Walking through the cold metal corridor, Seraphina kept her steps steady, but her eyes, even hidden under the disguise of Choi Eun-kyung, were distant, stuck in her memory. The dried blood on her boots, the metallic smell still permeating her nostrils... everything seemed to echo in her mind like a funeral march.
The silence of the underground corridors of the Order of Erebus base was absolute, as if it respected the massacre that had occurred. And yet, for Seraphina, what weighed most was not the body of the woman she had killed. It was her gaze. The expression of despair. The silent plea for a salvation that never came. A salvation that she herself had begged for in the past.
She finally reached her room, a small, functional compartment with a metal bed, low lighting, and mirrored walls. As she closed the door, the silence intensified... along with the pain.
Seraphina fell sitting on the edge of the bed, her trembling fingers pressing against her forehead. She remembered the woman's face, thin, pale, haunted... exactly as it had been before Elysian appeared in her life.
For an instant, that woman's face was confused with that of little Seraphina, the orphaned child who saw her family burned alive by a "surgically authorized" attack by heroes. The same Seraphina who screamed until she had no more voice, until she was silenced by chaos... and saved by the only shadow that didn't want to use her: Oblivion Sage.
She was no longer that child. She was Pandemonium. But had she really killed that child inside her?
She lay down, her eyes fixed on the dark ceiling. The weight of doubt crushed her and, for the first time in years, she felt lost. It was then that the communicator implanted in her ear vibrated softly.
She hesitated... then answered. "Oblivion Sage..." her voice was low, controlled.
The answer came instantly, cold and objective. "Report. Detailed. No omissions." She took a deep breath. As much as she trusted him... sometimes it was hard to keep up with his ruthless intellect. "The first phase was a brutal, forced, deadly race. Out of over ten thousand, only 8,573 remained. The second, the Blood Trial, an internal struggle where only one per group could survive. That now leaves 2,148 candidates." Elysian speaks in a cool, calm voice. "Elimination rate 78.52%. Excellent. They're not messing around." Seraphina then adds, "No way. They don't want candidates... they want loyal weapons." Elysian doesn't answer right away. Pandemonium continues, "During the trials... there was one candidate who stood out. A boy named Kaine. Incredibly strong. Fast. And a strategist. He's a match for me in physical combat. And maybe... even better, if pushed to the limit." Elysian then asks, "What are his characteristics?"
Seraphina then calmly answers, "A body shaped by battle. His gaze... is that of someone who has already lost everything. Almost like mine. Maybe that's why I hate him... or understand him."
Elysian interrupted. "Unnecessary feelings. Continue." She frowned. She knew he was right. But she hated the coldness with which he dismissed everything human. Still, she continued. "The Order of Erebus acts like a cult disguised as an army. Mental techniques, total monitoring, and they test us as if they were gods. They are... trying to mold the survivors into something that I don't even know if it is human." Elysian replied with the same calm. "That is how you create a new order. By destroying the previous one, dehumanizing until they obey without thinking." She closed her eyes. She agreed... but she hated agreeing. "The third phase begins tomorrow. We don't know the format, but they say it will be the last. And..." She stopped.
"...And?" Elysian asked. She then continued speaking "There was a woman. In the second phase. She was... weak. But brave. She fought until the end. She reminded me... of myself. When I was just a child. When I had to kill her... I hesitated. Not out of fear. But because... I felt guilt. So much guilt. I saw her begging with her eyes and... it was as if I killed myself. And I wonder if... if that makes us the same as those we hate."
Elysian took a while to answer. When she spoke, her voice was sharp. "Not even we can save all living beings, Pandemonium. The world we want to create needs to be built on the ruins of this current one. And that includes... sacrifices, some unfortunately of our allies and innocents, although we avoid them as much as possible."
"I know. I know that." she murmured. "But it still hurts." Elysian then coldly cut in with a question "For how long will you let your emotions dominate you?" The question hit her like an arrow. Seraphina sat up, surprised. She wanted to answer, but... she didn't know what to say. "What...?"
Elysian then decided to add more to her question. "Your conflicts, your hesitations, your pain, all come from emotions. They are what prevent you from seeing the whole picture. When I act alone... there is not a single variable out of control. Because I let go of everything that made me weak. Including... this."
Seraphina was silent, her eyes fixed on the floor. "I need to... disconnect. I need to think."
"Okay." Elysian replied. But before she could finish, he said something that made her heart stop for a second. "But preferably... I would prefer that you not end up like me... Celeste."
The line went dead. Seraphina couldn't move. The words echoed in her mind like thunder. Celeste.
Her real name. A name she herself had forgotten over time, buried beneath the mask of Pandemonium. No one called her that anymore. Not even Avelar. No one.
But Elysian remembered. That simple gesture… that simple name… broke the steel shield around Seraphina's heart.
She cried. For the first time in years, she cried without holding back. Silently, but with intensity. Hot tears streamed down as she covered her face.
It wasn't weakness. It was release. And when the tears finally stopped, she stood up. She wiped her face. She leaned against the mirror. "Thank you, Elysian… Thank you for reminding me of who I am. But now… I promise: I will never let my emotions get in the way again."
