The first thing Indra noticed upon waking was the emptiness beside him in bed. The space where Sophie should have been still held a slight depression in the mattress and the residual trace of her scent — an intriguing mix of nocturnal flowers and metal smoke that was already deeply familiar to him. Most of the time, she rose earlier, a habit he had grown accustomed to. Her absence was a fact, not a surprise.
The second thing that invaded his consciousness was the light. A warm, golden glow streamed through the gaps in the curtains, painting luminous stripes on the wooden floor. He got up and pulled them open, revealing a sky of vibrant, pure blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds. The common, comforting yellow sun bathed the world in a normality that felt almost surreal to him. It was a forgotten landscape. The sparrows chirping on the power line, the distant sound of a car passing, the muffled buzz of people starting their day — it was a symphony of mundanity that tightened his chest in a strange way. It was comforting, like visiting a long-lost place, but at the same time profoundly alien. Every banal detail was a silent reminder that this reality would, with the passage of time, be progressively erased from his life, replaced by the purple skies, icy blue moons, and indescribable dangers of the Other Side.
He shook his head, dispelling the melancholy. This was not the day for it. Today was the day of the Paranormal Exam.
Checking the smartwatch on his wrist, the luminous digits read 8:02 AM. The exam would start at noon, Esoteric Society time. He still had time. It was then that a movement at the foot of the bed caught his attention. Amethyst, his Spiritual Beast, was curled into a ball of fur, his paws, ears, and tail tip tinged a deep purple that contrasted with the immaculate whiteness of the rest of his body. His eyes, the color of shocking pink diamonds, opened slowly, fixing on Indra. A wave of non-verbal sensations flowed between them — a mix of serene alertness, curiosity, and an ancestral confidence that was both a shield and a weapon. Indra understood without words: Amethyst would be by his side in the exam. The mere presence of the Beast, a being that had once confronted a Realm Ruler and emerged victorious in a battle of wills, was an asset that transcended any conventional advantage.
Indra headed to the bathroom, where a hot shower helped wash away the last mists of sleep. His clothes — a black shirt, black pants, and the lycra gloves — lay on a stool. As he put them on, he felt the subtle energy of the Legendary 7th-Grade Artifact activating against his skin. The fabric, though common to the eye, was impenetrable to most conventional weapons and dampened energy impacts. He slipped on his black sneakers with white soles, another component of the legendary set, designed for supernatural silence and traction. On his right wrist, he fastened the spiked bracelet, and on his left, over the smartwatch, the set of punk rocker leather bracelets. Finally, he put on the two silver dimensional rings. One on each hand. Sophie had explained that, instead of one extremely expensive ring with vast space, it was more efficient to link several smaller rings, expanding the total storage. The logic made sense.
Facing the mirror, he combed his hair — short on the sides, with the fringe swept forward, a few stubborn strands rebelling. He was ready. His hand reached for the doorknob but stopped. A subtle pull, almost an energetic whisper, came from his desk. He turned, his feet carrying him to the last drawer on the left. He wasn't looking for anything, but something inside emitted a faint call.
Opening it, he found the chain. A three-layered silver chain, thin and intricately worked. He picked it up. The metal was cold, but a strange sensation of familiarity and distant loss ran through his chest. He didn't know whose it was, only that he had found it among his few belongings when he left the orphanage. It was a mystery — the only tangible link to a past that remained blank. With a decisive movement, he fastened it to his belt, on his left thigh. It swung, a fragile, mundane element in contrast to his legendary gear. He knew that in combat, a flow of his energy — Channeling — would be needed to strengthen the common metal, preventing it from breaking. Alongside his chromed revolver, that chain was his only inheritance from a distant past.
He didn't allow his mind to get lost in conjecture. Today, there was only room for the Exam.
Descending the stairs, the aroma of coffee and burnt toast guided him to the kitchen. Sophie was there, her back to him, focused on a frying pan. She wore a black silk robe over what seemed to be her alternative attire from the previous day.
"Smelling burnt, as always" — he commented, pulling out a chair.
She turned, making a face
"Eggs are treacherous. And the bread toasts too quickly." — Even so, she filled two plates with scrambled eggs, toast, and placed a glass of milk for each.
