The atmosphere in the trial chamber had shifted into a maelstrom of raw energy and pulsating shadows. Evolis, still reeling from the transformative surge in the Maze of Etherion, now found himself in a narrow passage bordered by fractured walls of shifting Etherion. Every step sent ripples across the surface beneath him, a silent reminder of the tremendous power he had only just begun to tap into.
As he advanced cautiously toward what appeared to be a reinforced door—the final threshold of this stage—a sudden oppressive presence made itself known. The ambient energy around him stiffened, and a heavy aura descended around him holding him in place. From a crack in the sky, a figure emerged, clad in an aura of deep, ominous power.
The man's eyes glinted with a cruel amusement as he spoke, his voice echoing unnaturally in the confined space. "So, you're Evolis Aetherion? You've come quite far in the trial, but it looks like your journey ends here." His tone was both mocking and laced with disdain, carrying the weight of someone accustomed to crushing weaker wills.
Evolis's heart pounded, his eyes frantically scanned around to see if anybody else had come, but it looks like whoever sent this man was confident enough to send just him. "Who are you?" he demanded, voice steady despite the oppressive aura. "What do you want from me?"
Evolis hoped to keep the man busy as he used his [Seer's Gaze].
Name: [Axel Konstant]
Race: Half-Titan
Power Level: Master Stage
'Shit, he's Master Stage, and he has connections to the legendary Titan Race that's only spoken about in legend', Evolis started to panic, but he didn't show it on his face.
Axel's smile widened into a sneer. "Names are for the weak. I am simply a servant of the Lord, so just give up any thoughts of resistance and come with me, you can't get out of the suppression of my aura in any case." He extended his hand, and instantly, a palpable field of ethereal energy erupted from him.
The oppressive aura surged forward, tendrils of power that snaked around Evolis, weighing him down. The energy pressed against him so forcefully, trying to force him to kneel, that it felt as if the very air had turned to lead, his limbs growing heavy, his movements stifled.
For a moment, Evolis struggled against the invisible grip, his muscles straining as if wading through a thick, inescapable mire. The suppression was unlike anything he had felt before, even his training had never prepared him for such overwhelming force. His eyes widened as he fought for control, his mind racing.
Then, deep within him, a spark of that newly awakened energy, Novaris, flared with unexpected brilliance. It surged up from his core, a warm, vibrant counterforce that pushed against the oppressive aura. In a burst of raw determination, Evolis summoned every ounce of strength he had, channeling Novaris to break the suppression. Slowly, the tendrils of what seemed to be the gravity element, recoiled, and his limbs felt free once more.
"What, how are you resisting my aura!?" Axel hissed, voice laced with disbelief as he watched his control slip, but then he began to laugh once again, "Haha, the Lord will greatly reward me once I bring you to him to study."
But Evolis, his confidence bolstered by his inner surge, did not pause. With a determined cry, he jumped toward the massive door right in front of him. The door, an imposing barrier of ancient runes and shimmering Etherion, seemed to be so close, but it felt like it was taking him ages to reach it.
Halfway through his jump, the Axel struck. In a swift, calculated movement, he created a dense point in gravity which forced the surrounding space to collapse within itself, right behin Evolis's back. The impact was brutal, a shockwave rippled through the air, and for an instant, the door shuddered violently. The runes along its surface flared erratically before dimming into a chaotic flicker, and the structural integrity of the portal wavered.
Evolis, caught mid-jump, narrowly dodged the strike yet he still felt the force of the attack as if a bomb had gone off behind him, but he used the force of the explosion to get further towards the door. The chamber shuddered with the impact, and the door began to crack and splinter.
The Axel's laughter hitched, "Don't go through the door!", he shouted coldly, his voice echoing as the door's surface fractured, sending a shower of sparks and erratic Etherion fragments into the air.
Before Evolis could fully recover, the shattered fragments of the door seemed to pause mid-air. And then its erratic energy warped the space around it. A violent, swirling vortex opened up, a chaotic maelstrom that sucked in everything near it. The force was unimaginable, and Evolis felt himself pulled forward, his body hurtling through the unstable gap.
