Zoren glanced at Aiden and Ivar Pendrol, standing near Elizabeth, Elyria, and Franklin Scorch. The twins bore no sign of confusion. Their postures were relaxed—too relaxed—as if they had been through this before. Elizabeth''s arms were crossed, eyes sharp with the confidence of someone who had already mastered what Ryan spoke of. Elyria''s expression was unreadable, but there was no hesitation in her stance. And Franklin? The faintest smirk played on his lips.


    They already knew.


    Zoren''s stomach twisted. They knew, and he didn''t.


    And neither did the other candidates.


    Ryan finally lowered his hands. The energy in the air settled, but the weight of his words lingered.


    "I will not waste my time with explanations. You will learn the same way they did." His eyes flickered to the group of those who had already mastered the knowledge—Aiden, Ivar, Elizabeth, Elyria, and Franklin. "They understand the truth of their Cores. You do not."


    Aiden sighed dramatically. "This is going to be painful."


    Ivar ignored him. "They need to experience it firsthand. Words won''t make a difference."


    Ryan nodded. "Correct."


    Then, without warning, he moved.


    A single step forward—and the dungeon trembled.


    Zoren barely had time to react before something pulled at his Core. A deep, twisting sensation, as if his very essence was being stretched. The other candidates staggered, some gasping, others dropping to one knee.


    Zoren clenched his teeth. "What… is this?"


    "The truth," Ryan answered simply. "This is what it feels like when your Core is exposed. When it is unguarded."


    One of the candidates, a broad-shouldered man named Joe, tried to force his energy outward. "This—this is nothing! I can—"


    His words cut off as his own Ether recoiled. A violent shock ran through his body, and he collapsed.


    Ryan''s voice remained calm. "You do not control your Core. It controls you."


    Zoren forced himself to remain standing, eyes darting to the others.


    Aiden, Ivar, Elizabeth, Elyria, and Franklin were untouched.


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    The difference was glaring. They stood firm, entirely unaffected by the suffocating force pressing on Zoren and the other candidates.


    Elizabeth''s gaze met Zoren''s. There was no mockery in her expression—only the sharp look of someone waiting to see if he would understand.


    Ryan stepped forward again, the force deepening. The dungeon''s energy no longer felt like an external pressure. It felt alive. It reached into Zoren''s chest, clawing at the very core of his being.


    Zoren inhaled sharply. No. He couldn''t let it take control.


    His Core—the strange, dual power lurking inside him—reacted. A flicker of something surged within, resisting the force pressing down on him.


    Ryan''s eyes flickered with interest. "Good. You feel it now."


    Zoren gritted his teeth. "What… is this?"


    Aiden chuckled. "You''re standing in Ether, idiot. You think you can use a Core without knowing how to breathe?"


    Ryan nodded at Aiden''s words. "Your Core is not an isolated force. It exists in a sea of energy, a current that surrounds you at all times. Most of you wield your power like a blunt weapon, but true mastery means understanding the current."


    Elyria finally spoke, her voice even. "You don''t force Ether. You resonate with it."


    Zoren''s breathing slowed.


    Resonance.


    His mind flashed back to the feeling—the pulse of his Core whenever he used his abilities. The way energy moved, not through force, but through something deeper.


    He steadied his stance. Let it flow.


    The crushing force around him did not vanish—but it changed. Instead of fighting against him, the current shifted, adjusting to his breathing, his intent.


    Ryan watched in silence.


    Then, a slow nod. "You begin to see."


    The other candidates still struggled, some barely staying conscious. Joe had yet to stand.


    Ryan turned away, as if losing interest. "Enough for now. You either understand, or you do not."


    Aiden sighed, stretching his arms. "That was faster than I expected."


    Elizabeth shrugged. "He''s learning."


    Franklin''s smirk widened. "Barely."


    Zoren exhaled. He didn''t have all the answers yet—but he had felt something.


    And that was enough. For now.


    Ryan''s voice echoed through the chamber. "You''ve taken the first step. But knowing the current exists is not the same as mastering it."


    The pressure receded, but the lingering effects remained. Some candidates gasped for breath, still recovering from the overwhelming sensation of their Cores being exposed. Others—like joe—remained slumped, unresponsive.


    Zoren exhaled, his muscles still tense. He had felt it—the raw current of Ether flowing around and through him. He had adjusted, but only barely. The others, the ones who had already learned this lesson, had done so effortlessly. What separated them from him?


    Ryan turned his gaze to those who remained standing. "Tell me," he said. "What did you feel?"


    The responses came hesitantly at first.


    "It felt like I was being pulled apart," one candidate murmured.


    "Like my Core wasn''t mine anymore," another added.


    Ryan nodded as if expecting those answers. His eyes flickered to Zoren. "And you?"


    Zoren hesitated, then spoke. "It wasn''t just pressure. It was… motion. Like a tide. When I stopped resisting it, it changed."


    Ryan''s expression remained unreadable. "Good. Then you have the potential to move forward."


    Aiden smirked. "Took you long enough."


    Zoren ignored him, his mind still processing what he had felt.


    Ryan continued. "Ether is not a tool. It is a force, an existence beyond your individual power. Your Core is not a separate entity—it is a conduit. If you fail to resonate with the flow of Ether, you will forever be bound by your own limitations."


    His gaze swept over the group. "That is the first truth of mastery."


    A silence followed. The candidates who were still struggling finally pushed themselves up, some with grim determination, others with shaken resolve.


    Ryan lifted a hand, and the chamber''s energy shifted once more. The torches burned brighter, the oppressive force dissipating entirely. "This lesson is over. You may rest, or you may train. Those who fail to adapt will not be able to pass the next trial easily."


    With that, he turned and strode toward the far end of the chamber, his presence no longer pressing against their Cores.


    Elizabeth gave Zoren a considering look before following. Elyria and Franklin moved as well, their expressions unreadable.


    Aiden stretched. "Well, that was fun. Now, who''s ready for a real trial?"


    Ivar sighed. "You always talk too much."


    Zoren barely heard them. His focus was elsewhere—on the sensation still lingering in his Core.


    He wasn''t just here to keep up. He needed to surpass them.


    And now, he knew where to start.


    ---


    After a while, Ryan broke the silence.


    " Now this should be enough to go the next trial"


    "The next trial begins now."


    No more time to process what they had seen. No more time to catch their breath. The Trial of Fear had tested their minds.


    Now, the dungeon would test their bodies.


    Ryan stepped back into the shadows, his role unchanged. He was the judge, the watcher. Nothing more.


    "Begin."


    ---


    To be continued.