She stared at her reflection. The woman she saw… wasn't Celeste. Not anymore. It was Pandemonium.
The sound of a deep, low alarm filled the entire underground facility. It was different from the previous ones—more intense, with a metallic echo that made the chest vibrate. The candidates woke up with alert, including Seraphina, who was already ready. After the conversation with Elysian the night before, something inside her had been ignited. Her mind was cold, but her soul...steady as a newly forged blade.
A metallic sound followed. The walls of the dormitories slid away, revealing not only the hallways, but...the entire structure of the complex was transformed.
A huge elevator appeared in the center of the sector where the survivors were gathered. Without any verbal instructions, it was clear, it was time for the third and final phase.
Seraphina stepped into the elevator with the others. Eyes were glazed, bodies rigid. There were only 2,148 candidates now. None of them looked harmless. Those who remained had scarred bodies, eyes dull with exhaustion, and a thin thread of humanity remaining.
And among them, there he was. Kaine. Arms crossed, leaning against the opposite wall. His eyes met Seraphina's and for the first time, there was no provocation. There was understanding. Something in their eyes said: this is no longer about survival. This is about war.
The elevator descended for minutes. The tension was almost unbearable. And then... it opened.
A colossal field revealed itself before the eyes of the candidates. An almost natural space, but delimited by gigantic grids. Ruins of buildings, dense vegetation, artificial lakes, arid zones... it was as if several biomes had been stitched together. But the sky was black. And there were surveillance towers in the four corners, with rotating cameras and spotlights.
A war scenario. Literally. At the top of one of the towers, a figure appeared, a new instructor. He was tall, wearing black ceremonial armor, with the emblem of the Order of Erebus carved into his chest as if it were part of the bone. His face was hidden by a mask of golden bones. His presence was overwhelming.
His voice echoed, distorted and firm. "The Third Phase begins now. Code: PURGE. In this testing ground, there are no safe zones. There is no timer. And there is no mercy. Each of you must survive until the end. But know this: it is not the survivor who wins. It is the last one standing who wins... or whoever wins the Heart of the Field."
Mutters erupted. "In the center is a Core. It is sealed. It will only be revealed when 90% of the candidates are dead. And whoever has possession of it at the end of the phase... will be declared the champion."
The logic was simple. Massacre until a minimum number remained... and only then would the true prize emerge. "Groups are allowed. But know this: betrayal is natural. Only the strong deserve to remain."
The broadcast ended. And then... the camp lights went out. A siren sounded. The gates opened. And all hell broke loose.
1 HOUR LATER
The camp had become a veritable slaughterhouse. Invisible drones flew overhead, recording everything. There were crazed candidates, hunting targets like hungry predators. Some formed temporary alliances, but these would break in minutes. A handshake was just the prelude to a knife in the back.
Seraphina moved silently among the rubble of an old building, analyzing everything with precision. Her disguise remained intact, but her mind was already working in combat mode.
"Observe before acting. Map before attacking. Control before destroying." She repeated Elysian's words like a mantra.
Soon she noticed three candidates ambushing a wounded boy. She just watched, but when she saw that one of them had seismic manipulation abilities, she mentally mapped out his usefulness and threat level.
Target: Level 3. Eliminate. She advanced without hesitation.
Two blows. Three bodies on the ground. Without a word. She didn't kill for pleasure. She killed out of necessity.
But something bothered her: the gratuitous cruelty of the other candidates. They tortured, mutilated, fed on the pain of others. And the more their numbers fell, the more sadistic they became.
In contrast, Kaine appeared like a flash of lightning in each sector. He didn't hide. He was a hurricane of strength and brutality. He didn't need allies. Those who attacked him fell. He had already defeated at least ten of the strongest. His EVP was not infinite, but he knew exactly when and how to use it.
And then... their paths crossed again. In a fog-soaked sector, Seraphina and Kaine almost collided in silence. Both were covered in blood, not their own, but that of others.
"So you're alive," he murmured, holding a cracked blade.
"You too, apparently," she replied.
A silence followed. Then, Kaine turned his face slightly, indicating the northeast. "A group is approaching. They're eliminating the best ones one by one. They're... organized."
Seraphina then noticed the enemies and asked "How many?"
Kaine then answered calculatingly "About ten. Commanded by someone who uses a black staff. He killed three with a single blow. They're coming this way."
She nodded. "Then let's eliminate them."
"You say 'let's' now?" he teased with a slight smile.
Seraphina affirmed with a slight smile "We're just clearing the way. The final confrontation... will be between just the two of us."
Kaine smiled, and for the first time, he meant it. "I can't wait." They both disappeared into the mist.
Inside the command tower, the new third-phase instructor watched the monitors intently. Beside him, other members of the Order murmured, debating, taking notes.
"There's more to her than meets the eye," one of the analysts said, pointing at Seraphina.
"And that boy... Kaine. His origins are still off the record. He just happened to appear."
"Perhaps the true purpose of this stage... is to see if these two survive. The rest is just statistics."
The black-armored instructor nodded. "Or perhaps... we are shaping our own demons."