Time seemed to stretch into a surreal moment of weightlessness. His vision blurred, colors and sounds merging into a tumultuous symphony of chaos. He braced himself, knowing that the outcome of this leap could possibly kill him. Unbeknownst to him, the slip of paper in his pocket throbbed with light, exuding a mystical power and then dimmed. And then, he disappeared.
"FUCK!", Axel blasted the space where the door once stood, and crashed out as he blasted everything in his sight.
Finally after 10 minutes and many deep breathing exercises, he took a talisman from his waist and spoke into it. "Sir, we might have an issue."
---
Back in the Etherion Arena, the world outside the portal fell into stunned silence. The screens that once displayed every detail of the trial flickered and went dark. Spectators, cheered wildly, as the contestants finally emerged from the portal.
"Huh, where's Evolis," Lyris asked as she looked around. "There's no way he would've finished this late, that scoundrel loves to get attention."
"Lyris!" She turned her head as she saw Master Gaius frantically approach her, "Evolis.... h-he didn't make it out."
"Huh, what do you mean?" Lyris asked, as she tilted her head in confusion.
But before Master Gaius could respond, a teacher landed in the arena, breathless and wide-eyed, "The portal has closed which means that everyone who was inside the trial has either passed... o-or died!" He stammered as he delivered the grave news, "Which mean's Evolis didn't make it out."
"What did I hear correctly?"
"They just said Evolis didn't make it out."
"How's that possible though? He's the strongest among the students."
"I know but haven't been able to see anything on his screen since he entered the third trial so maybe something happened?"
As Lyris heard the murmurs around her it seemed as if the world came crashing down on her. Her face crumpled, her eyes filling with tears as she clutched her hands to her chest. "No… that can't be true! Evolis can't be gone… he's strong enough to make it through! He's stronger than me for Gods' sake!" Her voice wavered with despair and disbelief.
Master Gaius's face was blank, an expressionless mask of stoic sorrow. He stared at the silent screens and the scattered remnants of what had once been a cheering crowd. "This... can't be happening," he murmured, though his tone betrayed nothing of his inner turmoil.
Unable to contain her grief, Lyris's voice broke. "I must go back into the trial! I need to see for myself, find him, even if it means risking everything." Her determination shone through her tears, but there was an edge of desperation in her tone.
Before she could act on her impulse, Master Gaius stepped forward with a grim expression. "Lyris, no!" he commanded, his voice firm and laced with urgency. "You know the rules. Once you've attempted the trial, no one may re-enter, it is a death sentence for any who try to challenge fate again." He reached out quickly, but she was already moving, eyes blazing with sorrow and defiance.
In one swift motion, Gaius grabbed her arm and, with a pained expression, chopped the back of her neck. "I won't let you throw your life away... too," he said, his tone heavy with regret as she passed out. And soon, she slumped into his arms, as tears were still running down her face.
Gaius's eyes darkened as he watched her. "He couldn't have died it's impossible, something must've happened in the trial or the portal might've malfunctioned. if Evolis is still out there, I will find him," he vowed to her, a fierce determination replacing his blank despair. His mind churned with plans and contingencies, but for now, his focus was singular—Evolis's fate.
As his thoughts churned he saw, Seraphina and Regulus, Lyris' parents, land in front of him.
"What happened?" Regulus asked in a stern voice, snapping Gaius away from his thoughts.
"Sir they're saying Evolis has died in the final trial as he hasn't come out yet" Gaius spoke as he bowed, "But I believe he must've survived somehow and has just disappeared from the trial."
"That boy won't fall so easily." Regulus seemed to think about something and then he turned to Gaius, "Contact all our branches in the kingdom and ask them to deploy our units to search the kingdom for him. Then, go to Duke Marius Corvin, and tell those spy bastards to use their information network to look for him as well. If he refuses..." A baleful and oppressive aura burst out from Regulus, "Tell him, I'll personally come and rip his dukedom apart, brick by brick."
"Yes Master, I'll immediately start." Gaius said as he bowed once again, and then after handing Lyris back to her parents, he flew away.
"I hope we can find him..." Seraphine nervously muttered, as tears ran down her face.
"Me too honey... me too."
As everyone was scrambling to find out what happened to Evolis, two dark figures in the stands slowly stood up and disappeared.