When Kael opened his eyes slightly, he tried to understand exactly where he was. There was still a blurry, surreal atmosphere around him. Each step he took was more determined than the last, but he was faced with a great sense of uncertainty within.
The figures in his mind had slowly faded, yet the feelings they left behind remained inside him. Though everything about his past seemed to have vanished, the traces left by those dark figures were permanent. This journey was the beginning of a test, but Kael wasn't aware of it yet. Around him were stones and earth, each bent and stretched in different shapes. In the darkness, he felt as though something was about to emerge from deep beneath the ground.
He took his steps carefully; he had to choose a direction. There was a feeling that a secret was hidden in everything. But pursuing these secrets meant exploring his own darkness. Yet he had no other choice anyway. He moved forward slowly, observing his surroundings, trying to decipher the meaning of every stone and every leaf. The air around him felt trapped, and with each breath, Kael felt it grow heavier. The breathlessness created a kind of pressure, as if this journey had no end and everything was growing more complicated. But he had to keep going; if he looked back too much, he might feel that everything would slip away. Still, Kael couldn't stop himself from burning with the hope that his pain and resistance would be rewarded.
Even though his lungs were in a great struggle and his life hung by the thin thread of fate. After a while, he noticed a protrusion rising from the ground. He had to approach it carefully and remain cautious. Letting his guard down could lead to the worst possible scenario. And just then, one of the voices echoing in his head resounded again: "This path will lead you to your identity. But you must be willing to lose." Kael stood still for a moment and thought. To lose. How much would he have to lose to find his own identity? But he tried to push this thought from his mind, because he was here now, and he had to move forward to free himself from these worries and this burden. He took a slow step, heading toward the protrusion.
Chasing something that belonged to him, following the traces of his own journey rather than someone else's. That was the feeling Kael experienced in that moment. Accepting his past, confronting the lost figures, and finally leaving them behind—that was the secret of this entire journey. He took the first step that would slowly unravel the knots in his heart and mind. Before him stood a mysterious, lost door. It was covered in complex, enigmatic symbols. Each one seemed to carry a different meaning, but Kael didn't hesitate; he opened the door and stepped inside.
And in that moment, he felt something change again. He had now reached the place of the test.
After passing through the door, Kael was met with intense darkness inside. The trapped feeling in the air had intensified even more. His eyes couldn't see anything, but his ears were filled with whispering voices coming from the depths. Something was moving in the air, though there was no sign of what it might be. The words of the figures echoing in his mind seemed to widen the voids within him. The voice saying, "You must lose," reminded him that everything happening to him was a test. He took another step. As his feet touched the ground, he felt it grow harder. In the darkness, everything seemed both orderly and broken at the same time. Every moment, every step, was pushing Kael further down a darker path. But there was no stopping. He couldn't turn back now, and with every passing second, he felt more compelled to move forward.
He looked into the emptiness around him. There was something there. But his eyes couldn't grasp it clearly. He moved forward slowly, with steady but certain steps. For a moment, he took a deep breath, and the intensity of the whispering voices echoing around him increased. It was as if those voices were drawing closer to the fears within him. "This place is for you to lose," said a voice, one step behind him. Startled, Kael turned around immediately, trying to see something. But there was still nothing—just darkness and the humming sounds.
He quickened his steps. As he drew closer to the shadow of the past, he realized how alone he was. Facing the voids within him was his greatest test. He tried to feel his own strength, but that strength was still buried deep, almost lost. Like a dim, darkened fragment stripped of brightness and light. Suddenly, a light appeared before him. At first, it seemed like an illusion, but with an instinct stirring within, Kael tried to determine if it was real. He took a step toward the light. Slowly, the light grew closer, and the darkness began to fall behind him. He quickened his pace, starting to hurry. As he moved toward the light, he felt the strength within him begin to grow. The darkened fragment seemed to move as if it were being purified.
As he advanced, he realized the light was pulling him toward it. Now everything was clearer. This was the heart of a test. He had broken free from the lost figures and the fears of his past. Yet something was still missing. He understood that the test had truly begun, that this light was merely a path, and he had to figure out how far he needed to go along it. It was a test, but he had no idea how deep it would go or what its outcome would be. He had no clue what he would face or what he needed to overcome.
Suddenly, the light illuminated everything around him, and Kael realized he was inside a vast space. There was something here. Was this place a trap? Or was it a test designed to challenge his inner strength? As he pondered this, he slowed his steps and continued to move forward within the space. Every corner of this area seemed to carry fragments of his past. In one corner, a ruined memory; in another, a lost thought… Kael began to recall everything he had once seen. Every detail of his past was lost in this space. Each step pointed to another loss.
