Soul Trials

Orion stood before the four figures, their sharp gazes sizing him up. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Geez, no need to stare so hard." as he looks at them, they all have very unique styles of fashion. They stand in front of a small round table with a chandelier hanging above it. The room itself was painted white with golden streaks on the floor in square shapes. Odd but cool I guess. He looks back at the figures, wondering what to do now.

They all have an intimidating aura about them. The one on the far left is a man

wearing a light blue kimono. His hair and eyes are also blue. That must be his favorite color. He's smiling at me, probably glad to talk to me properly. The woman beside him seems more stern. It's like she's trying to burn a hole through my soul, creepy.

At least she had normal clothes on with the white shirt and the black pants and jacket. She also had long white hair that touched her backside. The other two looked like twins. They both had blonde hair and green eyes. And they were staring intently at me. It's more unsettling than creepy.

They all just stare at me, not saying anything. "Sooo..not gonna explain anything?"

A tense silence continues to stretch on.

The blue-haired man chuckled, folding his arms. "Patience. We're just...getting a read on you."

"Feels more like you're deciding whether to kill me or not." Orion crossed his arms.

The woman with white hair narrowed her eyes but didn't deny it. "That depends on your answers."

Great. So it was one of those situations. Orion straightened, forcing himself to keep his usual smirk. "Alright, shoot. What do you wanna know?"

"What are you planning to do with your power?" The white haired lady said.

Orion says silent for a moment before answering. "I'm gonna become strong enough to survive in this world."

The 4 figures stare at him before the blue haired man laughs. They all look at him confused.

"That's a great thing to use it for! Also, I apologize for locking you up here, once again, it was a necessary precaution." He slightly bows his head.

Orion raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh… So does that mean I'm free to go?"

The white-haired woman crossed her arms. "Not yet."

Of course not. Orion sighed, shifting his weight. "Figures. What now?"

One of the blonde twins finally spoke, his voice calm yet sharp. "We still need to confirm something. You say you want to be strong enough to survive, but strength means nothing without the will to use it properly."

The other twin nodded. "We need to know if you have what it takes."

Orion tensed. Here we go. "Let me guess… some kind of test?"

The blue-haired man grinned. "Exactly. And don't worry, it's nothing too extreme. We just want to see how you handle yourself."

Orion narrowed his eyes. "And if I refuse?"

The white-haired woman smirked. "Then we assume you're weak and not worth our time."

Orion clicked his tongue. Why is it always like this? He took a deep breath before rolling his shoulders. "Fine. What do I have to do?"

The blue-haired man gestured to the center of the room. "Simple. Last five minutes against one of us."

Orion blinked. "That's it?"

The man's grin widened. "You say that now."

Before Orion could react, the white-haired woman stepped forward, her aura shifting like a storm ready to break. The air grew heavier, and Orion felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Oh…this is gonna suck."

She cracked her knuckles. "Let's see if you're really strong enough to survive."

Orion raised a hand. "Before we start, are we allowed to use weapons?"

The blue-haired man chuckled. "That depends. Do you need a weapon to last five minutes?"

Orion shrugged. "I'd rather not find out the hard way."

The white-haired woman exhaled sharply, clearly unimpressed. "Fine. Use whatever you want. It won't make a difference."

Orion smirked despite the growing tension. "Alright then." He makes the system appear in front of him as he reaches for it. He puts his hand inside the window, pulling out the sword he picked up earlier. The system said the name is still unknown, but oh well. The blonde twins exchanged glances before one of them muttered, "This might be interesting after all."

The blue-haired man grinned. "Alright, Orion. Show us what you've got."

Orion nods, getting into his usual stance he used for fighting in the outskirts of the city. His face shifts from a smirk to a cold focused look. His eyes darkened to that of a hunter.

The white haired lady, seeing this, scoffs and starts walking forward. The blue haired man spoke up, "Don't go too hard on him Eira."

"Quiet Kai, I'll go as hard as I see fit." She stops, staring at Orion.

Kai, sighs but shrugs his shoulders. He knows better than to keep going back and forth with her.

The area around her gets colder, a small vortex of freezing air swirling in her hand. She points her hand towards me. The air in her hand condenses, turning into snow, and then ice.

Orion widens his eyes slightly at this. If she can manifest her soul power in the real world then she has to be at the Ascendant stage or above. He clenches the sword, sensing the danger in front of him. People who are at the ascendent stage have full mastery over their soul cores, which gives them the ability to manifest their abilities in the real world.

She shoots the sharp ice shard towards him. He quickly swings the sword, shattering it. She fires even more, each getting smashed by Orion's quick cuts.

Kai's grin never wavers as he watches the ice shards shatter in mid-air. "Nice moves," he calls out, his voice filled with admiration. "But you'll have to do better than that."

Orion's grip tightens around his sword. The cold, sharp air bites at his skin, but he focuses, steadying his breathing. He's faced worse, but someone at this level is no joke.

The woman with white hair doesn't seem to care for his comment. With a flick of her wrist, she raises a thin layer of ice across the floor, a slick surface that would make every step precarious. She's forcing him to slow down, to lose his balance.

Orion takes a quick step back, narrowing his eyes. She's testing me. Not just for strength, but for control. He can feel the weight of the test bearing down on him. If he gets cocky, it's over.

The air around him shifts as she summons more ice, this time forming jagged spikes that shoot toward him from multiple directions, as though she's calculating his every movement. Orion's eyes flicker to the floor beneath him—I'll need to outsmart her, not just overpower her.