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," — she declared, sitting across from him.
"Especially today. You need energy. Eat it all."
They ate in companionable silence. When the last crumb was gone, Sophie placed her cutlery on the plate with a final click.
"Right. Now, serious matters." — she announced, her expression turning serious.
"I have two last things for you."
She made a subtle gesture with her hand over her dimensional ring, and a sword and a small metal ammunition box appeared on the table.
"First, this." — she said, picking up the box. She opened it, revealing perfect rows of .38 revolver cartridges. But these were not ordinary bullets. The metal was a lighter, brighter silver, and in the center of each projectile, a complex rune of deep dark blue had been engraved. Indra could feel the energy pulsing from them, a familiar and powerful signature: Sophie's Magic Power.
"You have a knack for that revolver." — she continued, her voice practical.
"So I had an artisan make these. Blessed silver, augmented with my power. Each one of these bullets, Indra, is equivalent to a direct strike from a Pseudo-Sovereign." — She closed the lid with a decisive click and pushed it toward him. "
There are fifty. Use them wisely."
Indra took the box. Its weight in his hands was more than physical.
"Thank you, Sophie." — he said, his voice slightly hoarse. He stored the box in one of his dimensional rings.
"And this." — she said, picking up the sword.
It was a Jian, a straight, double-edged blade, the sword of choice for gentlemen and scholars in the ancient Chinese culture he admired. But this was anything but common. The hilt was polished obsidian, black as midnight and cold to the touch. The pommel and guard were made of a dull, resilient gray metal, and in the center of the guard, the image of a skull was engraved with minimal but terrifyingly vivid detail. However, it was the blade that stole his breath. Made from the same blessed silver as the bullets, it seemed not just to reflect light, but to absorb it and then emit it in a divine, soft glow. Looking at it was like looking at a piece of fallen star on his kitchen table; the world around it seemed to fade, insignificant before its lethal purity.
"It's a Legendary 5th-Grade Artifact." — she explained.
"Custom-made. Your training Jian was already chipped after that practical lesson in the Vallencourt Forest. I wanted to make something that fit you perfectly." — she finished with a confident smile.
Indra shook his head.
"Sophie, I... I don't know how to thank you for everything. Since the day you saved me in that forest... And I have no way to repay you."
She let out a muffled laugh. Playfully punched his chest.
"Idiot. The best way to thank me is by surviving. It's by coming back home."
He smiled, a rueful smile. It was obvious she would say something like that. It was who she was. He picked up the sword. The balance was perfect, a natural extension of his arm. The artifact's energy whispered against his skin, eager to be used. He stored it in his dimensional ring, hardly able to wait to feel it in action.
Sophie then clapped her hands, her expression shifting again to something lighter and more mischievous.
"I almost forgot! I have a dessert for you."
Indra raised an eyebrow, a genuine smile appearing on his lips.
"Dessert? You, cooking something sweet? Is the world ending?" — He was genuinely curious; he had never tasted a sweet made by her.
"Something like that." — she replied, resting her chin on her right hand. Her heterochromatic eyes narrowed, and a notoriously malicious smile spread across her face.
"The dessert is right in front of you."
Indra stood still for a second, processing. He looked at the empty table, then back at her, at the vampiric smile and the eyes full of dangerous promises. At first, he seemed surprised, but quickly recomposed himself. This kind of behavior from Sophie was expected by now. A familiar warmth began to grow in his chest.
"Is that so?" — he asked, his voice low, matching her tone.
"It is." — she whispered, her gaze dropping to his lips for an instant before returning to his eyes.
It seemed his morning, after all, would be a little longer — and infinitely sweeter — than Indra had imagined. The Paranormal Exam could wait a few more minutes. Some gifts were simply meant to be savored.
---
The transition through the Gate was like plunging into icy waters after a hot bath. One moment, the warm, common air of the Mortal Plane was replaced by the charged, electrifying atmosphere of the Other Side. The first thing Indra felt was the familiar "cold heat" of the Esoteric Society's silvery sun bathing his face. His eyes adjusted to the surreal landscape: the vibrant purple sky above, the coal-dark clouds hanging heavily, multicolored lightning flickering within them like pulsating veins. It was bizarre, alien, and in a way he had never imagined possible, deeply comforting. This was his new reality, the stage where his fate would be forged.
