Meeting with the Gods.

Roan, Hazel's Grandfather, stared at his granddaughter's silhouette brimming with light under the blue shimmering lake. Her light overshadowed the lake itself, which to him was mesmerizing and frightening.

Yes, he was scared. Not for himself. Far from it. Afterall he had lived a longer life. Even more than his own children. He was scared of what would happen in the future when he wasn't around. He could sense death looming around him more strongly, ever since he gave her the amulet. He knew he wouldn't be there all the time to protect her.

He wasn't really in support of her gaining her ninth tail. But he couldn't bear to crush the zeal she had since she was just a baby. He couldn't bear to lock her up and deal with things himself when all she wanted was to help. He would never feel at peace if he ever did that.

Even though he knew very well she won't come out the same. He had lost his innocent baby the moment when she was assimilated into the Word tree and he could not feel at ease.

"Be happy Sirae. No matter what. Will you promise that to this old man?"

He muttered helplessly to himself.

He was really scared. That it would scar her. He had to protect even at the expense of his life.

No matter what.

His clenched fist froze as he let out a silent curse. He felt a couple of unwanted presence surrounding the cave.

It seemed like his old age was catching up with him that he didn't notice them until they got close.

The priest beside him yelped in horror.

At least, the priest wasn't overly weak and in need of protection.

"My Lord..."

"Guide my granddaughter. Don't let any hair from her get hurt or I might as well burn you alive."

The priest clasped his wrist tightly, he lowered his head in a small bow. Before scurrying off to the lake.

"You are surrounded, King Roan."

A raspy stone-chilling voice resounded behind him, dauntingly.

Roan's claws speedily inched out. Long blades that was extremely lethal. With an aura of memories and ages of experience to it's name.

A weary smile on his wrinkled face. His fangs fully elongated. Nine tails spreaded out wildly from behind him. Filling up space.

He eyed the man few metres at the back of him. The masked man was in light, long black robes. Void of any flowery design. Almost mundane that anyone would have thought of him harmless. His black mask was the same as him, plain. The only thing remarkable was it was broken leaving his chapped lips on display.

But every pores of Roan's wrinkled skin screamed in adamant refusal. Warning him of how dangerous he truly was.

" To think you underestimated me by sending weak Foxes which hasn't passed the age of weaning to kill me... I feel disappointed. It seems my expectations of Dark Foxes was a tad too high. Are you lacking staff?"

Roan lit up blue flames on his claws, encasing them before landing a heavily powered swipe at the Foxes that blended in the shadows at the entrance of the cave, behind the masked man.

The masked man moved effortlessly by the side, avoiding the lethal strike. But it wasn't the same for those assassins.

It pulverized them into thick massive flames. They dropped dead admist their painful screams of agony and pain. The entrance of the cave was destroyed. The fallen rocks blocked any chance of escape or entry.

"Mmm..like music to my ears. I really love it when people scream in pain, King Roan. I always had so much expectations from you please don't disappoint me. It has been a long time since I was let loose."

A sickening devilsh smile morphed on the chapped lips that was exposed under the mask. The man clapped his hands together. Their positions changing instantly.

Roan's eyes widened.

Spatial magic?! One of the rarest magic in Elvidia.

The masked man moved in a frightening speed that he was struggling to keep up.

Landing a menacing blow before he could counter or dodge on his chest, breaking a couple of bones in one hit.

Roan flew like a broken kite to the wall of the cave. His body dug deep into the wall, because of the enormous force. Before he slowly slumped to the water.

The masked man rotated his wrists, stretching them lazily.

"You mistake my intentions, King Roan. I never sent these extras to defeat you. Oh no... Far from it am afraid. They are merely distractions for my main goal...Roan."

Roan stood up slowly, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His dark eyes lit in blue flame. Dangerously feral.

"Who are you?"

******************************************

"If I had any strength left in me.... I won't mind gutting you as I stab your insides."

Hazel grunted under her breath before her words would begin to fail her from exhaustion.

"Tempting...but since you passed your first two trials. It's time for the last one."

The Fox levitated, grinning cheekily.

"Finally."

She rolled her battered body onto her back, before propping upwards to her sitting position with her elbows. Dried blood from the wound gashes stained her nearly ripped off clothes. It made her feel more overwhelmed. When was the last time she ever was in a death and life situation? Never.

It was more infuriating knowing the Fox didn't go all out on her. But she learnt from her experience and she was a bit excited to get into action. The dead mutilated monsters all around the white space that piled the arena, dripping into a river of blood which was such a disturbing sight was a testimony to that fact.

Suddenly, the place changed.

Hazel found herself in a labyrinth. The very centre of it. There were thousands of passageways were enormous.

One..Two...Three....Ten thousand and twenty four.....

"Stop counting. The more you count the more it increases."

The Fox spoke this time around. Her voice was grating. A sharp contrast to her soft alluring voice which was telepathed into her mind.

"What?! And this is the time you tell me!!!"

Hazel fumed. She couldn't act upon her anger because of how weak she was, if not she would have made sure the Fox lost a her fangs.

"Relax you were fast in counting"

Hazel's eyes narrowed into slits. Yes, her speed was inhumane almost godlike. Because of her eight tails and the ninth tail she felt was so close in attaining. But that didn't mean The Fox's speed was anyway inferior to hers.

"Anyway it's not like you are going to walk in to one of the passages since you are in the centre."

The Fox grinned.

It only increased the intensity of her glare.

That didn't mean she couldn't challenge her to find her way out of the labyrinth.

The whole labyrinth began rumbling loudly. The ground shoke furiously. Hazel found herself crashing into the walls.

She shot an incensed questioning look at the Fox who just shrugged.

"What is happening, you damn wench!!"

She cursed out, feeling her left leg throbbing hard from the hit.

"Your grandpa won't be happy to hear his supposed innocent granddaughter curse at their elders."

The Fox's grating voice broke into an unpleasant laugh that churned her stomach.

Then something erupted from the ground of the labyrinth from different sides. Towering everything and anything that was present. It's height was unspeakable.

Hazel's vision couldn't even see their faces. But it felt so familiar. There were seven statues.

She felt a foreboding fear blooming in her.

Then the bloody head at the feet of one of the statues confirmed her suspicions.

The Fox's ruby eyes was glowing. Her levitating body inched nearer to her broken body.

"It's time for your last test...and my work here is done."

A smile crossed her face,but the unexpected lenity was short-lived.

Her body was slowly turning transparent.

A Ghost. Before she entered Hazel's body.

Hazel was knocked out unconscious for some minutes before she breathed heavily. Gasping harshly for oxygen that suddenly felt so little. Her eyelids felt so heavy.

Struggling to open it, she hiccuped at the sight before her.

Goddess Anne's face staring at her.