Mind’s Trial

The third trial was shrouded in an aura of mystery, whispered about by recruits as the most harrowing of the challenges.

Known as "The Mind’s Crucible", it was designed to strip participants of all pretense, to lay bare their inner personalities and test their resolve.

The chamber itself was a masterpiece of psychological warfare, made as result of collaboration between psychics and technology—a spherical room with walls that pulsed with a deep, rhythmic hum.

Streams of energy crisscrossed the space like living veins, the air thick with a tangible pressure that seemed to claw at the edges of one’s psyche.

Ezra stepped into the chamber, his expression calm, almost indifferent, as the door sealed behind him.

The weight of the atmosphere pressed down immediately, but he remained unfazed, his gaze sweeping across the room.

From the observation deck above, the elders leaned forward, their faces marked with quiet expectation.

"Let’s see how far this one bends" the silver-haired elder murmured, his voice laced with intrigue.

—------------

The energy fields stirred, their currents coalescing into an ephemeral storm of energy that soon began digging into Ezra’s mind, causing him an aching headache for only a little while before all of a sudden, he calmed, standing perfectly still, almost slumping.

In his mind, the trial had already begun to take place, as fragments of memory took form.

They began to whisper as they circled Ezra, their voices soft but insidious.

-You think you’re strong? You’re nothing but a fraud-

-Every step forward is only a step closer to failure!-

The voices grew louder, overlapping, their words twisting into accusations and insecurities.

The energy fields began to glow brighter on the outside, and projecting fragmented visions of Ezra’s past began to flash before him : a failed mission, a moment of hesitation that cost lives, the apocalypse and wars that ravaged Orion

But Ezra doesn’t flinch.

He watched the visions with an eerie detachment, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Why isn’t he reacting?" one elder asked, his brow furrowing.

The silver-haired elder narrowed his eyes. "He seems to have a habit of caution"

No, it’s because all these ’traumatic’ events weren’t from Ezra’s life, but rather Kevin’s life.

And by now, not only had Ezra separated the identity from both lives, he had funny gotten through whatever lingering emotions he had to his past self.

So of course, such memory fragments did not to him, rather, Ezra felt amused, prompting a smile in the outside world.

Seeing this, the silver haired elder doesn’t hesitate to have the trial’s power output increased.

The energy fields intensify and the movements of the memory constructs become more aggressive.

At the same time, he puts the operator in a tense mood ready to switch it off the moment Ezra should show signs of discomfort.

In response, Ezra finally makes a move.

In an instant, he takes control of his mental space, with both Zydrax and Viprus strengthening his mind, alongside the protection that came because of his status as a sovereign Ezra wasn’t not being overwhelmed in the slightest.

Instead, he had simply brought watching in order to understand how this trial, which acted as a psychic attack, works.

Moving closer to the constructs, he speaks, checking if there are perhaps more than just mindless mumbling puppets; his voice calm yet commanding.

"You think this is supposed to affect me?" he said, his words cutting through the oppressive atmosphere like a blade. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Everything you’re showing me, I have already faced and overcome. Beyond that, why do your words matter?"

No response.

Now annoyed, he stares at the nonsensical memory constructs flailing, running around and echoing insulting snippets like a hyperactive problem child, before placing his thumb and index finger together.

And then *Snap!*

As the clear snap echoed.

*Pah!*

The constructs shatter, wiped into dust.

With this, Ezra opens his eyes.

Instead of recoiling or showing signs of dizziness, he steps forward, his expression hardening.

—----------

The energy fields faltered for a moment, their currents sputtering as if uncertain.

The elders exchanged puzzled glances.

"Is he... resisting the Crucible?" one elder asked, disbelief evident in his tone.

They didn’t know he had already expelled the forces in his mind, rather, they wouldn’t believe it even if they were told.

"He’s not just resisting" the silver-haired elder corrected, his eyes narrowing. "He’s forcibly dismantling it"

Ezra raises a hand, his fingers brushing against the nearest tendril of energy.

Instead of recoiling, the tendril curls around his hand, almost hesitantly.

He gripped it firmly, his energy flaring only on a surface.

"You feed on doubt and fear," Ezra said, his voice steady. "But you can’t take what isn’t there"

With that, he pulled on the tendril, and the entire web of energy fields reacted violently.

It lights dim, fracturing violently as Ezra’s energy overwhelms it.

All at once, it fractures, dissipating, and the chamber, once alive with oppressive energy, grows still.

Once again, the trial had been turned on its head.

—---------

The elders sat in stunned silence, the only sound the faint hum of the chamber’s machinery recalibrating.

"He neutralized the Crucible," one elder finally said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"That’s impossible," another elder muttered. "The Crucible is designed to push even the strongest recruits to their breaking point. How could he—"

The silver-haired elder raised a hand, silencing the room.

His gaze remained fixed on Ezra, who stood in the chamber’s center, his expression calm but resolute.

"It’s not that the Crucible failed," the elder said slowly, his voice carrying a note of respect.

"It’s that he was never truly tested by it. His willpower is beyond what this trial was designed to challenge"

Another elder frowned. "If even the Crucible cannot push his limits, then what can?"

The silver-haired elder leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing at his lips.

"Perhaps it’s time we stopped measuring him by the standards of other candidates"

—-----------

Ezra steps out of the chamber, his movements unhurried.

