The Trial of Strength (3)

My true self? What do you mean?

Get out of my head!

Boy, you are weak.

You will die.

I can feel my brain sweltering, it's pulsing so vividly that my vision is blurry. My vision gets darker and darker, delving deep into the inner depths of my psyche. Within the inside of my mind I can see my Resan. It was dark.

So bloody dark.

You are a vestige of power. 

An untapped fountain.

And it is mine.

Yours? What do you mean, what even are you?

I mentioned before, I am you.

Boy, deep within yourself I reside.

I am the hunger.

I am the splendour.

I am the darkness.

Give into me, and you will never fail.

I don't know what you are, I will never keel over to something like you.

Hah, you will see soon.

Soon.

My mind finally breaks free, my whole body is shaking from the whiplash of the immense power that had been resonating throughout my body. I open my eyes looking around the room. 

It was a mess. Everything was broken, the chairs completely shredded, a big hole in the middle of the room, seemingly a pit into nothingness.

I peer over the edge, but I can't see anything, and it's chill was otherworldly. A proctor erupts into the room. I'm still gasping trying to find my breath, but the proctor grasps me by the collar and yanks me out of the room and is dragging me somewhere else. My vision is foggy just like my mind, the only things I can see are the screens that light up the hallway, the nausea that erupts from my stomach to my head are debilitating. On the screens I see Veron, it seems like he's triumphantly raising his fist into the air, he lets out a scream, but I can't hear anything.

It looks like he won, and rather handily. But, Gods my head is thumping. I can't even think straight. Where am I going right now?

I'm dragged along the floor until we finally reach a stop, the proctor throws me into a small compartment, it shifts and turns and then begins to ascend. It was an elevator. 

A small jolt occurs before I feel my body begin to shift upwards, I was going up. My head is still in a daze, the proctor is gone now. What is happening here? My confusion at this situation just serves to hasten the power the pain has on my head. It begins to pulse harder and harder. I start to hear things, muffled sounds of masses of people just screaming, shouting, cheering. It begins to lull me away from falling into unconsciousness.

As I continue to go up I am met by a blinding light, it burns into my retina, I can feel the pulsing within my head driving me insane. It's an arena, it is filled to the brim with people of all sorts. Each part of the arena is divided into different cohorts, colours that signify their different allegiances I would imagine. And they're all here to watch me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may we present, the boy with dual elements! The boy who scored fantastically on potential, Gian!"

A mass eruption of sound, it rammed directly into my head causing me to clasp my head in pure pain. Gods, this pain is brutal. How can I even compete in this state? I can barely walk...

My legs drag behind me as I walk out into the main arena, leaving the elevator behind me, I still clasp my head, wincing periodically as the spouts of pain continue to come and go. 

I'm limping out into the main circle of the arena, sweat constantly beading off my forehead onto the floor, the very tips of my fingers are trembling, my breath keeps being exasperated. It's too difficult to even hold onto consciousness, much less fight! 

Give in control to me, boy...

The darkness covers my entire sight, my knees buckle under the pressure of the Resan that was exuding from my being.

I can easily kill whomever comes out of those gates...

This... thing. It doesn't want to help, it only seeks control! I cannot give it any leeway, not into my mind. I remain focused, I take a deep breath in and let my lungs fill with the innate Resan within the air. The darkness begins to subside, the creature within me grows evermore frustrated, letting out a guttural deep growl.

Both my hands clutch the floor and push up, I give a hardy little yelp as I finally reach my feet, still feeling weak upon them.

"And now, for our challenger here, everyone give a warm welcome to a Vampire from the Everi clan!"

Vampire from the Everi clan..? It couldn't be, could it?

Not Veron...

"Indri!" 

A pale figure erupts from the other side of the arena, he makes his way towards me in quick strides, I could tell his physical abilities were astounding, with the elegance and speed that he managed to reach me in.

I'm not sure if I can survive this...