He leaps forward just as the spikes close in, using the ice as leverage to propel himself into the air, avoiding the deadly projectiles by inches. The woman's cold, calculating eyes follow him, but there's a flicker of something like... respect?

Orion lands lightly on a distant piece of ice, making sure his footing stays firm. He grins, sword ready. "Is that all you've got?"

The woman's lips curl into a faint smile, though her gaze remains unreadable. She's not going to make it easy. With a snap of her fingers, the ice on the floor begins to shift, rising into the air like a spiked barricade.

Orion doesn't hesitate. He rushes forward, his sword carving through the air. I need to break her rhythm. I need to force her to make a mistake.

As the ice wall rises, he charges straight into it. The barrier erupts into sharp ice shards, but Orion cuts through them with precision, not slowing down for a second. The shards deflect off his sword, his body moving fluidly as he closes the distance between them.

She doesn't flinch. Instead, she raises her hand again, this time forming a dense, opaque shield of ice around herself. Orion's sword strikes the shield with a resounding clang, but it doesn't break. He narrows his eyes. Tougher than I expected.

For a split second, he pauses, recalculating. This is about more than raw power; he has to find her weakness.

"Not bad," she says coldly, her breath visible in the frigid air. "But I'll admit, I'm impressed. You have the guts to go up against someone at my level."

Orion smirks. "I don't back down. Not when I've got something to prove."

With a sudden burst of energy, the woman sends an ice storm swirling in the air, a barrage of shards flying in all directions. It's almost overwhelming, but Orion's senses sharpen. He moves with lightning speed, his sword cutting through the ice in rapid, controlled strikes, his focus unbroken. The woman watches him, waiting for the moment when he tires out.

But Orion isn't tiring. The more he fights, the more the thrill ignites within him. Each strike, each moment of danger, feels like it's pushing him toward something greater. Survive. Prove I'm more than they think.

As the storm finally dissipates, the woman raises an eyebrow. "Impressive. You're not quite like the others."

Orion lowers his sword but doesn't relax. "Was that the test?"

The woman nods, still unmoving. "You passed. Barely."

Orion lets out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His pulse is racing, but a sense of pride fills him. He's proved himself—at least for now.

"Alright," he says, lowering his sword. "What now?"

The woman with white hair takes a step forward, her icy presence still hanging in the air. Her eyes, though cold and distant, seem to soften for a moment—just enough for Orion to catch the change. The tension in the room shifts, and the blue-haired man steps closer, his usual grin replaced by something more serious.

"We've seen what you're capable of," the blue-haired man says, his tone warmer than before. "And it's clear you're not the type to fall in line easily." He looks at the woman, then back at Orion. "You've got fire in you. The kind of fire that doesn't get snuffed out easily."

The woman with white hair doesn't speak, but her gaze remains fixed on Orion, assessing him.

Kai folds his arms, giving Orion a sideways glance. "We're not here to control you, if that's what you're thinking. We've got a cause, and we think you'd fit in perfectly." He pauses, watching Orion carefully. "We could use someone like you."

Orion narrows his eyes, heart racing with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. A cause? What are they really after?

"I'm listening," he says, his voice steady.

The white-haired woman finally speaks. Her voice is as cold as her power, but there's an underlying weight to it. "We've been watching the rise of corrupted core bearers that have killed other core bearers for the sole purpose of becoming stronger with the help of the gods. The imbalance is growing, and it won't end well for anyone. You might not know it yet, but you're part of something much bigger than yourself. And we need people who understand that power isn't just something to wield—it's something to control."

Orion doesn't answer right away. He stares at her, piecing together the words. So they want me for something bigger? For a war?

"The Corrupted and their Gods" she continues, her gaze unwavering. "They're a threat, and we're working to level the playing field. We want to tear down the false order they've built, and we could use someone who has the guts to stand against them."

Kai steps forward, his expression earnest now. "We're offering you a place among us. You can have power. Freedom. The chance to make a real difference. All you have to do is choose."

Orion's mind races. The opportunity sounds tempting—freedom, power, a chance to fight back against the gods. But he's not someone who just follows orders without knowing the whole story.

He steps back, eyeing them all carefully. "And what's the catch? What do you expect in return?" His voice is steady, but there's a hint of suspicion creeping in.

The woman's lips curl into the slightest of smiles. "That's the question, isn't it? But know this: there are risks. There's always a cost to wielding power. And you'll have to be ready for what comes next."

She's right. From my experience the slight taste of power can corrupt even the purest of souls. Is that why my soul world looks like that?

Orion's grip tightens on his sword. He doesn't trust easily, and this feels like a dangerous game. But... maybe this is my shot. Maybe this is where I carve my own path.

"I don't work for anyone. But if you want me on your side, you'd better make sure I'm not just a pawn." Orion's voice is sharp, firm. "I do things my way."

Kai grins, clearly pleased by the challenge. "That's the spirit." He turns to the others, who give silent nods in agreement. "Alright then. You're in."

The white-haired woman gives him a final, piercing look before nodding as well. "Just remember. The higher you climb, the harder it gets to stay on top."

Orion stands there for a moment, feeling the weight of the decision sink in. This is it. No turning back now.

"Alright," he says, letting the tension dissolve from his shoulders. "Let's see where this goes."

With that, the offer is made. Orion has joined their ranks—but the true test, the real battle, is only just beginning.

The Faction of The Veiled Sovereigns. This faction was built on the deaths of the corrupted. They strive to rid the world of all the core bearers who destroy and conquer.

Orion, the boy who strived to survive in this cruel world will do any means necessary to achieve that goal. He has now joined this faction, becoming a new sovereign.