Theo wasted no time in turning towards the surface of the water, paddling faster than he did the previous time as an even more intense heat filled his body with strength. He reached the surface, swam towards the shore and doubled over gasping for a breath.
'What the fuck is going on? I'm meant to be dead! How am I still alive?'
Theos eyes darted around his surroundings, landing on the same landmarks he saw in the last round, the gray desert, the black sea, the broken moon and ever present eclipsed sun. It was all just as he remembered, down the strangeness of the situation and the sense of nostalgia they all gave him.
'Am I going insane? I just went back in time... again! Is this... normal? Are trials meant to be this way?'
He began running back his memories to all the classes, lessons and times he heard other conversing in regards to the trials. Years of memories flew by in an instant but within none of them was there a mention of a person 'respawning' once they die within their trial.
'So why is it happening to me?'
At this time, there was no-one he could consult, nowhere he could enquire, and nothing he could do about it. He took a quick glance around, and within this vast expanse of nothing, he felt utterly alone. And with no one to turn to for answers, the vast emptiness of the desert mirrored his now growing sense of isolation.
'Okay, think,' he said aloud, trying to ground himself. "If I've 'respawned' twice now, then it's definitely not a coincidence. Something must be causing it. So it i can figure out what it is, then maybe I can find a way to use that to my advantage and pass this dam trial.'
Thinking back to the two moments he dies, he compared the two scenarios.
'The first was when I was crushed to death by that spawn. The second, I starved. What do those two things have in common?... I died? So is that it? That's the trigger right?'
With nothing else standing out, that looked to be the only thing that caused this 'respawn'. But even knowing what the trigger was isn't enough. Theo had no idea how this strange phenomenon was occurring so he couldn't rely on it. As far as he knew, there could be a limit to what time he could come back from, what he could survive, and how many times he could 'respawn'.
'Now, if only there was a way to test it...'
Turning back, he cast his gaze to the black sea.
'...preferably without risking my life.'
He considered the circumstances of the two deaths he had already experienced once again. The first was quick and violent, and the second, slow and painful.
'Does that mean no matter the way I die, I can come back?.... No! I can't come to that conclusion yet.'
Theo sighed.
"I wonder what the instructor would have said?" Just as he said that, Something popped up in his memories.
***
Sat in his classroom again, the instructor stood at the front.
"Alright, i presume that if you make it to this point, you are either intelligent, strong willed, highly adaptable, or just down right lucky. so for those who make it to this point, there is something you will have to do. Some of you would have already had an inkling of what it is before this, but above all, you have to check what trait you received."
***
"That's right! My trait! I haven't checked what my trait is."
Traits are abilities granted to those who become heralds, more commonly known as awakened. These powers are a singular concentration and true manifestations of a person's natural affinities in conjunction with their innate nature, which make up their specialization. The scope of powers granted can range from simple things like creating small gusts of wind, to the ability to create raging storms.
And now, it was time for him to discover what his was. Though after everything he had been through, he had an inkling of what it would be.
Looking round to make sure he was as safe as he could be i an entirely open field, he closed his eyes and focused.
'Focus Theo, concentrate... concentrate.... concen...'
And just like that, as he willed it, a set of runes appeared in front of him. They were in a different language, but because like all others before him, he was able to understand it. The reason for it is unknown, and soe have even speculated it to be the work of a divine being, others say it is a manifestation of the will of the heralds, but whatever the reason, it gave the chosen easy access to an understandable method of analysing and monitoring the growth of their traits.
'Alright, lets see...'
From the top, the runes read...
Name: [Theodore]
Ether core: [Dormant]
Rank: [None]
Ether saturation: [100%]
Trait type: [Undefined]
Trait: [Force]
Attribute: [Energy sense, Shock absorption]
Relic: [None.]
Looking closer, he focused on the line of text that stated his trait, and below, another line of text that defined its ability appeared.
Trait Description: [Some control the force of time, others control something more simple like the force of heat, but you are blessed with the ability to control the very essence that makes all things possible in any way you wish]
Below was his attribute, the passive ability granted to all heralds along with their traits.
Attribute: [Energy sense]
Attribute description: [As the lord over the essence of all things, you perceive every strand of its existence.]
Attribute: [Shock absorption]
Attribute description: [Be it a pin prick, or a boulder landing on the crown of your head, all force directed towards you becomes your strength and is bent to your will.]
Theo stared at the lines of foreign text for what felt like hours. His brows twitched and his lips quivered as a wide grin appeared o his face.
'This... this... this is... what is this? control over the essence that makes all things possible? What even is that?'