Clarence is running as hard and as fast as his legs can carry him, which is not very hard at all when you factor in the added weight of the child clinging to his neck. The floor at his heels is destroyed as a tongue made of patchwork quilts and stuffed animals scrapes against it.

  He rounds the corner, skidding on the stone. A beast the size of the corridor is unable to make that same turn and slams into the wall. The impact shakes the tower, causing paintings and portraits to fall off the walls. Clarence looks back to see the creature is a crossbreed of a bear and an unknown creature. Its hide is a collection of old blankets, quilts, and various other fabrics. Where its eyes should be, there are buttons. Where its mouth should be there are three buttons, and just behind them are dozens of rows of pointed teeth.

  "What is that thing!?"

  Isalithe, despite clinging to Clarence, manages to twist around and point a finger at the abomination.

  "That's Teddysaurus-Rex! He used to just be my teddy bear, but my dad was so upset about the nightmares that plagued me, that he decided to make me a guardian. He took Teddy away, and what he brought back was this… patchwork thing. I hated it, and my dad would use magic to make it float around the room at night to prove it was alive! He said if any monsters were real then Teddysaurus-Rex would take care of them, but all that did was give me more nightmares…"

  "Why did your dad do that!? Who makes a monster for their daughter?"

  "I don’t know! My dads just really really weird, peculiar even, I don’t understand him most of the time."

  "It’s just a stuffed animal though, right?"

  Teddysaurus-Rex is upon them, its stride a series of seismic events that cause the ceiling to shudder, and the floor to nearly give out beneath it.

  "Obviously not, look at that thing!" Isalithe yells, her grip tightening around Clarence's throat.

  Clarence skids to a halt, and turns to face the Teddysaurus-Rex.

  "If we run then it’ll just make things worse! You have to face it, that’s how this trial works, right?"

  "I’m not facing shit, let me go!" Isalithe thrashes in Clarence’s arms, but due to her size, is unable to free herself.

  The Teddysaurus-Rex advances slowly, pawing at the ground.

  Clarence doesn't budge. He just stands his ground, and holds Isalithe close, waiting.

  Teddysaurus-Rex lunges forward, the buttons popping off of its mouth as it swallows them whole. The two are enveloped in darkness, and the world fades away.

  Inside the Teddysaurus, there is no pain, only the sensation of being compressed in layers upon layers of quilt and stuffing. Clarence can't see, but he can still feel Isalithe in his arms.

  "My dad told me the Tyrannosaurus Rex was an apex predator, like a dragon but with tiny arms? He said it had the strongest bite force in the world, and that if I ever got scared, I should imagine it eating my nightmares. He really did think it would help, but he doesn’t always have the best ideas… Coming up with imaginary monsters, seriously, that’s what you do to punish a child that’s been bad!"

  Clarence lets go of Isalithe so she can stand. A small bit of light seems to fill the creature's stomach. At their feet is a half bear, half dinosaur, stuffed animal. It was clearly stitched together with love and grotesque creativity.

  Isalithe kneels, hands shaking, and picks the thing up. She squeezes it, and the darkness falls away, replaced by a vibrant light. Isalithe hugs the Teddysaurus-Rex tighter, and blinding white light envelopes them now.

  *

  On the platform above, the Saints of the Radiant Axis stand in silence. Apart from Evelyn who occasionally giggles to herself, and kicks her feet gleefully through the air. The pained looks on the sleeping adventurer’s faces is almost too much for her to bear.

  "Look at that one, he’s really scared!" Evelyn shouts, and points out a man from the crowd of adventurers who seems to be seizing in his sleep. "I just want to crawl inside his head and see what it is that’s got him all worked up! Wouldn’t that be fun, Cirelian?"

  Cirelian simply nods in agreement, and Evelyn continues to watch the scene unfold.

  "I never got to thank you," Elen says, voice low that only Terra can hear her. She leans in, and brushes her arm against his.

  "For what?"

  "I didn't want to kill those necromancers down there. Not really, anyways. I find my actions are not my own as of late. Thanks to you, I did not have to commit such a meaningless sin."

  "You believe killing their kind is a sin?"

  "All life is precious. Ending any life is a sin of the highest caliber. At least, that's what I believe."

