Jade woke the next morning, the weight of the previous day's trial still heavy in his chest. The temple was silent, save for the soft echo of his footsteps as he moved through its ancient halls. The cold stone walls seemed to hum with the energy of the trials, like they were alive, watching, waiting.
He had passed the first test — but the real challenge was just beginning. The flame within him was still there, still a potential threat, but for the first time, it felt under his control. He didn't understand how or why, but something had shifted inside him. The memories of his past life, of his failures, of the endless battle with his own power, were slowly starting to fade into the background. He was becoming someone new. Someone stronger.
Rael was already waiting for him outside the training chamber, a solemn look on his face. Jade could see the concern in his eyes, the worry that he might not be ready for what lay ahead.
"Ready for the next trial?" Rael asked, though his voice had an edge of hesitation. He knew what was coming — more pain, more struggle. Jade didn't answer immediately. He didn't need to. He had made it through the first test, and now, no matter how hard it was, he had to keep going.
He nodded silently, and the two of them moved deeper into the temple. The air grew heavier as they descended, the flickering light of torches casting eerie shadows on the walls. Jade could feel the temperature dropping with every step, the atmosphere thickening around him like a suffocating fog.
When they reached the bottom, they entered a large chamber. At its center stood a stone pedestal, on which rested an ancient scroll sealed with a dark, glowing sigil. Jade knew that whatever this scroll contained, it was something that Kuroshi wanted him to unlock. Something that would bring him closer to the power he was meant to control.
Rael placed a hand on Jade's shoulder. "This is the trial of your mind," he said quietly. "Kuroshi will test your resolve. You need to prove you're not just strong physically — but mentally. Are you ready?"
Jade took a deep breath, steadying himself. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he was ready to face it. The fire inside him had been tamed — for now. But he knew it was only a matter of time before it tried to break free again. He had to stay focused.
"Let's do this," Jade muttered, his voice firm.
With a final glance at Rael, Jade approached the pedestal. The sigil on the scroll began to glow brighter, casting a sickly light across the room. The moment his fingers touched the parchment, the world around him shattered.
It wasn't a physical shattering, but a mental one. The walls of the chamber seemed to melt away, and Jade was thrown into a swirling void, his thoughts becoming disjointed and fragmented. He was falling, tumbling through darkness, unable to find solid ground. His body ached with the force of the fall, but there was no pain. There was only the endless descent.
Then, as if pulled by an unseen force, he was stopped. A single voice broke through the silence — Kuroshi's voice.
"Welcome to the trial of your mind, Jade."
The void around him shifted, and suddenly, Jade found himself standing in a desolate landscape. The ground was cracked and dry, with twisted, gnarled trees lining the horizon. A black sky loomed overhead, the air thick with tension.
"This is the first test," Kuroshi continued, his voice echoing from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Your mind is fragile, Jade. It is filled with doubts, fears, regrets. This place will force you to confront them. You will see your darkest memories, your greatest failures. And you must face them. Only by confronting them head-on can you prove that you are worthy of the power you seek."
Jade's heart pounded in his chest. He had spent years trying to bury his past, trying to forget the mistakes he had made. But now, it was all coming back. The flames of his power, the destruction he had caused in his previous life as Yūma — it all came rushing back in a flood.
First, he saw the image of his old home, a beautiful mansion that had been reduced to rubble. He could hear the screams of his family, the sounds of their destruction. He could feel their loss like a wound in his chest. The guilt, the regret, it was overwhelming. He had failed to protect them. He had failed in every way.
And then, the flames. The fire that had consumed everything — his loved ones, his home, his chance for redemption. It was his fault. He had let it get out of control, let it rage unchecked.
Jade fell to his knees, his hands shaking as he tried to stop the images from flooding his mind. But they wouldn't stop. They kept coming — the faces of the people he had killed, the friends he had betrayed, the destruction he had caused in his quest for power.
"You cannot outrun your past," Kuroshi's voice boomed in his mind. "You cannot hide from what you are."
Jade squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block it out. But it was impossible. The darkness was all around him, suffocating him.
And then, through the haze of his memories, a single thought broke through — a thought of hope.
He wasn't that person anymore. He wasn't Yūma. He was Jade.
The fire inside him, the power that had once been his downfall, flared to life. This time, it didn't burn with rage or chaos. It burned with purpose.
"I'm not that person anymore," Jade muttered to himself, his voice breaking the silence of the desolate world around him. "I control my own fate now."
The flames of his power swirled around him, but they didn't rage out of control. They danced at his command, responding to his will. He could feel the weight of the trial pressing against him, but for the first time in his life, he felt like he could bear it.
The sky above him cracked, and the dark landscape began to crumble, fading away into nothing. Jade stood tall, his heart steady, the fire within him under control.
Kuroshi's voice came again, this time with a hint of approval.
"You have passed the trial, Jade," he said, his voice softer. "You have faced your past and come out the other side. But this is only the beginning. There are more trials to come."
Jade looked up at the sky, feeling the weight of his journey ahead. He wasn't sure if he was truly ready, but for the first time, he knew that he had the strength to face whatever came next.