"Agh!"
Groaning from the agonizing pain coursing through me, my eyes slowly fluttered open. I felt a surge of blood rush through me, along with a subtle, almost imperceptible flow of energy. I... I felt stronger.
I raised a brow, hurriedly trying to assess my ability, provided I did get one. Not everyone was so lucky to awaken one during the pre-awakening stage after all. But nonetheless, that didn't stop me from hoping that I did.
Closing my eyes, I tried to touch the glowing orb within my mind.
According to the theories taught in the Gracian Scholars' academy, every single awakened were able to form the soul core after Awakening, and with its formation, and solidification, through extreme conditions —such as for example, the ENO. The extreme negative emotions— came the ability to sense and learn about one's ability. Little as it might be, it was still every little bit better than being ignorant.
The rest was left to the awakened to figure out.
...And most never lived to figure it out. That was the cruel nature of this world. The cruel trait of the current war-torn age.
Seconds passed as sweat dripped down my forehead, however, I still couldn't feel anything. Nothing! However, just as I grew frustrated, anger and annoyance creeping in, I felt it.
Something seemed to explode within my mind, throwing me against the cold bars. In the next second, I was in a world of pain. However, despite the pain and the red blood that dripped down the corner of my face, a wide smile crept up on my features.
I had awakened not one but two abilities. And the best part of it all? Both abilities were every bit useful!
It wasn't surprising to gain a useless ability, although the chances of that happening was relatively low, as theory suggests that anyone who could go through the ENO had a relatively strong soul, hence the chances of the soul forming a useless ability was quite low. Almost impossible.
Though that did little to stop it from occurring.
"Hah..." I exhaled, gathering my thoughts together.
The first ability I had gained allowed me to create a five-step radius of total darkness around me, blinding everyone around. And the best part? I wouldn't be blinded even when in the peripherals of the dark-zone.
That, in a dark, grim battle such as the gladiatorial battles, where a single mistake could lead to one's death, was a very useful ability. Not overpowered, but in the hands of a seasoned cunning warrior, it could very much be.
My brows arched upward in the next second. I then muttered under my breath, "Though if I'm correct, the dark-zone ability isn't really me turning the surrounding space into a zone of pure darkness. It's more of me absorbing all light in a five-feet radius."
It was more or less a kind of photon absorption field. Shaking my head, I dismissed the scientific theories and explanations, and went through the next ability. Within a few seconds, the information was imprinted into my brain. Though till today, few scientists could really explain how the soul imprints information, but it was more or less accepted as possible. After all, since the soul formation led to the pre-awakening, it made sense that any ability borne by any awakened would be tied to their soul.
"Hmm," I hummed. "So basically an ability to predict an enemy's movement through their shadow's own movement."
It was a useful ability. Provided said adversary wasn't every little bit faster than I was. All in all, those were the two abilities I'd gained, the abilities that would hopefully keep me alive until the True Awakening.
I heaved a light sigh and stared around me. "Hmm," I frowned. "Weird."
The surrounding bars were different, and so were the faces. Each of the teenagers surrounding me had this cold, chilling aura to them. One that chilled my heart to the core. In that moment, I knew where I was, blood draining from my face.
"Crap," I cursed under my breath.
Right about then, a voice resounded from my right, startling me.
"Welcome to the aberrant pits."
I scrambled backward, turning toward the source of the voice.
"..."
The young man looked to be around age sixteen, had short beards growing out of his chin, and long brown hair that made one suspect he was a Terris man.
A member of the Terris Nation. How had one ended up here though?
"You can call me Azrael," he said, resting against the freezing cold bars of his pit.
"Kyle," I replied with a nod.
Turning my face away from him, I shifted away from him - as much as I could while still being cramped in the dark cage. That made it obvious that I was not quite interested in any conversation of sorts. The young Terris man smiled at the scene, then shook his head, his eyes fixated on the black, charred metal above him.
I took that moment to observe the other awakened. Who knew which one was going to be my next opponent? The thought unsettled me in a number of ways.
Gritting my teeth and forcing down the unease, I glanced around me, trying to assess the cold and distant men. In that moment, a voice sounded once again, and it was... to my annoyance, coming from my right.
"..."
The young man —Azrael— chuckled, saying softly, "How about we make a deal?"
"What sort of deal?" I asked warily.
He smirked. "I give you a detailed review of one of the two deadly aberrants, and in return, you owe me a favor."
I kept quiet for a few seconds, my heart pounding silently, though far louder than it normally did. And the reason was quite simple. Not only was Azrael exceedingly smart, as expected of a Terris man, there was also something about him that unnerved me. Something about him that just didn't sit well with me.
Nevertheless, I nodded.
He smiled. "You see, it isn't so hard to make friends. Even in hell."
He laughed, his infectious laughter raising a long-forgotten emotion within me.
'How can he be so lively in this hell?' I wondered with a dark expression.
Azrael's gaze lingered on a young fellow with short dark hair, sharp cold eyes, and most notable of all— he had a relaxed demeanor, as though no one was worthy of his attention.
"You see," he said. "that there is Bartholin. He's quite the warrior. He's fast, skilled, and deadly. However, he's most famous and highly feared for neither of this."
He paused, seemingly expecting me to demand for him to speak on. However, I said nothing and simply stared at him.
"..."
I could see a light, almost imperceptible smile curling up his lips as he continued, "He's most famous for his ability. One that allows him to harden his body to extreme extents. The likes to which pre-awakened like us have no hope of breaking through. However, like all other abilities, it has a weakness. Only one part of his body can be covered at a time."
Azrael let out a light sigh of exhalation, leaning further against the cold metal bar. "However, what use is that when you won't even be able to get close to him. And even if you did, defeating him in close combat is nothing short of a herculean task."
I didn't say anything, though indeed, most of what he said did go on with a lot of scientific theories. Which meant that he wasn't lying. And that also cleared most, if not everything I needed to know about this Bartholin.
"The only question now, however, is... am I fast enough?" I thought, a deep scowl marring my features. I didn't like uncertainty. And if anything, the way the Terris man described the young fellow did nothing to ease the sense of unease it brought with it.
Right about then, two armored men stepped in and walked towards me. In the blink of an eye, I was out of the cage, binded by the two hefty Romans as they led me to the... colosseum.
'It was time for my next battle it seemed.'
"Good luck," Azrael said with a smile. "Though I doubt you'd need that."
His words, as always, brought a frown to my features. However, I could worry less about that as I was dragged raggedly into the blood-soaked colosseum.
Step, Step.
The sound of our footsteps echoed through the aberrant pits, and the cheering of the distant crowd reached my ears, sending a rush of adrenaline through me.
"Hah..."
I knew I was at a disadvantage against any opponent I'd be unfortunate enough to face, however, that wasn't going to stop me from surviving.
Step, Step.
Nothing was.