《Second Life Inc. at your service》


 Chapter 1

    Second Life Inc. was usually a chance for unfortunate souls at a second life, a chance to right their wrongs and fulfill their dreams and desires. But that was only if¡ªand Talia couldn¡¯t stress this enough¡ªif the unfortunate soul had passed the test and proved themselves worthy of being sent back to their world and to awake from their stasis¡ªor coma, like most of those worlds liked to call it.


    Most people, as Talia would come to see, had led a mundane life. And their reason for being sent to the doorsteps of Second Life Inc. was even more dull than their boring lives.


    Talia leaned on the arm of her chair, listening to the candidate with an attentive ear, judging his reason for a second chance.


    ¡­ or pretending to look as attentive to his words as she could.


    ¡°Hmm. I see,¡± she drawled as he stopped talking, looking up at her expectantly from down the dais.


    It was another of those weird and truly unfortunate ways for a soul to end up on her doorstep. A case of slipping and falling.


    Those humans, really, couldn''t they be more careful with their lives? The number of souls that had ended up here for the same exact reason was almost embarrassing.


    Stop buying slippery sandals! She wanted to yell at them. Or better yet, put a giant cloud poster on Earth¡¯s sky over a stadium at the pinnacle of the football season. That could lighten her load a little, just a little bit. Still, it would be enough to secure a vacation away from all this bustle.


    ¡°Tell me.¡± She glanced at the young man, a teenager really, with as much interest as she could muster, which to say, none. ¡°Why do you believe yourself worthy of another chance?¡±


    The teenager fidgeted under her stare. From the corner of her eyes, Talia could glimpse Aseel flailing his arms around. She glanced at him, a bit of irritation escaping her throat.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Be gentler,¡± he whispered, a bit of reproach in the slant of his brows. ¡°You¡¯re making him cry!¡±


    She huffed. She looked back, and true enough, she could see a bit of moisture gathering at the corner of the teenager¡¯s eyes.


    She sighed. Fine. It wasn¡¯t like she was getting anything in return for a job well done. Usually, only those suspected of contributing something meaningful to their worlds were allowed a second chance.


    She stared down at the squirming human. From what she could see, this human had barely lived long enough to be offered a chance to prove himself. So, as all intelligent creatures weighted by the scale, his results were close to zero. By all rights, his application should be denied. But truth be told, she had no desire to spend the next years¡ªor whatever long his lifespan lasted¡ªlistening to his cries and complaints.


    She glanced at the list of candidates, wincing at the long list of names that awaited their trial.


    Well, better get this over with. She wanted to get off work on time for once. She had had enough of cold dinners and hurried breakfasts. She wanted to have enough time to soak her wary bones in the bathtub and pamper herself with one of those bath bombs¡ªthe latest fad¡ªshe had purchased exclusively from Earth.


    She forced a smile on her face. ¡°You pass.¡± She passed the verdict, her seal of approval echoing loudly as it signed over his document.


    ¡°Really?¡± Aseel¡¯s doubtful voice sounded next to her.


    She shot him a look. ¡°Either that, or you¡¯ll be assigned as his handler.¡±


    That sealed any argument her second-in-command had prepared. He hurried down the dais and ushered the teenager away to the portal where he would be sent home.


    Talia slumped back in her chair, sighing. Were there no interesting tales to be heard? She longed for the time she would spend hours listening to the intricate tales of souls as they related what brought them to her door. Demon lords. Heroes. Politicians. Kings and queens. Generals who were more ambitious than they should have been.


    ¡°Bring the next soul,¡± she said to Aseel as he joined her in the hall.


    They said dead men had the best tales. But if she heard another slip-and-fall story, she would personally destroy all the slippers on Earth.

 Chapter 2

    It was another slow day for Talia¡ªanother day of approving or denying candidates¡¯ applications.


    Three hundred years. It had been three hundred years since anything remotely fun happened in this realm. Three hundred years of the same monotonous thing each and every day.


    This wasn¡¯t what she had in mind when she agreed to take over as the master of scales. She had thought she had finally bid farewell to her dull life before¡ªa life spent in nothingness. Adyl had promised her her ennui would be a thing of the past. And it was at first. She had rejoiced in the tales she had heard. She had walked through worlds of fire and woven through paths of light right from the confines of her hall. The candidates were so strong and unique that she devised a test to allow only the best of them to return¡ªwhich proved to be her biggest mistake.


    If only she had listened to Adyl¡¯s words then. But the more candidates passed her tests, the more intricate and dangerous she made them. So much so that now, were she to send any of the unfortunate souls dwelling in her halls, none of those losers would pass the first¡ªand easiest¡ªof them.


    She often found herself approving the candidates, bypassing the tests, and easing the load of paperwork she would otherwise be saddled with.


    She glanced out the window, peering down at the long line of souls awaiting her judgment. She sighed. Not a thousand years into the job, she was already thinking about quitting. Not that she would be able to find a replacement anytime soon. Her domain was quite infamous for its chaos. No one wanted to be stuck with weeping souls, lamenting their inability to return to their world.


    A movement outside, away from the crowd of candidates, attracted her attention. She paused, watching the lone soul outside walking leisurely around the garden. She watched as the lone young man strolled around the flower beds. He leaned forward, sniffing the fragrance of the gardenia, uncaring about the riots happening a few distance away.


    ¡°Aseel,¡± she called, her eyes not straying from the curious sight. She had never seen a soul this much at peace. They would usually step over one another to leave this place sooner. Even with all the benefits it came with¡ªno rent, no nourishment to sustain their life. They might wander around her domain for thousands of years¡ªif so was their original life expectancy¡ªwith no need for sustenance. Even breathing was but a memory their souls brought from their worlds. Talia had seen souls forgo breathing after spending long enough trapped here.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Aseel stood beside her, peering at what got her interested, his hand busy scooping a spoonful of ice cream to shove into his giant maw. His snake-like tongue licked his jagged teeth.


    He often forgot to maintain his human appearance when alone with her. She could still remember the day he had bawled his beady eyes out when she told him she didn¡¯t mind the sight of him. The human form was too confining for him, he had complained.


    ¡°Do you know who that might be?¡± she asked.


    He hummed, his forehead scrunching in thought. ¡°I''ve seen him lurk around for a time now. Though, I know nothing except his name.¡±


    Talia squinted her eyes to better see the man¡¯s name. But sadly, the distance was too great for her to read the smudge floating over his head.


    All souls had their names written over their heads, floating in the distinct language of Idir, the realm between realms. Only those naive to this world would be able to see it.


    ¡° Weylin Sywardus,¡± Aseel said around another spoonful.


    ¡°He¡¯s never applied for a second chance?¡± Talia asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Aseel shook his head, his attention turned to the bucket held carefully in his claws.


    How could such a thing be? In all her time here, she¡¯d never seen anyone contend with spending what remained of their natural life without trying¡ªeven once¡ªfor a second chance. Heck, she had to make a rule that a soul can only apply once every five years after seeing a certain face twice a week despite denying his application each time.


    Speaking of which. She turned her head to the horde at the door. She could see that certain soul lurking around the crowd, looking for any crack or crevice in the line to slither in. Had it already been five years since his last refusal? Strange how time seemed to fly with all the paperwork.


    She sighed. Better get back to work. She still had thousands of applications for today alone.


    As for tomorrow¡­ she set a last glance at the lone figure who ventured deeper into the garden and was heading to the veranda.


    ¡°Get me any information you could find on him,¡± she instructed Aseel.


    Maybe, maybe something interesting could come out of this. Someone who never bothered with a second chance? That was unheard of.


    Not now, she told herself, quieting down the buried voice inside her that longed for something other than a mountain of paperwork and uninteresting tales of unlucky and foolish souls. Now, she needed to work.


    ¡°Gt the next applicant,¡± she said as she headed towards her chair.

 Chapter 3

    When she had first assumed the role of master of the scales, the garden was but a barren land surrounding the grand mansion, with only shrubs and wildflowers growing in patches. It was her idea to ship seeds from different worlds and plant them around to ease a bit of the trapped souls¡¯ anxiety. Maybe, she had hoped, seeing something from where they came from would ease a bit of their lamenting cries and allow her peace of mind.


    Or so she had thought. It was strange how none of them cared about the garden she had meticulously arranged and had Aseel spend most of his time tending to. In all those years, only she had taken care to stroll around the strange and colorful flowers, enjoying their fragrance and the softness of their petals against her fingertips. Maybe she was the one who wanted to have those pieces of their worlds, to gather them close to her chest and gaze at them during her long, arduous days.


    Traveling to other worlds wasn¡¯t forbidden. She had done it once, thousands of years ago. She had set foot in a world with more sea than land. She had soaked her feet in azure seas, gazed upon scarlet skies, and watched the twin moons soar among the stars, illuminating the stardust sand as the waves broke against the shore. She would never forget those years. She held those memories close to her heart, revisiting them as she neared her breaking point, buried under paperwork, thinking about razing the whole place to the ground.


    While her bedroom was on the other side of the mansion, she could still hear, deep in the night, some souls complaining about their unfortunate fate.


    Me too, she often thought. She was as much trapped with them as they were with her.


    Talia walked slowly through the garden. Her gaze fixed on Weylin Sywardus as he gazed at the red camellia. She inched towards him as silently as she could. She was on a mission now, and the first step in her plan was to approach this mysterious soul.


    Three hundred years ago, she wouldn¡¯t have believed if someone told her she would willingly approach a soul and try to convince him to apply for a second chance. But three hundred years ago, she wouldn¡¯t have believed that a soul would be under her roof and would go unnoticed for more than a month.


    No. not a month. Forty-three years. Forty-three years, and she only now noticed him. How could this be?


    She stopped a few feet from him, debating how to start a conversation. Her break would soon be over, and she wanted to get this first step out of the way. Not that she was pressed by time, far from it. The only thing not scarce here was time.


    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.


    Weylin didn¡¯t startle. If he was surprised by her presence, he didn¡¯t show. He turned to her, a smile pulling at his lips, the afternoon sun glinting against his golden locks.


    She felt a shiver run down her spine. There was something strange about the way he smiled. Something she couldn¡¯t put her finger around. It reminded her of a feeling she had felt once, a long time ago, as she gazed upon one of the participants in her tests¡ªsomeone who had gone through them like a breeze.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not familiar with its name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a red camellia.¡± Talia looked at the red petals, feeling his heavy gaze upon her. ¡°It¡¯s from another realm. A world called Earth. It was a bit hard to grow them at first. The soil structure is a bit different, you see..¡± A lot different. It had taken them years to figure out a way to make it bloom. Years and resources.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°I reckon.¡± he hummed.


    She turned to him, pausing at the strange look he gave her. This soul wasn¡¯t like the others. Talia was sure of it. She would bet her whole ice cream shipment on this truth. She was a good judge of character. It was the reason why Adyl had asked her, and not anyone else, to take his mantle. Well¡­ that and the fact that no one expressed any interest in the job. No one but Layt. but Layt didn¡¯t count. He only cared for it after hearing it was her Adyl had asked. She had asked him, hundreds of years later, to take her place, and he had refused.


    ¡®I should have been his first choice. I don¡¯t chase after scraps,¡¯ he had said, staring haughtily at her.


    ¡°You must like flowers. Were you perhaps a florist in your world?¡± she asked, fishing for clues.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Weylin said vaguely.


    She bristled. Was he that insistent to make things hard for her? Any information other than names was only accessible to her after a soul had requested to receive her seal of approval. Anything else was protected by the privacy law.


    They lapsed into an awkward silence. Talia¡¯s mind went a mile a minute to come up with something else to say. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Aseel making way towards her, surely to drag her back to the hall.


    She turned to Weylin, who smiled at her, his blue eyes crinkling at the sides. Still, it felt cold, reminding her of the ice she had seen a thousand years ago.


    Whatever tale he had, she was sure it would be interesting.


    She cursed under her breath as Aseel crossed the veranda, his steps hurried, his eyes fixed on her. There was nothing better than a front attack. She grasped Weylin¡¯s arm, tightening her grip when he shifted to face her. He stared at her, eyebrow raised, but didn¡¯t try to break free.


    ¡°Would you like a second chance?¡± she asked.


    He blinked. His gaze lingered on her hand before shifting to her face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here long enough. Surely you know who I am,¡± she said, her eyes boring into his. ¡°If you wish for it, I can get you your second chance.¡±


    He smiled, his smile not reaching his eyes. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s an honor that the master of the scales herself is making the offer. But I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not something I¡¯m wishing for.¡±


    Talia blinked. ¡°If it¡¯s the seal of approval you worry about, you¡¯ve already got it. The only thing I require is your tale. Nothing else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± He nodded.


    She wanted to shake him, to tell him it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, that he should be kneeling on the floor, weeping at being granted this gift without passing through the scales¡¯ judgment. But her words were cut off by Aseel¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Master Talia. I¡¯m afraid the break is over. The souls have been demanding your presence in the hall,¡± Aseel called.


    Talia huffed, letting the frustration show on her face. She heard the chuckle by her side.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re a bit busy for another request.¡±


    She scowled before schooling her features into what she hoped was a pleasant smile. ¡°I can make an exception now and then.¡±


    He watched her for a while, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I ever have a change of heart.¡±


    He turned and walked away. Talia watched, baffled by the audacity of this soul. No one walked away from her, certainly not before she dismissed them.


    She huffed, turning her angry eyes to Aseel. He shrugged, unfazed by her irritation.


    Only after the third second-chance request¡ªthat she had denied yet again¡ªthat it dawned on her. When she had grasped his hand, she had forgotten to tune down her strength. She had used her normal strength as she would have when in the presence of another resident of Idir. Using such force with a normal soul would have torn a thread through its very fabric that would have taken a while to fix.


    Yet, he seemed fine. He didn¡¯t bat an eyelash at it.


    She grinned. He was greatly mistaken if he thought she would leave him alone after his refusal. It only renewed her resolve. Now more than ever, she vowed to figure him out.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°A rock slide,¡± Talia said in a flat tone, her eyes staring at the soul before her, unimpressed.


    This was the¡­ she didn¡¯t even remember how many times she had heard this tale. She leaned on her fist, raising an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Am I right?¡± she asked.


    He nodded. If he wasn¡¯t a soul, she would have worried his head would have fallen off.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Talia turned to Aseel. ¡°Tell me, how many souls have ended up here for the same reason this month?¡±


    ¡°Many.¡± Aseel nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not as unusual as it seems, especially among mountaineers.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Talia sighed drily. She turned to Ilya. ¡°Tell me, how is this interesting?¡±


    ¡°They were huge rocks.¡± He held his hands wide.


    Ilya, the one annoying soul for whom Talia made the new five-year rule, looked pleadingly at her.


    ¡°You know what will happen next, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be seeing you in five years.¡±


    His eyes widened in alarm. ¡°Wait! Wait! I remembered something!¡±


    She paused, the refusal stamp inches from his document. She waited for him to speak, daring him to lie to her. What could he have forgotten that only now, after more than fifty years, did he remember?


    ¡°It was the demon lord! We were attacked by the demon lord! He was the one who destroyed the mountain pass and rained rocks on us!¡±


    Nothing she hadn¡¯t heard before. If the one before her was this demon lord he was speaking about, she might have granted him a chance. That was if he passed the scales¡¯ judgment¡ªsending someone evil back to his world was not only against the rules but against the ethics of her job.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t deny that being sent here by a demon lord was leagues better than many of the reasons she had heard these past hundreds of years. Better than tripping on one¡¯s feet.


    She leaned forward, and Ilya flinched under the intensity of her gaze. ¡°Tell me about this demon lord, and who knows, maybe I¡¯ll have a change of heart.¡±


    She paused, yesterday¡¯s words echoing in her mind. Right. Weylin had said the same thing. It was frustrating how the infuriating man had gotten under her skin in such a short time.


    Ilya wrung his hands together. He hesitated, glancing at his shuffling feet.


    Talia patiently waited. It wasn¡¯t like the next soul would have anything better to share with her. This was as entertaining as her day would get.


    ¡°He, eh, he was an enemy of the high temple, the temple dedicated to our god Nuneyar. He had dared to challenge the might of our god and refused to submit to him.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Talia narrowed her eyes at Ilya¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t the first time she would hear about worlds worshipping false gods. She knew many worshipped any being or thing stronger than them. But that name¡­ she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she heard it before.


    Maybe it was another candidate from the same world.


    She tilted her head to the side, motioning for him to continue his tale.


