As I focused intently on the insignia my heart pulsed with energy, its power spreading through my veins and into my soul. I felt a tugging sensation, and the world around me shifted and blurred. When my vision cleared, I found myself standing in a familiar and distant place, like a memory brought to life. It was my old home, the place where my journey had begun. The warmth of the fireplace cast flickering shadows across the room, but an unsettling presence overshadowed the comfort I once associated with this place.

Two unknown doors appeared in front of me. The one on the left was an icy blue, exuding an aura of cold hatred that sent shivers down my spine. To its right stood a door that seemed to be made of blood, the crimson liquid warping the very air around it in a disturbing, almost hypnotic dance. I took a step closer, the chill from the blue door growing more intense. It felt stronger, more forceful as if the very essence of wrath was contained behind it. The door pulsed with a malevolent energy, daring me to confront whatever lay within. In contrast, the blood-red door was equally intimidating, though its aura was different. The warping space around it suggested a powerful, twisted pride, a force that could bend reality to its will. The sight of it made my heart pound, the oppressive atmosphere pressing down on me, but it didn’t have the same raw, ferocious energy as the blue door.

The blue door promised a battle against an overwhelming wrath, while the red door beckoned with the lure of confronting a formidable pride. Neither choice seemed particularly inviting, but I knew that turning back was not an option.

I stared at the blood-red door, its unsettling aura of twisted pride making my skin crawl. It was a necessary evil, a challenge I had to face before confronting the icy blue door. Taking a deep breath, I reached out, my hand trembling slightly as it approached the warped surface. The space around the door seemed to ripple in response, the crimson liquid almost beckoning me in. The moment my fingers touched the door, a surge of heat rushed through me, clashing with the lingering cold from the blue door. I pushed the door open, stepping into the unknown with a mixture of trepidation and resolve. The air inside was thick and oppressive, making each breath feel like a struggle. I walked forward, the environment shifting around me, reflecting the nature of pride. The walls were adorned with mirrors, each reflecting a different version of myself—some proud and regal, others twisted and arrogant. I could feel the presence of Pride watching, judging, and waiting for me to prove myself worthy.

Walking through the throne room, I finally reached the master of this domain. The space was grand and imposing, with towering pillars and intricate carvings that seemed to pulse with a life of their own. At the far end, seated on a throne made of shimmering obsidian, was a figure that sent a shiver down my spine. I could instantly tell that this was a future version of myself, even if it wasn't a leech like I was. My older self looked human, with pale white skin and silver hair that flowed like liquid metal. His eyes were a glowing blood red, a color so intense that it seemed to pierce through my soul, compelling me to lower my head and kneel before him.

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"Welcome, Leon," my future self said, his voice resonating with an eerie calmness. "I have been expecting you. Since the cycle has begun anew."

I kept my head bowed, the weight of his presence pressing down on me. "I am here to command Pride," I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I wasn't able to raise it any further.

He chuckled, a sound that was both familiar and alien. "To command Pride is no small feat. But I see you have already overcome much to stand before me. As most of us have, this is the next checkpoint where more of us have died off. Only those who can thrive survive this part."

I lifted my gaze slightly, enough to meet his piercing red eyes. "I have faced many challenges to get here. I will face whatever it takes to succeed." My voice became more confident as I spoke.

My older self leaned forward, his eyes narrowing with interest. "Very well, then. Show me the strength of your pride. And I may tell you how to get revenge on the ones who killed and tortured our family, mother, father, and our unborn sister Mia. If you can withstand your other selves from alternate timelines going through this challenge as well."

"Sister... Mom was pregnant and my baby sister died." I asked with sadness and hatred mixed in my voice. He looked at me and nodded at me not saying anything in return. This news hit me even harder than when I first saw Mom die. Knowing this made the memories even worse.

As he spoke, the room seemed to shift around us. The walls dissolved into a swirling vortex of memories and emotions, scenes from my past and possible futures flashing before my eyes. Each scene was a test, a reminder of my failures, my insecurities, and my triumphs. "The first opponent," my future self declared, "is a version of you who was a coward and barely evolved, with only seconds to spare. He had the same chances as you did but didn't fight the cub and gain royalty like the majority have done."

In the swirling vortex, a figure emerged. He looked just like me, yet there was a noticeable difference. Like the lack of arms and legs, his skin was black, and the shadows that surrounded us moved like tentacles. This was me—if I had given in to my doubts, if I had let fear dictate my actions. This was the assassin-type evolution I had the choice of evolving into. Looking into the eyes, they were filled with fear and doubt not knowing why he was even here to begin with.

Coward-Leon stood there, trembling, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. I could see the weight of regret and missed opportunities pressing down on him. He was a living testament to what I could have become had I not faced my challenges head-on.

"This is your first test," my future self continued. "Defeat this version of yourself. Show him that courage and determination are what define you. Show us the pride you have at standing at the top crushing those who are in your way to control."

I stepped forward, facing my cowardly version. He looked at me with wide, fearful eyes, and I could feel his anxiety and self-doubt like a physical force. But I also felt something else—a deep, unrelenting determination within myself to overcome this weakness and see it be destroyed for tainting my visage.