Dune opened his eyes, blinking against the void of black water that stretched infinitely around him. The air, or whatever passed for it in this strange place, was heavy, suffocating.
In front of him stood… himself. Not exactly, though. This version of Dune was full of a confidence he didn't recognize. His trial self smiled faintly, as though it already knew the outcome of their meeting.
"Thanks for saving her, Dune," the figure said, its voice calm but pointed, cutting through the oppressive silence.
Dune staggered back, his knees buckling as he fell to the ground. "I… did it?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
The trial version nodded, its smile widening. "You did it. You saved Nely.
Even after everything, after all your speeches about being alone, about survival at all costs, you still risked everything for her. You threw away your own life for hers."
"I did…" Dune muttered, his throat tight. "I don't even know why. My body just… moved. I couldn't stop it. All I could think was…" His voice cracked, and he squeezed his fists tighter. "If she died, it would be.
His trial self crouched in front of him, tilting its head like a curious observer. "Exactly. Wrong. Unfair. Because deep down, you didn't want to lose her."
Dune clenched his teeth. "No. No, that's not it. I can't let myself feel like this. I've told myself over and over, I'm better alone. I need to be alone. Others are dangerous. They make you weak. They make you vulnerable. I can't—"
"You can't?" the trial version interrupted sharply, its smile vanishing. Or you won't? Stop lying to yourself. You felt it. You knew it wasn't just about her. It was about you. You didn't want to live in a world where you let someone else die, when you could've saved her.
Her words affected you, you wanted to do more and go beyond your limits. You cared about her, Dune. You care about all of them."
"You can lie to the world, to your enemies, even to your friends. But you can't lie to yourself forever."
Dune's breathing grew ragged. He shook his head, trying to block out the words. "No, I don't. I can't. I've spent my whole life living this way, and that's why im here now.
As Daniel said, i will be betrayed, i should use people as tools. You use them, or you're the one who gets used. That's the truth."
"Is it?" the trial self asked, its voice softer now. "Then why did you jump in the water? Why did you let yourself burn for her? If you're just the selfish, cold survivor you pretend to be, why didn't you stop?"
"I don't know!" Dune shouted, his voice echoing in the void. His body trembled as he buried his face in his hands. "I don't know! Maybe I'm just stupid. Maybe I wanted to prove something. I don't know why I care, but I do. And I hate it. I hate how much it hurts."
The trial self leaned closer, its eyes locking onto his. "It hurts because you've been denying the truth for so long. You keep pushing it down, trying to bury it under anger and survival instincts. But you can't bury the part of you that cares, Dune. That part is real. That part is real you."
Dune looked up at the figure, tears streaming down his face. "But what if I can't? What if I can't handle it? If I let myself feel all of this, if I let myself care, what if I lose again? What if it all falls apart?!"
The trial version reached out, placing its forehead gently against Dune's. The gesture was warm, grounding, like a memory of something lost.
"It will hurt," the trial self said softly. "You'll lose people. You'll feel pain. But you'll also feel joy, and hope, and love. That's who you've always been, Dune. Even in your darkest moments, you've fought for what you thought was right. You've fought to protect others, even when you told yourself you didn't care.
Stop running from it. Stop running from yourself."
Dune closed his eyes, the weight of the words pressing down on him. He felt as though he were breaking apart, every crack exposing something raw, something he'd tried to hide for so long.
"I don't know if I can do it," he whispered.
"You can," the trial self said firmly. "Because you've already started. You saved her. You saved them. And you can keep saving people. You can fight for what matters to you. But only if you stop pretending. Only if you let yourself be you."
The void around them seemed to ripple as Dune's breathing steadied. He opened his eyes, staring at the trial version of himself. For the first time, he didn't see a stranger. He saw himself, scarred, broken, but whole.
"Yeah…" Dune murmured, a small, bittersweet smile forming on his lips. "You're right. You were never someone else. You've always been me. I've just been too scared to see it."
The trial self smiled again, standing tall as the void began to fade. "Then accept me, Dune. Accept yourself. Trust your heart, even when it doesn't make sense. Protect your friends, your family. Without them, we wouldn't have made it this far."
To live is to embrace both the pain and the joy, without running from either.
Dune nodded. The pain of his past hadn't vanished, it never would. But for the first time, it didn't feel like a chain dragging him down. It felt like a foundation to build on.
As the trial version disappeared, Dune stared into the dark void until the blackness shattered, and light flooded in.
Survival isn't just about enduring the pain. It's about choosing to feel, to care, even when it hurts. Because without that, what's the point of surviving at all?
For the first time, Dune wasn't just surviving. He was choosing to live.
End of Part One: [ Trial Of Origin ]