He checked the smartwatch on his wrist. 10:28 AM. An hour and a half left until the start of the Paranormal Exam.
Sophie stretched beside him, a feline movement that seemed to lengthen not just her muscles, but the very reality around her.
"Let's go home" — she said, her voice sounding clear and familiar in that strange air.
"It might not help much at this late hour, but I'll try to teach you a few little things."
Indra frowned, confused.
"What kind of things?"
Internally,an alarm went off. Had they just... well, that... and she already wanted more? Was she a succubus in disguise?
Sophie made a face at him, her heterochromatic eyes narrowing in an accusatory look.
"Hey. You're thinking bad things about me, aren't you?"
"Absolutely not!" — Indra denied, trying to sound as convincing as possible, though he felt heat rising to his face.
She didn't seem to fully believe him but let it go with a sigh.
"Sparring,you idiot. I want to test your skills for real, see where you're at after training with Aleksei. Maybe give some final touches."
Indra's confusion turned to surprise, and then to a pang of apprehension. Sparring with a Pseudo-Sovereign? This was less of a lesson and more of an invitation for a stay in the medical wing. At that moment, Amethyst, who was resting on Indra's shoulders like a living ornament, let out a low, guttural noise that sounded suspiciously like a mocking laugh. A sensation of amused foreboding and "you're in trouble" emanated from the Spiritual Beast and echoed in Indra's mind.
Noticing the concern written on his face, Sophie added,
"It's just sparring. I'll go easy. The idea is to measure your strength, not reduce you to a stain on the ground."
Indra took a deep breath. She was right. Facing someone of Sophie's caliber, even in a controlled manner, was an invaluable opportunity.
"That makes sense.Let's go."
The walk to Sophie's house was uneventful. Indra took the opportunity to appreciate the scenery of the Royal Borough — the stone structures that seemed to grow organically from the ground, the luminous runes outlining the streets, the exotic flora emitting subtle glows. There was a dark, dangerous beauty to this place that he was learning to love.
Upon arriving home, they went straight to the back, where a training field with rune-reinforced hard-packed earth awaited. It was a wide space, surrounded by carved stone posts.
Indra positioned himself on one side, feeling the firm ground under his feet. Sophie stood on the other, but she was still wearing her mundane clothes.
"Are you going to keep wearing that?" — Indra questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Sophie looked at herself, seeming surprised, as if she had forgotten.
"Ah, right."
She raised her hand,displaying her dimensional ring. There was a subtle glow of Magic Power, and in the blink of an eye, her clothes changed. Now, she wore a black tactical suit that clung perfectly to her body, highlighting every curve in a lethal way. The fabric was intersected with buckles and silver details, and on her chest, the Ledger Clan insignia — a two-tailed raven in black on a silver background — shone discreetly. A black leather jacket rested on her shoulders, falling to her waist like the wings of a predator. Her tail, long, thin, and vibrantly red, hissed softly in the air, moving with a life of its own, a clear indicator of her readiness.
Indra was simply mesmerized. The transformation was so quick and complete. Her beauty in that war attire was a blow in itself, something that could distract any opponent. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus.
'Concentration, Indra. She won't defeat you with charm.'
But another doubt arose.
"How the hell did you do that? Taking the clothes from the ring straight onto your body?"
Sophie smiled, amused by his bewilderment.
"They're Artifacts linked to the soul, manufactured at the Astaroth Armory. You connect your Magic Veins to them and can manipulate them as you wish. Your clothes and the Jian I gave you are too. You just need to make the connection."
Indra nodded, closing his eyes. He concentrated, directing the flow of his Magic Veins towards his clothes. It was a strange sensation, as if invisible threads of his own energy extended and intertwined with the fabric of the Legendary Artifact. A feeling of completeness, of connection, swept over him. He did the same with the Jian in his dimensional ring, feeling the blade respond like a dormant extension of his own being. Now, he was ready.
Without further ado, Indra sprang into action. Amplification. He channeled his Qi, and a bright white energy began to emanate from his body, enveloping his muscles in a circle of power. Then, with a thought, he materialized the Jian in his right hand. Channeling. The blessed silver blade responded immediately, glowing with an intensity reminiscent of dancing white flames, interwoven with electric sparks that crackled in the air.