  "That's a good belief to have."

  Elen is quiet for a long time, then bumps Terra’s shoulder with her own. "Hey, who are you really? Are you a Saint like us? Maybe you came after we did. With these eyes of mine, I can't help but wonder who could be so pure of soul. If you tell me, I promise not to tell anyone, I’ll even pinky promise! You know what? I can sweeten the deal, and give you anything you want!"

  "What do you have to offer?"

  "I could allow you to court me?..."

  "I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that," Terra says, and takes a seat at the edge of the platform. He looks down at the vast, dry, barren plains. His legs dangle over the side, and he glances up towards Elen as he holds out his pinky.

  She grins wide as she takes her seat next to him, their pinkies locked in a promise.

  "It's a long story, but I'll try to make it short. The fourth trial will be coming to an end soon."

  "That's fine," Elen says, scooting closer. "More than anything I’m just happy you’ve decided to trust me! Please, begin when you're ready."

  Terra looks up at the sun. In a few hours it would be nightfall. "Long before your time, there was a land far, far to the East. Every historian, and piece of scripture has given this land a different name, but its true name was Virel-Kaen. 'That which burns but never dies.' This land was covered in plague, and infection, famine, and death, misery and pain. You could barely see your neighbors through the thick smog that encompassed the city. The people of Virel-Kaen were a cursed people. Some blamed their problems on dark magic, while others just died. Anyone strong enough to stand abandoned their sickly family members and sought out any necromancer they could find in order to kill them. They did this for years, desperately hoping this would solve all their problems."

  "Is that really how it went?" Elen says, watching the sun. "It's different from what I remember."

  "Everyone tells it differently," Terra says. "But this is how it happened. There was a girl born in that land of rot and sorrow. Her name was Elor of Virel-Kaen. Elor, be it by the luck of the Gods, or a natural immunity, never contracted any disease. She was just an orphan like any other, but she was…a helper. Anytime a fight broke out, she sought peace. She put herself in harm's way more than once, and paid dearly for it each time.How many times did she come home with maggot infested lacerations running up the lengths of her body? She never blamed anyone, not even herself, she simply accepted her wounds and scars and carried on. Elor had no healing magic, but she insisted on becoming a healer. A truly foolish notion… She learned to make potions and concoctions from herbs. She would test them on herself first, to ensure she they wouldn’t bring harm to others. Just how many people did she cure? They always thanked her, and swore from the bottom of their hearts to repay her for her kindness, but they always went back on their word. They forgot her, but still, Elor wanted to help."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Terra clenches his fist as he continues. "Elor left home in search of the Gods, seeking their wisdom to lift the curse on Virel-Kaen’s people. No one thought she'd return, but she did. When she left she was still a child, and when she came back years later, she was just an older child. She said she'd found a cure, but there was a distant look in her eyes as she said those words. Elor went to the heart of Virel-Kaen and performed the art of Corpus Ignivoratus. Self-immolation. Those flames ravaged her body, and that fire burnt away all the disease that surrounded her. Those who felt her radiance were stripped of any illness, or sin that plagued them. Elor of Virel-Kaen died that day, and Eloria, the Lightbringer, came soon after."

  "You talk about it like you were there," Elen says, her voice barely a whisper. Terra doesn’t acknowledge her though, and continues with his story.

  "When Elor ascended to godhood, she was terrified. She needed someone to take care of her mistakes, and there were many of them. A God born of humanity couldn’t possibly be omniscient, she understood this well. It’s funny. At times, Elor was like a mother to me, but at others, she was just like an older sister. Nobody could ever tell what we were, but that didn’t matter to me. I would follow her anywhere to repay my debt to her. The kindness she showed me in those slums, the chance at life she gave me, I will never forget it. Eloria's Saints were her right hand, her public figureheads, her beacons of light in this cruel world. But every light, no matter how bright, casts a shadow. Someone had to be that shadow, her left hand, her most trusted knight, someone willing to clean up the mess she left in her wake…"

  Elen’s hand clasps over her mouth as she tries to stifle a breath, and Terra continues.

  "You asked if I had met many Saints of Eloria. I have, but only when Eloria asked it of me. Only when they had to go..."