He had to face these losses. Every loss presented him with a new test. But no matter how much Kael lost, there was no turning back. Each loss carried him further, closer to his own identity. He couldn't pass this test without confronting his past. This was the path to discovering the strength within him. He could clearly grasp the connection between that strength and his past.
And then, slowly, a door appeared. The door was waiting for him to open it. But taking a step would mean bringing everything to an end. The more he lost, the greater the inner struggle… Everything could end here. But this was already a step taken to reclaim those losses. Kael reminded himself of these words, and with a determined look in his eyes, he took a step. The test might leave no trace of his resolve, plunging him into a hell so difficult and terrifying. A journey with no return had truly begun now.
After passing through the door, the environment changed instantly. This place was unlike anything he had seen before. It might not have been alive, but it wasn't blurry either. The heavy, oppressive smells in the air created a deepening sense of pressure with every step. Everything around him seemed to belong to another world. From the ground to the walls, everything was rough and broken, yet not blurry. Kael felt something strange in this dark passage he had entered. This place was like an area where the traces of his past had come together. His fears followed him with every step.
He continued moving forward carefully, without hastening his steps. His eyes searched for something in the darkness, but everything was uncertain. All the walls seemed to carry the lost memories of places he had once lived. In one corner, broken children's toys, a wooden sword with a chipped end; in another, a long-haired shadow reminiscent of faded faces… Everything whispered something about his past.
Suddenly, a light appeared. At first, it was just a glimmer, but according to the instinct within Kael, this light wanted to tell him something. He slowly turned toward it. With every step, the void inside him grew larger. The voices, the figures, the memories of the past… All of them pressed down on him even more. "You must lose," the voice echoed in his ears again. But this time, it wasn't just a reminder—it felt like a warning.
As he moved toward the light, the environment suddenly began to change. In the blink of an eye, tall walls rose, and a ringing sound was heard. After Kael blinked again, he could see. This was some kind of arena. A vast space, surrounded by high walls. At the center of it all stood a single object: an old, blood-stained symbol atop a stone altar. The area around the altar was enveloped in an atmosphere intense enough to instill fear in Kael. Something was there; something had begun. But what? What was the altar for, and what did it hold?
Kael paused. There was an instinctual fear within him, but that fear was also urging him to act. He knew he couldn't just stand there and look. A test, a trial… This was the beginning. But what was it? What was it trying to say? Was it just a trap? Or an area prepared to test his own strength?
He took another step, slowly approaching the altar. With each step, his heart began to pound faster, cold sweat dripping down his skin. His blood surged through his veins as he felt a momentary hesitation and inner conflict. Being this close was pushing him harder. This wasn't just a dark space. It was a doorway he had to enter on his path to finding himself.
When he reached the altar, he heard another voice. This time, there was a figure one step behind him. Its eyes were closed, its face familiar yet foreign. Something stirred within Kael, but his eyes couldn't fully comprehend what it was. "You have to do this. Only you," the figure said, its voice echoing in his ears like a reverberation.
And in that moment, something changed. Kael closed his eyes. A fleeting moment of awareness. Every loss from his past, every dark memory… They had all taught him something. He began to feel the strength within him awakening. He reached out toward the altar. Yes, he was afraid. But that fear was strong enough to spur him into action. This test was an inner struggle.
When he placed his hands on the altar, a jolt of electricity surged through him. There was a profound shift in the air. Kael could feel this change. His hands were torn apart, his skin peeled, his flesh shredded, and his blood flowed like a river. Yet Kael felt no pain, barely even noticing. He felt his blood, every drop in his veins merging with his lost, erased past. Perhaps that was why he felt no pain. In that moment, standing amid a fragment of his past, the strength within Kael began to awaken. But it also brought with it a moment that could spiral out of control.
Suddenly, a blinding light exploded in Kael's mind. The power reverberated through his body. But it wasn't what he expected. The strength within him suddenly took over. In an uncontrollable way, it cleared his mind. Everything was happening so fast. A rapidly rising energy enveloped Kael's body, and he felt everything begin to darken rapidly.
The power of the light had engulfed him, but this time, there was something else above all: Kael had come face-to-face with death, his power spiraling beyond his control. Yet the strength within him carried him one step further. It was too fast to turn back from a mistake. In that moment, he walked a fine line between power and death, shaking the threads of fate.
With one final thought echoing in his mind, Kael accidentally activated his power. But he realized something: this wasn't just a mistake. It could be the first step toward finding his strength.
His awakening in the heart of the garden, his encounter with one of the figures, his journey up to this point, and the determination he had gained along the way—all of these had brought him here.
Lost memories, a darkened vision, a faded face, and a mind reminding him that something was missing. Despite everything he had, Kael was preparing for the first stage of the test to find these missing pieces. This would be the proof of his pain and resistance.