𝘏𝘮𝘮, 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥𝘦𝘥.

Mikhail wasn't all that surprised to see the street filled with people. However, the depressing atmosphere caught him off guard, though he understood its cause.

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯...

He silently observed the people who stood outside their homes. Some of them prayed, others tried to soothe those around them, and some were simply looking up blankly at the sky.

“Those poor families.”

Evalina clenched her fists, struggling to stay composed. He squeezed her hand reassuringly before motioning to the buildings in the distance.

He led them down a hidden shortcut, within the intricate network of long forgotten alleyways and bridges. All interconnecting to create a hub for getting around town.

The main downside was the risk of being ambushed by thieves.

“Stay close to me, Eva. Some of these areas haven't been visited in a while, making them havens for most gangs.”

He led them across a curved bridge, and took a left, emerging from the deep shadows at the edge of a busy market. Mikhail looked to his left and noted the imposing presence of the grand town hall.

𝘗𝘩𝘦𝘸! 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.

“Is something wrong?”

The voice of Evalina brought him out of his thoughts.

He calmly shook his head.

“No, everything's fine. But I think you'll have to do the talking. You know guards don't appreciate my presence.”

“That's because you always stir up trouble. So keep your head down.”

He nodded and adjusted his collar so that his tattoo was covered. He let Evalina take the lead as they calmly approached the town hall. As they got closer, his eyes were drawn to the five armed guards blocking the entrance. More accurately, the bald guard with a nasty head wound.

𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦!

The best option for Mikhail was to lower his head and pray they passed unnoticed, but the Gods seemed to have it out for him.

“You two, stop! There are too many people in the hall, so go back to your homes!”

Of course, Mikhail thought the bald man's words were ridiculous. They were in a small town, so it was unlikely that so many teens would be chosen. Even if they were, it would be more of an omen signaling future disaster.

However, Evalina was the one who spoke up.

“Please sir, we must go in. We have both been recently chosen but lack the necessary knowledge. If you would please just let us in we would—”

“What difference would that make?”

“I'm certain it will help us!”

“All you'll get is advice and some information. Even if you get it, what will you do with it?”

The bald guard laughed mockingly.

“I will do what I think is right. And if I die, I have only myself to blame.”

𝘌𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢...

After listening to her stubborn declaration, Mikhail gritted his teeth and inwardly vowed to match her resolve.

The bald guard took a step forward.

He scanned Evalina up and down, then with a wolfish grin said, “Truly admirable words, little miss. You know something, you're fierce. That's what I like about young girls like you.”

𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰.

Mikhail knew they didn't have time to waste and decided he needed to think of a plan. He thought for a moment before giving the bald man the perfect imitation of a smile. Then, addressing the man politely, he feighned respect.

“Dear sir, if we can't enter, may you at least tell me your name? So that, once I become a forsaken, I will use the last flickers of my strength to hopefully try to find you.”

“You threatening me, boy?” The bald guard barked angrily as his trembling hand gripped his sword.

“I wouldn't dream of it, Sir. But who wouldn't want to be slain by a 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦 and 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 soldier?”

“You—fine. Go inside then, I'll let the Gods deal with you. Oi, get it open.

The bald guard's words did not faze Mikhail as he smiled mockingly. He knew that the Gods had hated him from the moment he received his first revelation.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Didn't you tell us not to...”

A hateful glare from the bald guard silenced the one who spoke. The rest of them hurriedly opened the door.

Evalina was allowed inside first by the bald guard, who bowed and smiled at her kindly.

“Thank you, sir.”

As Mikhail was about to follow behind, the bald guard tightly gripped his left shoulder, as if wanting to crush it and whispered, “Watch yourself, brat.”

𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘬!

He swatted away the man's hand and quickened his pace to catch up with Evalina. As he walked beside her, he saw that she was blatantly ignoring him, a telltale sign that she was upset.

Before he could ask what was wrong, she suddenly spoke:

“Never say that again.”

After a few moments of confusion, he asked, “What are you talking about?”

“That nonsense about letting yourself die. Sometimes you won't even let me treat your wounds when you're injured, but you have the gall to say you're willing to let yourself be killed so easily? Liar, liar, liar!”

𝘈𝘩... Realization dawned on him as to why she was upset. She still couldn't accept the thought of someone else's death, even if she was prepared for her own.

𝘛𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦.

After a moment of contemplation, he smirked playfully, replying, “If you let such a minor issue like that bother you, it could cause trouble down the line y'know. So, promise me you'll survive and grow stronger, and I'll do the same for you, deal?”

“...Deal. Come on, we need to hurry or this won't matter!” Evalina hesitantly agreed and ran ahead.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧. 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱. Mikhail thought.

Following that, they walked in peaceful silence. The two of them soon reached a large wooden door that was slightly ajar. He watched in amusement as Eva slid through the gap and promptly followed her lead.