    ¡°That, eh, that¡¯s all I know about him.¡± He scratched the side of his neck, sheepish.


    She frowned. ¡°That¡¯s all you know? Weren¡¯t you enemies?¡±


    ¡°I was but a member of the high temple¡ªone of its knights. I wasn¡¯t privy to any confidential information.¡±


    Talia raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°How is this considered confidential? Did you raise your sword anywhere the temple pointed without any explanation?¡±


    ¡°We were but the temple¡¯s sworn shield. It¡¯s unbecoming for any lowborn to question the high priest¡¯s decision.¡±


    She huffed. ¡°Well, look where his decision landed you.¡±


    He flinched as if she had dealt him a physical hit.


    She sighed, massaging the area between her brows. She could already feel a headache settle in, and the day had merely started.


    ¡°Anything you can tell me about this¡­ god of yours then?¡±


    Ilya straightened, a bit of excitement on his face. Good. Maybe he would have something interesting for her.


    ¡°He¡¯s the lightbearer. The savior of Solaris and the great teacher of mankind. He taught us the way of stars and bestowed upon us his gift of mercy.¡±


    Talia nodded. Nothing she hadn¡¯t heard before. ¡°What else do you know of him?¡±


    He gave her a puzzled look.


    ¡°Did he claim the gift of creation?¡±


    He shook his head slowly. ¡°He was in the realm of gods. He alone amongst his brethren took mercy upon us and decided to guide us himself.¡±


    Talia blinked. Realm of the gods? That was new.


    ¡°Did he say anything about where he came from?¡±


    She was having a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling.


    Usually the god worshipped was a being from the same world, the same realm. But this Nuneyar¡ªa name she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling she had heard before¡ªhad claimed he came from another realm. To her knowledge, no beings were allowed access to other worlds other than Idirians. Which only meant one thing. If there was a bit of truth in what this god had claimed, then he was from Idir.


    No. It couldn¡¯t be. Everyone knew that while traveling to other worlds was allowed, coming into contact with other beings enough to impact their existence was forbidden. Punishable by law.


    This Nuneyar must have lied to support the legitimacy of his claims. No one was foolish enough to break the rules. Not even her.


    ¡°Did he say anything else about himself?¡± she asked.


    Ilya must have sensed her alarm. He fidgeted, cold sweat beading down his forehead. It was a bit fascinating how these souls still acted as if they had physical bodies. She would have spared it another thought if alarms weren¡¯t sounding in her head.


    ¡°Did he ever reveal himself to his followers?¡±


    Ilya hesitated. He glanced at Aseel, who was standing sill beside her¡ªTalia could almost hear the gears turning in his head¡ªthen turned back to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he hesitated. ¡°Maybe?¡± He swallowed heavily at her narrowed eyes. ¡°I might remember something. It¡¯s just¡­ nothing comes to my mind right now.¡±


    Talia leaned back in her chair, contemplating. ¡°Tell you what,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a couple of days to remember. I¡¯ll even hold judgment till then.¡±


    Ilya bowed deeply, repeating words of gratitude like a broken record. Talia shooed him away, snorting when he half-ran out the hall, his shoulder smacking against the wooden door.


    If someone was out there breaching the law right under everyone¡¯s noses, it was her job as master of scales to put a stop to him. There was no say what other crimes he might have committed.

 Chapter 5

    Talia smiled as she sipped from her cup. Her chocolate shipment had finally arrived. At least something was going her way.


    She glanced at her companion, who stared at his untouched cup. She was glad she had found him near the gazebo during her break¡ªanother thing going her way. Another meeting, another chance to break through his shields.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot chocolate.¡± She took another sip. ¡°I heard it¡¯s pretty popular on Earth.¡± She nudged her cup toward him, motioning to his abandoned drink. ¡°Why not try it? I promise it¡¯s harmless.¡± She laughed lightly.


    He smiled and finally took a sip of the heavenly drink. Talia watched him like a Hydra, cataloging his reaction. One should never regard any kind of information with contempt. A soul¡¯s manners spoke louder than words.


    From how he drank, Talia ruled out any link to a noble upbringing. He was neither a nobility nor someone used to a life of luxury. And certainly not a royalty.


    ¡°Is it to your liking?¡± she asked, still smiling.


    He paused. ¡°A bit bitter.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a sweet tooth. I¡¯ll make sure to bring a sweetener next time.¡±


    He gave her an awkward smile that she returned a hundred times fold.


    He was not getting away from her grasp, not when she finally found him. She was already making a list of snacks to feast upon while listening to the delicious tale he carried. She could feel the strangeness of his soul, something she hadn¡¯t felt for hundreds of years.


    She took another sip, savoring the rich flavor. Verily, Earth was quickly becoming one of her favorite worlds. Quite sad that humans were quite clumsy with their lives. Adventurous spirits, they called themselves.  She snorted¡ªmore like careless.


    She brought the cup to her lips, smiling at Weylin¡¯s raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Such a nice weather today.¡±


    It was always nice in Idir, always the pinnacle of spring. The elements never strayed far from their appointed script. A change of weather was never good. A storm here differed from a storm in any other world. A storm here meant the start of a calamity. The last time Talia witnessed a storm in Idir was over a thousand years ago¡ªa lucky streak she wanted uninterrupted, which meant she would have to deal with whoever was parading as a god.


    Weylin cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to their little picnic.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit curious,¡± he said. ¡°Why the sudden interest?¡±


    Her smile was thin as she regarded him. ¡°Why not?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    They stared at each other, silent, till broken by Aseel¡¯s arrival. Talia silently groaned. Was Aseel trying to get in the way of her fun?


    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± She smiled at Weylin, ignoring Aseel¡¯s raised eyebrow.


    Tomorrow, she was going to bring lunch.


    She stopped next to a gathering of red camellias.¡°Ah, another thing.¡± She plucked a flower and infused some of her life force into its petals.


    Weylin glanced at her, then back at the presented flower. ¡°You said you liked Camellia.¡± She smiled. ¡°Like this, it wouldn¡¯t wither, not as long as I reign over this place.¡±


    She returned back to her jail, ignoring Aseel¡¯s pointed stare.


    What did he know about souls and how to ensnare them?


    Ilya, to her surprise, was back before his two days ended. Talia watched him as he fidgeted, thinking about the words that could grant him his desired chance.


    ¡°What do you have for me?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I remembered something in the holy creed written by the high priest.¡± He paused, hesitating.


    She leaned forward¡ªas if the hall wasn¡¯t built in such a manner to ensure the sound was carried to all its corners.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± she asked when he failed to elaborate further. She had to remind herself that getting angry at him would serve nothing.


    ¡°It spoke about the ethereal beauty of Nuneyar and how he was like a ray of sun in the brightest of days.¡±


    Golden hair, silver locks? How did this description translate to normal colors?


    She sighed. ¡°Any other description?¡±


    He hesitated before shaking his head.


    She leveled him with a look.


    ¡°That was everything the high priest said about him,¡± he hastily added, his frightened eyes widening further as she reached her hand towards the twin seals. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said calmly.


    ¡°Then why¡­?¡±


    She waved her hand, cutting him off. His mouth closed with a click. He stood, waiting for her verdict.


    She let out a deep breath, closed her eyes, and leaned back against her chair. The hall was silent, not even Ilya¡¯s breaths could be heard. She glanced at Aseel, and he glanced back at her, shrugging.


    It was her call. She could deny his request and find him here again in five years¡¯ time, like clockwork. Or she could approve it, pass the judgment of scales upon his soul, and send him back to his world, were the scales in his favor¡ªthere was a limit to how many times she could overlook a judgment, and it always came with a price if things went south after the soul¡¯s return to their world. If not, if the scales judged him unworthy, she had the authority to forbid him any future requests¡ªa soul¡¯s judgment rarely differed from its first, if ever.


    Or¡­


    She glanced at him. He shied away from her gaze.


    She was a busy person. No matter how much she tried, she couldn¡¯t be in two places simultaneously. And seeing him once a day, for merely a couple of minutes, wasn¡¯t helping.


    She blinked, seeing the soul in front of her in a new light,


    Ilya was once part of a cult, a temple. Surely, he knew a thing or two about persuading people to do their bidding, no matter how opposed to it they first were.


    She fixed her stare on Ilya¡¯s quivering soul. ¡°How about a deal?¡±


    This, this was something she was willing to bet on.


    Her satisfied grin chased her till she closed her eyes in sleep. Sometimes, important tasks required the attention of more than one person. And two was always better than one.

 Chapter 6

    Talia congratulated herself on catching Weylin right before her lunch. She had dragged the suspicious soul¡ªa curious frown tilting his brows¡ªwith her to the eating hall. She was glad she had instructed Aseel to prepare more food since their picnic yesterday. One never knew when an opportunity would arise.


    ¡°I was under the impression that one didn¡¯t require food to survive here. Is it different for you?¡± Weylin asked.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s more a matter of indulgence.¡±


    ¡°And sleep?¡±


    ¡°We do sleep, but we won¡¯t die if we go for weeks without it. It would take years for insomnia¡¯s side effects to kick in and even more to reach an irreversible point,¡± she added at his raised eyebrow. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to say no to a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°Indulgence.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± She took a sip of her tea, closing her eyes as the fragrant steam wafted over her face. ¡°Idirians¡¯s lives are already dull as they are.¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°Dull enough to invade other worlds?¡±


    Talia paused, staring at him. It was a question, but strangely enough, it didn¡¯t sound like one.


    ¡°If one is daring enough to face judgment, then sure, they could try their luck. Though they should be ready to pay the price.¡±


    There was a moment of silence before he asked, ¡°And what is the price?¡±


    ¡°Their life.¡±


    He nodded, his eyes already straying to his cup.


    Talia watched him, now more than ever intrigued by the reason behind his inquiry. This felt like an interrogation. Like he was trying to pry information out of her. She couldn¡¯t help but huff at the irony of it all.


    So was she.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not invincible?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°No one is,¡± she said, eyes boring into his.


    Their conversation then moved to more banal subjects: the weather, the number of requests she gets by day, the number of worlds she¡¯d gotten the flower seeds from.


    ¡°That¡¯s Aseel¡¯s job. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to ask him for the exact numbers. But it¡¯s more than three thousand worlds.¡±


    He hummed, impressed.


    ¡°Have you been to many worlds?¡±


    ¡°Only only.¡± She gazed at the blue flower with red edges, the one she had personally collected. At Weylin¡¯s querying look, she added, ¡°I wasn¡¯t interested in anything outside Idir. But after my first¡ªand only¡ªouter world travel, I assumed the role of Master of Scales. By then, leaving my domain unattended was impossible.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°That world¡¯s inhabitants must have been delighted to set eyes upon such a powerful being.¡± His words were flattering, but she could feel anger buried deep underneath. ¡°Or were there no intelligent creatures?¡±


    ¡°There were humans such as yourself.¡± Or close enough, without the hidden power she could sometimes feel faintly radiating off him. ¡°But I believe not coming into contact with them was the wisest choice.¡±


    ¡°Why? Were they lower beings than yourself?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as lower beings,¡± she said. ¡°No matter their power, all beings are equal to the creator. And as the Master of Scales, I should regard them as such.¡± She took another sip. ¡°I merely didn¡¯t wish to disturb their lives. They were honest humans trying their best to survive.¡± She glanced back at the flower, her mind back to thousands of years ago, back to a colony of humans hiding behind wooden walls, surrounded by monsters keen on a taste of their flesh. ¡°I might have lent them a hand, but nothing they would have noticed.¡±


    He looked at her, then smiled. ¡°I see. Truly a shame, then. I think they might have wanted to thank their benefactor.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for their gratitude.¡± She shrugged.


    She found Ilya waiting for her. The pitiful soul nodded at her, eyes full of determination. She hummed, motioning for him to come closer.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to decide. He had readily agreed to her proposal as soon as the words had left her mouth. His brows had furrowed in displeasure when she told him to think it through and give her his response the day after.


    She wasn¡¯t one to deceive another, especially a desperate soul. She wanted him to be fully aware of what he was agreeing to.


    If he failed to convince Weylin, then all future chances would be void, and she would send his soul to be weighed by the scales.


    The former knight dashed through the hall and stopped a few feet from her.


    ¡°W-where is this person you wanted me to persuade? Though, I can¡¯t believe there is someone mad enough to refuse such an opportunity. What does he have for brains? Are you certain he¡¯s sane? That man must have lost it after years roaming these halls. Not that I can fault him. Still. To have Lady Talia herself ask you and refuse? I tell you, that man is insane.¡±


    Talia raised an eyebrow at his rambling.


    So he knew her name.


    She heard Aseel give an amused snort. She threw him a look, daring him to voice his thoughts. She already knew what he was thinking from all the looks he had been giving her each time he caught her looking out the window, searching for the reflection of golden strands of hair against the bright Idir sun. Aseel shot her an unimpressed look. He sighed, shaking his head, then took Ilya¡¯s document that appeared on her desk and put it aside.


    She turned her attention to the still-rambling soul.


    ¡°He¡¯s outside.¡± She motioned out the window.


    He was standing in front of that flower, the one she had glanced at at their lunch meeting. She didn¡¯t think he had noticed her straying gaze. She wondered what expression he was sporting.


    She heard Ilya gasp next to her. She turned curious eyes on him.


    ¡°That¡¯s-that¡¯s the demon lord!¡± His throat seized as if his breath was struggling with which way to escape.


    ¡°Breath.¡± Or don¡¯t. This fool didn¡¯t even need to breathe.


    He nodded, taking sharp, short-winded breaths.


    She glanced at Weylin, leisurely strolling around the garden. How could he be a demon? Talia had met many demons. Some were more charismatic than others, but none of them was this good-looking. A soul never betrayed a person¡¯s true origin. If he was a demon, his soul¡¯s appearance would have revealed it.


    She narrowed her eyes at Ilya. ¡°Are you certain of your words?¡±


    ¡°Not just certain! He¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m here!¡±


    She hummed, still disbelieving.

 Chapter 7

    It was a while before they got Ilya to calm down a bit. He was hysterical, pointing at the fine gentleman outside, yelling, screaming that now that he was here, this world was doomed, that nothing, and no one, could stop him.


    Talia listened to his ramblings with narrowed eyes, skeptical.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand! He¡¯s evil! He leveled whole armies for daring to stand before him! I would know! I was once a knight in one of those armies!¡±


    He was quite the coward for being a knight. Talia would know. She had delivered judgment upon thousands of knights, many of whom daringly regarded her with fierce eyes, receiving their judgment with grace and heads held high. It was a bit disheartening how low the knighthood order in his world had fallen.


    There was also this matter of demon lord.


    Talia frowned. ¡°Are we sure we¡¯re speaking of the same person?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Would that be a problem, then?¡± she asked.


    He stilled, opening his mouth as if to say something before closing it and glancing out the window. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­ I didn¡¯t think I would find him here.¡± Ilya shifted on his feet, his eyes straying to the demon lord.


    Talia could still not believe his words. She had spoken to that soul, sat down with him, and shared her prized hot chocolate with him. Heck, she had lunch with him not too long ago. He was nothing but a perfect gentleman¡ªregardless of the strange aura surrounding him.


    She glanced at the frantic Ilya. ¡°Have you changed your mind then?¡±


    His mouth closed with an audible click. He glanced at her, then back at Weylin, his eyes widening at whatever he was thinking about.


    ¡°You could still back off.¡±


    He straightened, turning to face her fully. ¡°No. I¡¯ll do it.¡± He grimaced as if the words he was speaking were bringing him immeasurable pain.


    She watched him as he stood there, staring at Weylin like he was staring at his doom. She would have felt a bit sorry for him if she hadn¡¯t spent hundreds of years¡ªand thousands more before that¡ªstuck here with only Aseel as company and the wailings of lost souls. She barely had enough sympathy to spare.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He took a shaky breath. ¡°Now¡­? Or¡­?¡± he asked.


    Talia nodded. ¡°The sooner the better.¡±


    He gave an absentminded nod. ¡°Of course. Of course. Just¡­¡± He hesitated. ¡°Do you know how he ended up here? Cause I tell you, that man is a monster. No one could stop him. Not even the high priest. The temple had sent heroes after him, times and times again. Still, they were all defeated. He defeated them all. So, excuse me for asking, but who managed such a feat?¡±


    Talia shrugged. She didn¡¯t know. In fact, if Ilya was being truthful, then this was one more reason for her to get this infamous soul¡¯s tale.


