After four days of preparation, Julian stood inside a closed hall. The old lamps hanging on the walls cast a faint orange glow, making the place seem drenched in awe and mystery. The air was thick with a sense of anticipation as if the hall itself knew the importance of what was about to happen.
Kross, Albus, and Adair were lined up next to Julian. Each of them held a mixture of expectation, worry, and trust in their gaze. Kross spoke finally, his voice calm but heavy with meaning:
"Julian, your most important moment has come. The spiritual bonding test is not just another step in your journey, it's the decision that will determine your entire fate. If you succeed, you will be one of the high warriors of the organization. But if you fail…" He paused for a moment, his eyes burning directly into Julian's. "You'll face consequences beyond reversal. Severe damage… maybe even your end."
Julian took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He did not allow fear to creep into his expression. He looked into Kross's eyes steadily and replied in a low but firm voice:
"I'm ready."
A small smile appeared on Kross's face, a mix of admiration and exhaustion, before he nodded. Albus, the largest and most powerful member of the group, stepped closer to Julian with heavy steps. He placed his hand firmly on Julian's shoulder, emphasizing both his physical and moral weight, and said in a tone that carried a warning:
"Failure at this stage is not an option, kid. This path is dangerous, but there's no turning back. Do you understand?"
Julian felt the weight of his words but lifted his head confidently, replying firmly:
"Don't worry. I won't fail."
Albus smiled, but his smile held more of a challenge than support.
Then, for the first time, Adair spoke. He stood next to Kross, watching Julian with eyes filled with encouragement and curiosity. He said in a friendly tone:
"We're waiting for you, Show us what you've got."
The atmosphere was charged with energy. Everyone knew this moment was not just a test; it was a turning point, one with no return.
The hall fell silent for a moment, then Kross broke the silence with a more serious tone:
"Spiritual bonding… is the toughest test you'll face. But it's also simpler than you think."
Julian raised an eyebrow in confusion and asked:
"How can it be both simple and difficult at the same time?"
Kross let out a short laugh and replied:
"Because it depends on only one thing: harmony. You need to be in complete alignment with your soul. The Sitrae is not just energy, it's a deep spiritual law. It's a mirror of your true self, and when you find the right law, you'll know immediately."
Then Kross gestured towards Albus.
"Take Albus as an example. His outward power is pride, arrogance, and a desire to dominate. That's why his choice was natural: Sitrae of Catastrophes."
Albus smiled broadly, raising his right hand. Suddenly, the hall grew unnaturally cold. The air itself froze in place as if time had stopped for a moment. Then he returned his hand to its natural position, and the heat gradually returned. He said sarcastically:
"The catastrophe is me, and I am the catastrophe."
Kross continued:
"As for you, Julian… your essence is mysterious. There is a sharp intelligence in your eyes, and an unyielding desire to discover the unknown. You may align with more than one law, but the final decision will be yours and your soul's."
He paused for a moment, then added in a warning tone:
"Once you enter the spiritual realm, you'll face absolute emptiness. Darkness will reign in this place, and you must find the light within it. Each point of light represents a law of the Sitrae, and your task is to align with one of them and bond it with your soul. Failure means spiritual rejection… a fate we do not wish for you."
Julian nodded in understanding and said:
"I'm ready to try."
Kross smiled cautiously and said:
"Then… take off your coat and enter the marking circle."
Julian removed his coat, revealing his white shirt. He walked confidently toward the glowing blue circle in the center of the hall. He sat in the middle of it, slowly closing his eyes.
Kross, Albus, and Adair sat around him, forming a triangle around the circle. The three of them raised their hands and began channeling their spiritual energy. The air trembled as if it resisted, before finally yielding to the flow of energy.
Julian felt a strange warmth spreading through his body, igniting within him little by little until his energy became stronger than his physical body. His consciousness began to fade slowly, and he sank deep into the depths of his soul.
He found himself in complete darkness. No earth, no sky, no sound… just an endless void. He could only hear his breath echoing within. Even his body didn't feel as it had before. The place was hauntingly empty as if space itself was suffocating him.
He stood still for a moment, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, remembering Kross's words: "Darkness is not defeated by resistance but by understanding."
He began to whisper to himself:
"Expand the field…"
Suddenly, his energy spread like a silent explosion. The darkness began to recede slowly, revealing tiny points of light scattered throughout the space. The lights flickered, each pulsating a different color. Some were cold and calm, others fiery and tempting.
Julian moved toward one of the glowing red points. It resembled a flame, but it vanished the moment he reached for it. He stepped back and muttered:
"This isn't for me."
He continued moving among the points, trying to feel rather than search. He focused on his inner energy, attempting to find harmony with one of the lights.
Suddenly, he felt something different. Far in the distance, there was a faint silver light. It was dimmer than the rest, but it carried a familiar feeling as if it were calling to him.
He moved toward it cautiously, ignoring the other lights. The closer he got, the stronger the light became, yet it wasn't as aggressive as the others. He reached out to touch it, and this time, the light did not disappear.
But the moment he touched the light, he felt an internal rupture. The surrounding darkness began to shift, waves of nothingness tried to devour the light.
Julian realized the real battle had begun. Instead of resisting the darkness, he decided to embrace it. He allowed the black energy to merge with the light, and the pain was unbearable.
The darkness began to shift as if space itself rejected the new light that Julian had chosen. Waves of nothingness surged toward him, like a relentless storm, trying to consume the silver light in his hands. He felt unbearable pain as if every part of his soul was being torn in different directions.
The choice was clear before him: either resist or allow the darkness to complete its role. But Julian, in an unexpected moment, chose neither. Instead, he allowed the light to blend with the darkness. The mixture was chaotic and destructive, but beneath the chaos, he felt something else—an invisible harmony, as if the chaos itself was the balance he had been searching for.
Energy flowed around him, and with every passing moment, he felt himself getting closer to his true essence. The spiritual realm was no longer an empty place; it had become a tremendous storm of contradictions. Suddenly, everything stopped. Silence returned, but it was not the same comforting silence as before. It was a silence filled with something unknown.
Then, before him, appeared a giant door, glowing with a silver frame, surrounded by moving engravings that could not be explained. The engravings seemed as though they were telling a story, but it was obscure and filled with mystery as if they were speaking in a language older than time itself.
Julian stood before the door, studying the engravings cautiously. At that moment, he heard a strange whisper piercing his ears. It wasn't just an ordinary sound; it was a mix of whispering and screaming as if countless souls were speaking at once. The words were unclear, but they left an echo in his heart as if they were calling his name.