Silence returned.
Where moments ago the ocean had raged like a wounded god…
now it was completely still.
No waves.
No wind.
No sound.
Only Iren standing alone upon the cracked stone altar.
Water dripped from his clothes.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
"…It's... over."
The place where Nerithis had stood was empty.
Only faint ripples remained.
Then—
GGRRRRRRRR—
The entire ocean trembled.
Iren's eyes widened.
"What—?!"
The water around him began vibrating violently.
The altar stone beneath his feet shook.
He instinctively lowered his stance, stabilizing his footing.
Then suddenly—
WHOOOOOOOOOOSH—
A massive whirlpool formed in front of him.
Water spiraled inward violently.
But strangely—
It did not pull him.
It simply rotated… as if something inside it was awakening.
From the center of the whirlpool—
Something rose.
A ring.
Silver-blue.
Its surface flowing like living water.
The Water Ring.
The whirlpool calmed as the ring slowly drifted toward him.
Iren stared at it.
"…So this is it."
He slowly raised his right hand.
The ring floated closer.
Closer.
Then—
TIK
The moment it touched his finger—
FWOOOOM—
Energy exploded through his body.
"—GH!!"
Pain surged through his veins like freezing lightning.
His entire body trembled violently.
His muscles locked.
His breathing stopped.
A faint blue aura erupted around him.
Water spiraled upward like a storm.
His veins began glowing beneath his skin.
Blue.
Bright.
Burning.
Inside his mind—
Memories flooded in.
His village burning.
Flames devouring homes.
People screaming.
His mother reaching for him.
His father collapsing into the fire.
"Ghh…!"
His body bent forward as the pressure increased.
The water spiraling around him intensified.
His teeth clenched.
"I…!"
His hands trembled.
"I have to… control it…!"
The aura surged stronger.
The ocean around him reacted violently.
His veins glowed brighter.
His body felt like it was being torn apart.
Then—
Iren roared.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH—!!!"
The water spiraling around him suddenly froze.
The blue aura flickered violently—
Then—
Silence.
The pressure vanished.
The whirlpool collapsed.
The ocean returned to stillness.
Iren remained standing there.
Breathing heavily.
The Water Ring rested quietly on his finger.
It had accepted him.
"…Haah…"
He lowered his head slightly.
"I did it…"
Then—
CRACK
His head snapped up.
CRACK… CRACK… CRRRRKKK—
The sanctuary walls began splitting apart.
Stone pillars shattered.
Temple ruins collapsed.
Water surged through broken structures.
Iren's eyes widened.
"…No way."
Then he remembered.
Aetherion's voice echoed in his mind.
> "Once the Bodyguard is defeated, the sanctuary will collapse."
> "Moments later… a massive explosion will erase everything inside."
Iren's expression hardened instantly.
"So that's what you meant."
He turned toward the distant blue door.
Then—
He ran.
BOOM!
A massive pillar collapsed behind him.
CRASH!
Stone shattered across the flooded ruins.
Water surged violently through broken temples.
Iren sprinted across the collapsing sanctuary.
"Move!"
A massive stone block dropped from above.
WHAM!
He twisted sideways and dodged it.
Another pillar collapsed.
CRASH—!!
Fragments rained down.
He leapt over broken rubble and kept running.
The entire sanctuary was collapsing.
"Just a little further!"
The massive blue door finally came into view.
But then—
His eyes widened.
"…What?!"
The door was closing.
The enormous stone gate was sliding downward slowly.
Blocking the exit.
If it closed completely—
He would be trapped.
The opening was already halfway shut.
"Damn it!"
Iren clenched his fist.
The Fire Ring flared.
"Level Two…"
Flames burst from his body.
FWOOOOOOOSH—
"INFERNO!"
His entire body ignited with blazing heat.
The flames wrapped around his legs.
His speed exploded.
BOOOOM—
He launched forward like a comet.
The door continued descending.
The gap became smaller.
Smaller.
Almost closed.
Only a narrow opening remained.
Just enough for someone to slide through.
"NOW!"
Iren pushed his speed to the limit.
Then—
He dropped his body forward.
SHHHHHH—
He slid across the stone floor beneath the door—
Just before it slammed shut.
THUD!!!
The massive gate closed completely.
Iren rolled across the ground and stopped outside the sanctuary.
For a brief moment—
Everything was silent.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM—!!!!
A colossal explosion erupted behind the door.
The entire sanctuary was obliterated.
Stone.
Water.
Ruins.
All erased in a single blast.
A massive shockwave burst outward.
Dust and steam filled the sky.
But Iren lay outside the door—
Safe.
Barely.
He remained on the ground for several seconds.
Breathing heavily.
"…Haah…"
"…Haah…"
He stared at the sky above him.
"That was…"
He exhaled slowly.
"…too close."
If he had been even a few seconds slower—
He would have disappeared along with the sanctuary.
His breathing slowly calmed.
Then he lifted his right hand.
Two rings rested on his fingers.
The Fire Ring.
And now—
The Water Ring.
A small smile appeared on his exhausted face.
"…It was a tough fight…"
He looked at the Water Ring again.
"…but I managed to get it."
Finally, he relaxed completely and laid flat on his back.
The cool air touched his face.
For the first time since entering the trial—
He allowed himself to rest.
But far beyond the mortal realm—
He was being watched.
Beyond the Veil
Darkness.
Endless.
Ancient.
Three colossal presences observed silently.
A massive armored figure rested a colossal warhammer upon his shoulder.
Dravokar.
"He survived grief."
His deep voice echoed like shifting mountains.
Beside him, a graceful silhouette floated within swirling currents of wind.
Zepharion tilted her head slightly.
"How stubborn."
Her voice carried a soft amusement.
"And here I hoped sorrow would break him."
Lightning cracked across the void.
A towering warrior stepped forward.
Thunder rolling across the darkness.
Vaeltrix spoke calmly.
"Strength grows through suffering."
A ripple of water passed through the void.
The essence of Nerithis returned to them.
Silence followed.
Then—
Dravokar spoke again.
"Next…"
His gaze turned downward toward the mortal world.
"…comes Resolve."
Zepharion smiled faintly.
"I wonder…"
"…will he still walk forward when failure crushes him?"
Lightning illuminated Vaeltrix's expression.
"Or when judgment demands sacrifice?"
Far below—
Iren rested on the ground beneath the open sky.
Two rings glowing faintly.
Unaware that the next trials were already waiting.
Rage had tested him.
Grief had drowned him.
Resolve would try to break him.
Freedom would tempt him.
Judgment would weigh him.
And far above all—
The sealed Sun and Moon watched patiently.
The sky trembled.
Not in fear.
But in preparation.
---