NOVEL NEXT chapter 452 - Trial Began
Alice's fingers drummed once on the bench, a soft, deliberate rhythm. Around them, the Academy's distant murmur faded to a hum, students whispering, metal feet, distant flares of practiced mana. Up close, the D'Archy circle felt like an island of quiet inside a storm.
Her gaze swept over each of them, sharper than any instructor's scolding.
"This isn't a game," she said at last, her voice flat, cutting. "If a cult of demon worshippers, whatever their true name has embedded itself into Astral Nexus, they're not here for petty chaos. Their goal is bigger. Perhaps summoning a Demon through the sacrifice of every student. Or maybe…" Her crimson eyes narrowed, "…maybe they're targeting the youths who haven't awakened their systems yet. I don't know. Their intent is unclear. What I do know is this: I cannot share this with outsiders. Not without evidence. This corruption... " she tapped her temple, "... I alone can see. Even among the Singularis, who each hold unique powers, none of them perceive it"
The siblings stilled.
Askara's smirk slipped away, the glint in his mismatched eyes dimming into thought. Kiara straightened, her posture sharpening, gaze honed like a drawn blade. Litani's knuckles whitened against her palm. Anggana rolled a shoulder, pretending indifference but failing to hide the tension in his jaw. Anindha twisted a lock of hair around her finger, curiosity gleaming too brightly, the same dangerous spark that Alice both admired and feared.
"You mean… they want to sacrifice all of us to summon a Demon?" Kiara asked, her voice taut with restrained fury. "And the system? Sis, we all know who created the System. Our father. Do you really think it can be corrupted so easily?"
Alice's nod was curt. "Like I said, I'm not sure. Not yet. This academy was thrown together in a hurry, too many hands we don't know about meddled in its construction. And the System?" Her eyes flicked to each sibling, voice lowering. "Yes, Father built it for humanity's survival. But remember, for 'humanity,' not for the so-called Good Side. The System is Earth's greatest weapon. In the wrong hands, it becomes an instrument to reshape people, willing or not. I don't know their final aim. Convert students into puppets. Forge an army. Summon a Demon. Or something worse. Their goal is unclear"
Erelythe's crimson gaze did not waver. "If they intend to weaponize the awakening…" she murmured, low and steady, "then those who survive the Trial could be harvested"
Shasha's amber eyes flicked once between them, her calm voice sliding under human chatter. "...Anomalous mana signatures detected beneath the academy. Patterns consistent with ritual seepage"
Nāgāntaka rumbled, feathers catching the mana glow. "The System links directly to the soul upon awakening. If someone plucks it from a child, the soul becomes a tangle. I haven't seen such things, but even Master hesitated when it came to Souls"
"Which is why I'm here," Alice said. "I used Eldrin's influence to secure this position. I didn't come to babysit your antics." For a heartbeat, her voice softened, if only for the six staring at her. "I came because I found patterns no ordinary thief could leave. Someone's been tapping the Nexus' ley-web, slowly, quietly, precisely when the Trial activates. That timing isn't a coincidence"
Askara's mouth twitched; his usual arrogance dimmed but was not gone. "So you want us to… what? Play heroes during the Trial instead of trying to get accepted like everyone else?"
"No," Alice snapped. Then she exhaled, gentler. "You're D'Archy children. You're obvious. But you're also the perfect camouflage. They'll either watch you as threats… or ignore you because of who you are. I won't rely on luck"
Alice leaned in, voice low and clipped. "We'll use the Trial as cover. You go in like everyone else: survive, score points, do whatever it takes. But you're also probes, eyes and ears. Watch for anyone acting… guided. Note sigils, gestures, chants. If you see a ritual conduit, bring me the mark. Don't be dramatic. Don't get captured. And if anyone asks about Father... lie. They already know who he is and what he can do"
Litani barked a humorless laugh. "So we survive a death-test and play spy. Great. No pressure"
"It's more than espionage," Alice said, voice flat. "If somebody learns to tamper with an incoming System, those kids return to every region carrying that corruption. The ripple would be catastrophic. I won't let that happen, not while Father's still out there somewhere"
Anggana hunched his shoulders, trying for casual but sharp. "And who do we report to? You? Eldrin? Miss Ember? Which one do we stab if they're the mole" He smirked, but his eyes were ready.
