Chương 2: The Waiting Room

Cold air prickled Anadis's skin. Overhead loomed a dark, starless night, yet he could still see. Vibrant, colorful lights illuminated the chaos of towering structures of strange angles and flat glass faces all around him. So many colors, so many flashing bursts—it felt as if the stars themselves had fallen to the ground. A strange melody of chiming bells echoed in the distance. A cacophony of screams assaulted his ears as shadowy figures darted frantically past him, some with tears streaming down their faces.

He couldn't understand a single word. Then the pain struck—a wet, ragged burning in his chest. When he looked down, crimson was already spreading, thick and dark, soaking through fabric he didn't recognize. Despite the white-hot pain, he couldn't help but shiver. Then the girl appeared. As always, the moment she showed up, the pain vanished instantly. She knelt beside him—the only face he could see clearly.

Her eyes were filled with tears, her cheeks flushed red, and her runny nose doing little to diminish how pretty she was. She leaned over him, speaking in frantic, scrambled sounds he couldn't understand. Her cries grew sharper, more desperate, but the words remained incomprehensible. Only one thing made sense. A name.

"Leander!" ❧❧ ⫷ ❁ ⫸ ❧❧ Anadis jolted upright, heart hammering against his ribs. The frescoed ceiling of the cathedral's little room greeted him, barely visible in the dimmed candlelight. A thin linen sheet was tangled around his legs, and his curls clung damply to the back of his neck. Pressing a hand to his chest, he checked for wounds, for blood. Nothing. He exhaled slowly. Leander. The name settled inside him like it always did, half familiar, half wrong.

Like a word from a language he had never learned, but somehow almost knew. It had been so long since the last time he had this nightmare—two years, maybe more. Long enough that he had almost convinced himself the nightmares were over. And yet here it was again, hours before the trial. Shaking his head, he told himself, I can't think about nightmares. Not today. Not when I have the Blessed Trial to survive. After his Divine Core was revealed, a deacon had taken him to a small private room.

He assumed Albus and Aelia had each been led to rooms of their own. The reason for this was simple: they had all been given new clothes for the Blessed Trial. Gone were his formal tunic and dress sandals. In their place were leather boots that almost reached his knees, well-fitted, sturdy linen pants, and a thick brown cotton undertunic, but he couldn't have cared less about that. He was… sleepy… He shut his eyes, willing himself back to sleep.

Exhaustion was finally catching up after he hadn't managed a wink the night before, with all the nerves that had been pumping through his veins. Then came a knock. He groaned, angry. He was probably about to die in a trial—couldn't he at least get a little sleep? Gazing out the window as he stood to open the door, he watched people filing out of the cathedral like clusters of ants. The ceremony was over, which meant it was almost time.

A deacon entered without waiting for him to open the door and beckoned him, guiding him through a hidden hallway to a small waiting room where Aelia and Albus sat talking. The latter jerked upright the moment he saw Anadis.

"You're here!" he beamed.

"Does that mean you also have a Divine core?" Anadis nodded once.

"This is the waiting room before the trial," the deacon said.

"I'll bring your family in shortly, so you can stay with them until the trial begins in one hour." With that, the deacon left and closed the door behind him. Aelia approached with a gentle expression.

"Why do you look so down? I thought this was all you ever wanted." He remained silent for a long moment, choosing to pull out a chair and sit down before speaking again, his voice low and somber.

"I have a Divine core… but it's black." A small gasp escaped Aelia.

"I don't understand," Albus said, tilting his head and furrowing his brows in genuine confusion.

"Why are you reacting like that? I thought a Divine core was supposed to be good. Why should the color matter?" The question caught Anadis off guard. He knew Albus paid little attention in class, but even he should know something as simple as this.

"I'm not sure about the exact number, but only about one in every ten black-core bearers survive the trials," Aelia explained.

"And the reason for that—" The door swinging open cut her off mid-sentence.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Big brother Noe said, spreading his arms.

"If it isn't the Blessen trio." The whole family was behind him—Mother, Father, Grandma Anna, and Nora.

"Brother Noe," Albus said, shoulders lifting. Mother rushed in and stretched her arms wide enough to wrap all three of them in her arms.

"My three children… all blessed with Divine cores." Her face was puffy, eyes red-rimmed, probably because she was just crying.

"I can't believe all three of you turned out to have Divine cores," Noe said.

"And white and yellow…" he paused for a second and glanced at Anadis with what seemed like an uncomfortable expression.

"I thought you said you wouldn't make it," Anadis cut in, hoping to smooth over the awkward moment.

"Something about you being busy with parliament stuff."

"Oh… yeah, lord Venrie gave me a hand and allowed me to come here for the ceremony."

"He's a great boss to work for."

"Exactly," Noe agreed with a smile. Lord Venrie was the only Tribune in Aura Cay, Noe's mentor, and—most importantly—his father-in-law. Somehow, Anadis's older brother had managed to win over the Gold-rank High-Lord's only daughter and secure a seat as the youngest senator on the island. Some would call him an opportunist, but to Anadis, Noe was simply that good at making people want to help him.