Sophie remained with her arms crossed, a small, almost imperceptible smile touching her lips. To her, this was not threatening in the least, but perhaps it would provide some passing amusement.
Indra advanced. His feet moved with a bittersweet combination of Dew Step of the Sword Shakes Dimensions and Lightning Step of the Ivanov Battle Techniques — the style Aleksei had taught him. He called the awkward mixture 'Lightning Dew Step' — creativity for names was never his strong suit. His movement was fluid and purposeful, closing the distance in a second. His shadow loomed over Sophie.
Her expression remained relaxed, her heterochromatic eyes following his every micro-movement with disconcerting calm.
Indra launched his strike: Scarring Thrust. A direct, powerful attack, no flourishes. He knew feints and tricks would be useless; against someone like her, the best chance was brute force and directness.
What happened next, however, was not in his range of expectations. He expected her to dodge, raise a barrier, or even grab the blade with her bare hands. Perhaps she would simply take the hit without flinching. But that's not what happened.
His sword stopped. Not because it had hit an invisible barrier — he felt no impact. The blade simply... froze in the air, inches from Sophie's torso, motionless as if the very space around her had solidified. It was as if he had tried to stab a mountain, and the sword had decided, of its own will, not to proceed.
Sophie's smile widened slightly, becoming something bordering on quiet arrogance, the confidence of one who knows their place at the top of the food chain.
And then, the pressure came.
It was a crushing force, invisible and omnipresent, that weighed down on every inch of Indra's body, on every atom of his being. It wasn't physical, but metaphysical. His knees buckled immediately, yielding to the overwhelming weight, and he fell to his knees on the reinforced ground, gasping for air. Sweat dripped from his forehead. It was the same sensation he had experienced when meeting the Realm Ruler, that cosmic entity — of course, Sophie's pressure was a candle next to the infernal sun of that presence, but the essence was the same. Unmistakable.
Gathering what remained of his breath, he whispered, the words coming out as a groan.
"Will... of Existence..."
Sophie's smile changed, becoming the satisfied expression of a teacher whose student has finally understood the lesson. The pressure vanished instantly.
"Exactly." — she said, her voice soft again.
She knelt before him, and with a fluid motion, took from her dimensional ring a small, ornate glass vial containing a golden, shimmering liquid.
"Low Recovery Potion." — she explained, handing it to him.
"You'll feel better."
Indra didn't hesitate. He took the vial, pulled the stopper with his teeth, and swallowed the contents in one go. A revitalizing warmth spread through his body almost immediately, washing away the fatigue and pain, restoring his energy. After a few moments of deep breathing, he felt back at 100% capacity. The efficiency was frightening.
He looked at Sophie, his eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and an intense hunger for understanding.
"How... how do I do that?"
She seemed to ponder for a moment.
"I thought you knew what the Will of Existence was."
"Professor Carl explained it roughly.Said it's 'the ability to bend the world with your ambitions' or something like that."
Sophie chuckled.
"There's not much more to explain, actually. That's it. You use your deepest emotions — your anger, your determination, your desire to exist and impose that existence upon the universe — to amplify your energy and manifest your authority outside your Domain." — She tilted her head.
"Speaking of which, you know what a Domain is, right?"
Indra nodded.
"Professor Carl taught that one properly."
"Good." — Sophie stood up, offering a hand to help him up.
"Sparring's over. I've already measured your power level." — She looked at him, and for the first time, he saw a genuine glint of surprise in her eyes.
"And I must say, I'm impressed. I truly didn't think you'd evolve this much in just one month."
Indra felt an impulse to contest, to ask to continue, to prove he could do more. But the memory of that crushing pressure was still fresh in his mind. Acceptance was the wiser choice. He simply nodded.
"What do we do now?" — he asked.
"We still have some time."
Sophie seemed to consider the question, her eyes losing focus in the purple sky for an instant. Then, a flash of an idea lit up her face. She took Indra's consoles — the Odyssey Station and the Magnavox Switch — from her dimensional ring.
"How about we play a bit to destress?" — she proposed, holding the controllers with a somewhat clumsy smile.
