"There are two types of Ethereal: Graded and Non-graded. They determine whether you are going to be a Rift Rider or a nobody."
Before the test even commenced, Justina unveiled their potential fate if they failed to attain Graded Ethereal status.
Aimee's search for Archie was momentarily forgotten. Justina’s words instilled fear in her, and it began to consume her. And she wasn't alone; worry and anxiety were etched on everyone's faces.
Justina smiled, reveling in their apprehensive expressions. She initiated the explanation of the test procedure,
"There are two steps you will undertake before and after the test."
Justina struck the ground with her staff, altering the vision on the screen displayed on the building wall.
It showcased a small box with two spherical stones, each a different hue. One was red and the other blue, positioned on each side, with labels 'Before' and 'After' above the box.
Justina resumed,
"You can see the red egg stone. Swallow it before taking the trial and the blue egg stone after finishing the trial. That's all there is to it."
Confusion rippled through the crowd. Even though they had anticipated what was to come next, Justina's succinct explanation left them bewildered.
As they engaged in hushed conversations, Justina struck her staff twice on the ground.
"TRRR…" Suddenly, the vision vanished and a mechanical sound echoed within the building.
A hush fell over the crowd as they speculated about the unfolding events.
The walls of the building began to emit a white glow in certain areas, and they observed walls slowly retracting, revealing forty openings, with four openings on each floor.
Abruptly, metal stairs began to extend from the openings, descending to the ground.
Even though they were initially puzzled about the unfolding events, once the stairs touched the ground, everyone realized they were meant to ascend the stairs to enter the passage.
"TRRR..." A mechanical sound echoed off the walls as they observed passages opening on the other three sides of the building and stairs beginning to descend.
The murmuring intensified as they grappled with the uncertainty of their next move.
"Climb the stairs to begin your trials."
Justina's voice resonated, but she was nowhere in sight, instilling a sense of unease in the crowd.
A hush descended on the crowd. No one stepped forward to ascend the stairs.
They didn’t spot their teachers or Justina in the vicinity. They were merely surrounded by walls on all sides with a building looming before them.
After a few moments of hesitation, some mustered the courage to ascend the stairs to the opening on the first floor.
After some moments, other students began to summon their courage and started to ascend the stairs, but no one ventured beyond the first floor.
Some engaged in discussions, and after reaching a consensus, students began to ascend to the second and third floors. Soon, the fourth floor began to fill up too.
After some time elapsed, nearly a hundred students had entered the first through sixth floors in all four directions, but the majority held back, waiting for someone to ascend the stairs above the sixth floor.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Even though they aspired to become Rift Riders, the stairs above the sixth floor, tilting towards the ground, resembled a ladder more than actual stairs. Fear gripped them as they were still just fifteen years old and not prepared to risk their lives.
Given the massive crowd, this fear rapidly spread to everyone, causing them to tremble, leading to widespread panic and making them fear even ordinary stairs.
The stairs were positioned a few centimeters away from the building and each other. Above the sixth floor, they were stacked directly atop one another, directly over anyone walking below. The stairs didn't appear sturdy either. They began to wobble when more than five people ascended simultaneously, so they queued up and took turns ascending the stairs.
Only a few were queuing to ascend, but most were waiting for someone to ascend the stairs above to verify whether it was safe to climb. That’s what they convinced themselves.
They held back because they feared that falling from the tenth floor would result in instant death. The stairs lacked any handrails for them to hold onto. They imagined the ascent was akin to walking on a tightrope spanning mountains.
These fifteen-year-olds had anticipated effortlessly gaining Ethereal like consuming candy, but the sudden trial disrupted their rhythm and made them reconsider, ‘Is there a purpose behind these stairs?’
They deduced that all these floors must hold something significant, and they speculated that the floors above must serve a different purpose. They began to overthink and confuse themselves.
Some even speculated about achieving Graded Ethereal status, but Ethereal doesn’t function that way.
Only those who were restless and eager to attain Graded Ethereal had ascended the stairs so far. Others held back and observed if anyone ascended to the top floors, prompting others to ascend the stairs to the tenth floor.
In the midst of reluctance, an observer watched the chaos, enjoying it from inside the building.
On the ground floor, concealed behind the walls, Justina stood, peering through a hidden passage.
While Justina was observing, a man wearing glasses and a blue suit approached her.
"Justina, here," He handed a tablet to Justina and reported, "Only 102 students have climbed the stairs so far out of 1021."
Justina seized the tablet, checked the status of the students who had ascended so far, and muttered,
"Nothing special so far, a group of trashes."
"It is because most are standing and waiting." The man was irked at Justina, "What is the purpose of this pointless stair climbing. We never did this childish thing before."
Justina regarded the man calmly and responded, "Max, it is just a trial. My trial."
"Huh!" Max was confused and retorted, "Don’t tell me you are conducting your own trial without informing the ROT council."
Justina smirked and turned around, observed the students, but Max stuttered in anxiety,
"You got to be kidding me. What are you searching for that you have to ignore the ROT council?"
"You will see."
Max exclaimed in panic, " Justina, are you searching for students to overcome their fear of falling down and climb the stairs to reach the top?"
Justina sighed, "Only idiots will think about something so simple. What I’m looking for is a leader."
"A leader!"
"Yes, a leader. In the last ten years, all we've seen is people sucking up to high clans or only useless trash for money. We need change, we need a leader," Justina clenched her fist, controlling her emotions as she remembered the influence of the high clans.
"Justina, you can’t find a leader in this worthless slum district." Max stood beside Justina, glancing outside.
"Leaders are not born; they are shaped by their surroundings. A leader is not someone who leads others only when they are strong. A leader is someone who guides others during times of chaos like now."
“Then why this simple stair climbing trial?” Max scratched his head in confusion and asked,
“What surprises me most is why these students are so afraid of climbing it anyway. It’s just stairs.”
Justina grinned and responded, “These kids have been waiting for this trial even before they learned to read. This world shows what it means to be a Rift Rider everywhere we see, from TV to billboards on the streets.”
Justina turned around and extended her hands to her sides. Behind her, the students' worries and struggles were clearly seen as she proclaimed,
"For us, this may be just a dumb stair for the ROT test. But for them, this is life, their future, their pride. Right now, the stairs look like a snake, slowly strangling them and making them unable to think properly. But they know clearly that if they fail, it means they are the failures of this world. In this moment, only a true leader can unite these masses."
"GASP!" "SILENCE"!
Suddenly, every student outside gasped and fell silent, unable to believe what was happening. All the students ascending the stairs and those queuing to climb stopped and looked above them.
"Why did they suddenly go silent?" Justina was stumped. She looked at the tablet, opened live video footage from cameras outside.
"Who is he?" Justina was bewildered to see a boy ascending the tenth-floor stairs.
The boy was a lean figure, slowly ascending, his hands trembling as he gripped the metal stairs.
Nobody could believe their eyes, and everyone was wondering who he was. Amidst the crowd, a girl's scream echoed.
“ARCHIE!”