Noe never awakened a Divine core, and he'd seemed down for months, but now, at least to Anadis, he came across as happier than ever before.

"Anyways," Noe said, looking at each of them in turn—Aelia, Albus, then Anadis last—and held his gaze for a moment.

"Listen, what comes now is the real deal. You must survive it no matter what. Help each other out there and don't forget what you've learned all these years." Father knelt before them, taking each of their chins in turn—Aelia, Albus, then Anadis. When his rough hand cupped Anadis's jaw, their eyes met.

"Listen to me." His voice was low, steady.

"I'm proud of all three of you." He squeezed Anadis's chin gently." Regardless of core color." That gave Anadis pause. Was he actually proud? Or was he just acting out his fatherly role, the one where he couldn't have favorites? And couldn't show how he truly felt? If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Now I need you to understand. No matter how rare your core is, any one of you can still die in the trials." His gaze remained unwavering. Anadis knew it couldn't be easy for a father to speak such words to his own son or daughter. Yet the fact that he did made the danger ahead feel far more real.

"Stop scaring them, Dad," Nora said, pressing and grinding her fists against Father's temple.

"I'm not trying to scare them; I'm just being honest. They need to be careful," Father explained, completely ignoring Nora's attempt at parenting her own father.

"They'll be fine," Grandma Anna assured.

"If my hard-headed son survived it, they'll manage just fine." That got a chuckle out of Anadis, the weight in his chest easing a bit. The whole family kept chatting for a while longer, and not a word about his core color was ever uttered. He didn't know what to make of it—was it right to just ignore it? Were they trying not to make him feel bad? Less than his siblings? The door swung open, and a deacon appeared.

"I'm here to gather the future Blessens; the trial is about to commence." His heart sank; this was it —no turning back.

"Good luck out there," said Noe. Grandma smiled reassuringly while Nora hugged them and said to him, "Don't be nervous, girls will be all over you once you're Blessens." Anadis actually thought about that for a second. The idea of girls flocking to him once he became a Blessen, fighting over his attention, almost made him do a little shimmy dance. He giggled foolishly but then caught himself and settled for rolling his eyes instead.

"Always trying to be funny, Nora."

"What does that mean?" Albus asked, pressing a finger to his bottom lip.

"Why would Anadis want girls to be all over him?" Nora giggled, amused.

"You'll understand in due time." Father rested his palms on Anadis's and Albus's heads.

"Listen, I need you two to look after your sister." He glanced at Aelia.

"You know she's never been much for defending herself." They both nodded once, with Albus saying, "I won't let any harm come to her."

"Father," Anadis said with a quiet but steady tone as he met Father's gaze.

"I promise all three of us will survive, become Blessens, and attend the Stoneward Academy just like you once did. We'll make you proud." Then, louder and with more conviction, he added, " I'll make you proud." The Stoneward Academy was the largest institute for Blessens on the entire continent of Igindor. Almost every Archon, guild leader, and legendary figure had once walked its grounds as a newly awakened Blessen. Whether he deserved to be there or not, he was about to prove he did.

Father studied him for a long moment, then gave a single nod that felt… reassuring. The man opened his mouth.

"I know you will." Something in Anadis's chest loosened at the candor of his father's words. Before he and his siblings could leave, Mother grabbed all three of them by their arms.

"Be careful… Come back." Her voice cracked on the last word.

"We will, Mom," Anadis assured, doing his best to meet his mother's wet eyes.

"I promise." They passed through the cathedral's auditorium, now mostly empty with the ceremony being finished, and headed toward the back of it outside, where the pastor stood with three more kids before him. One was a rough-looking kid, tall and lanky, with choppy brown hair—the kind of haircut you give yourself at midnight with dull scissors and zero regrets. Huh? Anadis could've sworn something moved within the boy's tunic, as if he had a third arm hidden in there.

Am I imagining things— Again, something moved—down from his shoulder, across his torso, and into his back. There! What the? But before he could dwell on it, he saw who stood beside the lanky boy." You!" he said, pointing a finger at the bratty blond ponytail girl, the same one who bad-mouthed the pretty commoner girl.

"Why are you here?!" She clicked her tongue.

"Why else, you dolt?" she said, exasperation clear.

"I got a core too… a grey one." She said the last word with a hint of mockery.

"Behavior," the pastor advised, then gestured for them to stand beside the other kids. Anadis obliged and walked with his sister and brother, following suit, and that was when he noticed who else was there—standing beside the ponytail girl." Hey," he said softly to the dark-skin beauty, the commoner he'd sat next to during the ceremony.

"Can I know your name? I don't want to keep referring to you as the—" He caught himself before saying something regrettable. She didn't respond and just looked away without uttering a word.

"Leave it alone, she doesn't like you," said the annoying menace, her voice like a thorn in his side.

"Ahem," the pastor cleared his throat.

"Kids, you're about to head to a place so dangerous that not all make it back alive. This isn't the time for whatever this is." Anadis straightened, all his undivided attention on the man.

