Challenge the Veil again, become a Master. If one was mad enough to do it again, they would become a Saint. And beyond that… something unknown.
"And you?" Hope finally asked. "Which are you?"
Kelvin smirked slightly, but there was no humor in it.
"What do you think?" he asked.
Hope didn't answer. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know.