Chương 74: The Second Day of Tests – Part 2/3

While Sylvara moved away to a corner of the courtyard, Lirien was called next. She entered the room with light steps, but her hands were slightly clenched. Master Thalor created the illusion without saying a word. What appeared was an older version of herself, alone in a dark room. Her voice had completely disappeared. In the illusion, the older Lirien tried to sing, but no sound came from her throat.

She watched the people she loved (Lysithea, the other children, Joker and Harley) drifting away from her because she could no longer communicate. The illusion was silent, heavy, and extremely lonely. Lirien stood still in the center of the room, her body tense. For a few seconds, her face showed genuine panic. She opened her mouth to sing, but no sound came out — exactly like in the illusion. Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't let them fall.

After a while, Lirien closed her eyes tightly and began to sing softly, almost a whisper. Even with her voice trembling, she kept singing until the illusion started to fade. When she left the room, her face was pale and she looked exhausted, but she had managed to stay on her feet. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Right after that, it was Kuroe's turn. She entered the room in silence, as always. Master Thalor created the illusion.

What appeared was a version of herself completely consumed by chaos. Her runes were glowing uncontrollably, and she was attacking the people around her without being able to stop — including Lysithea and the other children. The illusion showed Kuroe completely losing control of her own power and hurting the ones she loved. Kuroe stood still, watching the scene with a cold expression. Her own runes began to glow faintly on her back, as if responding to the illusion.

For a moment, it seemed like she was going to lose control. Her hands trembled. But then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forced her runes to calm down. She stayed still until the end of the illusion, without attacking anything and without letting the chaos take over. When she left the room, her face was serious and slightly sweaty, but she had managed to stay in control.

Joker and Harley continued leaning against the stone pillar, watching the candidates as they went through. Harley took another sip of water and commented quietly: — Lirien almost cried… and Kuroe almost lost control of her runes. Joker nodded once, without taking his eyes off the door to the room. — This test is hitting everyone hard. Harley stayed silent for a few seconds, then spoke: — We still have to see how everyone else does. But one thing I already know… She looked at Joker with a small sideways smile.

— This second day is going to be remembered for a long time. Joker didn't respond. He simply kept watching the courtyard with that lazy expression that hid quite a lot. The second day still wasn't over. And what remained ahead promised to be even more complicated. End of Part 2/3 (continues in Part 2/4)