    She glanced back at Weylin, pausing when she found him staring back at her. She opened the window, seeing Ilya frantically step away from sight, and leaned down to wave at him.


    Now was as good a time as any.


    ¡°Are we still on for a cup of coffee today?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve just got a shipment this morning.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Weylin looked up at her, his blue eyes reflecting the azure sky above.


    She could see his eyes crinkle as he smiled, and she couldn¡¯t reconcile such a pleasant-looking soul with what Ilya had said.


    ¡°A friend might accompany me. I hope it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    He paused, his eyes glancing at something behind her, and then he smiled, though it didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°I shall wait for you at our usual place.¡±


    Then he walked away, disappearing behind the corner.


    ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m going to die. He¡¯s going to kill me. All of this, only to find him here. What did I ever do to him?¡±


    ¡°Except for attacking him at the orders of your temple?¡± Talia raised an eyebrow.


    Ilya whimpered. He backed away, his eyes still fearfully staring at the window despite Weylin¡¯s departure.


    Talia sighed. ¡°Relax. He can¡¯t kill you. No one can kill you.¡± Except for Idirians. But Talia didn¡¯t say. He was skittish enough around her. ¡°Even if he, somehow, ends up damaging your soul, it would recover.¡±


    He whined, clutching a handful of hair strands and pulling them as he lamented. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it better!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have followed their orders.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he had a say in the matter. You, of all people, should know how authority works,¡± Aseel said.


    ¡°Well, you won¡¯t find me attacking people who would follow me to the afterlife.¡±


    Ilya shrieked.


    ¡°Your words are hardly helping, if at all,¡± Aseel reproached her. ¡°And we both know that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.¡± He turned to Ilya, putting a comforting hand over his trembling shoulder. ¡°Worry not. Ensuring souls¡¯ protection is one of her jobs. She won¡¯t let him harm you.¡±


    Aseel¡¯s words brought a bit of color to the poor soul¡¯s pale face. He turned hopeful eyes at Talia. She grinned, eyebrow raised.


    ¡°You¡­eh¡­¡± He licked his cracked lips¡ªcracks that had only appeared a while ago. ¡°You think you can defeat him?¡±


    Aseel snorted. ¡°Of course she can, right?¡± He looked at Talia, urging her to reassure the frantic soul.


    She shrugged. He was being truthful. After all, in all of Idir, no one was stronger than her.


    ¡°I hope you like coffee,¡± she said, ignoring the frantic look Ilya sent her. Didn¡¯t he hear her telling Weylin she would be bringing a friend?

 Chapter 8

    There was no recognition in Weylin¡¯s eyes. Ilya sat before him, trembling like a leaf in a blizzard, and all he did was smile his pleasant, gracious smile.


    Talia took a sip of her coffee. A beverage that was trending in Idirians circles. She grimaced, battling the urge to spit the hot liquid out. No matter how much she tried, she couldn¡¯t get herself to like its earthy taste.


    She looked up as she heard a light chuckle.


    ¡°Not to your taste?¡± Weylin asked.


    Talia smiled back at him. She still couldn¡¯t believe Ilya¡¯s accusations. How could this sweet soul be the demon lord?


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have a sweet tooth myself. Perhaps it would be more manageable with some sugar.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    She glanced at Ilya. The poor soul was still as a statue, his eyes fixed on his steaming cup, unseeing. Talia nudged his leg under the table. He startled, his knee smacking loudly against the side of the table. He gave her a startled look, and Talia fought the urge to gouge his eyes out.


    ¡°How did you find your drink?¡± She smiled.


    He hurriedly lifted his cup and gulped the dark liquid like a man lost at sea, then choked. Talia watched as he coughed and coughed, trying his best to hack his lungs out¡ªif he had any.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Weylin asked, reaching a hand towards the struggling ex-knight.


    Looking like a wyvern¡¯s claws had lunged for him, Ilya jerked back, his screams cut off as his chair toppled over, and his back connected hardly with the ground. He inched back, refusing Weylin¡¯s outstretched hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine.¡± He struggled to his feet, putting some distance between him and Weylin.


    Talia leaned on her hand, watching the disaster waiting to happen. Should she intervene? It wasn¡¯t like Weylin would hurt Ilya. She wouldn¡¯t let him. She had given the cowardly soul her word.


    Not that she thought Weylin would hurt him.


    Weylin glanced at her as if gauging her reaction. She smiled at him. ¡°A bit jumpy, I''m afraid. He¡¯s been through a lot, I heard.¡±


    Weylin nodded. He sat back in his chair, eyes following Ilya as he lifted his upturned chair and awkwardly sat down.


    For a second, Talia glimpsed something in Weylin¡¯s look. Suspicion? Doubt? She couldn¡¯t tell. It was too fast for her to fathom. She took another sip of the earthy liquid, eyes fixed on Weylin¡¯s face.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Apart from that slip, his expression returned to his pleasant, smiling face.


    Then, it was back to their usual drivel. Talking about the never-changing weather, about the unimpressive souls she had to deal with that afternoon, about her job as master of the scales. Then he asked her about the other Idirians.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m far from being the only Idirian around.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you the only one around? Did you perhaps offend them?¡± he asked, eyebrow raised.


    She grinned, her thought veering toward Layt and his scowling face. ¡°Perhaps. Though it has more to do with all the souls trapped here than anything else. No one wants to spend even a second listening to all the laments and whining of the pitiful ones who failed the tests.¡± She shot a glance at Ilya, who had regained some sense and was trying but failing to clean the mess he had made with his broken cup.


    At her look, Ilya frowned. ¡°I do not whine,¡± he protested. ¡°I have my dignity as a knight to maintain!¡±


    Talia snorted.


    ¡°I do not!¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a knight?¡± Weylin asked, his sharp gaze fixed on Ilya.


    Ilya faltered. ¡°I mean¡­ I was?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Weylin nodded. ¡°From what world do you hail?¡± At ILya¡¯s frantic look, he added, ¡°You see, I was once a knight myself. Perhaps we come from the same place. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?¡±


    Taking pity on the almost hyperventilating soul, Talia cut in, ¡°From Earth. Are you perhaps familiar with the place?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, no.¡± Weylin smiled. Though, again, she couldn¡¯t help but feel the wrongness of those curled lips. He looked back at Ilya, his fake smile widening. ¡°Such a shame. It would have been nice were we to cross paths, not only here, but also in life.¡±


    Ilya gave a frantic nod.


    ¡°So you were a knight?¡± Talia asked, bringing his sharp eyes back to her.


    He nodded. ¡°For a while. But it wasn¡¯t my calling. So I quit shortly after the initiation ceremony.¡±


    Interesting.


    ¡°Were the rules too strict for your free soul?¡±


    He laughed lightly, this time a genuine laugh. Talia was pleased at the sight.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t the rules. More the deity the temple worshipped.¡±


    She leaned toward him, eager for more information.


    ¡°He was a cruel being, bent on bringing the world to his knees, uncaring about his followers. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to follow the creed of such a savage, barbaric, evil god.¡±


    A strange sound escaped Ilya¡¯s throat, between disapproval and opposition. Weylin¡¯s face split into a smirk as he glanced at him, catching his slip.


    Talia mentally sighed. Was it too hard to keep his ardent worship hidden in front of his supposed enemy?


    ¡°Religion is such a touchy subject back on Earth. Many have landed on my steps from a quarrel between worshippers,¡± she gave as an explanation. ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard for someone like him to hear such words despite the difference in faith.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± He nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡±


    The speed with which Ilya had nodded might have torn his head off despite the absence of a body.


    Well, as long as one believed he had one, nothing else mattered. Not even the truth.


    She sighed, taking another sip of the now cold beverage, making a note to tell Aseel to cancel the next shipment of coffee. The drink had now too many bad memories attached to it to leave anything but a bad taste in her mouth.


    She would have to think of another plan if she wanted to get her tale.

 Chapter 9

    Talia paced around the hall, mind going a mile a second. She needed to find a way to persuade Weylin.


    ¡°Really?¡± Ilya¡¯s awe-struck voice reverberated through the hall.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Aseel said. ¡°It¡¯s highly expensive. It would require a whole month¡¯s salary to order a shipment of such a small quantity.¡±


    Ilya whistled. ¡°So this is your whole month? In this cup?¡±


    ¡°No. This was a gift. Though, if I wanted something, I could just add it to the castle¡¯s expenses. Of course, I would need Talia¡¯s approval first.¡±


    Ilya hummed. ¡°She¡¯s unexpectedly nicer than she seems.¡±


    Talia shot a glare at Aseel¡¯s answering snort.


    Aseel stared back at her. ¡°Not really.¡±


    She huffed. Badmouthing her under her own roof?


    She stopped her futile pacing and turned an annoyed stare at the freeloaders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to attend to, my dear assistant?¡±


    ¡°Not really. No.¡± Aseel crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°I would have if you let go of your obsession and started doing your work. Need I remind you that I can¡¯t carry out judgment in your stead?¡±


    Talia huffed. ¡°It¡¯s not an obsession.¡±


    Aseel shook his head. He shot a glance at Ilya¡ªa wordless conversation passing between them.


    Since when did they become so friendly with each other?


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Talia insisted. ¡°I am doing my job. And so should you. I don¡¯t pay you to sit around and drink¨C¡± she frowned at the drink in his hand. He stirred the bubbles in the tea with the straw. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°That, my dear and¡ªnot so obsessive¡ªmaster, is bubble tea.¡± he presented her the drink as if it was a hard-earned prize.


    She turned to Ilya, who took a large gulp of his drink. ¡°And you, what are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be out there ensuring the success of your mission?¡±


    He smiled sheepishly but said nothing.


    ¡°Should I remind you of your fate if you fail?¡±


    He gulped, the sound echoing loudly in the hall.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Stop scaring the poor man,¡± Aseel chastised. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with taking a break. God knows that lately you¡¯ve been taking more breaks than all the years combined.¡±


    She threw her hands in the air, exasperated.


    Here they were, her own employee and a lost soul, in her own domain, mocking her. Didn¡¯t they know that she had their fate in her palm?


    ¡°What should I do with you?¡± she muttered.


    Aseel snorted. She glared at him, but apparently, her anger had long lost its novelty. How long ago¡­? The first hundred years in her new position? Or maybe less?


    ¡°Relax. He¡¯s not going anywhere. You can take your time in trying to trick him into your silly games. Ah, sorry. I meant your indomitable tests.¡±


    They weren¡¯t silly games. They were the most popular and most entertaining events Idir had ever witnessed. Not that it mattered. After all, she didn¡¯t plan to have him pass the tests.


    ¡°No tests this time,¡± she said.


    Aseel raised a surprised eyebrow at her words. ¡°Really? How intriguing.¡±


    She heard Ilya¡¯s hushed whispers, asking Aseel what the tests were.


    Of course he wouldn¡¯t know. She had never sent the fool to her tests. In fact, the numbers that she had sent to the arena had dwindled the last three hundred years till it amounted to zero. There was no need to send contestants when she knew they would fail. It didn¡¯t make for good entertainment.


    Who would want to watch bumbling souls get obliterated? No one. Well, she hoped no one would be that much sadistic.


    ¡°The most arduous and formidable tests a soul had to pass to satisfy Idirians¡¯ sense of ennui,¡± he said, ignoring Talia¡¯s unimpressed look.


    ¡°Are those the tests I would have to pass if I fail?¡± Ilya asked with alarm.


    ¡°Well, how about that? It seems we already have a contestant.¡± Talia grinned at him.


    She wouldn¡¯t send him. Both she and Aseel knew that. But instead of comforting the frantic soul, Aseel watched his flailing arms with keen interest.


    She never understood his fascination with humans. She always thought they were weak and hard to deal with. Always asking for more, never satisfied with what they already have. She could never comprehend his desire to emulate them, especially when he often complained about the aches that came with keeping a human form.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a while,¡± she aid, already heading for the hall¡¯s giant doors.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Aseel asked.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to help me, then I¡¯ll seek the help of a much more experienced individual.¡±


    Aseel paused. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    She nodded. ¡°In the flesh. He was the one who saddled me with this dull desk job. He better have answers, or I¡¯ll invoke the right to strike, and Idir will have to contend itself with a wave of undisciplined souls roaming its streets.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not how things work. You accepted the position. So unless you find a substitute, you¡¯re stuck with this expensive, fine, top-grade desk.¡± He tapped the dark wood. ¡°And dare I say, It¡¯s such a fine piece of art.¡±


    ¡°No matter. I¡¯ll get his help, even if I would have to drag him here by force.¡±


    ¡°And where would you find him? Did you forget he disappeared as soon as he retired?¡±


    As soon as he tricked her into filling in for him.


    ¡°This is a lost cause,¡± he called after her.


    Ignoring Aseel¡¯s words, she walked out of the hall, heading towards the only person who would know the whereabouts of the old master of scales. The one who had founded the court to help lost souls and guide them back to their worlds.


    She was going to see Adyl. And she needed to get back before her tea break. After all, She couldn¡¯t be late for her appointment with Weylin.

 Chapter 10

    Idir¡¯s towering buildings greeted her as she exited her domain. Each building was more ostentatious and more extravagant than the next. Her castle was a mere cottage in comparison. She glanced with disdain at the rows and rows of towers upon towers reaching high into the sky.


    Oh, how she disliked these mountains of concrete. They were as distasteful as the individuals they hosted.


    She would have loved to avoid their unsavory meddling, but alas, to find Adyl, she would have to gather whatever patience remained and walk into the wolves¡¯ den.


    Still, it didn¡¯t mean she would have to make herself visible to others.


    She took a sudden turn into an alley and launched herself upward, using the wall to propel herself toward the roof. Once atop the monolithic monstrosity, she lingered for a second, eyes gazing at the view ahead.


    How did they endure residing in such a tasteless place? She could feel nothing but gratitude for Aseel¡¯s dignified taste. Annoying as he was, her domain would soon fall into ruin without him. Or worse, she winced. It could turn into one of these ugly eyesores.


    ¡°Lady Talia?¡±


    Talia cursed under her breath. She slowly turned towards the uninvited companion. Nadeem stood a few rooftops away, staring at her with something akin to joy.


    Apparently, she wasn¡¯t the only one who disliked these buildings.


    ¡°Lady Talia!¡± His smile was wide enough to nearly split his face in two. ¡°If someone had told me I would be seeing you today¡ªin such a place¡ªI would have bestowed my favor upon their blessed self.¡±


    Nadeem¡¯s favor, also known as the ultimate luck in the universe, wasn¡¯t something to scoff at. Talia narrowed her eyes at him. If she knew something about him, it was that his character was as rotten as his luck was mighty.


    Of all the people to meet today, why did it have to be him?


    ¡°What brings you out of your domain? When was the last time I had set my eyes on your blessed form? Two hundred years? Four?¡± He tapped his finger on his chin, feigning thoughtfulness. ¡°Since the last disastrous trials?¡±


    Talia gritted her teeth. She forced a smile on her lips. ¡°Didn¡¯t think, for such luck, your life is so hollow you would keep tabs on my goings.¡± She tilted her head to the side. ¡°If you wish, I can get you a post at my domain. I believe I¡¯ve heard Aseel speak of a spot opening, a portier I believe. With your hidden skill, you would be perfect for the job.¡±


    Nadeem threw his head back and burst into laughter.


    ¡°I see your incarceration with those vermins had improved your sense of humor.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Talia scowled at him. The only vermin she knew about was the one in front of her.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me. I have important matters to take care of. We don¡¯t all have the luxury of loitering around, doing nothing.¡±


    She lied. Almost everyone in Idir was idle, jobless, dawdlers. She was¡ªalmost¡ªthe only one, unfortunate enough to have a proper job¡ªcourtesy of Adyl.


    She jumped from one rooftop to the next with ease, enjoying the slight kiss of the breeze against her anger-heated skin. This short moment of freedom reminded her of her time before being the master of scales, when she was free to roam the world and sail with the wind, uncaring about any task that might require her undivided attention.


    What prompted her to listen to Adyl¡¯s words? Her life now was more tasteless than ever before.


    Talia sighed when she noticed Nadeem behind her, following her steps. Years ago, she would have buried the irritating fool miles underground. Years ago, when she didn¡¯t care about laws. Sadly, now, as master of scales, she had to be the paragon of a law-abiding Idiran, at least in front of prying eyes. What happened in her domain stayed in her domain.


    Ignoring him, she sped toward her destination.


