"What nonsense do you mean by 'the Dawn was stolen'? Make yourself clear."
Jasper swallowed hard, caution etched across his face like an ancient inscription. He paused before finally finding his voice.
"So, this is exactly what I mean..."
Auren watched him, brow furrowed in concentration.
From her position, Meredith also studied him intently as he spoke.
"What happened was... was it three days ago? Or two? I'm not sure. I've had to survive in that miserable cubicle without a proper glimpse of time. When I arrived at the trial, I was in a box. A wooden coffin."
He gulped again, his face draining of color like water from a cracked vessel.
"I overheard things. I don't even think I was supposed to hear them because I was meant to be dead. From what I caught at the time, I could tell they were transporting numerous bodies. But the strange part was their conversation. They said things like 'those damn heretics, calling us heretics when they themselves are the true heretics'..."
"It was a flood of conversations, so I only managed to piece together bits and fragments. I can't be completely certain every conclusion I've drawn is accurate."
He glanced nervously at Auren before continuing.
"I believe there's a Kingdom of Highrise and a Kingdom of Heart. The Kingdom of Highrise seems to consider the Kingdom of Heart a heretic nation because of their unusual beliefs related to... uhm... I'm not entirely sure what it is. I heard everything clearly except for that particular detail. But I think it must be an Archon!"
"It's a god."
Auren frowned at Meredith, his disapproval obvious.
"You're not supposed to throw around words like that."
Jasper glanced between the two, confusion flickering across his face.
"What a strange word... what's a god?"
"I'm not too sure myself, but we could consider them similar to the Archons."
Auren sighed deeply and redirected the conversation.
"We don't know for certain. As you said, it's all speculation. Please continue your account... How did you get here from being in a coffin? And how does your story explain the dawn being stolen?"
Jasper looked at both of them strangely as he continued, his words tumbling out like rocks down a steep hillside.
"The people were speaking about drowning the world in eternal darkness and purging it of light. To accomplish this, they needed the dead bodies. When I managed to escape the coffin, there were numerous coffins containing dead bodies, but one was missing. It was already dark by then. From that moment, I kept running, avoiding monsters by the skin of my teeth and somehow managing to survive until now. Since I emerged from the coffin, day has not broken. I don't believe dawn is coming."
Auren forced a pale smile that vanished as quickly as morning mist, replaced by a cold, stern expression that hardened his features.
"Dawn was stolen and trapped in a body, the Kingdom of Heart drowned the world in darkness... all for what? You haven't even properly explained why you escaped your damn coffin."
"I don't know, I don't know, okay?"
Jasper's voice cracked with frustration.
"One moment I was perceiving the day through the thin space of a box, and the next there were destructive sounds everywhere. Before I knew it, silence fell. I have no idea if they accomplished what they intended, what it meant, or how they achieved such a feat. But many things were wrong. Not to mention that the soldiers of the Kingdom of Heart themselves were dead."
Auren stared blankly at him, silent for several heartbeats before sighing deeply.
"That summarizes it, then. They managed to capture dawn, and now there won't be daylight..."
Meredith glanced at him, skepticism evident in her gaze.
"...if all he's saying is true."
A small smirk tugged at Auren's lips.
"If all he's saying is true, everyone in this trial is doomed. So no, we won't calculate everything he has said. At least not all of it."
Auren's brow creased with concern.
"First, considering what's before us, we might or might not see daylight again. All this waiting could be useless. We might simply be awaiting our doom."
He slowly rose to his feet, determination radiating from him like heat from a flame.
"And as it turns out, I'm not really the waiting type."
Jasper quickly stood up too, anxiety visible in his hurried movements.
"But wait, gentlema— Auren. Where are we going to go?"
Auren looked at him before shifting his gaze to the sky, as if searching for answers in the vast darkness. Silence hung between them for several minutes before he finally spoke.
"Actually, I know what to do now. If we're going to defeat this trial, the condition must revolve around the fact that Dawn isn't coming. We need to investigate this situation and discover exactly what's happening. Your fragmented information isn't enough."
Jasper nodded slightly, then hesitantly added:
"But doesn't that mean we're building on what I've said...? Contrary to what you suggested."
"No. But I am taking note that the disappearance of Dawn is crucial to whatever is at play in this trial. Be very careful not to get mixed up in all of it. Did you forget the trials are events that have already happened? We are just going through a replay of the Archons' memories. At least that's what we're taught. Isn't it the same for you?"
Jasper nodded, certainty replacing his earlier doubt.
"It is."
"Then that means there's a lot happening here. Be wise, not foolish."
Auren's voice dropped to a contemplative tone.
"I don't know how they managed to achieve it, but what do you expect a Nascent hope to do with—or against—someone capable of stealing the dawn and imprisoning it in a dead body?"
Jasper considered this for a moment, understanding dawning in his eyes like the very light they discussed. He nodded subtly.
"You are right."
"Of course I am," Auren replied, conviction firm in his voice.
Meredith also rose to her feet, gracefully retrieving her spear that rested against the nearby wall.
"So, what do you suggest we do then? Even if we investigate, what do we do with our findings, and how do we avoid trouble?"
Auren released a soft, hollow chuckle that hung in the air between them.
"If I had the answers to all those questions, I might as well have orchestrated the entire trial, don't you think?"
He bent down and picked up the holy sword, his words measured as he strapped it to his back.
"However, what I can assure you is that I don't plan on losing or dying. Whether it's the dawn, the night, or the sun, I truly don't care about any of them. I am going to live."
He grinned at both of them, a flash of defiance in the darkness.
"Latch onto me and be lucky enough to survive."
Jasper smiled heartily, his blue eyes brimming with newfound energy like sapphires catching light.
"I like the sound of your confidence. I'm definitely latching on. But you should really fix your manner of speech."
Auren turned his gaze to Meredith.
She held her spear at her side and silently scaled the walls, running along them before launching herself out with a skillful flip of her entire body that seemed to glow ethereally despite the lightless sky
Auren was about to climb, but paused and shifted his gaze to Jasper.
Who in turn grinned, touching the back of his hair sheepishly.
"Haha…"