Kharon's eyes darted around the dimly lit space as he analysed the sky and the symbols. His gaze fell on Freya who seemed to be contemplating something. As she walked around the open expanse, she took slow, steady footsteps. Her eyes moved from one symbol to another as she tried figuring out her trial's aim.
Zack absent-mindedly walked out of the room before returning in an instant. Kharon gave him a quick glance as he asked him, "What do you think of the trial so far?"
With slightly dull eyes, Zack answered, "It seems to be something Freya knows but is uncomfortable with. From what I can see, it seems like she knows a little about arcana. Do you know what she has to do?"
"The aim of this trial is to arrange the symbols in a specific pattern. Once she does, the trial will end. The constellations are a hint about what the symbols should do and in what order they go. If she makes even a single mistake, she fails."
"Isn't that a bit too harsh? For all you know, she doesn't have a very rich background in arcana. You said the room changes depending on the challenger's psyche, so what if these runes are all from her subconscious and she doesn't remember much about them?"
Kharon's eyebrows furrowed as he watched Freya walking around like a lost child picking up and putting down slabs of thick, black tiles. Each one's meaning was lost to her unsure gaze. Freya's expression turned even more unsure as she heard Kharon's voice.
"Use the stars and their constellations. They must be there for a reason; so utilise them. Maybe they are from your past or held a significant meaning in your life. The symbols on the ground are runes. There are five circles which you must complete as they form a runeweave. Look at each one carefully and decipher its meaning."
Freya scanned the sky in search of her mysterious assessor's voice, but quickly returned to her task. Further delay would only prolong her stay and she had to return to sleep soon. Her eyes caught fire as she looked at each symbol intently. Burning their shape in her memory. After her analysis of each of the runes, she once again looked at the mesmerizing sky. Her body seemed to turn soft as she melted onto the ground and lay there.
Her blonde hair stretched out in all directions like a tree extending its branches. She watched as the twinkling balls of light moved and danced around in a familiar pattern.
The first constellation: a fluid cluster of stars, drifting like water. The second burned like a flame in the void. The third was a whisper in the dark—a spiral of silence, turning endlessly inward. The fourth stood unmoving, a constellation of perfect angles and ancient weight. The fifth soared across the heavens, a veil of wings unfurling in silence
She smiled as she watched this scene with glee, but her smile slowly faded as the formerly lost meaning of the dance made itself known to her. Freya slowly rose from her uncomfortable, yet relaxing spot as she picked up a slab and moved it.
Kharon's eyes slightly widened with each move Freya made. The stone circle's runes were each moved one at a time until they formed five circles. Each one residing within another. The runeweave slowly took shape as Freya placed the last piece. Moving back to look at her work, her lips curled into a smile. She wore an expression of satisfaction and pride.
Her knees slowly folded as she bent down and touched the circle as she released a bit of aether. She hurriedly stood up before moving back further. In an instant the whole circle was engulfed in a towering column of spiral flames. Her eyes reflected the orange, yellow flames as she whispered, "I did it... I finally managed to do it..."
Kharon's lips curled into a satisfied smirk as Zack looked at the scene in disbelief. His bewilderment quickly turned to joy as he asked, "How did you know... Why did she..."
Smiling enigmatically, Kharon said, "I figured out the runeweave as soon as I saw the stars. Four of the constellations were responsible for the weave's activation and effects while the last one helped maintain it and stop it from becoming too strong. Freya already had knowledge about arcana. She just needed a little push. The constellations must be from a pleasant memory which is why they appeared."
"Do you think you could teach me arcana boss?"
"It's not as easy as you might think. It takes years of training to learn the meaning of runes and how each one interacts. Some have to dedicate their lives to truly learn. But seeing as you are a tier 4 wielder and have a sharper mind than most, I will teach you. Only basic runes though. But why do you want to learn arcana? What Freya did just now, the flame. It was brought because of all those runes. If you want, I can give you premade runeweaves."
"How would they work?"
Kharon sighed as he watched Freya in silence. His gaze softening as she watched the flames with a child-like expression. The spiralling flames didn't seem to have an end as they continued to burn with the same intensity.
"I can write a runeweave on a parchment. All you would need to do is release your aether into it. That would activate its effect. What type of runeweaves would you want?"
"Ones that allow me to create powerful flames and enhance my arcane abilities."
"I will create a few dozen tomorrow. Compared to the runeweaves I have had to make, those sound like a breeze." Kharon took in a deep breath as he said in a calm tone.
"It has already been three weeks since we started our organisation. And I haven't managed to achieve much. We need to pick up the pace and elevate our organisation. Once I join the Arcane Association, I will probably not be able to spend as much time working on this space. So the next two weeks will be my final time working on the Eclipse Sanctum before the infiltration."
Zack smiled reassuringly as he said, "You shouldn't worry too much boss. You have created more than enough for our organisation. We don't need a whole mansion to carry out secret meetings. You have done more than the Hollow Syndicate. That is an achievement."
Kharon's eyes met Zack's as they smiled at each other. Kharon looked at Freya and spoke into the floating crystal before him as he said, "Do you want a break before the final trial or do you want to head straight into it?"
Freya looked at the sky fiercely as she smirked.
"I would like it to begin now."
With a snap of a finger, the field began to morph as the starry night began to turn grey. The bright pillar of flames slowly shrunk until it vanished as the stone retreated into the ground and out came flowers of varying colours, shapes and sizes. The meadow quickly grew as different little creatures appeared from seemingly nowhere.
Freya watched the scene calmly, but her eyes told another story. Once the room had completely changed, little, silver droplets began falling from the sky like bullets as a heavy turret of rain fell on Freya. As each, tiny drop fell onto her, she could feel a burning sensation as with wide eyes, she noticed her red skin. Her lips quivered as she said, "The sky is raining, acid?!"
She tried to cover herself as she was pelted by hundreds of drops. But as she looked around, she noticed that the animals were in the same situation as her as they tried to protect themselves. Freya hesitated for a few seconds before running to them as she covered their small, fluffy bodies with her own.
Kharon and Zack looked at each other as they watched her shield the helpless creatures. Before Zack could say anything, Kharon responded, "The third and final trial is a test of loyalty and character. I would say that she has already passed. Anyone willing to help those weaker than them can be considered a good person in my opinion."
"But she hesitated-"
"Wouldn't you hesitate at first? These are creatures, not humans. I am sure that any decent person would help a fellow human in crisis. But to help a defenceless creature required another level of kindness. The rain will stop in a minute or two and we will be able to welcome her into the organisation. It's a good thing I have prepared a change of clothing."
Kharon vanished from the room and suddenly reappeared with a set of clothes. As he watched Freya protect the animals, he was reminded of Gale. His eyes seemed to sting as he felt a single, tear flow down his face. He hurriedly wiped it away as the rain in the meadow began to subside.
Once it was completely over, the field changed into a white room. Like before, meals and drinks flew in and Freya's body was healed. The creatures in her arms slowly vanished as they dissipated into a steam-like mist. Kharon jumped through the glass case as he landed in front of Freya and handed her the clothes.
He quickly turned around as she put them on and called to him. Before she could say anything else, Zack landed beside Kharon as Kharon spoke.
"Welcome to the Null Order, Freya Vale. I am the Architect, the founder and leader of this group. Beside me is Zack Starling, the Enforcer. Before you join, please pick a codename."
Freya seemed deep in thought as she suddenly looked back up and said, "I will be the Warden."
Kharon smiled as he handed her a ring similar to his and Zack and said, "I welcome the keeper of order; the Warden..."