Upon seeing the nameplate above the door, Grey was momentarily perplexed.
The inscription read "Trial of Darkness."
He furrowed his brows, murmuring to himself,
"Is this some sort of test? A trial meant for me? Should I step through or not?"
He hesitated.
But after a moment of deliberation, he scoffed lightly, a trace of self-mockery in his eyes.
"I'm already dead, What could be worse than this? I suppose there's no harm in trying."
Having made up his mind, Grey struggled to propel himself toward the wooden door, using both his hands and feet to push against the unseen forces around him.
Here, amidst the endless darkness, movement resembled floating weightlessly in the void of space.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the door and pressed against it.
The door creaked open.
In an instant, a blinding white light engulfed him, and his surroundings underwent a dizzying transformation.
When he regained his senses, Grey found himself suspended midair above what resembled a desolate battlefield.
There was no solid ground beneath his feet only an endless abyss.
It was then he noticed a young man clad in black garments.
The youth had sharp brown eyes and unruly black hair, and in his hand, he gripped a long sword.
Sweat streamed down the man's forehead as irritation twisted his features.
A voice sounded from behind him,
"You lost the match, Eric."
Eric turned, his expression darkening, to see an old man approaching, his hands neatly clasped behind his back.
With a cold snort, Eric replied,
"So what? I'm still alive, aren't I?"
The old man merely shook his head, sighing as he raised a hand toward a towering mountain to the side.
With a simple wave, the massive peak disintegrated into dust, vanishing as though it had never existed.
Witnessing this spectacle, Grey, still hovering in midair, could not suppress his shock.
"What... what kind of power is this? This is no strength of a mere knight... It far surpasses that realm
Just who exactly are these two?!"
Eric, meanwhile, threw his head back and laughed wildly, seemingly unfazed by the old man's display.
"Marvelous! If slaying you grants me such strength, then all the better!" he shouted.
The old man chuckled softly but said nothing.
Instead, he shifted his gaze toward Grey.
"You've seen enough," he said, his voice calm yet heavy with an unplaceable pressure.
"Why are you still lingering?"
Grey's heart skipped a beat.
He had assumed he was merely witnessing an illusion, a memory of the past yet now, it seemed the old man could see him.
Suppressing the panic rising in his chest, Grey bowed slightly and replied with all the respect he could muster,
"Sir, I do not know how to leave this place."
The old man's brows rose slightly in surprise.
"You don't know how to leave?" he repeated, amusement flickering across his aged face.
"You are the nineteenth to say the exact same thing."
He paced a few steps before continuing thoughtfully,
"I find you people curious..You, with such fragile lifeforms and pitiful life energy, can appear here unbidden
and yet none of you know how you came, nor how to depart."
"The previous eighteen said the same."
"You are no different."
Grey reeled inwardly at the revelation.
"Nineteen...? Are there others who came here too? But where are they now?"
Questions tumbled through his mind, but before he could gather his thoughts, he caught sight of Eric glancing at him, an inscrutable smile tugging at his lips.
Grey's consciousness blurred, and he slipped into unconsciousness, falling into the darkness once more.