  "I see. You've been at her side all this time… Then why? Why were they chosen? Why didn't you make them…go?..." Elen whispers, and eyes her siblings cautiously.

  "1300 years ago when you stepped into the Crucible of Light and underwent the act of self-immolation, you alone came to stand before Eloria," Terra says. "Not the blade Caedis, not the shield Cirelian, and especially not the merciless Evelyn. It was only you, Elen. You were the one granted Sainthood. Your siblings adopted that title in name alone."

  "You were there?" Elen gasps, and locks eyes with Terra. "But where? I didn't see you."

  "You were younger back then, and your hair was much shorter. I’ll admit, I didn’t recognize you at first. Regardless, I could tell why Eloria chose you. You were pure of heart back then, and truly wanted to help those around you to forge a better future. Your light was almost radiant enough to drag me out of hiding. It makes sense why Virel-Kaen is now referred to as the Radiant Vanguard. The Radiant-Axis’s influence on the region seemed to have had lasting effects.”

  "Her shadow," Elen says, her voice breaking. "You were in her shadow the entire time..."

  Terra nods, and Elen lurches forward, grabbing the scruff of his collar.

  "Then why didn't you help me back then?... Eloria made a mistake, a big mistake, a huge mistake, letting those three live. She…I..."

  "I was cleaning up another mess," Terra says, his eyes drifting to Clarence's unconscious form far below. Next to him is Trinity's Thorn, glowing a dull shade of red. "And you got it dealt with on your own, didn't you?"

  Elen's eyes are filled with tears that are just on the brink of falling, but she releases him and nods. "I got it dealt with..."

  "Don't be afraid, Elen. I'm here to help you this time."

  Elen looks up at Terra and fights back tears as she presses her hands into her eyes.

  *

  Clarence and Isalithe awaken at the same moment, lying on the cold, hard ground. Isalithe's ankle is twisted and swollen, whereas Clarence’s mana-core has been fractured.

  "Seriously? Teddysaurus-Rex? That was your trauma?" Clarence begins to laugh, but the sound is a mixture of a cough and a sob. "You were scared of that thing?"

  "Shut up!" Isalithe yells, and her cheeks spark with electricity as she takes Clarence’s hand, being pulled to her feet.

  He tugs on her hand, and she stumbles into him, latching onto him to steady herself. "It's better than being a momma's boy!" Isalithe shouts, and then she begins to laugh too.

  A few feet away, Sen watches the pair, eyes narrowed. The dryad doesn’t make so much as a noise, but his gaze is intense enough to draw their attention.

  "Get off of me!" Isalithe shouts, shoving Clarence back and crossing her arms.

  "You were the one hugging me!" Clarence protests, and crosses his arms also as he turns away. His cheeks flush red, and Sen waddles over, fanning him with a giant leaf.

  "No, Sen, I'm not-" Clarence tries to say something, but Sen only fans harder, the leaf nearly slapping him in the face.

  There are less than a hundred adventurers left, and the last has awoken as a voice booms overhead, echoing across the landscape. "For those of you left standing, you have passed the trial of the self, and I congratulate you. You have passed every trial we've thrown your way with soul, body, tenacity, and copious amounts of willpower! You, the lucky few, I accept each and every one of you as an official member of this inquisition! Soon, 10,000 sinners will descend upon these lands, but fear not, Eloria's holy light will surely protect you all!"

  Caedis stands on the platform, his pristine white garments shining in the sunlight. His sword is drawn, and gleams in a similar fashion, acting as a beacon for all present. Evelyn floats beside him, hair billowing in the wind, and staff raised. She waves her hand, and a pulse of healing magic washes over those that remain. Clarence's mana-core is mended, and Isalithe's ankle straightens itself outward. All of their wounds are healed within seconds.

  "Hold the bridge by any means necessary," Caedis commands. "The sinners are coming now! Take formation, my holy knights, and the Divine Aspect will surely be yours! Cut down as many of the sinners as you can!"

  Clarence holds his hands over his eyes in an attempt to block out that blinding light coming from Caedis’s blade, and he sees a familiar figure approach the end of the platform.

  "Terra?..." Clarence mutters under his breath.