Mikhail found himself in a grand hall—which had plenty of space—with lofty ceilings, and a few other teens who sat on elegant benches.

After a quick scan, he estimated that there were no more than about thirty potential Disciples. Just over half of them appeared to be from common or poor backgrounds. Their tired and worn faces contrasted with the more well-off teens, each exuding an air of confidence and pride.

Evalina and himself sat at the back of the room together with the low-born candidates. He stole a glance at the grand stage at the front of the room, where a young maiden stood regally. She looked to be of a fairly high rank.

𝘏𝘮𝘮... 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮. 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸.

As she began to speak, Mikhail listened intently:

“For any latecomers, heed my words as I shall not repeat them. You are all gathered here today as candidates for the esteemed position of Disciple to one of the Six Gods. Be honored.”

Her figure, bathed in sunlight which streamed through the hall's arched windows, gave her words a sense of grandeur.

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥.

This display, while awe-inspiring, bore a faint whisper of rehearsed elegance.

The maiden’s gaze landed coolly on Mikhail and the other candidates as she continued, “Alright, I shall now explain the first Ordeal and its two objectives.”

𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦!

“The first objective is to attune your bodies so that they can handle the unique power of a Boon. The second objective involves confronting the host of your Ordeal. Those who succeed shall earn the privilege of selecting a God to serve as their Disciple.”

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦.

Mikhail wanted to voice his doubts, but a frail boy who sat infront of him beat to it. This boy, clearly having lived a tough life, stood up with difficulty while trembling. He was pale and clearly malnourished.

Locking eyes with the maiden, the frail boy’s voice was tinged with defiance as he demanded, “And what of us?”

For a fleeting moment, the maiden’s serene expression wavered.

“What is the problem, dear child?”

“How are we slum kids supposed to stand a chance? It seems pointless for us to even try.”

“If that is your choice.”

Puzzled, the frail boy stammered, “W-What?”

The boy was left speechless, but the other less fortunate teens had visibly sagged with relief. The ones at the front taunted them with sneers and mocking laughter. Mikhail remained silent as he had already anticipated such a reaction, while Evalina could only painfully listen.

“However...”

The maiden fixed her icy gaze upon the frail boy, her expression a mix of sternness and pity. Her lips pursed in a frown.

“You will have to remain locked up here. Those who are chosen but reject the will of the Gods are destined to become forsaken, beings devoid of the heavens mercy. Consumed by endless madness and reduced to nothing more than mindless beasts.”

After those words, the atmosphere immediately chilled. A young girl near the back burst into tears, her sobs echoing. Mikhail watched this while sighing deeply.

𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨.

He knew that for others this would be a difficult thing to accept, but not for him. He easily thought the Ordeal was the better of the two options.

As Mikhail confirmed this thought, he suddenly remembered the fortune and a strange urge compelled him to read it. Thankfully, it was still in his pocket, and unfolding it, the words read:

𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵.

The maiden, seeing the conflicting emotions in the room, let out a soft sigh. Her stern features softened, and she spoke warmly, “While it may seem unfair, I can provide provisions and medicine to those who need it.”

With a gentle gesture, she directed their attention to the table behind her.

“There are also some basic manuals to assist you in preparing your body.”

At that moment, Mikhail's expression brightened with a spark of hope. He turned to Evalina, eager to share this glimmer of optimism, but saw her breathing heavily. At that moment, the room erupted into noise as his fellow candidates began crying.

“Please Gods no!”

“This isn't fair! I don't want to die!”

“Mom... dad... save me...”

“Urgh, those damn Gods. Whatever, we need to hurry up!” After cursing the divine, Mikhail grabbed Evalina's hand and hurriedly dragged her to the front.

The two of them quickly reached the table and grabbed two manuals, one for himself and another for Evalina.

“Here, stash it in your bag.”

“Mikhail...”

“I know you love reading, so you better finish it quickly.”

“Mikhail...”

“Don't worry I'll read mine so—”

“Mikhail!”

He paused while placing the manual in his bag. His gaze shifted to Evalina who was in tears.

“I'm scared.”

“...I know. So am I.”

After those words, he wrapped her in a tight embrace and whispered, “But I'm determined to give it my all to survive and you're going to do the same. Remember our promise?”

She didn't respond, but he felt her nod.

He let out a soft chuckle before gently releasing her. Evalina caught sight of his teasing smirk and frowned. She then used her silver necklace to reflect sunlight into his eyes.

“Ouch! You little—”

Suddenly, a voice both man and woman, resounded in his mind:

𝐎' 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐬, 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡?

Mikhail heard the words and turned to Evalina, who was smiling faintly as her body began to vanish before his eyes.

Then, he returned his own smile and answered quietly, “Yes.”

And then, the world went dark.