There is still silence, not actually silence. It is fear among everyone. Torrent feels so depressed she keeps her head down. She doesn't look to anyone after the brutal death. She is wearing mask different from others. Not the polished black worn by Maester's nor the plain veils of the members. Hers is pale, smooth and almost pearl like, shaped soft to the edges.
A sound can be heard from her. It feels like she is sobbing. She wept in counted breaths. She is trying to cover her face by her hand. There is a scratch on her left hand. It is very old but deep like something has been torn apart from there.
Aeries is observing every participant all the time. Everyone is now in serious trouble having no idea what is going to happen now. All they could imagine, they are all now in front of a powerful man. They can't hide their emotion even though they wear masks. There is still silence in the room, actually brutal murder place. All get back to life hearing Maester's voice.
Maester clears his throat and starts, "For Torrent, your authority will be Abyssal Tide. For Inferno, Cinder Throne is your authority. Thousand Face is for Maskborn. And lastly, you, Dragon, you are going to follow the authority of Eternal Fang."
All of them, don't understand any of the name of the authority. They just nod down their heads as a symbol of acceptance and realization.
Maester orders Maskborn to stand up and come to him. There is a bottle, actually looking like a test tube but in a big size, in Maester's hand. Liquid is seen flowing up and down in the test tube. Color of the liquid is dark blue like, no trace of black but feeling like black.
Maskborn appears in front of Maester. Maester hands over the test tube in Maskborn's hand. "Drink it."
Maskborn has hesitation in his mind. Though he does what he was ordered. Maskborn drinks the liquid in one gulp.
The liquid touches his tongue, shivering his body. It is not cold, but dead cold. The taste is neither bitter nor sweet. It horrifies him more than poison. The moment it slides down to his throat, he forgets how to breathe. Air enters into lungs but does not feel like air. His heartbeat skips for a few moments then it starts very quickly. His memories is flashing in front of his eyes.
His childhood home appears in front of his eyes. He lived in a small village far from development, far from city. Suddenly a woman aged between thirty appears in front of him. He yelled unconsciously, "Mother, mother."
A melody voice of female replied in his imagination, "Cahir, my little baby."
And then suddenly the image has gone from his eyes. He has come to life though he has seen some portion of his childhood.
But everyone in the room saw Maskborn transforming or reacting to the liquid, no image. It was all Maskborn's imagination or trauma.
Maester replies, "You have now become Veilbearer, fifth hierarch of Thousand Face."
Maskborn comes three steps backward and nods down his head even his half of his body. He asks a question to Maester. "What are the powers of mine?"
Maester continues, "You can control your emotions and understand people's thoughts, can slightly alter appearance. You are now capable of mental influence on other people."
Maskborn can't control himself, "Am I capable of mental damage and attack?"
Maester replies, "In this hierarch, you are capable of doing only these. I can't reveal more about other hierarchs. The more you know, the more you become mad."
Understanding and listening the words carefully, Maskborn again comes back to his seat and sits down.
Then Maester orders to Inferno stand up, though he doesn't order to come to him. He passes down a cup made of silver to Inferno. He orders him to hold the cup over the candle for two minutes.
According to Maester's advice, Inferno does it yet he doesn't want to. He wants to devour it at instant, though he is holding the cup. The cup is being heated fast. Inferno's hand is burning by the flame and heat, though he manages to hold the cup for two minutes. The boiling sound of liquid is coming from the cup. The liquid seems to look like red-coal feeling like the molten lava. It tastes bitter. Inferno seems to cough out of bitterness though he devours it. Heat is going through over his body. The heat is spreading all over the room.
Inferno screams out of pain and suffering. The screams are louder, even more than a lion's. He yells out saying "Father".
Slowly but steadily, his scream is fading away. He stops crying out. He sits down in the chair having no balance in him. The wound is healing very fast. He unknowingly crushes the candle yet he doesn't get any feel of heat by the candle.
"What happened with me?" asked Inferno to Maester.
"You are now capable of maintaining fire and heat. You are now Ember Initiate of Cinder Throne authority, fifth hierarch." Maester then stops for a while. "You can create fire but there is a limitation but I won't tell you that, you have to find in your way. You can control fire but in a low range."
Aeries and Torrent look at each other, talking with each other in mind, "You go first." But both of them are rejecting altogether.
Maester understands their silent conversation. Maskborn has understood the emotional feeling very well. Aeries and Torrent are both frightened and fearful to take steps to stand and talk with Maester. They both are waiting for Maester's decision. Aeries seems confident whereas Torrent is not.
Though Torrent has no wish to go this time, she has to stand up because of Maester's command. Maester gives her a bowl made of mud, drenched by the liquid. No one can see the liquid from outside.
Torrent looks cautiously at the bowl. She finds out only water. She drinks it without thinking anything. But it is actually not water. It is feeling like the taste of blood. In bowl there contains the blood of fairy mermaid, 200 mL and a mixture unknown to Torrent.
When the liquid touches tongue for the first time, Torrent seems to vomit but doesn't. When it reaches to Torrent's stomach it reacts with every atom of liquids present in the stomach. It feels like bubbles are blowing in her stomach. She can't do anything from outside. She is feeling immense pain, though she endures.
She is feeling well steadily.
She then asks, "What can I do now?"
"You have water manipulation technique and power from now on. You can hold your breath under deep water for at least twenty minutes and dive into hundred meters in one breath. You can create mini water waves and have contact with aquatic animals."
She nods down her head and sits down on the chair. Suddenly her head is feeling ache seriously. She feels like something hammering in her head. She presses her head with both hands firmly.
Suddenly a bundle of ray has merged with Torrent in her head, coming from Maester.
Inferno, having no interest in Torrent's pain, asks a question, "Maester, what is your hierarch and authority?"
Maester doesn't response him. Alongside he neglects this question and moves his head to Aeries. Aeries, all the time, was watching everyone's power.
"Dragon, your turn."
Aeries gets surprised hearing his name. Now his turn has come. He was unprepared for his name citation.
"Yes, Maester. What do I have to drink?"
"It is a bit tricky. You have to drink five liquid mixture at once for your lowest hierarch. It is the consequence of your choosing the most dangerous authority among fifteen authorities."
Aeries is sweating and gets tensed.
Maskborn suddenly interferes, "If there are fifteen authorities, why are there ten cards shuffling? Where are other five?"
"It will be discussed when the appropriate time comes."
Looking at Aeries, Maester clears his throat and starts, "Are you ready?"