    Idir¡¯s lone newspaper.


    The building was small, dwarfed by the towers surrounding it. Its old cobblestone was a dull gray, contrasting with the surrounding buildings. It stood as a reminder of the past, refusing to adhere to the remodeling race that had started hundreds of years ago.


    She found Lamin, Idir¡¯s sole news reporter, elbows deep into a mountain of papers, sifting through Idir¡¯s dark secrets for tomorrow¡¯s journal. Talia spent a second to send prayers to whoever was foolish enough to catch the reporter¡¯s sharp eyes.


    The short, petite woman glanced up at the sound of the door¡¯s soft chime, eyebrow raised. Her confusion soon turned into bewilderment as her eyes rested on Talia.


    ¡°Well, well, well. The master of scales herself decided to honor us with her presence.¡± She grinned, her nose twitching as if she was smelling a delicious report heading her way. ¡°Come in, come in.¡± She stepped back from her desk and motioned for her to the lone chair in the room.


    Talia closed the door, sparing the last glance at her lingering stalker. He wouldn¡¯t dare to follow her inside. No one dared enter Lamin¡¯s newspaper. Not willingly, at least. The woman was notorious for her trickery and wits. One never left this room without losing something valuable. If she could, Talia would have avoided dealing with her. But¡­ desperate times called for desperate measures.


    ¡°What brings you here? Didn¡¯t expect I would see you so soon.¡± She pushed the stack of papers to the floor and took a seat on her desk. ¡°I thought it would be another century before you requested my services.¡± Lamin rubbed her hands together, her brown eyes shining with glee.


    So she was expecting her. Talia didn¡¯t know how to feel about that.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± Her smile was creepy on her otherwise charming face. She swatted her light brown hair away from her eyes, blowing on the longer strands that had escaped her messy bun.


    There was no going back now. She came here for information and information she would get.


    If there was anything Lamin excelled at¡ªother than extorting honest people of their valuables¡ªit was gathering information. There wasn¡¯t anything in Idir she wasn¡¯t privy to. She was the best person to find a missing retiree. No matter how slippery he was.


    ¡°I need you to find someone.¡±


    Lamin nodded, her smile widening.


    ¡°I need you to find Adyl.¡±


    There was no surprise on Lamin¡¯s face. It was as if she had expected her request.

 Chapter 11

    Onyx sand crunched under Talia¡¯s boots. Scarlet marks were in her wake like bloody patches of earth. But soon, the sand shifted, covering her footprints in darkness.


    Of all the places for him to be, here would have been the last place to search. It was a good thing she had asked for Lamin¡¯s help. She tried to convince herself, to silence the voice deep down that whispered of the grave mistake she had committed to agreeing to Lamin¡¯s terms.


    It wasn¡¯t like she intended to start the trials anytime soon.


    But Lamin¡¯s help in getting rid of her stalker¡ªfor nothing in return¡ªwas still nagging at Talia¡¯s mind. Lamin never did anything for the goodness of her heart. She was ruthless. Always thinking about how anything was beneficial for her.


    It was a silent walk around the beach till she finally noticed Adyl¡¯s hunched form, sitting atop a pile of rocks, a fishing rod in hand, its other end extended towards the black waters in front of him.


    Talia paused, frowning at Adyl¡¯s lone figure.


    Fishing? Fishing for what?


    This sea was called the undead sea for a reason. It had nothing alive, no fish, nothing.


    Her hand curled into a tight fist. Is this what he deemed more important than his work? Is this what he abandoned her and Aseel for?


    Fishing in a fishless sea?


    She trudged forward, her feet digging deeper into the sand. She spared a single glance at the bleeding earth before her anger took over, and her eyes zeroed in on her target.


    ¡°Such a nice weather, isn¡¯t it?¡± Adyl¡¯s voice greeted her.


    She huffed. She took a seat next to him, refusing to look at him. She heard him sigh. And something was extended toward her. It lasted no more than a few seconds before she caved and glanced at the offending object.


    A fishing rod.


    She scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not here to partake in your mindless hobby, old man.¡±


    He laughed softly. ¡°Of course, of course. But who knows.¡± His eyes had an amused glint that both irked and placated her. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll grow a taste for it.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°I doubt that.¡±


    His laughter was deafening in the dead world around them.


    Despite her words, she took the offered object and threw the fishing line with the absent bait into the water. A comfortable silence reigned over them. Talia watched the waves as they gently broke against the rocks.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°What brings you to my humble abode?¡± Adyl finally asked.


    Talia hesitated. She didn¡¯t know how to broach the subject; She could still see Aseel¡¯s displeased face at her not-obsession. But knowing Adyl, the old man would quickly figure out the reason for her desperate search for him.


    ¡°Trouble at the hall?¡± he mused.


    She hesitated before nodding.


    ¡°A soul giving you grief?¡± he added when she said nothing.


    Talia huffed. If only he knew.


    ¡°Ah.¡± He nodded, pinching his chin in thought. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve had the same predicament once.¡±


    Talia fixed the soft ripples on the surface of the water and said, trying to sound nonchalant, ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been in charge of the scales more than I can remember being without. With so many years in the profession, something peculiar always ends up occurring.¡±


    ¡°There is this soul¡ª¡± She hesitated. ¡°He refuses his second chance. I¡¯ve tried and tried. Still, he doesn¡¯t want to return to his world.¡±


    Adyl hummed. ¡°Have you asked him why he wants to stay in Idir?¡±


    Talia frowned, skeptical. ¡°Why would he want to stay in Idir? There¡¯s nothing here for him.¡±


    ¡°Is there?¡± Adyl¡¯s voice was cryptic, as if he already figured him out in seconds when she had spent days agonizing about him. It only deepened her frown.


    ¡°Know that each action has a reason. Nothing is groundless. Even our breathing is a subconscious act to sustain life. Even when it¡¯s no longer needed.¡±


    His words brought her thousands of years back. As he patiently taught her things about the world outside the void she had come from, her lips pulled into a smile. She didn¡¯t think she would miss those years, yet here she was.


    If only things went back to how they were.


    She shifted the rod in her hands, watching the line dip deeper into the dark water.


    ¡°Why then?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not acquainted with this intriguing soul. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s for him to divulge.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have an idea why? Anything can help.¡±


    He paused before saying, ¡°Perhaps he would leave after finding what he came looking for. You might offer him your help, but let it not distract you from your duty to uphold the rule.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I must ensure the safety of Idir. Don¡¯t worry, old man. I still remember the rules. Besides, he will be stuck there till he either caves or his soul perishes.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    ¡°No one can leave my domain,¡± she insisted.


    ¡°Souls are more complicated than anyone can imagine. It¡¯s true that the seal around the castle would prevent them from leaving. But things are rarely this simple. There is always an exception.¡±


    She sighed. She knew. Of course, she knew, after all, she was one of those exceptions.


    So there was nothing he could help her with. Despite that, she couldn¡¯t find it in her to feel disappointed. She kind of missed having him a round.


    ¡°Was I this difficult to deal with.¡±


    His soft laughter reverberated through their dead surroundings. He didn¡¯t answer her, but she knew she was by far the most challenging thing he had to deal with. She could still remember when she first saw him enter through the fissure in the abyss, looking like a creature much like herself yet so different. She lunged at him, ignoring his gentle words, her sword raised to strike him down, hoping, deep down, that his sword would find her first.


    She sat there beside him, watching the fishing net dip into the black undead sea¡ªthe silence around them was a comforting companion.


    ¡°Maybe this will grow on me,¡± she said. ¡°Someday,¡±


    He nodded, smiling. ¡°Of course.¡±

 Chapter 12

    She entered the halls with heavy steps.


    ¡°Give me the next doc¡ª¡± She stilled, only now noticing the annoyance that had entered her domain. She fixed the new irritating arrival with a glare.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked, not caring to hide the disdain from her voice.


    ¡°Is this how you greet your honorable guests?¡± Layt snorted, taking a sip of his drink¡ªthe same drink she saw Aseel and Ilya enjoy earlier.


    ¡°There¡¯s rarely anything honorable about the guests that step foot into my domain.¡± He hissed at her. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    He huffed. He closed his light brown eyes¡ªthat often reminded her of the inside of an almond cake¡ª as he savored the strange-colored liquid.


    ¡°So¡­¡± She tapped her foot impatiently on the marble floor.


    ¡°I heard something interesting was going on here. I thought I would save myself the trouble of waiting for tomorrow¡¯s news and get first dips on the juicy details.¡± He tilted his head, his raven hair swaying slightly at the motion.


    Talia narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who told you? Was it Lamin?¡±


    She won¡¯t put it past her. She wouldn¡¯t think twice before selling her out.


    Layt took another sip of his drink, expressing suddenly smug.


    ¡°Quite delicious, I would say.¡± He grinned.


    Talia turned slowly toward Aseel¡ªand Ilya, who, for some reason, was still in the hall.


    ¡°You.¡± she didn¡¯t need to elaborate. The culprit blinked innocent¡ªor what he thought would make for innocent¡ªeyes at her.


    She scowled. How dare he tattle on her for a bubble tea. Were her secrets worth only this much? The fool could have gotten so much more if only he knew how to haggle. She knew for a fact that Layt would be willing to pay a good portion of his wealth if he thought he would be getting one of her well-kept secrets.


    ¡°I heard there might be a chance for the trials¡¯ return. Is that true?¡±


    Layt seemed almost giddy. She couldn¡¯t fault him. Ife at Idir was rather dull, and her trials were one of the most prominent events that every Idirian looked forward to.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Everyone.


    ¡°No. No trials, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Layt¡¯s brows furrowed, his smile slipping minutely. ¡°What? Are you certain? I heard you were quite enamored with some soul.¡± He waved his hand in the air in a dismissive manner.


    ¡°I¡¯m not enamored with anyone. I¡¯m afraid your source had a tad bit exaggerated on their accounts.¡±


    Layt tsked. He sent a glare Aseel¡¯s way before schooling his face into a neutral expression. Or what he thought was a neutral expression if a permanent scowl etched into his brows was one.


    ¡°If your curiosity is satiated, you¡¯re free to leave.¡± She dismissed him.


    Layt hesitated before asking, ¡°Will there really be no trials?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of failing again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anything!¡± She gritted her teeth.


    He shrugged a pleased smile at successfully riling her up. ¡°I would have believed you had you not canceled them after that disastrous performance.¡±


    She glared at him. ¡°That performance had nothing to do with my decision.¡± Lies. ¡°I merely see no reason for their continuation.¡±


    They both knew she was lying, and the irritating man wouldn¡¯t let it slide. He never did. He always nudged her right where it hurt like a shark sniffing blood. But she wouldn¡¯t back down. One disastrous performance was one too many. Lamin had a festive year after those trials ran. Talia couldn¡¯t hear the last of it. Wherever she went, she would find fingers pointing at her, snobbish Idirians whispering about the failures of the master of scales¡¯ successor. She was surprised¡ªbut pleased¡ªwhen Adyl hadn¡¯t sent her a letter scolding her for the whole thing.


    Before she could snap at the smug, uninvited guest, Aseel materialized next to her.


    ¡°The tea is ready for your appointment.¡±


    Talia paused. Now of all times¡­


    She glanced warily at Layt, whose expression turned to one of interest.


    ¡°Tea? Is it with that soul?¡¯


    ¡°No,¡± she snapped at the same time Aseel said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She shot him a scathing look. If he thought she would approve the next shipment from Earth, he was greatly mistaken. If he wanted something from there, or any other world, then he would best ask his new benevolent benefactor.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Layt clapped his hands together. ¡°I rather wanted to see what was so special about this soul that got you all flustered.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about him,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m rather hurt. I thought we were at least friends.¡±


    Talia stilled. She slowly turned toward the new voice, mind reeling. She spared a last glare at Layt¡¯s delighted expression before fully facing the new arrival.


    Weylin stood a few steps from the entrance, a small smile pulling at his lips. If he was truly hurt by her words, it certainly didn¡¯t show.


    She cursed under her breath. She should have stayed in her bed today. Or better yet, that fishing invitation was sounding rather alluring right now.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°So, this is him.¡± Layt raised an eyebrow at Weylin, scrutinizing his every move.


    Weylin seemed unconcerned by his blatant staring. A soft smile pulled at his lips, his hand busy with the warm cup of jasmine tea.


    The two men were in contrast to each other. Weylin was all light and smiles, whereas Layt was nothing but brooding mood and mocking smirks.


    ¡°Drink your tea and be on your way.¡±


    Layt ignored her, staring owlishly as Weylin took another sip of his tea.


    He leaned toward her, mock-whispering, ¡°As much as it pains me to admit it, you¡¯re right. There¡¯s nothing special about him. I thought there was something to him.¡± He shook his head ruefully.


    Talia shot him a glare. He was sitting just in front of him. Where did Layt¡¯s manner disappear to? That was if he had any.


    Weylin¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter. ¡°What might you have expected?¡± he asked pleasantly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A fire-breathing Wyvern? A mind-twisting demon? Anything but a weak human.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not weak,¡± Talia hissed under her breath.


    He wasn¡¯t weak, far from it. She still couldn¡¯t pinpoint where that hunch came from. But she knew he wasn¡¯t your normal human being. She dealt with far too many humans not to distinguish the difference.


    Layt snorted. ¡°Just when I had my hopes up for another trial. Too bad. The whole Idirian circle will be quite dispirited by the news. Just when we thought things would be shaken up.¡± He sighed. ¡°Too bad,¡± he repeated, a mournful look on his face.


    ¡°The trials?¡± Weylin asked, looking at her.


    Talia hesitated. But deciding it would hurt to share this particular information with him¡ªit wasn¡¯t like he would be interested in the trials¡ªshe said, ¡°a set of trials to test the strength and resolve of souls before the scales¡¯ judgment. Though, I rarely turn to them lately.¡±


    ¡°A shame, really,¡± Layt cut in despite the seething scowl directed at him. ¡°All Idirians were looking forward to some entertainment. Things had been quite repetitive lately.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    You mean ever.


    Weylin¡¯s bow twitched. ¡°Does it have that much popularity?¡±


    Layt nodded. ¡°Everyone and their neighbor come to the grand square. Front seats would be already taken days before its start.¡±


    Weylin paused, a dangerous glint in his eyes. ¡°Everyone?¡± he whispered. He turned to Talia. ¡°If I apply for a second chance, will I have to pass the trials?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s not something required.¡± It was. She had herself made it a rule for the soul¡¯s passing. But as she was its creator, she could find a way around it. She often did. But from the expression on Weylin¡¯s face, it wasn¡¯t the answer he had expected.


    ¡°You¡­¡± She paused. ¡°You want to pass the trials?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I do.¡±


    Talia regarded him, Adyl¡¯s words echoing inside her mind.


    Something he was searching for.


    But what would he want from the trials? Moments ago, he didn¡¯t know a thing about their existence¡ªShe doubted he knew what he was signing up for, the fool¡ªWhy was he so interested in them now?


    She stilled. The other Idirians¡­ was that what he was looking for? Was another Idirian the reason for his stay in her domain? Was he looking for a specific person?


    Then she remembered his words. A deity¡ªa fake deity¡ªhad laid claim over their world, right under Talia¡¯s nose.


    No. Preposterous. Why would he be looking for the pretend god? It wasn¡¯t like he could do anything against him. Not in his soul form. The foolish man¡¯s soul would be obliterated before he could lay a finger on an Ididrina.


    Not that she would let an Idirian injure his soul. As per her duty. It wasn¡¯t like she was interested in him or anything. The others were wrong. Horribly wrong. He was just a way for her to escape her mundane life. A life she wouldn¡¯t have willingly chosen if not as a favor to Adyl.


    But try as she might, she couldn¡¯t come up with another reason as to why he would want to pass her trials.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± she asked, hoping he would change his mind and give her a different answer. It wasn¡¯t that she was doubting his abilities¡­ or maybe she was. After all, she knew next to nothing about him.


    Say no. Say no,


    ¡°I am.¡± He fixed her with his sky-blue orbs. ¡°I will only apply for your second chance if you allow me to pass the trials. If not¡­¡± He shrugged.


    Layt burst into laughter. Talia glared at him. This was all his fault. If only she had chased him away earlier and didn¡¯t let him poison Weylin¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I guess we have the trials this year.¡± He grinned. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait for the bidding to start.¡±


    ¡°Bids are illegal,¡± Talia said in a monotone voice.


