Dawn arrived with a cold breeze that swept across the coliseum sands. Ares and the other candidates were already gathered, quieter than they had ever been. The Scholar's words still echoed in their minds. Something about his presence had made it clear that the third phase wouldn't be a simple physical or magical challenge.
The tension was palpable. Many had been in battles, but few had felt this kind of pressure—this feeling of standing before something far beyond their capabilities.
The elderly mage who had led the previous trials appeared at the front, his voice resonating without the need for amplification.
"Welcome to the third admission test," he said. "As I informed you, this won't be a test of strength or magic. This will be a spiritual trial."
A murmur ran through the crowd. Some candidates looked at each other, confused. Others, more experienced, began to understand what it meant.
"This test will probe your true essence. Your fears. Your deepest desires. That which drives you… and that which holds you back."
Ares tensed. His heart pounded. He didn't know exactly what it meant, but he felt this challenge was the most dangerous of all. He had faced many hardships in his life, but never something so inward.
The mage continued, pointing toward the horizon, where an old stone-and-wood structure stood in the distance. It was a ruined temple, surrounded by a gloomy forest.
"You must enter that temple. There, each of you will face a unique vision that reflects your soul. Only those who confront their truth will emerge successfully."
The murmuring grew louder. Some voices were filled with fear, others with curiosity, but all seemed to understand this challenge was greater than any battle or spell.
"Be careful," the mage warned. "The visions may be as real as anything you've ever experienced. Fear is the only barrier between you and success."
Ares looked at Liana. She, who had always been so confident, now wore a serious, almost cautious expression. Ares saw in her eyes a mixture of determination and doubt—something he had never noticed before. This wasn't just a test of strength. It was one that touched the deepest part of each person.
"Are you ready?" Ares asked.
Liana nodded, but her face was tense.
"I will be… when the time comes."
Ares said nothing more. They all began walking toward the temple, which seemed to absorb the sunlight, steeped in a persistent shadow. As they advanced, the air grew heavier, as if the very atmosphere were saturated with dark magic.
When they reached the entrance, the stone door opened effortlessly, as if it had been waiting for them to cross.
Inside, a long, dark corridor stretched out before them. The walls were covered in ancient runes, glowing faintly with a green light. The echo of their footsteps resounded through the empty temple. Suddenly, the door shut behind them, and a wave of claustrophobia washed over Ares.
At the center of the chamber, a sphere floated. It was a dark crystal orb, glowing with an inner light that seemed to hypnotize anyone who looked at it. The mage who had guided them reappeared, though now his voice came from everywhere at once.
"You will face what you fear most, what you desire most, or what defines you. It doesn't matter if it's painful or dangerous. Only those who dare to look within themselves can return."
Ares took a deep breath. He didn't know what to expect, but he felt this was the challenge he feared the most. That sphere was the entrance to his own mind—a mirror of his soul. Yet he wasn't sure he could face everything within.
"Go ahead," said a mysterious voice, as if the entire temple were whispering inside his head.
Ares stepped forward toward the sphere, and the instant he touched it, a vision consumed him.
---
He found himself in a dense forest. The land seemed familiar, but everything was distorted, as if he were seeing through a dream. Around him, ancient trees twisted, and leaves floated in the air, suspended by an invisible magical energy.
Ares looked at his hands—and he wasn't himself. His skin looked different, younger, as if he had returned to an earlier time. But what shocked him more was the place. This was the forest where he had grown up, where his parents had left him as a child. But something had changed.
A whisper reached his ears, and as he turned, he saw a figure. It was his mother. Ares felt his heart race—he had never expected to see a vision of her. But something was wrong. His mother smiled at him, but her eyes were empty, devoid of emotion.
"Why did you leave everything behind?" she asked coldly, her voice more distant than ever.
Ares stepped back, confused. He didn't understand what was happening. He remembered his mother as a warm, loving woman—someone who had always protected him. But now, this figure was only a shadow of what she had been.
"Your magic…" the figure continued. "Do you think it makes you special? You are nothing more than a shadow of what you could be. You cannot escape your own destiny."
Ares felt a sharp pain in his chest. Something inside him cracked, and a mix of rage and sorrow began to swell within him.
"I'm not like you!" he shouted, unsure whether he was speaking to her or to himself. He wanted to run, but something kept him rooted—like the fear of the truth was stronger than his will.
But the vision didn't vanish. His mother's figure faded away, and Ares found himself alone, surrounded by darkness. The only light came from a distant glow, but every step toward it seemed to push it farther away.
Was this his greatest fear? The fear of being insignificant, of being trapped in his own past?
His heart pounded hard, but he knew he had to move forward—to face whatever awaited him. He couldn't run from his own feelings.
Suddenly, Ares awoke from the vision. The sphere before him had vanished, and the temple was silent once again. His mind was overwhelmed by what he had experienced. Even though it had only been a vision, he felt something had changed within him.
Looking around, he saw the other candidates had also returned from their visions. Some looked visibly shaken, others calmer—but all seemed to have gone through a similar process.
The mage who had guided the trial appeared before them, watching in silence. At last, he spoke:
"You have faced your greatest fear… and returned. Now, you must move forward, for this is only the beginning of your true journey."
Ares wasn't sure what he had learned from the vision, but one thing was clear: the true test wasn't just about magic or combat. It was about facing oneself—overcoming inner doubts and emerging stronger.
The spiritual trial was over, but Ares's journey, and that of the other candidates, was only just beginning.