Alice's look shut him down. "You tell me. Shasha. Erelythe. No one else. Eldrin's office is watched; Ember's loyalties are complicated. If we report early and wrong, we get flushed out. If we wait too long, they will harvest a child. Be ruthless with trust. We can't rely on anyone outside the family"
Anindha's hand went to her chest. "What about innocent people in there? What if we cause deaths by meddling?"
"You weigh lives against the risk," Alice said simply. "This is the New Era. Ugly math," She let a softer, steadier light touch her face. "Remember why we do this. Not for glory. Not for the Principal's favor. Not for others. It's for family. For us, Earth is more than a place, it's proof that Father is still out there"
Askara's voice finally came, level and quiet. "If you want us to be probes… then tell us what to look for. Signs, patterns, anything"
Alice reached into her pocket and produced a thin strip of vellum. Dark ink runes curled across its surface, simple enough to memorize in a glance. She tapped the markings with a single finger.
"Rituals are never perfect. They're sloppy because they must stay hidden. Look for repeated glyphs stamped in mud or carved on trees, always mirrored, always slightly wrong. Watch for people who act unnaturally calm near leylines. Cultists chant in syllables that don't belong to any human tongue. And above all, feel the mana. Where others sense heat, their rituals bleed cold"
Kiara swallowed, her throat dry. "And if we confirm?"
"You disengage. Report. Gather evidence," Alice said, sharp and final. "If you're discovered, run. Survival first. We'll intercept from the outside. If a student is dragged into an inner ritual, rescue is possible… but it's last resort. We do not sacrifice the many for the few"
The words hung, heavy as iron.
The siblings digested the weight of it in silence.
Then Alice straightened, her tone shifting from sister to commander. "Keep tight during the Trial. No lone wolves. Everyone has a role"
She assigned them like pieces on a board:
Askara and Anggana, reconnaissance and bait. Askara's arrogance would draw eyes; Anggana guarded the shadows behind.
Kiara and Litani, hunters and interceptors. Kiara's precision, Litani's fire.
Anindha, probe and verify. Her touch would unravel sigils; her caution would be their exit.
XShasha and Erelythe will monitor from here. Nāgāntaka remains our failsafe. If anything collapses, he'll rip the dimension apart"
They answered as one. "Understood"
A bell tolled in the distance, low and final. The hour had come.
Askara gave a half-bow, grin tugging at his lips, reckless but steady. "We'll get in, look, and get out. Don't start the fun without me." He flashed the barest smile at Alice, one she remembered from when they were children sneaking into danger together. It steadied something inside her chest.
Erelythe folded her arms, voice soft but edged with dusk. "Remember, no exposure unless necessary. Violence attracts eyes. If you're discovered… buy time. Live long enough to bring answers"
Shasha inclined her head. "Data link stable. I'll flag any ritual signatures. And please... Keep your suits clean"
Nāgāntaka's deep growl rumbled through the stone floor. "If I must, I'll tear the island apart and drown the sea. But return whole, or you'll wish I had"
The siblings moved as one, a small, dangerous pack threading toward the staging gate. The crowd around them heaved and shifted: nervous faces, trembling hands, hopeful eyes, all waiting to step into the unknown. For each candidate, a thousand futures waited, some shining, most grim.
Alice's hand brushed Askara's shoulder. Not a blessing. Not comfort. Command. A weight forged in blood and memory.
"Bring them back," she said. Not a plea.
Askara nodded once, eyes steady. "I always do"
Then the platform trembled. The gate split open like a mouth of light and mist.
The D'Archy children stepped forward, and the Trial began.
....
...
..
.
#A/N: "As I said, this Volume will focus on Taufik's Children, Taufik will not appear at all, but it won't be for long, Taufik's Wives will also not interfere at all, not completely, this chapter focuses on the "Consequences," the consequences of Taufik's actions, and how the world goes with the drastic changes that occur in Taufik's absence. And so, like always... from the six infinity stones, I just want one... the power stone (:v) And also, thanks for always being here, I will continue this story until the end even if there are only one or two readers left, once again... thank you"