    Everyone knew it was illegal. But also, everyone knew that wouldn¡¯t stop the bidding frenzy once the event started.


    She sighed. ¡°Alright,¡± she told Weylin. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret your decision.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± His voice was so determined and resolute that she couldn¡¯t help but believe him.

 Chapter 14

    Talia stared at the document in front of her, silent, unmoving.


    She finally got his document. But she couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit apprehensive about the whole thing.


    She had made a mistake. She shouldn¡¯t have agreed to let him pass the trials. She should have stood her ground and refused his request. It wasn¡¯t like he could do anything about it without her approval.


    She sighed. She put the paper down and leaned back on her chair.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you finally get what you wanted?¡± Aseel asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Something is missing.¡±


    Aseel sighed. ¡°You¡¯re neither happy when you get your way nor when you don¡¯t.¡± He fixed her with a stare. ¡°Which is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°Where is he anyway? Shouldn¡¯t he be here?¡±


    ¡°I told him to go prepare for the trials.¡±


    ¡°You know the soul can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°To prepare his mind to better withstand the illusions.¡± She cut him off.


    Aseel snorted. ¡°Cheating, are we?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not cheating!¡± she protested. ¡°I merely gave him a heads-up. I don¡¯t want another failure on my hands.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She glared at Aseel¡¯s dubious look. What did he understand about wounded pride? It wasn''t like he was that one scrutinized after the last trials!


    Aseel gave her a look. ¡°You finally have what you wanted after hundreds of years of boredom. Still, here you are, reading his file without a single input from the man himself.¡± He tutted. ¡°Never thought I would see such a day.¡±


    She ignored him and picked up Weylin¡¯s file. Born and raised in a humble village on the outskirts of the kingdom. Firstborn with a younger sister. Father was drafted into the war effort and died soon after. Thus, Weylin had to assume his late father¡¯s role in providing for his family at the tender age of eight. His mother¡¯s weak health didn¡¯t help matters either. Years later, his remaining family dies in a monster attack on their village. After, he joined the knight¡¯s order under the high temple¡¯s command.


    Quite the generic story, Talia hummed. She had seen numbers of people with similar fates. Perhaps not now¡ªwhat with the mundane, ridiculous accidents that led souls to her domain. Magic was no longer such a prominent existence in many worlds. It had either started fading or was only a faint remnant that persisted or was long gone with anything pertaining to it turned into legends and fables.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Mere tales of old times.


    Then, everything changed. What exactly happened wasn¡¯t written on the page, only what transpired after. He defected from the order and turned on the temple that had sheltered him after the destruction of his home.


    As her gaze finally roamed over the letters written on the document, she paused, her eyes widening in disbelief. Only one sentence caught her attention.


    Cause of near death: Seal of life.


    He had a seal put on him. This was the reason for his presence in this realm. Someone had sealed his life away. It wasn¡¯t death¡ªnone of the souls in her domain were really dead¡ªbut it was as close as any soul could get to the afterlife.


    She hummed. If it was so, then why was he so adamant about staying here instead of going back to his world and getting rid of whatever danger had sent him here?


    She leaned back on her chair, closed her eyes, and sighed.


    ¡°Not what you were expecting?¡± Aseel asked.


    She looked at him, thoughtful. Aseel stared back at her. Though, after a while, he fidgeted on his feet.


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t like this look. It never ends well.¡±


    Talia huffed. What look?


    ¡°Perhaps you would like to enjoy a small break?¡± he asked. ¡°I still have some of the bubble tea. I believe you still haven¡¯t tried it. Would you like a cup?¡±


    She scowled at him. Her? To take something Layt had gotten to bribe her own assistant for information?


    But as she opened her mouth to decline, she paused, frowning. Why would she waste what must have cost him a gracious amount of money?


    ¡°Sure. Bring it to the garden outside.¡±


    It was time she witnessed Weylin¡¯s progress. She didn¡¯t know what his training was. He had grabbed Ilya and dragged the pale, unfortunate soul away.


    She would have to speak to him. She had so much to tell him about the trials. So many deceptions and trickery that she worried he would fall for.


    If only she hadn¡¯t made it an unchanging rule not to diverge information about the trials themselves, lest the candidates would be declared forfeit.


    She was still young and inexperienced. She only cared about the entertainment the event would bring. She was also sure her carefully picked souls would pass them with colorful crayons.


    Oh, how wrong she was.


    At first, everything went smoothly. Many won the trials and were declared winners. And those who couldn¡¯t reach the end were still able to soldier through to the middle of the event. Then, the souls she thought would follow their predecessor¡¯s footsteps started failing at the first trials. Then, they failed to even get to the first trial. They all fell, one after the other before the event even started.


    It was humiliating.


    Talia walked through the garden, her heels clicking against the marble floor, lost in thought. How would she get about to warn him without breaking the rules? She wasn¡¯t even the Trials¡¯ foreseer this time. That role had fallen to Lamin. Talia bristled. The shrewd Idirian had somehow known that the events would be held again. Talia hadn¡¯t given it a second thought as she sighed her rights to oversee the trials. She had thought she had gotten somewhat lucky with them being postponed indefinitely.


    So lost in thought, she hadn¡¯t noticed the third guest, who had still yet to leave the premises of her home.


    ¡°¡ªNo matter what you see or hear. You can¡¯t trust your senses,¡± Layt said. ¡°Then again. You weaklings can rarely notice the real nature of things. So that would be a bit hard for you to do¡­¡± He trailed off, fingers pinching his chin in thought. ¡°Scratch that. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to pull it off. After all, you¡¯re just a human. You¡¯re not like us Idirians,¡± he added, hands on his hips, head held high.


    What was this idiot doing? Was he trying to sabotage her candidate?


    With an annoyed frown, Talia stomped forward, set on chasing the loudmouth away from her domain.

 Chapter 15

    Ilya was standing next to Layt, trying his best to make himself disappear, or at least, unnoticeable. Weylin was listening to Layt¡¯s demeaning words, not even a sign of discomfort on his face.


    Strange, she noted. Wasn¡¯t he angry at being called weak? Wasn¡¯t he his world¡¯s demon lord?


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re physically weak, you still have a chance. You need to use your intellect. Oh, no, wait. Humans are dumb creatures. I forgot.¡± He sighed mournfully. ¡°Is there no way around¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Talia cut him off.


    Layt turned to her and huffed. ¡°I¡¯m here to protect my investment.¡±


    ¡°Your investment? Are you trying to scare him away?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know that I bet on your candidate this once, just this once. So it¡¯s in our interests if he succeeds.¡±


    Talia narrowed her eyes at him. Her bet on Weylin? Well, that was a first. She could still remember his smug expression as her last candidate failed even to reach the start of the trials.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a businessman.¡± He shrugged.


    So he thought Weylin had a chance. His words surely didn¡¯t convey his thoughts.


    She stared at him, unbelieving. Even if, she thought he would oppose her just to spite her.


    Layt fidgeted under her stare. ¡°What? I¡¯m here to give him advice.¡±


    She snorted. Right. And what a good advice he was giving.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on the winning side on the last trials. I would like to see you do better!¡±


    They stared at each other. She saw Layt flinch slightly, his eyes darting to her hand as her fingers twitched, ready to summon her weapon.


    She wouldn¡¯t let his disrespect go unpunished, not in her own domain.


    ¡°Now, now. You¡¯re not here to start a fight with Mister Layt, are you?¡± Aseel¡¯s voice cut through the silence. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Right. She almost forgot. She came to talk with Weylin, not get sidetracked by Layt¡¯s infuriating words. She turned to the silent man, who was watching both Idirians with undisguised interest.


    ¡°You have to be careful. The tasks given to you could be different than the overall quest. The real requirements to fulfill the quest won¡¯t be revealed to you, and sadly, as I have relinquished my rights over the trials for this round, I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve relinquished your rights? To whom?¡±


    Talia hesitated for a moment. ¡°Lamin.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you insane? That maniac will oversee the event?!¡±


    Talia nodded.


    ¡°Who is this Lamin?¡± Weylin asked with brows furrowed.


    Talia glanced at him, then away, and Layt¡ªLayt was still rumbling about Talia¡¯s horrible disaster. So it fell to Aseel to answer the confused soul.


    ¡°The most feared woman in all of Idir, except for my dear master, of course.¡±


    Talia shot him a glare. She glanced at Weylin, and her heart eased at the smile directed toward her. Good. She didn''t want him to fear her.


    Talia opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden ringing sound shattered the air.


    ¡°So soon?¡±


    Talia frowned. The trials shouldn¡¯t have started till next week at least.


    ¡°I told you! Nothing ever good comes out of involving Lamin in the trials! I¡¯m going to lose everything!¡± Layt lamented.


    Talia turned to Weylin, who, strangely enough, seemed the calmest of them all. He had a serene, almost satisfied expression. He looked back at her and took out the small flower she had gifted him.


    ¡°Can I ask you for a favor?¡±


    Talia nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    He held it out to her. ¡°Can you keep this with you during the trials? It would be a shame were I to lose such a beautiful gift.¡±


    She watched him for a while before taking the offered flower. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it with me.¡± She nodded, returning his smile.


    ¡°Intriguing,¡± Aseel said next to her, eyebrow raised.


    Talia had to stop herself from smacking him. Talk about bad timing!


    Layt was still lamenting his bad luck when the shimmering light enveloped Weylin. Talia took hold of his hand. He looked at her, waiting for her to speak.


    ¡°Keep an eye out for a small dragon,¡± she said in a hushed whisper.


    That was all she could do for him. Was she breaking her own rules? Maybe. But she would loath to let him fail. She wasn¡¯t going to fail. Not this time.


    He disappeared, leaving shimmering light in his wake. Talia turned to the others. ¡°We need to go.¡±


    They nodded. She glimpsed Ilya, trying to sneak away. She grabbed his arm, a wide smile pulling at her lips. ¡°Not so fast. I¡¯ll be needing you.¡±


    Small envelopes materialized in front of her and Layt¡ªtheir invites. Lamin sure wasn¡¯t wasting any time. She touched the letter, and it exploded into small fragments before disintegrating, indicating she had accepted her invitation. Layt did the same, complaints still flowing out his mouth.


    After hundreds of years of silence, the trials had returned. And this time, she had no control over them.


    Or so they thought.

 Chapter 16

    Weylin hadn¡¯t thought that finding that bastard would be that hard. He hadn¡¯t thought that once he ascended to the damned deity¡¯s realm, he would find a sign leading right up to the bastard. But he hadn¡¯t thought that it would take him years and years without getting even a glimpse of him.


    Strange how he was always present back in their world. Each and every city bustling with people praising him. Each and every corner adorned with his symbol. Each and every square devoid of anything not glorifying the deity, his statue at the center, looking haughtily over the populace.


    It had taken him time¡ªtime and effort¡ªto figure out the origin of the deity. But once he figured it out, getting there was easy. Easier than chasing him around, back in his world, where he would disappear at first notice of danger.


    He had thought the deity was important in their own world¡ªone of the heavenly rulers. But strangely enough, he hadn¡¯t heard a word about him. There was another deity, the ruler of the domain Weylin had ended up in¡ªthe master of scales.


    Weylin had kept away from her sight. For years, he had kept to the edges of the domain¡ªa feat more difficult than escaping outside the shield formed around the area. As soon as he left the premises of her domain, no eyes bothered to track his movements. As long as he kept to the shadows, he was as nonexistent to the beings around him as the very air they breathed. In fact, many had thought him one of them. The mere thought of him being a stranger to this place didn¡¯t even cross their mind. It suited Weylin. He was able to gather information without putting himself in jeopardy. To be found out now, before he found the deity, wasn¡¯t part of his plan.


    He had spent years and years searching through this strange world for a trace of the deity, to no avail.


    What he learned in those years was more than he thought he would ever get from the temple¡¯s archives. The deity was but one amongst many. Hundreds and hundreds of deities dwelled in this world, with varying powers and ranks. Perhaps the most infamous one was the one he had spent years in her domain. The master of scales.


    He had heard whispers about her. A powerful Idirian¡ªfor that was what this world was called¡ªthat had suddenly shown up, brought by the previous master of the domain. No one knew where she came from or what she was. The previous master had insisted she be given an Idirian status and was then named his successor. The other Idirians were, at best, apprehensive about her. She was painted as a heartless, bloodthirsty, power-hungry deity, so much so that Weylin made it his mission to stay away from her sharp sight. It was hard. He nearly got caught times and times again. Each time her eyes nearly strayed to his hidden place, he had to stir the other souls and make them crowd around her, demanding their second chance.


    Weylin never cared for a second chance. He was here of his own accord. Leaving this place before he found who he was looking for was the furthest from his mind. He would stay here for thousands of years to find him. That bastard wasn¡¯t going to escape from his hands. Not now. Not after he followed him to his own world.


    But just like all things, everything was temporary. As he was inching closer to the weakest point of the barrier, a small space in the garden, he was finally caught. The small tear in the shield was created by both the element of time and the strange flowers that adorned the space. The residues from their worlds chafed at the shield. The more flowers there were, the more lasting the tear was. He had discovered it during the first decade of residing here. The tear was small, so small it was barely noticeable. It was small enough to let a soul through.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Getting the master of scales¡¯ attention wasn¡¯t ideal. The beast that shadowed her, that paraded as a human, was now even harder to fool. It followed him with its dead eyes, relaying his every move to its master.


    But who would have thought that she would be his ticket to getting to the deity? This second chance he was avoiding was his only way to find any other Idirian that might have escaped his notice. He wasn¡¯t here to win any stupid trial. All he wanted was to scour for the elusive deity. He already had everything in place. All that was required was for her to meet the other Idirians. Then, it would notify him of everything around her.


    It being the flower she personally gave him.


    He was glad the idea had crossed his mind. It took him a while to infuse it with enough power to serve as a beacon but not enough to be detectable by others. Especially the master of scales herself. While she was completely different than what he had heard of her. She wasn¡¯t cruel, far from being heartless or bloodthirsty. But who knew? Deities were fickle beings. Their whims changed faster than lightning took to strike the earth in a storm season. He would know. He was subjected to their cruel nature. They would destroy whole cities for daring to contradict them, for daring to cut a portion of the offerings, even if it was due to drought or other calamities.


    They were cruel, fickle beings. And he doubted the master of scales would be any different, not if she thought he had tricked her. She would exert her revenge on him, a punishment greater than his misdeed. He couldn¡¯t trust her, regardless of her gentle smiles or soft eyes. No. He couldn¡¯t trust her because of them. Her gentle demeanor only meant that her punishment would be even crueler. But all of that would no longer matter. As long as he found that bastard, he was willing to pay with his life. He already did. He wasn¡¯t expecting to wake up from this world, nor did he care. There was nothing waiting for him on the other side. He had made sure of it.


    Weylin blinked as light shimmered around him. The last thing he saw was the worried expression on the master of scales¡¯ face. It was instantaneous. One blink, he was still in the garden, the next, he was standing amongst trees. He stood there, waiting, but nothing happened. He felt a slight breeze brush against his cheek. He turned, surveying his surroundings with calculating eyes. But no matter how much he looked, he couldn¡¯t find anything strange.


    He frowned. Didn¡¯t the trials start?


    He stilled when he heard light footsteps hurrying towards him. A monster? A demon? He readied himself, calling his powers to protect him from any sudden assault. He couldn¡¯t help the small smile that pulled at his lips. They had miscalculated. Throwing him here, amongst living nature, was the worst thing they could have done. He was in his domain. As long as there was life around him, he would draw from it and fuel his own. He was invincible here.


    Energy danced around his palm. He shaped it into small, pointed daggers and patiently waited for the approaching attacker. But as the attacker crossed the line of trees, his breath stilled in his lungs. His legs nearly buckled, the strength gone from them as the small body connected with him, small arms wrapping around his waist.


    ¡°Brother! You¡¯re here!¡± his sister called, a beaming smile splitting her face.


    His little sister, his innocent sister, who had died in a small display of the deity¡¯s anger.

 Chapter 17

    The other Idirians watched with rapt attention as Talia and Layt made their way inside the watch tower. It was a circular hall with seats arranged along the walls and partitions separating each pair. At the center of the room was the giant screen that would display the events of the trials.


    It was there that Weylin would either bring her glory or turn her into a hermit for the next millennia.