The recruits waiting outside turned to watch him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and awe.

"What happened there?" one recruit whispered, but Ezra gave no answer.

Inside the observation deck, the elders continued to deliberate.

"This trial was meant to reveal his weaknesses" one elder said, his tone frustrated. "Instead, it revealed the limits of our methods"

"We will need to reassess" The silver-haired elder nods, before smiling. "But it is good that we now have now more ways to improve the trials"

"As for that boy, we will have to keep a close eye on him, no matter his true intentions. For him, the true test lies beyond this arena"

"But it is joyful that we have such a talented individual joining the clan" another Elder remarks. "He will most certainly become well known in the future"

Like that, they continued to speak.

But while it looked pleasant from outside, their inner thoughts couldn’t be more different.

As Ezra walked away from the Crucible chamber, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of their gazes, the unspoken expectations that came with them.

But for now, he didn’t dwell on it.

The trial had not shaken him, nor had it taught him anything new.

If anything, it had only confirmed what he already knew: he was ready for greater challenges.

And this, he realized, was only the tip of tip of the iceberg.

—-----------

Sometime later, Ezra finds himself at a different venue.

Having completed the trials, Ezra is granted an audience with the Inner Circle of the Scarlet Dragon Clan i.e the Elders.

Alongside a few other candidates it seems.

As for the trials ending, not much was said beyond them receiving their collective results the next day.

Though seeing that they had summoned him, Ezra understood he had passed.

While expected, Ezra still made sure to do a small fist pump to celebrate it.

It was his sign of gratitude.

So apparently such summons is a rare honor, reserved for those who showed exceptional promise.

The Inner Circle convened in a grand chamber, its walls lined with glowing dragon scales and intricate carvings that depicted the clan’s storied history.

At the center of the room was a circular table, its surface etched with a map of the galaxy.

The elders were seated around the table, their expressions impassive as they regarded Ezra and the other successful initiates.

The leader of the Inner Circle, the silver-haired elder from before, rises to address them.

"You have proven yourselves worthy of standing among the Scarlet Dragon Clan" he says.

"But know this: your journey is far from over. What lies ahead will test you in ways you cannot yet imagine"

He turned his gaze to Ezra, a flicker of curiosity in his golden eyes.

"You, in particular, have caught our attention. There is something about you...a potential that even you may not yet understand"

’A potential I don’t understand? Not at all’ Ezra thought

Unlike what his expression connotes, Ezra felt nothing but a slight annoyance, why did this old man like repeating himself so much.

—------------

Later, as the group was escorted to their assigned quarters, Ezra found himself staring out of a massive window that overlooked the city.

The scarlet hues of the sun bathed everything in a warm glow, casting long shadows that danced across the polished floors.

Feeling impulsive, he questions the person escorting whether he could head out to explore the city before returning to his room later.

"Certainly" the servant replies, handing him the keys to his accommodations for whenever he returns.

While diverging from typical protocol, the elders had specifically given him orders to treat Ezra well, so what more could he do?

And with that, Ezra’s leaves the others and heads out to explore the city.

—----------

As they move through the city, Ezra finds himself amazed by its sheer scale and complexity.

The streets were alive with activity, thrumming with a rhythm that seemed almost sentient.

Merchants from various species hawked their wares in bustling marketplaces, their goods ranging from rare minerals to advanced tech and even exotic beasts.

Clusters of other clan members walked with purpose, their crimson sigil embroidered on their clothes or armour setting them apart from the rest.

Hovercrafts zipped overhead, carrying passengers to destinations far out of sight.

The air buzzed with chatter, the hum of engines, and the faint crackle of energy fields.

Ezra couldn’t help but notice the stark division between social classes.

The higher tiers of the city, elevated on massive platforms, were home to luxurious estates and grand temples.

Meanwhile, the lower levels, though still vibrant, seemed to house workers and commoners.

"Heh" Ezra let off deprecating laughter. "I guess all these so called high ranking clans and races aren’t much different from all the others. How unsurprising"

Then, after a bit of sightseeing, Ezra decides to sit at the edge of a fountain in an effort to ponder in silence.

As he would, he is abruptly forewarned by the patrolling security that such behaviour is impermissible.

Annoyed, Ezra remembers that he did have his own private space—one that’s the size of a universe.

Without much thought, he conceals himself and promptly activates <Gatekeeper>.

And thanking all things good, he works just as intended, transporting him into his extraordinarily expansive home territory within a second.

Transporting himself to Planet Ketta, it suddenly occurs to him to check whether the Transcendents had returned from their expedition.

Upon arriving at their position, Ezra is met with a strange sight.

Each one of them lay sprawled on the ground, clutching different parts of their stomach.

Valentine took that one step further, vomiting heavily.

Looking at her, one might even wonder if she had gotten pregnant.

Their pain had to be steep, because none of them had taken notice of Ezra at all.

Whatever had they eaten to become like such, Ezra couldn’t help but wonder, especially since there were no traces of food lying around.

But another thought sprouts in his mind.

A mischievous evil thought.

Examining the visuals before him, Ezra decides to be sarcastic.

"You all look to be in...great shape I suppose"

"Oh..." Valentine groans. "Fuck you"

Right away, Ezra bursts into a grating laughter.

This fellow is undoubtedly evil I tell you!