Chapter 6. Sei's Trial
We walked in silence. After encountering the Shadow Devourer, it felt as if the forest itself had stopped breathing. Light no longer pierced the canopy — dusk deepened ahead, and the air was heavy with an ancient, oppressive stillness.
At last, beyond the trees, a wall appeared — tall, covered in moss and time. Behind it lay the Monastery.
"There it is…" Fox said, stopping. "We've arrived."
"It's… incredible," I whispered, staring at the massive gates, adorned with carvings and ancient scripts. The stone felt cold, yet something inside felt alive.
I ran my fingers across the engraved symbols.
"But… Uncle Fox, we don't have a key to enter," I said with concern.
Fox just smirked, reaching behind his belt and pulling out a small item wrapped in dark cloth. Carefully, he unwrapped it — in his hand gleamed something like a crystal: deep blue with crimson flickers within. It seemed to breathe.
"Sraz gave it to me," he said calmly. "Told me you'd find the way, and that I should simply stay by your side. This is the key. One of three."
"Sraz?.. He knew this would happen?"
"He knew more than he let on. And he believed in you, Sei. More than you believe in yourself."
I stayed silent, feeling that strange warmth flicker again in my chest. Everything in me whispered that behind these gates lay something important — not just for me, but for the entire world.
"Ready?" Fox asked.
I nodded.
Fox raised the crystal — it burst into bright light, and the Monastery gates began to open slowly, groaning with a deep, ancient sound.
When the gates fully opened, a dark corridor lay before us, lit only by the occasional flicker of light radiating from Fox's crystal. The air inside was dry, with the scent of old dust… and something foreign. I clenched my fists instinctively.
We stepped inside.
The monastery walls were etched with ancient runes. They glowed faintly, as if responding to our presence. Shadows shifted of their own accord, like something was watching us from deep within the halls.
"Everything here feels… alive," I whispered.
"Not feels. It is alive. This place isn't just a place. It's memory. And a trial," Fox replied.
We passed through a long chamber, and suddenly, the darkness ahead thickened, forming a circular archway. Beyond it — nothing. Absolute black.
"These are the Gates of the Trial. Only the worthy may pass through," said Fox, stopping. "I cannot go. Only you, Sei."
"Alone?"
He nodded silently.
I stepped toward the arch. The moment I crossed its threshold, the world vanished. Everything was swallowed by void.
And then, a voice appeared — quiet, old, speaking directly into my heart:
> "Name what cannot be seen, yet leads you forward.
It is not made of flesh, nor light.
Without it, you cannot take a single step.
What is it?"
I froze. A riddle. Something unseen, yet it leads…
"Faith…" I whispered.
The darkness trembled, as if coming to life. Before me, a glowing bridge appeared, leading deeper into the Monastery.
> "You have taken the first step. But this is only the beginning,"
the voice boomed again — then faded.