    Nadeem grinned at her. He gave her a mocking salute.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the master of scales herself.¡±


    Talia sent him a glare. ¡°I see everyone is already here.  You must have a lot of free time on your hands.¡±


    His grin widened. ¡°Who in his right mind would miss another disaster show?¡±


    Murmurs erupted around him, agreeing with his words.


    Talia smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be sorely disappointed this round. You better look for another means of entertainment ''cause this trial will take its whole course.¡±


    ¡°Will it now?¡±


    His grin dimmed. Certainly, due to the confidence she was exuding, something she wasn¡¯t truly feeling. But she would loath to let them see her falter. Even if her candidate was going to lose this time around, she would still hold her head high and meet their stares head-on.


    They stared each other down. The others looked at them, expectant. Then Layt stood between them, his back to Nadeem.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to our seats.¡±


    With a final glare toward Nadeem, Talia allowed him to pull her away.


    ¡°This is not the time to start up fights,¡± Layt hissed once they were away from listening ears. ¡°Not when you¡¯re not the overseer. Need I remind you that you no longer make the rules for this round of trials.¡±


    Talia huffed. ¡°It matters not. I made them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know. Everyone knows. Which will make it impossible for you to intervene.¡±


    Talia snorted. Right. As if she would let something like that stop her.


    Layt was dragging her to her usual seat. Right in the middle. In front of all Idirian eyes, like the host she was supposed to be. She knew changing seats would make it seem as if she was running away from their scrutinizing eyes. But to make her plan work, she had to let go of her pride, a tiny little bit.


    She dragged Layt to another assortment of seats. More secluded, with a veil to hide the people behind it. He shot her a curious look.


    ¡°You said you wanted to win the bet, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to continue.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be needing your assistance.¡±


    ¡°The great master of scales is needing my assistance? Has the world come to its end?¡±


    She shot him a look. ¡°It will if Weylin loses the trials.¡±


    He looked at her, debating whether there was some truth to her words. Talia smiled sweetly at him. It only served to deepen the frown on his face.


    ¡°Alright, fine. But you take responsibility if I ever get caught.¡±


    She tapped his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll even wage a war for the sake of our tarnished honor.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    He snorted, but he followed her to the chosen seats.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Lamin entered the hall. She sauntered to the middle, a beaming smile splitting her face. She opened her arms wide as if trying to encompass the whole hall in her embrace. The others watched her with apprehensive stares. Her grin widened further if possible.


    ¡°I¡¯m ecstatic to announce that these trials will be supervised by yours truly.¡± She gave a theatric bow, rejoicing at the gasps that echoed around the hall.


    Chaos erupted. Talia ignored the stares that burned at the side of her face. Half-murmured exclamations reached her ears, wondering whether the master of scales had finally lost it after spending hundreds of years with no one but those wretched souls for company. Talia ignored them. She took a sip of the tea presented to her. Layt sighed from the seat next to hers.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you signed away your rights to the trials.¡±


    Talia savored the delicate flavor of the camomile tea. What was the human saying? Oh, right.


    ¡°No use crying over spilled milk,¡± she said.


    ¡°This is a whole year shipment¡¯s worth we¡¯re speaking about!¡± he protested.


    She shrugged. It already happened. There was no use crying over it. Still, it wasn¡¯t like she had no way to make sure Weylin at least advanced to the real trials.


    The last candidates couldn¡¯t even get to the real trials. They had failed before the event even began. She wouldn¡¯t allow the same thing to happen this time. She was going to make sure he passed the illusion with flying colors. Or at least with a passable degree. She would personally make sure of it.


    No more failures.


    She watched Lamin announce the start of the games. So lost in thought, she failed to note what the Idirian said that made Layt¡¯s face a shade paler. But before she could ask him, the small screen in their booth shimmered to life, and there, standing before her was Weylin. His face was still in barely concealed shock, his arms trembling as they slowly lifted from his side to encircle the small child clinging to him.


    The illusion had started. She had made it so it would fulfill the candidate¡¯s deepest desire, to entice them to stay and forget about anything and everything. The illusion would reach into the soul¡¯s very depth and bring out all that would make it sing and yearn for life.


    But at the end of the day, it was all but an illusion. And like all illusions, they would be dispelled, and the nightmares would begin.


    ¡°Deploy your aegis,¡± Talia instructed Layt.


    His shield would cut them from the rest of the hall. They would still be there, but their presence would be a feeble and intangible thing.


    With a sigh, Layt did as told. She took out the small vial from her dress and let Ilya¡¯s soul out in the open. She had brought him for this sole reason.


    In these trials, Ilya would be her stand-in.


    The poor man shivered as his eyes fixed beyond the veil, eyes roaming around the many Idirians watching the giant screen with rapt attention.


    ¡°Is this the tower?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It is.¡± She stood up and pushed him into the seat. ¡°Your job is easy.¡± She grinned at his nervous stare. ¡°Sit still and look pretty. Layt will take care of the rest.¡±


    Layt snorted but nodded his assent, his hand waving in the air to tell her to get on with whatever she was planning.


    She couldn¡¯t ask Aseel to play the part. As an older being who roamed Idir before her existence, there was bound to be someone who could read through the illusion and figure out it was Aseel and not her. But no one knew a thing about Ilya¡¯s energy signature. Heck, she doubted anyone knew what a soul¡¯s energy signature felt like. So it suited her just fine.


    She patted the nervous man and gave him Weylin¡¯s flower. Sadly, she couldn¡¯t bring it with her to the trial grounds. It was safer here. And more useful, too. For the illusion to work, Ilya needed to hold onto something with her energy signature.


    So¡­ two birds with one stone, like the humans said.


    Ilya cradled the flower in his palms, treating it like fragile glass. Talia thought about telling him that with her powers, it was sturdier than the bricks in this very tower, but let the matter go as murmurs erupted in the hall. She turned to the screen, frowning at the sight of Weylin smiling softly to the old woman who spoke to him.


    He was already lost in the illusion. She needed to act fast.


    ¡°See you after the trials,¡± she told them.


    Ilya jerked his head into a nod, his fearful eyes fixed on the sight beyond the veil.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose me my bet,¡± Layt said.


    Without a second word, Talia called her sword. It materialized in her hands, faint purple energy running through its blade.


    ¡°I can never get used to the sight of this thing.¡± Layt grimaced.


    With a slice in the air, a portal opened. Talia couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had used her powers to open portals. When was it? The first hundred after setting food into Idir? She couldn¡¯t tell. But if there was one thing she remembered, it was that Idirians often complained about the nausea its proximity caused them. They called it the abyssal stench.


    Talia snorted. Weaklings.


    It was one of the reasons why she enlisted Layt¡¯s help. With his shield, none would be the wiser.


    Without a second look, she stepped into the portal.

 Chapter 18

    Weylin watched his mother cook their breakfast. His sister Nayla ran down the stairs, jumping down the last two stairs.


    ¡°Careful,¡± his mother chided softly, a smile pulling at her lips as Nayla hugged her waist.


    ¡°Morning, Mom!¡±


    ¡°Morning, my little squirrel.¡± She pinched her cheek.


    Nayla giggled. She snatched a small piece of cake and ran to the table, evading her mother¡¯s half-hearted attempt to catch her. She sauntered to Weylin, a mischievous grin twisting her mouth. Weylin pretended not to see her. She launched herself into the air, intending to jump over his back. He turned and caught her mid-air. She dangled from the back of her clothes, a pout on her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair! I nearly won this time!¡±


    Weylin laughed. ¡°Maybe next time.¡±


    She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll win for certain. You can see,¡± she challenged him.


    ¡°Of course.¡± He grinned. While he could let her win in her little game, but where was the fun in that? He was but fulfilling his role of big brother, which was annoying his younger siblings. And he wasn¡¯t one to step out of his obliged role.


    ¡°Breakfast is ready!¡± his mother called.


    She put the plate of cakes on the table, and Weylin stood up to get the other utensils and cups. Soon enough, they were sitting at the table, eating his mother¡¯s delicious cooking.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like he had greatly missed the taste of her food. With every bite he took and every sip, moisture collected at the corner of his eyes. He had to blink furiously to stop the tears from gathering into a pool or, worse, spilling into his cheeks and worrying his mother.


    He felt like he had woken up from a long and terrible nightmare. Every time he tried to remember what he had dreamed about, he could feel a mounting headache threatening to split his head. After a while, he gave up. There was no need to strain himself into remembering a dream, and a nightmare at that.


    He looked up at his mother and sister. Indeed, everything was alright. There was no need to worry.


    After breakfast, he took his axe and readied himself for another day of work. Their family was poor, and with his father gone, it was up to him to take care of his mother and sister. He was a woodcutter just like his father before the war front had called upon him. It wasn¡¯t anything glamorous, but it put food on the table. And with winter approaching, he would be able to sell the wood in record time. Maybe then he could train a bit.


    Despite everything, he didn¡¯t forget about his dream of becoming a knight. It was all he had dreamed of since he had first seen that knight kill the invading monster with one strike. He remembered how he had stalked the poor knight, following him around town, mimicking his every move. The man had laughed and ruffled his hair.


    ¡°You¡¯ll make a good addition to the knight¡¯s order,¡± he had said, smiling brightly at Weylin¡¯s younger self.


    It was like life had finally smiled upon him and opened its welcoming and warm embrace to the poor child who couldn¡¯t even afford a pair of footwear. No one had ever heard of a commoner becoming a knight. The knight¡¯s words had ignited hope in Weylin¡¯s heart. Since then, he would always train after finishing his work, way into the forest, hidden from any mocking eyes.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    His mother¡¯s hands brought him back from his musing. She cradled his face, a sad smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Weylin. We trouble you so. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine in a couple of days. Then you can go and train properly. I heard the order¡¯s entrance examination will be held soon.¡±


    Weylin startled at her words. ¡°Of course not, Mother. You don¡¯t have to worry about this. Cutting wood is as much training as swinging a sword is. It helps with my stamina.¡± He shook his head, her hands coming loose, then resting by her side. ¡°I told you, don¡¯t worry about it. Everything will be fine.¡±


    He forced a smile on his face. He hated it when his mother apologized, as if everything was her fault. His father¡¯s death. Her illness. Their poverty. None of this was her fault. His father had entrusted their family to him. If it was anyone¡¯s fault, it was his own. He should do better. He should be better.


    He shouldered the pile of ropes. ¡°I¡¯ll be going then.¡±


    His mother hesitated before nodding.


    Not a couple steps away from the house, Nayla burst through the door, running to him. Weylin paused, waiting for her to reach him.


    ¡°I wanna go with you!¡± she announced. ¡°I can cut wood, too. I¡¯m stronger than you!¡± She put her hands over her hip, head held high.


    Weylin laughed. ¡°Of course you are.¡± he kneeled in front of her, his grin widening at the glare she shot him. She always hated being reminded of her height. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re strong, I will entrust an important task to you that no one but you can accomplish.¡±


    Her eyes shined, annoyance momentarily forgotten. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Watch over the house, and don¡¯t let Mom strain herself.¡±


    She hesitated, her eyes scrutinizing him, looking for any tricks. It was amusing how she acted like a grownup when she barely reached his waist.


    With a determined look, she gave him a nod. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll protect the house and Mom,¡± she added.


    There was nothing to protect the house or his mom from. While it was true, they were at the top of the mountain overlooking the town. But all the monsters were taken care of by the order. Weylin had never seen a single monster approach their town or their house. They were safe and protected from all harm due to the knights¡¯ hard work and sacrifices.


    Weylin ruffled her hair. She squawked in indignation, putting her blonde strands of hair into order, or as much order as she could tame the wild hair into, which was none. He laughed.


    The whole day passed with arduous work. Weylin rested the axe on the ground, panting heavily to catch his breath. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Cutting down trees truly helped with his stamina. The first tree he had cut had taken him the whole day. His small frame shook with every strike of the axe that was nearly half his height. The blisters had taken days to heal. He still remembered his mother¡¯s heartbroken expression as she stood by the door each morning, watching him leave. He was different now. Now, he was able to tear down a tree in a couple of minutes with no strain.


    He sat down heavily and took a big gulp of the water skin, chasing any stray drop with his tongue. He took a bite of the piece of bread, leaving half of it for the evening. It was still half a day till his work for the day was done. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to deplete all his food in one go. He had to ration.


    He rested his back on a tree trunk, his axe next to him. He didn¡¯t notice when he closed his eyes. But soon, he was thrust into a dream¡ªa nightmare.


    All around him was chaos. People were running, screaming. Monsters chased them, tore into them like a predator tore into its prey. Their jagged teeth pierced flesh like a knife cut into butter. It was horrible, more horrible than all the stories he had heard. The monsters were more terrifying, more bloodthirsty¡­ more monstrous.


    He looked around, searching for his mother and sister, chest drowning in despair. Where were they? They were next to him not a moment ago. Where could they have gone in this chaos?


    One of the monsters lunged at him, its claws tearing into his shoulder. Then he startled awake. He jerked up, hunching over, his hand flying to the non-existent wound on his shoulder. He drew a shaky breath, feeling it rattle inside his chest.


    He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of familiarity. As if he had already lived through this. But no, this wasn¡¯t right.


    A chirp brought his attention to his lap, or more like, to what was in his lap.


    A small black creature looked up at him, head tilted to the side, eyes filled with a deep-seated curiosity. It looked at him, and he stared back, disbelieving.


    A dragon. It was a dragon.

 Chapter 19

    The small dragon let out another chirp. It seemed as if waiting for something. Weylin hesitated before lifting his hand slowly toward its head. When it didn¡¯t show any sign of aggression, he gently put his hand over its head. It blinked before a glare pulled at its eyes. Weylin couldn¡¯t help the chuckle that escaped his lips, which only seemed to anger it further. He couldn¡¯t help it. It was just so cute.


    But what was a dragon doing here, way beyond the new borders? Did the borders shift again? No, it couldn¡¯t be. He would have known. Such news never stayed hidden for long. By the time the old border fell to the monster invasion, the whole continent would have shifted around its new remaining territory.


    The small dragon huffed. Weylin startled, jerking back as a purple static energy escaped its muzzle.


    Huh, strange. The dragon emitted some kind of lightning instead of fire, something Weylin had never heard of. This thing was turning stranger by the second.


    It flipped its miniature wings, which Weylin was surprised could carry its chubby body, and floated up toward his face.


    ¡°W¨Cwhat?¡± he asked, wincing at his stupidity. Of course, the little beast couldn¡¯t understand him. Why was he speaking to it?


    The dragon let out another chirp. It somehow sounded irritated to his ears. His mind must still be sleep-muddled if he was starting to appropriate emotions to monsters. Still, he could not help but speak to it. It wasn¡¯t like there was anyone here to judge him. He was the only living creature here. Well, except for the small dragon. Weylin didn¡¯t know when it started, but he was always able to feel the living creatures around him. While trees and flowers were also alive, they were a bit different. They gave off a different feeling than flesh and bone beings. So they didn¡¯t count. Not when he had to cut them anyway. It would be bad for his mental health to think that he was murdering living creatures for his own benefit. So no. they weren¡¯t considered alive.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± he asked.


    The dragon chirped, which he liked to interpret as no. It suited him best. He didn¡¯t have any food to spare. He didn¡¯t even know why he offered when he couldn¡¯t afford to go hungry and weak. Not when a half-day¡¯s work was still waiting for his attention.


    Suddenly remembering his work, he stood up and took the forgotten axe, twisting the wooden handle in his hand.


    It wasn¡¯t until the sun sloped into the horizon that Weylin made his way to his hidden training ground. The dragon¡¯s small wings were a constant companion as he navigated the silent mountain. He had thought the monster would have lost interest in him before the day ended. Instead, he found it watching him with its strange eyes as if waiting for him.


    He allowed it to follow him. The thing avowed to be harmless. It hadn¡¯t attacked him. Instead, it scrutinized him as if an instructor assessing his abilities.


    Weylin had offered his remaining piece of bread to its curious snout. But one sniff and it turned its head as if offended by his offering.


    All the better. He only offered it as a courtesy.


    Paying the small creature no heed, Weylin dug out the worn sword that he had bought after months and months of savings¡ªthe merchant only sold it to him at such a low price because of the rust coating its blade. But such a trivial thing didn¡¯t matter to Weylin. A sword was a sword despite its sorry state. A blade would still cut into flesh if enough force was exercised.


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    He gave it an experimental swing, wincing at the ach in his arms. He couldn¡¯t rest, not when the examination was only two months away. If he scored a place in the knight¡¯s order, his mother and sister would never go hungry another day in their life. He just needed to bear with the pain and keep training.


