Prepare Thyself

June was back home, sitting on a rocking chair outside.

The snow had long since melted, but the air was still cold with its presence. Brushed by the wind, several leaves came falling down and littered the ground.

He was on a porch that extended outward, sitting under the overhang of the cabin — just in front of the backyard.

Over to his right, Winston was standing, drinking one of the energy drinks he had brought home in the morning, his gaze distant.

He had changed out of his suit and was now wearing a casual full-sleeve olive shirt, trousers, and a pair of sandals.

Jessie was no longer with them; she had duties to attend to, which was understandable. 

However, June did wish she had left with a better first impression of him. Instead, he had embarrassed her publicly — Winston as well. 

He should've known it would happen.

There was a reason why Dusk was living inside the Ark, after all.

He had said it himself — besides despising the world, his soul was bound to the Ark, which ultimately meant his very being found comfort staying in it over the Mortal Realm.

June was inadvertently neglecting the Strict Binding by not following its rule. He could still be in the Mortal Realm. But he couldn't stay. 

Despite it only being a day and a half… the Strict Binding had already been challenged, in return giving June one hell of an experience.

He didn't even want to think back on what he experienced; it was truly overwhelming.

Remnants of what he had seen still remained, hiding at the very edge of his mind.

For the first few minutes after regaining his composure, simply seeing both Winston and Jessie's appearances sent chills throughout his body.

The world itself also felt off, as if it had been tampered with; even the whispers of the wind felt like they were trying to tell June something. It was all just inexplicable.

June rubbed his temples as he leaned further back, sighing.

It was time for him to begin his first Trial. 

But before that, he had to think things through thoroughly. 

Sure, the Strict Binding was one of the main reasons behind his sudden urgency, but he couldn't just let that become the sole reason. 

No, rather, his decision to go back was something that was already bound to happen; it just happened sooner rather than later.

See, in order to make good on his promise to Dusk, he required strength. Not only that, but he was sure the Ark would provide answers — if any — toward his accursed Heritage.

He wasn't exactly sure where to start when it came to breaking a Heritage he knew nothing of, but for now he'd just focus on what he could.

Which was the Trial itself and growing stronger in order to conquer his goals.

Luckily for him, he had someone next to him who had conquered not only the first Trial, but the second.

Any amount of preparation needed, Winston could provide — any amount of questions June had, Winston could answer.

For now, he just had to do that. He needed to grow comfortable with being an awakened human.

Once he was comfortable enough and had learned about himself and the changes that came with becoming an awakened — as well as an Element wielder — he'd go from there.

One step at a time. Otherwise, he'd undoubtedly die.

He had eleven years… although that wasn't a lot of time to complete what he sought, it was still far away nonetheless.

Before he bombarded Winston with questions, though, June had something else that he had ignored for far too long.

Clearing his throat, he brought up the shard etched into his skin, summoning his Runic Web. 

The interstellar dust swirled, painting the background with a band of beautiful light as the glowing threads faded into reality.

Without any wasted moment, he consciously commanded it to seek what he desired. A moment later, it showed him:

Relics: [Legacy Blade] 

Items: [Pendant Of Sorrow] [Skewering Twig]

Upon killing Dusk, June's Trial had finished.

Afterward, the Entity announced a singular Relic and two Items that were now nestled inside his Runic Web.

It was also where the pendant he had been wearing ended up.

Sighing, he began reading each of the descriptions.

[Legacy Blade]: Belonging to those who are accursed in nature, this blade is a testament to the Heritage of The Void, granting a swift yet peaceful death for thee who must perish on the day of the Passing. Note, this blade cannot be used for any other purpose.

He gulped, remembering the vivid memory of clasping the blade and thrusting it into Dusk's heart.

Ignoring the gut-wrenching feeling that seemed to slowly crawl up, he continued reading.

[Pendant Of Sorrow]: An item found within the depths of a forgotten ravine, nestled within the pouch of an esteemed noble of the Eternal Settlement. This Pendant allows thee who wears it a small immunity to mental and spiritual attacks from the blessing of a dying wish.

[Skewering Twig]: Used by the Almighty Dusk, this twig can be summoned at will, granting thee who wills it an unbreakable twig, one that has accomplished countless deeds for its past master.

'Interesting… I guess?'

So now the pendant was not just a measly piece of a locket hanging from a string anymore, but an Item that granted June an immunity to mental and spiritual attacks — albeit, a small amount. 

Of course, June didn't know the difference in scale from great to small when it came to such attacks given his inexperience but it was something, at least.

Meanwhile, the Skewering Twig that June had personally used alongside Dusk was an unbreakable item, one that had apparently accomplished several things for Dusk.

Perhaps he had used it for more than just skewering meat, but clearly not as much. 

As for the Legacy Blade… well, it was more so a reminder to June that the same fate Dusk had met, he'd meet as well. The Legacy Blade wasn't a Relic he could freely use either. 

It was created specifically for the day of the Passing, a sort of memento that reminded the accursed mortal of their impending fate.

June dismissed the Runic Web and looked out into the distance. In the backyard of the cabin, there wasn't much to look at besides the scattered leaves, looming trees, and the piercing light of day that peaked through the foliage.

However, there was a rectangular clearing just beyond the porch that was relatively clean, becoming a focal point for the trees that surrounded it. 

Like a very small arena of sorts that Winston had likely created from the looks of it.