  *

  Terra stands at the top of the tower, with Elen to his right, and the other three Saints to his left. The wind flicks at their hair, and the sun is in their eyes, but Terra counts nearly a hundred survivors still. It’s only after Caedis finishes his speech that he steps forward.

  "You're all in the home stretch," Terra shouts, his voice carrying itself with the wind alone. "You may think it easy to kill these 10,000 who have been deemed to be ‘sinners’, but what comes after that? No Divine Aspect will come to any of you. Only death. How have the Saints treated you all thus far? Can you truly bring yourself to trust them now?"

  The crowd is silent, but Terra continues.

  "You may ask, why should we listen to him? Then answer this, who shattered the barrier during the trial of the soul? Who was it that allowed you all to get this far? It was I! I saved you all, and I'm telling you that your only chance at a Divine Aspect, or survival, is if you turn on these false prophets, and cut them down, here and now! The dungeon will end immediately upon their defeat, and the spoils of war will be unlike anything you have ever dreamed of!"

  A slight murmur can be heard in the crowd here and there, and then something else can be heard. Something more distant. A rumble travels across the plain as thousands of black dots appear on the horizon, marching forward as one. The sinners.

  "Those 'sinners' carry little more than rags and broken blades! You gain nothing from murdering them, but everything from felling a Saint! Their title, their legacy, their powers, their Aspects, their equipment! Let your greed fuel you! Turn your back on those 10,000, and kill these four instead!”

  Cirelian is the first to move, his arms are like two giant serpents as he embraces Terra in a bear hug. Caedis draws his holy blade, and tosses the sheathe aside. The metal sings as he slices the air with it and presses the tip against Terra’s neck.

  "I knew you were too good to be true," Caedis hisses. "Pure of soul...You're just like the rest, sinner. To challenge a Saint is to challenge the Lightbringer herself."

  Caedis presses the blade closer, but Terra does not flinch.

  "The Radiant Axis was feared in life because they were undefeatable on the battlefield! Each one's strength covers for another’s weakness. Blades do not slice their skin, arrows do not pierce their flesh, magic is seemingly ineffective against them, but there is a reason for all of this! A secret ability that only a select few ever knew! The closer they are to one another, the stronger they become. So all you have to do is separate the-" Terra begins, but Caedis thrusts the blade forward with inhuman speed.

  Terra swings his head back, smashing it into Cirelian's jaw. The Saint of Shields is dazed as his teeth crack, and his brain rattles in his skull. He drops Terra, and the entire tower shudders from the might of the blow.

  Terra grabs Caedis’s blade with his bare hand as it comes at him, stopping it. Fresh blood runs from Terra’s palm. "Separate the four of them, be it physically, through spatial magic, or through death! I'll make the decision easier for all of you. Instead of four, you only need to kill three!"

  "Lightbringer’s Touch!" Terra’s free hand merely scrapes Caedis’s chest. The blow instantly inverts Caedis's armor, denting it inward, and sends the Saint flying off the tower and to the earth below. Eloria's Vow appears in Terra's bloodied hand, and he spins to face Evelyn, who is already trying to flee, fear evident in her eyes.

  "Stay together!" Cirelian bellows, charging Terra.

  Terra ducks under Cirelian's grasp and uses the momentum to launch himself at Elen. In the blink of an eye he's upon her, low to the ground, and thrusting the blade upward. It’s mere inches away, and Elen closes her eyes, a smile crossing her face as her death approaches.

  "Live!" Evelyn demands, and Elen's body reacts. Her eyes shoot open and she sidesteps the attack. She grabs an arrow out of her quiver, but Terra tackles her off the side of the tower, and enters into a freefall with her. The two are a blur of motion as they wrestle for the blade, hands locked together.

  "Eloria’s Acceleration, Eloria’s Strength, Eloria’s Crucible, Eloria’s Sacred Hymn." Terra mutters these spells in rapid succession, and embraces Elen as the two increase in speed. A roaring ball of white flames surrounds them, and then the two hit the ground in a fiery explosion.

  All that can be seen is a cloud of dust, and when it clears, Eloria's Vow is buried in Elen's chest, pinning her to the earth below.

  Elen, Saint of True Sight, is dead.