    The dragon perched over one of the branches and watched him. Weylin grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re in luck. You¡¯re witnessing the rise of a future knight,¡± he said, feeling foolish for still conversing with the monster. The dragon tilted its head.


    ¡°I know, I know. I still need a bit more training, but I¡¯m getting there.¡±


    He executed a series of strikes. Upward. Downward. A couple to the side. Then repeat. He didn¡¯t have any specific sword style in mind. He merely repeated the moves he saw the traveling knights perform. And he didn¡¯t have money to get an instructor. Money was best suited to pay for his mother¡¯s medicine. But he knew he was getting stronger each day. He could feel it deep in his bones. With each new ach came strength. He might not rank higher on the examination, but he was almost certain he would make the cut. He just needed to train harder.


    Ignore the pain. Ignore the hunger. Ignore everything and concentrate.


    Upward. Downward. Sideways.


    Repeat.


    He was at it for a while, all pain and fatigue forgotten in the motion. Suddenly, his feet slipped, and he nearly impaled himself with the rusty blade if not for his quick reflexes. He sighed, lifting his head to the dark sky. The sun had long set, and the sky turned the color of charcoal. He could barely see a couple of steps in front of him. It seemed that today¡¯s training was over. Too bad. It felt as if he had just started.


    He turned to the branch, his heart merely stopping at the purple glowing orbs that stared at him. The dragon was still there. Strange. Did it lose its way and was unable to go back to its nest, wherever it was?


    ¡°Are you lost?¡± he asked out loud. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t keep you company. I have to get back home.¡±


    The dragon flapped its wings and flew to him. Weylin stilled as it floated over his head before flopping over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed. He couldn¡¯t help the nagging feeling that it could understand him.


    ¡°You¡¯re free to tag along. But you¡¯ll have to hunt for your own food. We have none to spare.¡±


    It chirped, offended.


    Weylin huffed out a laugh. Well, that was that. It seemed like he had acquired an annoying pet. At least Nayla would have a playmate. He hummed. It might not be so bad after all. Even if the thought of another mouth to feed nearly made him chase the monster away, with stones if necessary.


    And he was right. Nayla had squealed when she saw the dragon. She bounced on the soles of her feet, asking to pet the little gremlin who watched her with disdain.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t like to be touched,¡± Weylin said.


    ¡°Then why is it on your shoulder?¡± Nayla asked with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.


    Weylin sent a glare to the monster. It chirped, the static energy ruffling his hair but not hurting him. Another strange thing to think about.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s shy?¡±


    The dragon snorted. Deities, it snorted. Why was it making his life so difficult? He already regretted letting it tag along. He should have ditched it back in the forest. With the darkness, he doubted it could have followed him.


    Who was he kidding. With his luck, the damn thing could well see in the dark.


    ¡°Go wash your hands, dinner is ready,¡± his mother called from the kitchen.


    Weylin glared at the dragon as it shifted its head toward the kitchen. ¡°No. no dinner for you.¡± Not after nearly making his sister cry. If it wanted to eat, it better go hunting.


    It huffed another wave of energy. It felt hot to his cool skin but still harmless.


    ¡°By the way, is it a boy or a girl?¡± Nayla asked.


    Welin paused. That was the last thing on his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let me check.¡±


    But as he lifted his hand to check the monster¡¯s gender, it swung its tail at his face, slapping him full force. It let out a screech and flew up, settling above the cupboard. It hissed at him, the wave of energy escaping its mouth more pronounced this time.


    Weylin stared at it, unimpressed. ¡°I think it¡¯s a girl.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Just a hunch.¡± He shrugged.

 Chapter 20

    Layt couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He must be dreaming. No, he was certain of it. He was dreaming. Either that, or he was hallucinating. For there was no other explanation for what he was seeing.


    Talia was there, in dragon form, playing house with the human candidate.


    He wasn¡¯t jealous. No, he wasn¡¯t. There was nothing to be jealous about. She was a barbarian who only cared about one thing and one thing alone, kicking his butt.


    How dare she play house with him when she refused all his tea invitations?


    Alright, he was a bit jealous. But only because it had taken him hundreds of years to have her talk to him. Well, it might have been his fault. He didn¡¯t know that his words would kill all chance of friendship. He was young, alright? And kids tended to make mistakes. He didn¡¯t know she was a stranger to Idir, and some stupid words would send her into a spiral.


    But she didn¡¯t help matters either. Always trying to one him up. Always showing him that no matter how much he tried, he would only be second to her. Never the best, always the spare.


    Letting him win once in a while wouldn¡¯t hurt her, would it?


    He glanced at Lamin, who was collecting bets on whether the candidate would awaken from the illusion or it would be his end.


    Good thing she didn''t notice the small anomaly.


    Good thing Layt was Talia¡¯s only sparring partner. Though calling being plummeted to the ground a sparring session was a bit stretching it thin. But it was a relief that no one knew Talia¡¯s other form. A dragon. Even if this dragon was quite small and compact compared to her normal form.


    It was a bit strange seeing her so small and weak. Not that there was anything weak about her now. He was sure she could raze the whole illusion to the ground. But the human must be the one to break away from it. Any direct intervention would be detected by the overseer.


    Layt glanced at the trembling soul in the chair next to his. Pitiful, really. Every time he thought humans could be somewhat decent creatures, they ended up disappointing him. And from the scent emanating from this soul, it seemed to hail from the same world as Talia¡¯s candidate. He would know. The countless years he had spent frequenting Talia¡¯s domain taught him to tell the difference between those wretched beings. And the abject fear wafting from the soul next to him didn¡¯t bode well for his wealth. If the candidate was the same, then he was bound to kiss his money goodbye.


    ¡°Tell me, how strong is this human?¡± he asked, gesturing to the small screen in front of them. ¡°You think he can advance to the trials?¡±


    The soul stilled. He turned frightened eyes to him. Layt paused. What did Talia do to assuage this soul¡¯s frantic energy? At this point, the others would be able to taste his fear and figure out Talia had long escaped the tower. Layt plastered a smile on his face. Strangely, it only intensified the soul¡¯s trembling. He put his elbow on the armrest and rested his cheek on the palm of his hand, watching the nervous twitching of the poor human. If things weren¡¯t so dire, he would have found the whole thing amusing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I don¡¯t know!¡± the soul yelped. ¡°I apologize for being useless!¡±


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    Layt hummed. He wasn¡¯t wrong. The soul was indeed useless if not for the small plant exuding Talia¡¯s energy. But any other creature would have done the job just fine, really.


    He turned his gaze to the screen, his eyes twitching as he saw Talia leisurely watching the small family converse around the table. The small child offered her a portion of her food, which she turned down with a paw. She didn¡¯t need sustenance, and neither did the candidate. It was but an illusion, regardless of how real it seemed.


    ¡°Next year¡¯s shipments all ride on these trials. For everyone¡¯s sake, I hope he wins.¡±


    The soul yelped.


    Bored with the mundane scenes shown on the screen, he turned his attention to his companion.


    ¡°So, how is the world you hail from? Anything interesting to share?¡±


    The soul didn¡¯t answer, he merely stared at him, silent. Just when Layt thought he wouldn¡¯t answer, he spoke tentatively, ¡°N¨Cnormal?¡±


    Layt hummed, waiting for him to elaborate. He doubted things were normal in their world. If it was, then why did Talia choose that human as a candidate? Why did she obsess over him? Not that obsessing over things was that strange to Dragonkind. They were quite known for their hoarding nature.


    But why would such a soul pick her interest? Talia was known for her intuition. If she thought the human was interesting, then he was. Despite recent failures, the trials had run for thousands of years. At that time, all candidates reached the end, regardless of whether they passed the final game or not. It was still a feat.


    ¡°You think he¡¯s strong?¡± He gestured to the screen.


    The soul gave jerky nods. ¡°Oh, he is. He was the strongest. Some even say his strength rivaled our deity.¡±


    Layt leaned further, interest picked. A deity? He didn¡¯t hear much about those. He only knew it was Talia¡¯s job to monitor them and get rid of them if their actions went out of control. Everyone knew those deities were fakes and imposters at best. They could have their fun but not harm the worlds they played in.


    Talia was furious when some worlds referred to her as a sky serpent. She had fumed for years and refused to shift to her other form for centuries. It was worse when others started worshiping her after seeing her obliterate their god. It was hilarious seeing her frantic attempt to drive them away.


    Ah, good old days.


    ¡°How strong is your deity?¡¯


    ¡°Very strong,¡± the soul said, at ease now. A true follower, then. Layt didn¡¯t like those. They refused to see the true nature of the being they worshipped, even if it stared them in the eye.


    ¡°He¡¯s the sun bringer,¡± the soul continued, oblivious to Layt¡¯s distaste. ¡°His holy vessel shines brighter than the sun. He illuminates our world and the ones beyond¡­ or so I was told,¡± he finished with a little bit of uncertainty. He sounded a bit awkward, his shoulders hunching over themselves at Layt¡¯s intense stare.


    Hmm, he wasn¡¯t a lost cause then.


    A sudden arrival tore Layt¡¯s eyes away from the twitching soul. It seemed there were still some absentees. Certainly, the hassle of coming all the way here just to witness another failure wasn¡¯t that appealing to them. Not with Lamin here to magnify the whole ordeal. But he was sure they¡¯d be here as soon as the real trials started.


    Another glance at the screen showed Talia following the candidate outside. She laid leisurely atop the battered house¡¯s roof and watched him gather all the wooden logs into piles.


    The human seemed so lost in the illusion that he doubted her subtle attempts would be enough to snap him out of it.


    Well, Layt was glad that the small disturbance Talia had caused when she tried to clue the candidate on everything being not real wasn¡¯t noticed by the new overseer.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t enough. Layt only hoped Talia had another trick up her sleeve¡ªor paw.


    He turned back to the soul, intent on getting even more information on this deity he was worshiping. It seemed more interesting than whatever was happening in the illusion. His grin widened at the panicked look the soul threw him.


    This was going to be interesting.

 Chapter 21

    Talia couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. The audacity of that human. How dare he treat her like some unintelligent creature?


    She perched over a tree branch, watching him axe down tree after tree. She had to admit he had good stamina. He had been at it for hours without a single moment of rest or even a drop of water.


    Weylin glanced up at her, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He smiled. ¡°Tired?¡±


    She tilted her head to the side. How could she be tired when all she had done since she got here was lazy around?


    He chuckled. ¡°Me too. I¡¯m a bit tired. I think it¡¯s time for my lunch.¡±


    She flew down from her temporary chair and settled over his disheveled blonde locks. Except for an eye-roll, he didn¡¯t say a thing. She watched him eat, refusing the pieces of bread offered to her. It wasn¡¯t like she needed to eat. Heck, neither did he, if only he stopped for a second and noticed that everything was a mere construct¡ªhis hunger, tiredness, sleepiness, everything. Nothing was real.


    She had tried to nudge him in the right direction. She had shown him the end of the illusion in dreams¡ªa realm beyond the trials¡¯ overseer¡ªbut to no avail. He always dismissed the dreams as just that, dreams. Even though she had pulled the visions from deep in his soul.


    He refused to wake up, so the only remaining option was to wait for the illusion to take its course and for the nightmares to begin, for they surely would. The illusion never lasted. It waited until the person felt they owned the world and then crushed them under its truths, feeding the nightmares from their deepest fears. This time around, things wouldn¡¯t be different.


    But would he be able to withstand it? Years ago, she would have believed in her candidates¡¯ powers. She wouldn¡¯t have spared doubt a single thought. But not now. Now, she needed to shake him awake, or better yet, she needed to force the illusion to come to an end before it encroached deeper into Weylin¡¯s soul.


    She didn¡¯t have a choice. She felt awful for subjugating him to such torture. But he had insisted on passing her trials. So it wasn¡¯t her fault alone. She had warned him and asked him to reconsider, but he had refused. And now, he would pay the price for his choice.


    Weylin closed his eyes, and leaned against the tree trunk. He rested his hands over his abdomen, palms facing upward. Taking it as the sign it was, Talia jumped into the offered seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, but I don¡¯t want to sleep,¡± he complained, sighing deeply. His chest rose with the motion, disturbing her rest. ¡°I¡¯ve been having these strange dreams lately¡­¡± He trailed off.


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    Talia huffed, the sound coming out like a chirp rather than the reproach she wanted to voice. She couldn¡¯t wait for the trials to start so she could let her real thoughts out in the open, in a language form. And no, she wasn¡¯t going to nag him, no matter how deserving of it he was. Okay, maybe just a little. If he had only listened to what she was trying to convey to him, the illusion wouldn¡¯t have gotten so far. He had already forgotten the memories of his life after, sealed away by the illusion after he had believed what it had shown him.


    She jumped over his head, slapping her feathers against his face. Sleep! She wanted to tell him. It was the only way for her to try and break the illusion. But the infuriating human laughed and took hold of her body, cradling her against his chest. She slapped his face again.


    Infuriating human! There was a limit to how much disrespect he could show her.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll rest.¡±


    Good. At least he understood what she wanted to tell him.


    As soon as he fell asleep, her work started.


    His soul was murky at best, corrupted to the core. A sea of darkness with not a single source of light. She remembered Ilya¡¯s words¡ªthe demon lord. While she knew the human wasn¡¯t a demon, still, his soul gave the same stench. There was also something else. A deep-seated hatred had taken root around his soul and twisted and twisted until one couldn¡¯t tell its true color.


    Ignoring the stench given by all those dark emotions, she took hold of his soul, accessing its depth. His memories might have been sealed by the illusion, but as the master of scales, his very soul was hers. Until he left Idir, she had ownership over it. Of course, it came with its set of responsibilities, responsibilities that dwarfed any benefit such hold could ever bring.


    She brought the memories to the forefront of his mind, and she felt the landscape shift around her. His unease intensified as the memories unfolded.


    Then, something shifted. The dark water under her feet churned and raged, clashing against the edge of his soul with a vengeance. She watched with rapt attention as the waves mounted, threatening to swallow her.


    Was he aware of someone else¡¯s presence in his soul core? Impressive! She, now more than ever, wanted him to win the trials. She wanted to split his soul open and examine it to its core. To see every nook and cranny.


    Fascinating! It seemed she was right. He was different.


    She floated above the raging sea. The waves tried to reach up for her, but the dark water fell back in a pitiful splash.


    He still has a hundred millennia to expel her from his soul landscape. But she commanded the effort. Who knew, with proper training, the time could be brought down to a couple of millennia¡ªif he lived that long. A shame, really. Human lifespan was but a flicker in time.


    Who knew. Maybe he was different. No one had ever noticed her intrusion on their souls before.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s a first time for everything.¡± She smiled.


    She stood there, waiting for the rush of memories to play their course. Now, she could only wait. Wait and see.


    If push came to shove, she would tear into the illusion itself. But for now, she would wait.

 Chapter 22

    Weylin stared at the little dragon. It stared back at him, its head tilting to the side in a silent question. He couldn¡¯t shake away the feeling of wrongness that plagued him. Those strange dreams¡ªnightmares¡ªonly started after he had taken the little vermin in. Strangely enough, they only manifested when it was nearby. The night his sister had insisted on having a sleepover party with the dragon as its only guest was nightmare-free. In fact, aside that day, he couldn¡¯t remember having a better night''s sleep.


    His brows furrowed, suspicion and something else¡ªsomething darker¡ªbrewing inside his chest. He had never heard of monsters attacking humans using dreams. But again, he wasn¡¯t a knight. He didn¡¯t have access to the temple¡¯s all-encompassing monster encyclopedia. For all he knew, it was another of these monsters¡¯ ways to weaken human minds and then feast on them at their weakest. And he, the foolish country pumpkin that he was, had led a monster to his doorstep. Endangering himself was one thing, but endangering the safety of both his mother and sister was unforgivable.


    He tightened his hold on his axe. Would he be able to get rid of it? And if he failed, would the monster trail its way back to his home and feast on his family after being done with him?


    With a startling realization, he remembered the little beast had refused all and every morsel of food his mother and sister had offered it. Was it laying off food so it could prepare for its bigger meal, him and his family?


    He took an instinctual step back at the sudden movement of the dragon. Its small feathery wings fluttered as it flew to him. He shifted his hold on the only weapon between him and the¡ªmost probably¡ªattacking monster.


    Would one strike suffice to kill it? He doubted it. The dragon was far from being defenseless. The fact that it infiltrated deep into human territory was proof enough.


