You are in the halls of destiny.
Defeat your hidden fears and shape your destiny.
Yeah, yeah. Dallion shattered the rectangle as he entered the room.
Unlike before, he didnt seem particularly worried. If anything, he was impatient to get this over with so he could focus on his real worries, naly the copyette in the city. While there was no evidence, his gut told him that there was a connection between it and the Star. What that connection was, he could only speculate. Having a talk with the mirror pool would be nice although he knew quite a few people would disapprove. Their opinions on the matter had a lot of weight, but at the end of the day, they werent living his life.
Thats really not the best idea, Gen said. They almost killed you twice.
True, but the second ti doesnt count, Dallion smiled. Besides, that ans they owe .
The corridor seed to widen the further Dallion went. A few hundred feet in, the torches on the walls were so far that they were like flickering lights in the distance. Looking up, Dallion could see more of them on the ceiling, forming a dimly lit do.
Any idea what this is, Nil? Or is that an area you arent familiar with as well?
Hmph! The old echo grumbled. Just because I dont burden my mind with useless information doesnt an Im as ignorant as you. And to answer your question, no, there is nothing specific that matches that shape. Must be sothing relating to you. You dont happen to fear dos, do you?
Dallion didnt bother answering. So far, he had held enough battles in do-shaped arenas to be fairly certain that he had no dark secret relating to dos. Still, it would have been nice if the room gave him a hint so he could sowhat prepare. Thinking logically, the first challenge had been against himself, the second, against the ntal image of his grandfather, and the third Well, the third was a bit too fresh in his mind to forget. Maybe he was going to face his mother after all? She was skilled in music, so it was going to be a difficult fight. Or maybe it was going to be sothing completely different?
Focusing, Dallion ford an echo of himself a few steps away. The effort was slightly greater than combat splitting, but in this instance, this seed to be more useful.
Well need a few more to explore the entire place, the echo said. Even if you he paused, then crossed his arms. Great. Youre sending forward. Why am I not surprised?
Dallion smirked. He could see the echo had taken his snarkiness to the extre. Still, there were no hard feelings as he said that. And to be perfectly honest, it was a bit nasty, making an echo just to check the way forward. From what Dallion rembered, scouts used this thod while in the realms to explore vast territories in the least amount of ti. There were several scrolls in the ring library dealing with that. Dallion had tried reading a few in order to prepare for his world expedition, but the slow, boring pace of the scroll had made him stop after half.
See anything? Dallion thought.
Just the tunnel going on and on, the echo shouted from ahead. I think its starting to shrink again.
That was interesting, although not as interesting as the complete lack of enemies. Normally, sothing should have happened about now.
Lux, be ready, Dallion thought.
The firebird chirped, then appeared next to him monts later.
Lux Dallion sighed. When I said that, I didnt an for you to co here. You were supposed to
The firebird looked at him, confused, tilting its head to the side. Even with his music skills, Dallion couldnt be certain if the familiar wasnt doing that on purpose. For so reason familiar emotions were difficult to see, especially Noxs lately.
Just stay there and be ready, okay?
The firebird chirped, moving slightly higher in the air.
Yep, the tunnel is definitely getting smaller, the echo shouted. I think I can see the end.
Whats there?
Nothing. Just an empty wall.
An empty wall. Maybe that was the test? Dallion rembered that when he had unsealed the awakened powers of his mother, he had to rely on Nox to make cracks within a wall. It was very likely the sa to be in effect here.
The wall looks pretty solid, the echo shouted. Want to co back?
No, stay there! Dallion yelled, even if he didnt have to. Ill co to you. Eagerly, he marched forward.
On the fifth step he took, everything around him suddenly changed. Dallion had less than a mont to sense the flood change into water, almost pulling him down as he stood on it. In that instant, the ntal fortress of calm that he had built shattered, as panic seeped through.
Water Why did it have to be water?
Even worse, why hadnt he taken the opportunity to learn proper swimming since the first mirror pool incident? Practically, there was no excuse. He had seen the amount of ti his improved body allowed him to hold his breath. The amount of ti had to have further increased since then. His perception allowed him to see everything beneath the surface as if it were air and still he hadnt bothered to do the simplest thing simply because he didnt think hed even need it.
For a few seconds Dallion remained still, almost frozen, as the silence went through his mind, letting the surface move further away. It was like watching a helium balloon go up and up towards the sky. Shortly after, the next phase of panic kicked in, forcing Dallions body to move on its own, as he desperately tried to grab the fleeing surface.
Lux! Get out! He desperately shouted in his mind, even if he knew that it would be no use. Despite the firebirds many qualities, swimming wasnt among them.
You need to be calm, Gen said. This is just a trial.
