[Trial complete, congratulations.]
Henry found himself surrounded by a void of nothing. He was not physically there; his mind was being projected into a reality unlike any other, a place in-between time and space. The fear he had felt at his near death had now dissipated, replaced by a feeling of serenity. A soft voice spoke faintly, the sound slowly surrounding Henry.
[You have fought valiantly, sweet hero. Your trial is complete.]
[You have slain Ascended human: Nero.]
[You have died, pity upon you. Reborn, you are now Veilbourne.]
Henry's metaphorical eyes widened. 'I died?' Henry's mind raced. He was reborn, but what did that entail?
[You have received Memento: Nebel.]
'Yes! A Memento from an Awakened has to be strong.'
When it came to grading in the Veil, it is broken into six grades in order of growing power: Locked, Awakened, Ascended, Transcendent, Mythic, and Divine.
[Your rebirth has brought upon a new Veil covering you with power beyond comprehension. Do you accept?]
'What? Do you accept a power beyond comprehension? Of course, what type of question is that? Yes.'
[Being reborn from the Veil, you have evolved. Your Veil has transformed.]
Veil: [Veilbourne].
Veil Grade: Anatheon.
Henry may not have had a body, but the shock on his face and the shaking in his palms were visible in his mind. What did Anatheon mean? Henry wondered. He had never heard of anything involving Anatheon. There are only six different grades for things within the Veil.
Before Henry could question things further, he felt an intense pulling, like his chest was being slammed upon.
Gasping, Henry opened his eyes to an unfamiliar room. His head was throbbing. He was terrified. Where was he? What was going on? After hyperventilating, Henry slowed his breath, realizing that he was back in the police station.
"Happy death day, kid," a hoarse voice spoke behind Henry, startling him.
Attempting to turn around, Henry noticed he was strapped down to some sort of chair. Contorting his head, he saw the one speaking to him. An older man, but oddly handsome, wearing an official outfit with a pin on the right of his jacket showcasing four shiny gold lines.
'Four marks must be a saint,' he thought, paying no mind. 'Wait… a saint!?'
Henry couldn't comprehend the meaning of his title before the man spoke up.
"Let's get you out of here," he said, a warmth in his voice that welcomed Henry back to the real world.
His restraints now off, Henry attempted standing before immediately falling back; his body was still weak.
"Ha, you've been out for two days, kid. I would give it a second," the older man giggled, looking at Henry.
Upset, Henry sat up, scratching his hair, noticing it felt less oily than usual. Feeling his face, Henry realized it was smooth. Was he still in Atticus's body?
"Do you have a mirror?" Henry asked quickly.
The old man stood up, walking over to a bag on the floor and pulling out a small handheld mirror.
"I should have guessed you new Awakened are always obsessed with your faces, huh." Chuckling, the old man held the mirror to Henry's face.
Henry was shocked. It was his face, but smoother. He seemed healthier, still skinny but filled out. He hadn't even realized that his posture was much better with no strain to his back.
"When you awaken, your body has to keep up with the power you hold. The stronger you get, the more impurities your body pushes out, making you look better and physically fitter." The old man leaned against a wall, pulling out a pack of gum from his back pocket and taking a piece for himself.
'This guy has to be unhinged.'
"So what are you here for?" Henry attempted standing again, now being able to, with the support of the table.
The old man laughed.
"Let me introduce myself first, 'Henry.' I'm Saint Thalor. I was the Awakened called to watch over you, in case you failed the Trial."
'Well, that tracks. Normally, an Awakened is called to watch over someone's Trial, but a saint is unusual.'
"Wait, you're a Saint? Why are you here instead of an Awakened?"
"Oh, I was just nearby when they called for someone. Thought it'd be a nice time waster. I didn't think I'd be here so long, though." Thalor scratched his head before walking to the exit of the room.
'He didn't think he'd be here long?'
"How long was I out?" Henry was confused; it was unnatural for Trials to take long in the real world.
Thalor sighed. "Well, let's see…" Pulling up his watch, he made an annoyed face. "Around 40 hours, give or take."
"Holy shit." Baffled, Henry stepped back, nearly falling. Nearly two full days he was dead in a police station.
"Yeah, don't let it bother you, though. I was out for six days." If two days was uncommon, then six was extremely rare. "You want to know what I was most excited for when I passed the trial?"
Perking his head up, Henry replied, "What?"
"A shower."
***
The police station showers were cold. Henry was angry that he didn't even get the luxury of a warm shower. Though now he had some privacy, he could look into his Veil.
Veil: [Veilbourne]
Veil Grade: [Anatheon].
So it wasn't a hallucination; his grade was new. What did it mean?
Innate Ability: [Moira's String]
Veil Description:
[Once nothing but a corpse, you have been reborn through the Veil, its first successor. Birthed from the Veil, you are Veilbourne.]
'What… Successor of the Veil?' Before Henry could complete his thought, a yell came from down the hall.
"Hurry up in there! We still got work to do!" Thalor spoke with a certain amount of unease in his voice, worrying Henry.
Getting out of the shower, Henry was welcomed by some fresh clothes, including a new pair of shoes, finally replacing his old, beyond-repair shoes.
Walking to the front of the police station, Henry found Thalor waiting, tapping his foot.
"Finally, you're out of there. Thought you drowned." Thalor laughed before his expression went serious.
"Listen, kid, most people don't get this opportunity, so I want you to think about it long and hard. I called the association and told them about you, and they said you have the option to attend the Veiled Academy. You don't have to go, but it's a great opportunity… So, what would you like to do?"
***
The Veiled Academy, a highly prestigious institution from which hundreds of world-famous Awakened have come, considers entrance rare, though it's rumored all Awakened are invited due to their requirement being to pass your Trial.
Going to the Veiled Academy had several benefits for Henry, the first of which was his living situation. The academy provided students with all essential living items, including living quarters and clothes. That alone was enticing to Henry, but the Academy also provided training and education on the next trials the Awakened would face.
The answer was obvious to Henry. He confidently answered, "Yes."