The man merely smiled as Ambros vanished, a giggle escaping his lips. This would be quite fun to watch, someone from this world being thrown into another with no recollection of their past. To redeem and change oneself, it was necessary to let go of the past and the mistakes tied to it. He had been provided a clean slate, a fresh start and it would certainly be amusing to watch how he grows.

Ambros' eyes flutter open, finding himself in a field, the touch of the sharp grass prickling his skin. Ambros groaned as he stood up, scratching his arms, an attempt at soothing the uncomfortable sensation. "Where am I?" Ambros thought to himself. As he looked around, all that surrounded was simply a large open field, devoid of any sign of life besides his own presence. It truly was a strange feeling, especially since the young man had no recollection of the events leading up to this moment. As a matter of fact, he could not remember anything at all, as if all his memories had been wiped clean. Silence echoed around him as a gentle breeze brushed against his face, an oddly serene environment. However, this was only temporary. It wouldn't be very fun if everything was as peaceful as this.

The sound of gentle footsteps in the grass cuts through the silence, Ambros whipping his head around, revealing a tired looking man behind him. He walked slowly, his feet dragging against the ground with dark bags beneath his dull eyes. "W-Who are you?" Ambros stutters out, clearly confused and somewhat nervous. Serenity without reason was always a cause for worry, especially when you were placed in unfamiliar surroundings. The man raises a finger to his lips, uttering a single word in response. "Silence". His tone was soft, his voice barely above a whisper. Had it not been for the silence of the area, it surely would have been impossible to hear what he had said. "The test shall now begin."

Test? Ambros had no clue what this man was talking about. What was he being tested for and why? It was much too sudden for the confused man. He opens his mouth, an attempt at voicing some form of protest as his words were cut short by a sudden punch to his stomach, sending the weak Ambros flying backwards. Collapsed onto the ground, he heaved, struggling to breathe as he choked on his own spit. It burned, Ambros retching as he knelt on the ground, this wasn't something any human was capable of. Gasping for breath, Ambros fumbles over his own words, managing to choke out one. "W-Why?". The man looks down at Ambros with a disappointed expression painting his face, clearly having expected something more from him. Not that there was any justifications for his expectations, Ambros exuding a sense of weakness, evident from his scrawny body and meek demeanor. "How disappointing. You clearly are not worthy." The man turns away, determining Ambros to not be worthy of conversation and speaking to himself, "Should I just kill him and be done with this?"

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

With the utterance of the last sentence, Ambros felt his heart drop, dread filling his body. How could someone say something like that so casually? He had no doubt that this man was serious about doing so, his tone as if he were speaking of finishing some work and heading home. To the man, killing was just another part of whatever job he had. Staring at the man with eyes filled with fear, Ambros' heart pounded as the man walked towards him, his arm stretching out as his hands wrapped around Ambros' neck, cold to the touch. His grip tightened as his empty eyes stared at him, no emotions behind them whatsoever as he squeezed. It was at this very moment that Ambros knew he was going to die.

Fate, a concept that determined the path every living being took, inescapable and all powerful. Fortunately for Ambros, it seemed that it was smiling down upon him. The man suddenly stops, letting go of his neck. "Looks like you're free to go." A doorway appears behind the man, awfully plain yet radiating an odd energy, inexplainable in normal words. Ambros slowly stands up, his knees weak from the near death experience, rattled. "T-Than-", his words interrupted by the man's now harsh voice, "Don't thank me, just go." Ambros nods meekly before opening and stepping through the door. A foolish action perhaps but he had no other option. He certainly wasn't going to oppose the man who almost killed him.

As Ambros disappears, the man sighs. It was annoying that someone like him was given special access. Someone like that shouldn't be allowed to pass for it was certain that the only thing he would face was death. A special recruit, someone approached by his boss directly was certainly surprising so he had expected a monstrous being to enter, not a sickly looking child, and to make matters worse, he couldn't even get through the entrance test. Just what was that orange suited freak up to this time?