In part, Dallion knew that. However, at the sa ti, he did not. It seed too real to him, so real that everything that he had learned since he had arrived in Nerosal, all the skills and improvents vanished like smoke in the night.
Desperation kept him struggling as he went down, not once managing to coordinate anything close to actual swimming, as if sheer will alone would be able to propel him forward.
Dont fight it, a lody said in Dallions mind. Focus on what you achieve and not on what is surrounding you.
The nymphs words fell on deaf ears. Struggling in a battle against himself, Dallion seed to do everything in his power to make life more difficult for himself. Then suddenly, the water around him disappeared, letting him fall on a stone floor.
It took several seconds for Dallions body to catch on and end its attempts to swim through air. When it did, confusion kicked in.
Where am I? Dallion wondered.
Slowly, he stood up and looked around.
The room was very similar to the first room he had once he had co here. There were doors or windows, nothing but grey walls. As he took a step forward, a red rectangle appeared without warning.
You are Level 16
Okay. Dallion gently tapped it. The rectangle disappeared and a new one ford in its place.
You have failed to defeat your fears.
You wont be able to shape your destiny for another 24:00.
As Dallion looked, the counter started counting down.
Look on the bright side, Gens voice ca from a few steps behind. At least you get to try again in a day if you want to.
Huh? Dallion turned around briskly. What are you doing here?
The wall
Greeting you, apparently. Didnt know about this place, though. Guess it is the room of failure.
Close, Nil walked in from where one of the walls used to be. You can call this the heart of the realmthe very first room that was created upon awakening. Usually, you get thrown back there when you ss up in the awakening realm. The dallion leaves you a way out.
As the echo spoke, the walls of the room disappeared one by one, revealing the initial awakening room.
It had been quite a while since Dallion had failed. The experience was unlike all previous tis. He wasnt thrown out in the real world, for one thing. Then again, there was the humiliating experience of failing due to drowning. That definitely wasnt sothing hed share with anyone.
You dont have anything to be ashad about, dear boy. Nil said with a polite smile. Leveling up faces you with issues that you havent resolved yet. No matter the appearance, they are things you might not be ready for yet.
Nil, I drowned in a pool of water
Not sothing Id advertise, thats for sure, but at least you know not to do so in future, correct?
That was definitely one way of looking at it. Maybe that was a hint not to get involved with the mirror pool? If everything in the awakened realm was taphor, maybe the body of water was the representation of the organization and Dallion falling to the bottom ant he was in too deep? Or maybe he was overthinking things.
Still, I would suggest a bit of real-life practice before your next attempt? the echo said, arching his brows. Just a suggestion.
You know what, I might do that, Dallion walked right past him and gen. Give just a minute, I need to check sothing.
Without explanation, he went out of the room and into the corridor. The door was still there, only this ti, there was a large padlock on it. It wasnt the place Dallion wanted to go, though. Turning to his right, he continued along the other side of the corridor, until he reached the harpsiswords domain.
The sun had already set, replaced by the seven moons. The clean skies for a mont made Dallion feel as if he were in space. A cool breeze passed through him, washing all his troubles away, making him wonder why he didnt spend more ti here.
Harp? Dallion said, looking at the top of the nymphs tower.
A blue light appeared, inviting him to go up. Just as Dallion was about to, a familiar chirp ca from the air beside him.
Not now, Lux, Dallion said as he petted the firebird. I want to have a few words alone.
The familiar was visibly sad at the response, but even so flapped its wings, disappearing from the realm in a flash. Waiting a few more seconds, Dallion then made his way to the top of the tower. The nymph was there, as always, only this ti her harp was gone, replaced by a fireplace made of water. Blue flas let out a pleasant glow, though without creating any heat.
The sea is breaking up tonight, the fla vibrated, conveying the nymphs words.
Ill take your work for it. Dallion didnt even look.
You shouldnt.
Because I must be ready to deal with things on my own. I know. I have just one question, though. You could have helped pass the trial. Sa as you did during the sanitation job.
The nymph said nothing.
Im not here to ask why you didnt help level up. Im here to learn why you let win last ti. I could never defeat you in a normal fight, even with Lux and Nox. You and Nil were quite convincing, but I think there was more to that test than what you said.
Possibly. Its not for you to know, though. Not yet.
Is that everyones answer for everything?
There was another long pause. The guardian looked at Dallion.
The skill was a gift left there for you, she replied through the water flas. I was just a way for you to find it.
So the trial was fake?
No. The trial was real, but the skill you acquired had nothing to do with it. The flaw you held was that you were starting to rely on too much. I had to put a stop to that early on.
That made so sense in a strangely weird way.
Who left the gift for ? Dallion asked.
I cant tell you.
Why not?
Because the Moons wont allow it.
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