    How many humans did it kill? How many fields did it destroy with its strange powers? And here, Weylin was sheltering it when he should have notified the knights at first glance of the monster.


    The dragon must have felt the change in the air. It hovered above him, watching him with its eerie eyes. Weylin shuddered. They looked so human, as if a human, not a monster, was staring down at him.


    The dragon chirped. It tentatively approached him, its eyes fleeting to the axe gripped tightly in Weylin¡¯s hands.


    Weylin made his decision and swung it at the monster. Just as he thought, it evaded his attack with ease, its wings taking it away from the battered steel¡¯s reach. It watched him with an unimpressed look.


    ¡°Go away, or I swear I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯m giving you a chance to escape with your life. Leave and don¡¯t come back.¡±


    It must have seen through his bluff, for it huffed, the static energy wafting from its mouth. But it didn¡¯t attack him. It floated above him, watching him with contempt in its eyes. Still, it didn¡¯t attack him.


    Was he wrong?


    Weylin stood there, watching as it glared at him, then flew away, disappearing between the lines of trees.


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    Weylin didn¡¯t feel like training that day. He went directly home, shouldering the pile of wood. Too bad he would be skipping two days of training, what with tomorrow being market day. He would have to get up earlier than usual and make his way down to the town to sell all the wood he had chopped down.


    With a final glance at the forest, he made his way home.


    The dragon had truly left. Weylin didn¡¯t think the damn thing would leave so easily. He had thought he would find it perched atop another tree branch, observing him. But it didn¡¯t. He had looked around the forest, looking for any trace of the small monster, to no avail. It was as if it never existed. Weylin was a bit worried. Did he unleash the starving beast upon some unsuspecting, defenseless human? Maybe he should notify one of the knights tomorrow first thing after he reaches town.


    Yes, he should. He didn¡¯t want to cause another¡¯s misfortune, especially with how starving it must be. He might get a scolding for sheltering it for so long, but as long as it didn¡¯t claim any unfortunate souls, he was in the clear. Though, maybe he should have taken care of it. How would he claim to want to be part of the order if he let such a small monster slip through his fingers? Even if a monster¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t proportional to its size. For all he knew, it was from the behemoth class despite its small size.


    Weylin opened the door to their home, dreading his sister¡¯s reaction to the news. She had gotten quite attached to the damned thing. He feared she would be cross with him once she knew he had chased it away. Steeling himself, he stepped inside only to still in his place, dread invading his insides, freezing the breath in his chest.


    While he was searching for the damned thing, it had found its way back to his home. The dragon was inside, cradled in his sister¡¯s arms.


    He didn¡¯t know when he moved, but suddenly, he was in front of her, snatching the monster from her arms. She yelled, startled.


    ¡°What is this thing doing here?¡± he hissed. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. It was far more dangerous than he thought.


    The monster twisted in his hand, angling its tail. Weylin leaned away at the last second to evade being slapped in the face.


    ¡°Stop scaring Lia!¡± his sister yelled, jumping up and down, trying to snatch the monster from his grasp.


    ¡°Lia?¡¯ Weylin¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°You named it?¡±


    ¡°She named herself.¡± Nayla huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and stomped her feet in protest. ¡°Give Lia back!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a monster! It¡¯s not a pet!¡± Weylin said. He grimaced. He could already feel a raging headache on its way.


    ¡°Lia is not a monster and certainly not a pet! She¡¯s my friend!¡±


    Weylin snorted. ¡°She will eat you alive if given the chance.¡±


    Nayla hesitated, her brows furrowing in thought. But before he could relish in the triumph of convincing his sister of the danger of keeping the monster in their home, the aforementioned beast huffed in distaste. It slipped from Weylin¡¯s hands and jumped to his sister¡¯s embrace, but not before dealing him a kick to the face with the strong muscles of its tail.


    Weylin glared at the beast. It stared back at him, nestled in Nayla¡¯s safe embrace. His sister laughed, delighted.


    ¡°See! Even Lia thinks you¡¯re stupid.¡±


    As if to further agree with her, the monster chirped a happy, content sound.


    ¡°Really now,¡± he growled. ¡°How exactly did it name itself?¡±


    ¡°I drew the letter in the ground, and Lia chose her name!¡± she announced, chest puffed proudly.


    He sighed. Things were getting difficult. Why were things getting difficult? All he wanted was to get rid of the monster before it made snacks out of them. But from the challenging look Nayla was throwing him, he doubted even the deity would be able to separate the two of them.


    Deity help him, why did he pick up the damn thing?

 Chapter 23

    Weylin glanced at the dragon perched over Nayla¡¯s head. Sensing his stare, the dragon looked back before turning its head with a huff.


    Both his mother and sister had insisted on accompanying him to the town market. Better, Weylin thought. Like that, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry what the dragon would do in his absence. And better yet, it was being led directly to the knights. One word from him, and he would be rid of the little beast.


    The night before was free of nightmares. The dragon had slept in his sister¡¯s room despite his protests, but it helped in confirming his doubts. The dragon was somehow connected to his dreams. He didn¡¯t know how or why, but what was certain was that the beast derived some kind of satisfaction from plaguing him with mental torture.


    Nayla lifted the cover from her basket, allowing the small dragon to hide inside, but not before shooting an unimpressed look Weylin¡¯s way.


    Weylin tightened his hold over the ropes holding the pile of wood. He wanted to throttle the damn thing. To show it that a small vermin wouldn¡¯t be his end.


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet you at noon,¡± his mother said.


    Weylin nodded and watched them disappear behind the wall of people. It was market day. The whole town was thrumming with visitors, either selling or buying. There was no better day to do business. He made his way to the food streets, making notes to pass by the bathhouses. They were regular customers. At least half of his stock would be purchased by them. The other half, well, with winter a couple of weeks away, townspeople would surely prefer a warm house over freezing on the upcoming chilly nights. So, he had nothing to worry about.


    His stock dwindled significantly before the sun was at its zenith. Satisfied with how things were going, he allowed himself to venture through the market. He walked around, directionless, but soon found himself orbiting around the blacksmiths¡¯ street. He watched with gleaming eyes the sharp hanging swords that he could never afford. One in particular caught his attention. A beautiful dark blade with intricate designs etched near the handle in silver. The woven word read ambition.


    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± the blacksmith asked.


    Weylin startled. He looked at the old man and then back at the sword. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    The blacksmith waited for a while, but when Weylin didn¡¯t say another word¡ªdidn¡¯t ask for its price¡ªthe man ignored him and went back to his work, a look of disappointment twisting his weathered face.


    Weylin sighed. After admiring the perfect blade for a little while, he walked back to the main street where his mother and sister must already be waiting for him.


    ¡­ along with the dragon.


    He still hadn¡¯t alerted the knights of its presence. He didn¡¯t know why. Each time he noticed one of them strolling around the market, jesting with each other, the words would freeze in his throat, and something else would grab his attention. Later. He would tell himself. He would notify them later.


    But later had yet to come.


    With a sigh, he waddled through the sea of people, only stopping when a scream pierced the market street, drowning the cacophony of vendors and hagglers alike. Sudden silence reined over the market before chaos broke loose. Weylin stumbled as he tried to evade the disoriented waves of running people as they yelled and screamed, trying to escape from something beyond Weylin¡¯s sight. Men and women ran, forcing their way through the crowd, uncaring of their surroundings, desperate to get to safety.


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    What happened? What could have made them so agitated?


    He saw a group of knights make their way in the opposite direction the crowd was taking, heading towards whatever had caused such chaos. Their faces were pale, hands tight around their unsheathed swords.


    Weylin didn¡¯t like whatever it implied. Didn¡¯t like it at all. He looked around, searching for his mother and sister. He struggled against the waves of limbs. A hand smacked him in the face. An elbow connected with his side hard. Still, he advanced, not feeling the blows raining over him. He needed to get to his mother and sister. They would be waiting for him near the small fountain. His sister would be playing in the water, his mother half-heartedly scolding her. They would be fine. They must be fine and safe, wondering what had gotten him so late.


    Weylin squished the ugly feeling roaring in his heart. The fountain¡­ the square was in the same direction the people were running from.


    He shot down that line of thought. It wouldn¡¯t help him one bit. He only needed to get there. But as he wadded his way toward the square, despair, and hopelessness invaded his heart.


    As soon as the small fountain¡ªnow half-destroyed, its water spilling over the cobblestones, turning pink as it merged with the scarlet, sticky substance that Weylin refused to acknowledge¡ªcame into his line of sight, his feet stilled, turning into wooden logs, refusing to take him further.


    The square that should have been filled with families and small wooden stands drawing hungry customers was filled with mangled corpses. Corpses upon corpses littered the ground, covering the cobblestones and creating rivers of blood that reached Weylin¡¯s boots. His feet trembled as he took a step forward, his eyes flying over the bodies, searching and hoping he wouldn¡¯t find any sign of bright blonde locks and his mother¡¯s blue shawl.


    Strength left his body as he glimpsed what once was a blue woolen shawl but turned a darker color with the saturated blood. And next to his mother¡¯s lifeless corpse lay his sister. Her eyes were closed as if in sleep.


    He fell to his knees, numb. He heard a growl somewhere to his side, but he didn¡¯t care. He just sat there, waiting for everything to end. His nightmares had come true. He had lost everything. There was no need to try and struggle to be strong.


    How laughable. He wanted to be a knight but couldn¡¯t even protect his own family. It would be better if things ended here and now.


    He blinked, his hazy mind noting the sword in his grasp. When did he¡­?


    It didn¡¯t matter. Nothing did.


    He tightened his grip over the hilt and slowly brought the sword to his neck.


    Let everything be over now.


    Then he glimpsed it. The dragon stood a few paces away from him, perching over the destroyed marble fountain. Weylin paused. The nightmares¡­ was this the dragon¡¯s doing? Did it finally satiate its never-ending hunger? Fine. Weylin would give it one other last meal.


    But before he could force the blade against his skin, the dragon¡¯s eyes shone brightly, a purple so bright it almost blinded him.


    Then, the world shifted.


    The sky tore asunder, and red eyes blinked down at him, watching, scrutinizing.


    Suddenly, everything came back to him.


    The deity. The seal. The master of scales. The trials. Everything.


    He paused, closing his eyes to draw a shaky breath. Then he laughed. He laughed and laughed till his throat was scrapped raw, and he could feel blood coat his windpipe, threatening to drown him.


    These damn deities playing with him like a puppet on a string. Oh, how he hated them. How he loathed them.


    He stood up, watching the scene before him. The monsters from his memories crowded around him, their mouth salivating at the promise of new food. He knew it was futile, knew they weren¡¯t real, that the blade wouldn¡¯t hurt them. Still, he lifted the sword and faced their approaching forms. But before he could lunge at them, everything turned black, with only a soft voice resounding in his mind, so familiar and as comforting as it was hateful.


    [Welcome Lost Soul. You have been selected as a candidate for the trials.]

 Chapter 24

    He couldn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t breathe. It felt like he was suffocating, his lungs tearing with each breath he took. Tiny particles slashed the inside of his chest with each inhale and exhale. It was agonizing. It was so painful he wished he was dead.


    But no. he couldn¡¯t die, not yet, not before making him pay. Only then could he succumb to death.


    Weylin startled awake. He coughed and coughed, trying to expel the sand lodged in his throat. He got up on his knees, his fingers digging into the sandy surface of his exile. He shook his head, sand cascading down his face like an avalanche.


    Where was he? Wasn¡¯t he back in his hometown?... or a cheap replica of his hometown.


    He blinked, watching his surroundings with squinted eyes. Sand was all he could see¡ªsand and sand, all the eyes could see. Mountains of sand spread to the horizon.


    He sat there waiting for something to happen, anything, yet nothing did. Silence was his only companion. He leaned back, his eyes gazing at the reddish sky ahead. From the position of the sun, he could ascertain it was the middle of the day, though the reddish hue told him otherwise.


    ¡°The heck is this?¡± he whispered despite knowing no one would hear him. But a second later, his thought proved to be wrong.


    The voice of the master of scales whispered in his ears,


    [This is the first trial.]


    The voice was devoid of emotions and monotone, unlike what he had come to know about the teal-haired deity. Still, it was a bit comforting to hear a familiar voice¡ªand also vexing.


    ¡°What am I doing here?¡±


    [Candidate has been chosen to pass the trials.]


    That, he already knew.


    ¡°What is required of me to do?¡±


    [Candidate must pass the first trial.]


    Weylin frowned. Didn¡¯t she already say that?


    ¡°How do I pass the first trial?¡±


    [Candidate must figure this out for himself.]


    His frown deepened. So she wasn¡¯t going to be helpful. Figures. When were deities ever helpful? They only took and took and took, never giving anything in return.


    He sighed and stood up. After a while of watching the never-ending expense of sand, he chose a random direction and started walking. Something told him he wouldn¡¯t want to be caught in the open come night.


    After hours and hours of walking, thirst and hunger started eating away at his strength. The raging sun didn¡¯t help matters either. He stopped, wiping the sweat that had collected on his forehead.


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    Why was he feeling hunger and thirst? Didn¡¯t he abandon his mortal body back and his world and was merely a wandering soul? He sure didn¡¯t require any sustenance back in the master of scales¡¯ domain. He thought it was due to him being a soul. But with the gnawing hunger making itself known, he started doubting everything he came to know these past years.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± He paused. ¡°What should I call you?¡±


    Despite the disembodied voice sharing the teal deity¡¯s voice, he doubted it was he speaking to him.


    [I am a system designed purposefully for the trials.]


    That he already guessed. But before he could say anything, the monotone voice continued,


    [System is here to record your progress.]


    So, not here to guide him or lend a helping hand. Just to¡­ record his progress.


    He scoffed. So far, all deities have proven to be the same cruel, heartless beings, looking down on them for worship and entertainment. Nothing more.


    Good. In fact, it was better this way. Like this, he knew how to act in his best interest.


    Still, there was no hurt in trying to get some answers from it.


    ¡°Am I required to eat to survive in these trials?¡±


    The system took a while to answer. Certainly debating whether it would get any benefit from answering him. Would the deities prefer to have their candidate die before the first challenge of starvation?


    [Candidate must figure it out for himself.]


    He snorted. Of course. What else had he thought?


    He walked and walked, eyes roaming around the sand, searching for anything that would satiate his hunger. Nothing was in sight. Not even a sign of life emanated from his surroundings. No matter how much he stretched his senses to cover a larger field, the only answer he got was nothing. There was nothing alive except for him.


    What kind of trial was this? Were they getting some sense of glee watching a human starve to death? How was this any different from his world? People were dying by the masses each day, either torn apart by monsters or struck down by the deity¡¯s wrath.


    Why create an illusive world when the real one would be more suited to their bloodthirsty tastes?


    As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, something strange happened. The night sky wasn¡¯t its usual darker color; it was the deepest shade of red, as if something had bled all over the sky. There was also that suffocating feeling. As if the very air he was breathing was being sucked away by something. He took a deep breath, regretting his action instantly as the heavy air settled inside his chest. He coughed, giving a light tap to his aching lungs.


    What other things did the deities have in store for him?


    He didn¡¯t have to wonder for long. Soon, clicking sounds resounded in the distance. Weylin watched with wary eyes as two silhouettes approached him. He cursed under his breath. He had nowhere to hide. There was nothing but a vast expanse of sand with no chance for shelter. He hoped that whatever was making its way toward him was friendly and not hostile.


    Who was he kidding? The deities wanted nothing but blood.


    He readied himself, cursing a thousand times for his lack of a weapon. The sword from the last illusion had disappeared along with everything else. And now here he was, in the open, with nothing to defend himself.


    Nothing but his powers, that was, which were plenty of protection on their own. But he had wanted to keep them as a last resort.


    Oh well, nothing in life, or death in his case, went according to plan.


    As the silhouettes neared him, he paused, his brows furrowing as he looked at their state. They looked human and on the verge of dying. They stopped when they saw him. Then they lunged toward him with jerky movements as if they weren¡¯t in control of all their limbs.


    Weylin jumped back, evading the rusty blade clutched in the hand of one of his attackers. His eyes widened as he looked at them, really looked at them.


    Their skin was grey and withered. Their eyes sunken in their skulls, milky white and unseeing. But it wasn¡¯t all. They had gaping wounds that had long stopped bleeding.


    They looked dead. No, they were dead. They were nothing but moving corpses.