Indra almost laughed. It was the typical phrase of someone not used to gaming. Every gamer knew that the journey to "destress" in a video game often ended in shouts of frustration and nearly broken controllers. But it would be rude to point that out. He smiled, genuinely.
"Sure. Let's go."
They went to the living room and spent the remaining time immersed in pixelated worlds and virtual battles. It was a bizarre and wonderful contrast: after brutal training and sparring with a Pseudo-Sovereign, he was now teaching the same Pseudo-Sovereign how to play Pokémon. It was a welcome reminder of the complexities of his new life.
When they finally stopped, Indra checked his smartwatch. 11:45 AM. Almost time.
They left the house and headed for the Esoteric Academy, arriving at 11:55 AM. The Academy gates were an intimidating sight — nearly twenty meters high, made of a dull black metal that seemed to absorb light, with a huge golden four-pointed stud fixed in the center. After showing their credentials to the impassive guards, they entered.
The main hall was breathtaking. A vast space with a vaulted ceiling so high it was lost in the gloom, illuminated by enormous black crystal chandeliers hanging like the sharp fangs of a primordial beast. At the far end, a raised stage supported a white stone pulpit, intricately carved with arcane symbols that seemed to move in the flickering light. Standing behind it was the Academy Director — a burly middle-aged man with a face marked by wrinkles that looked more like maps of ancient battles. His steely-gray hair was rigidly slicked back, and his eyes, cold and assessing, swept over the crowd. Flanking him were four figures — two women to his right and two men to his left. The Inquisitors, Indra presumed. Their expressions were impenetrable, and the air around them seemed colder, denser.
"I'm going up to the second floor." — Sophie whispered to Indra, pointing to the upper balconies surrounding the hall.
"This area is for participants only. I'll be watching you."
They exchanged a last look, a mixture of good luck and silent confidence, before Sophie moved away and disappeared up a side staircase.
Indra was left alone in the sea of participants. Despite the 1,037 candidates, the hall was so vast it didn't seem crowded. He looked up at the second-floor balcony. He managed to spot Sophie, and near her, Professor Carl and Professor Owen. The rest of the gallery was packed with a crowd of important figures — Legionnaires in gleaming armor, members of great clans with heraldic insignias, mages from the Magic Tower in embroidered robes, adventurers from the Guild with exotic gear. The air buzzed with the event's importance.
Curious, Indra turned to look at the very back of the hall, behind where the crowd was concentrated. There, elevated and isolated, was a closed booth with subtly darkened glass. But it wasn't the booth that caught his attention — it was the nine figures seated behind it, perfectly visible. Nine silhouettes. And from their eyes emanated distinct, powerful glows.
The central figure had eyes that glowed with the cold color of polished metal. To his left, four others: cyan, gold, red, and purple. To his right, four more: white, dark blue, light green, and blue. The colors were vivid, unmistakable.
A jolt of electrifying understanding hit Indra. VIP booth. Nine people. Nine colors corresponding to the Nine Paths of Energy.
The Nine Pillars.
The most powerful beings of the Other Side, the unofficial architects of the Esoteric Society, were there. Their presence elevated the event from "important" to "historic." What was to come had a weight Indra hadn't fully calculated.
He kept watching, unable to look away. At one point, the central figure — the one with metallic eyes — closed his eyelids. The silvery glow went out for a second. Then, when they reopened, they fixed directly on Indra.
He froze. It was like being pierced by two icy daggers. Every fiber of his being screamed to look away, to lower his head, but he held his ground, his face a mask of neutrality. He didn't want to make an impression — not a good one, not a bad one. Just to exist, invisible, in that moment.
The metallic eyes and Indra's black eyes locked in a silent duel that seemed to last an eternity, the buzz of the hall fading into a distant background noise. What did that entity see in him? Potential? A threat? Or just another grain of sand in the vastness of the desert?
Then, the sound came.
A single toll of a bell, deep and resonant like the awakening of an ancient god, echoed through the Academy's obsidian columns. The sound reverberated through the shadowy gardens, shook the stained glass that distorted the sun's silvery light, and filled every cubic centimeter of the main hall, silencing all conversation.
The Paranormal Exam had begun.