Lucas awakened beside the ruined citadel, his eyes glowing gold. Once again, he stood within the endless ocean of black fog, a place without sky, without horizon, without limits. Silence ruled the void, heavy and oppressive.
Then the whispers came.
Seven voices, overlapping yet distinct, echoed around the citadel like a ritual chant.
"Destruction.""Misery.""Fixation.""Revenge.""Reign.""Creation.""Hunger."
They did not sound like threats. They sounded like an invitation.
Something was different this time. The masked man was gone. The lake of corpses that once surrounded the citadel had vanished as well. Only the towering ruins remained, standing alone in the fog.
Lucas felt no fear.
With every step he took, a faint white light appeared beneath his feet, guiding him forward. Questions flooded his mind. Who was the white haired man? Why had the masked man said he had unlocked the First Eye? What did that even mean?
His thoughts were cut short as he reached the citadel.
The massive doors opened on their own. A violent, freezing wind burst outward, powerful enough to force him five steps back. He steadied himself, then walked inside.
The white light continued ahead of him, leading him deeper until it suddenly stopped.
A crushing presence filled the hall.
Torches ignited all at once, flooding the chamber with pale light. The doors slammed shut behind him. Lucas looked around and froze. Seven thrones stood at the edges of the hall, one at each corner and one at the center. Upon each throne sat a man. Their forms were clear, but their faces were hidden in shadow.
Then a voice spoke behind him.
"Welcome again, kid."
Lucas turned instantly.
It was him. The white haired man.
"It seems you unlocked the First Eye," the man said with a calm smile. "But you did not use it well."
"What do you mean by First Eye?" Lucas asked, confused. "Who are those people? And who are you?"
"I cannot give you my true name," the man replied. "But you may call me Feather."
"Huh? That's a weird name," Lucas said.
The man laughed. "Yes, I know. I was called that because of my crow. He was always with me."
Lucas giggled despite himself. Somehow, he felt at ease around this man.
"Lucas," Feather said, his tone turning serious. "Your ability is the control of space and time through the Nine Eyes of the Lord of Fate, Chronos."
"What does that mean?" Lucas asked.
"You have awakened the First Eye. It allows you to stop time for five seconds using the ability known as Time Freeze. But you did not use the other two abilities tied to it."
"There are others?" Lucas asked.
"Yes. The second ability is Short Blink. It allows you to move through space itself, teleporting up to ten meters instantly."
"And the third?" Lucas asked.
"Stored Momentum," Feather said. "Actions performed during time stop have no immediate effect. When time resumes, all stored momentum is released at once. The force is limited to what your body could normally produce in five seconds. Minor effects such as dust, sound, shockwaves, and footprints are erased."
Lucas blinked. "I… don't understand."
Feather smiled gently. "Do not worry, kid. You will understand later."
Suddenly, the faceless men began to move.
The air grew heavy.
One by one, they raised their arms. From the shadows of their thrones, weapons formed in their hands, forged from pale light and darkness intertwined. Without a word, they hurled them forward.
Lucas froze.
Fear surged through him, sharp and instinctive. But then he noticed Feather's expression. The white haired man was smiling, calm and unbothered. That smile grounded him.
The weapons did not strike.
They slammed into the floor around Lucas and Feather, embedding themselves in a perfect circle. The impact echoed through the citadel, yet no dust rose, no debris scattered. The circle closed, sealing them in.
Silence followed.
Feather finally spoke, his voice carrying authority.
"It is their announcement," he said. "The first trial has begun."