Trial of Death – Part IX

Sephir and Sraptor stepped into the next hall, reminiscent of the waiting area where they had first arrived. Anna, the guardian of the trials, greeted them as they entered. "Greetings, Lady Sephir and Sraptor. Please wait for the other contestants to complete their trials."

This waiting area, although similar in appearance, had a distinct difference. It featured seven entrances, including the one Sephir and Sraptor had arrived from. Upon their arrival, they noticed that one of the champions was already present. It was Chrys, the Champion of Wisdom, accompanied by his guide, Apollo. Chrys approached Sephir and engaged in conversation. "So, you've made it, fellow competitor," he remarked, adjusting his glasses. "It seems we may have at most four more competitors joining us for phase two, along with the returnees."

Sephir was surprised and inquired, "Four?" Chrys calmly explained, "If you observe the entrance, you just came from, you'll notice a specific rune above it. Yours and mine now have emeralds above the entrances, while the others, except two, have topaz. When you entered, your rune changed from topaz to emerald. However, for the other two, it's a ruby, which likely means they have either failed the trial or are no longer with us."

Impressed by Chrys's observation, Sephir said, "You truly deserve to be a Champion of Wisdom." Chrys humbly replied, "You flatter me, my lady. Especially considering you are the first to arrive after me, and since the trials of phase one mainly tested wits and wisdom, your performance has left me impressed."

Before Sephir could respond, another voice interrupted. It was Darlyn, the Champion of Love, who seemed rather tired. "Anthyyy, I am so tired right now! Please carry me, Anthy," she pleaded. Anthrax, her guide, responded firmly, "Please understand, my lady, I cannot defy the rules of heaven for your personal convenience." Darlyn and Anthrax walked out of the door, and the topaz crystal above their entrance changed to emerald. Chrys couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, and Sephir shared an embarrassed smile. Sraptor shook his head and commented, "It seems the new Champion of Love is a handful for my fellow angel."

Chrys continued to analyze their situation. "My lady, there's one more thing you may have noticed. We have only one exit here and no other connecting halls like in the previous waiting area. Since we are all gathered together and have no decisions to make about the next connecting hall, it confirms that phase two will likely involve all of us competing together."

Sephir contemplated Chrys's words. It made sense, as they no longer had the choice of selecting a different path as they did in the previous waiting hall. "You are wiser than me, Chrys," she admitted, showing respect for his wisdom. Chrys replied with a smile, "And you are kinder. You even remembered my name. I'm not sure our fellow champion who just joined us will do the same."

Upon noticing the two champions, Darlyn approached with her characteristic innocence. "Huh! Who are you two?" she asked, oblivious to their presence. Chrys shook his head in mild disappointment. Sephir laughed at Darlyn's innocence and forgetfulness. Darlyn introduced herself to them, extending her hand in greeting. Sephir shook her hand warmly and said, "Nice to meet you too, future Goddess of Love."

Darlyn responded cheerfully, "Hey! She's not so bad, Anthyy! I like her!" she exclaimed. Before he could continue, another champion's voice echoed through the hall. Blaire, the Champion of Flame, entered, exclaiming, "Phew! That was tough to burn through, right, Agni?" Her guide, Agni, replied, "For you, my lady, I shall burn this world." Blaire urged him to calm down, fearing that others might misunderstand their fiery conversation.

Darlyn, pointing at Blaire, exclaimed, "Look, Anthyy! Another baddie," but her demeanor quickly changed. With a smile, she said, "Doesn't this mean more competition for us? I don't like them, Anthy, except for this lady! She's nice!" She pointed to 

Chrys, still bemused by Darlyn's behavior, said, "Ugh! How did you become the third to complete the Wisdom Trial of Death?" Darlyn responded with a whimsical smile, "He's a bad bad baddie, Anthy! I don't like him." Anthrax, while shaking his head, urged to her "My lady! please behave maturely among your fellow champions, it doesn't suit a Future Goddess to behave as such in public."

Just as they settled into the conversation, they heard a loud thud from the last entrance with the topaz crystal. With a resounding explosion, two figures were thrown out. "Argh! I hate these puzzles," grumbled Augustus, the Champion of War. As they approached the group, Demitry said, "I agree, my prince, but alas! Such are the rules of heaven. But look, we did make it through."

As Demitry and Augustus dusted themselves off and joined the other champions, Anna positioned herself near the opposite door of the seven entrances and announced, "We have our final five champions of phase one here, along with us. Congratulations on making it this far in the Trial of Death. There will be no further eliminations unless you make a poor choice. The remaining candidates in this area should now decide whether they wish to continue the trial further this year. If you choose not to, you can participate in phase two directly next year. However, if you opt to participate, please form a line near the entrance. If not, please stay here until the participants exit this area. You will be guided out of the trial hall later."

With this announcement, phase one of the trials concluded. All the champions joined the line of participants, ready to face the even more challenging trials that awaited them in phase two. In this intricate game of light and shadow, the fates of these champions hung in the balance, their destinies yet to be revealed.