"Within the next fifteen minutes, you'll all be transported into what we believe is a part of the Shrouded Continent."" Believe?" Anadis echoed.

"Yes." The pastor nodded.

"So far, in all expeditions toward the Shrouded Continent, not one of the Fourbloods has been able to locate the place you're going to. It could be a realm created by the gods… or a section of the Shrouded Continent under their control. We don't know, but before any of that put on these rings." A deacon went around, giving each one of them a silver ring adorned with fancy patterns and a small jewel embedded in the center. Anadis slipped it onto his finger and winced as a tiny needle pricked his skin." Ouch!"

he whimpered, shaking his hand. The deacon tapped the ring lightly.

"Each ring contains a small needle that draws your blood and syncs with you." Could've at least given us a warning, Anadis thought, rubbing his sore finger. Then the pastor added, "This is your only way back. Don't lose it." A beat.

"And be ready—there will be Grulls." A chill ran down Anadis's spine at the thought of having to fight a Grull as an ordinary person; there was no way to win such a fight. The ponytail girl's audible gulp was impossible to miss.

"Grulls…" Aelia muttered next to him, her voice shaky. Anadis squeezed her right hand, and Albus took her left, which did little to stop her shaking, but she still offered a warm smile.

"Yes, there'll be Abominant-rank Grulls," he continued, raising his jeweled arm so it shimmered blindingly under the twin suns.

"For those who don't know, Abominant is the lowest rank in the Abyssal Hierarchy. Once you spawn, the Divine Voice will tell you how many Grulls you're facing. The more there are, the weaker each one will be."

"And how are we supposed to defeat Grulls?" This time, it was the lanky boy who spoke.

"The gods," the pastor said, pointing at the sky, "they act as your patrons during the trial. The moment you spawn, every one of you, regardless of core color, will receive a temporary augmentation. Strength, agility, senses. Nothing close to what a true Blessen can do, but enough that fighting a Grull won't be complete suicide." He paused to gather his breath.

"On top of that, they'll gift you Boons tailored to your core. Boons are divine abilities bound directly to your Divine Core. Unlike a sword you can drop or lose, a Boon stays with you unless its uses are exhausted."

"How do they decide who gets what?" the ponytail girl asked.

"Does it have to do with the color of our Divine cores?"

"Exactly," the pastor replied.

"Most kids spawn with at least a common offensive Boon. The better your core, the better the weapon you'll find in your hands." He pointed at Albus.

"You, boy with the white core." Then he pointed at Aelia.

"And you, with the yellow core. You two will receive the better Boons. After that, it'll be you with the red core," he said, gesturing toward the silent girl.

"And you two—grey cores." He looked at the tall boy and the ponytail girl.

"You'll get an offensive Boon, but it'd be of the lowest rank." Finally, his gazed landed on Anadis, his tone softening.

"And you, boy with the black core… there's almost a hundred percent chance you won't get anything. So try to keep yourself away from danger. Find one of them." That checks out. At the end of the day, that was the reason why only one in ten black core bearers survived. It was almost as if they weren't meant to—no god bestowed anything they could use to kill, to defend. As if they had no faith he'd make it. As if they didn't want him to. I'll show them. Then the last thing the pastor said finally clicked." Wait?!"

Anadis blurted.

"Are we not going to appear in the same spot?" The pastor shook his head.

"You all will spawn in different locations but near enough for you to find each other." No… that means Aelia will be alone. Hopefully, Albus or I can spawn near her.

"Each of you will receive two tasks: one personal, tailored to you, and one shared cohort task. Completing just one is enough to become a Blessen. I've seen many kids try to hide and let others finish the cohort task, but I strongly recommend you find each other and survive together." Then he paced around each one of them, glancing as if checking gems in a market.

"Honestly," he finally said.

"I'm feeling pretty confident about this cohort; it's the first time in years we've had at least one kid with each Divine core. A yellow core hasn't appeared in nearly a decade, and as for white… I've been a pastor for thirty years and I still can't believe I saw one today." That gave Anadis some peace of mind he hadn't realized he needed. It also made the shakiness in his hands lessen somewhat. Perhaps their chances weren't so grim after all." But!" the pastor exclaimed. Of course there's a but…

"For the love of the gods kids, don't try to be heroes don't try to fight the Grulls alone. You. Will. Die." His gaze grew somber as he delivered that final warning.

"Hide, find the others, and survive." The ring began to glow. A blinding white light rose from the small jewel, quickly enveloping him and the others in the area.

"Well, it's time," said the pastor.

"Good luck, and I pray to the gods each one of you survives." Anadis squeezed his sister's hand. She squeezed Albus's, and to his surprise, the silent girl beside him clutched his tunic, her hand trembling. He looked straight at her. Her red eyes were wide with fear. This was the first time she wasn't ignoring him.

"It's okay," he said quietly.

"We'll make it." Anadis took a deep breath, trying to ease his own nerves, and suddenly he had the indisputable urge to—"Wait!" he blurted.

"Can I use the bathroom? I really need to pee —"