Looking out the window of the carriage as they left the house grounds on route to the city of Barbaros seeing the grassy hills outside of the estate Cornelius is filled with a sense of melancholy seeing the emptiness of his land, the ground wasn't very fertile so very few plants could survive the harsh ground and weather of the Amydros Barony.

The Barony was situated near one of the natural borders of the Diyu Dynasty: the great mountain range known as the Frozen Hand, named after the five mountain peaks that look like the hand of a great titan. The Barony was at the northern reaches of the dynasty, bordering the frozen plains of Tur, where the Barbarian tribes were situated.

The barbarians were a hardy people. Few were capable of traversing the treacherous plains of ice, yet the barbarians not only survived but thrived. The plains were teaming with monsters and the spirits of the past.

As Cornelius was lost in thought he was unaware that they were drawing near to the city, he only broke out of his reverie when the carriage finally stopped. "We have arrived young master," Samien said as he started getting up from his seat, and climbed out of the carriage holding the door open for Cornelius to get out.

"Thank you Samien," Cornelius said as he got out of the carriage, attaching Sky Breaker to his side looking up he saw the great walls of Barabos 9ft in length made from the black marble common in the Frozen Hand and one of the Baronies main exports.

Turning his head, he thanked the carriage driver and made his way to the city gates. There were two guards at the gates checking the identities of those who entered. Approaching the gates, the guard on the left asked, "State your name and the business," without even looking up from his clipboard. He wore simple plate mail made from wrought iron, painted in the colors of the barony: an elegant blue with black and golden contours.

"Cornelius of House Amydros here for the awakening ceremony," he responded in a nonchalant tone of voice with a facial expression full of professionalism. Hearing that the guard choked on his breath "My apologies Baron you may proceed" he said his tone filled with nervousness "Open the gates," he yelled not long thereafter the sound of shifting gears could be heard clearly as the gates started to open.

The City of Barbaros looked more like a reinforced fortress of black marble than a conventional city common in the Diyu Dynasty but that was necessary for a city so close to the border of the dynasty, this close to the border the land was teaming with monsters.

The city wasn't that large about 12,000 km² housing a population of about 30,000 people but it was the only city within the barony the rest of the Amydro's lands were occupied by some rural villages. Needless to say, it was quite a sight with the Gothic architectural design making it look like a remnant of a forgotten age.

Entering the city fortress they made their way to the center of the city where a large cathedral stood this is where the awakening ceremony would be held, a large crowd had already gathered. the crowd was filled with parents and their children. A feeling of tension permeated the air, the cold breeze making Cornelius's hair stand on end goosebumps marring his skin a shiver running down his spine from the unforgiving cold.

The chatter of the crowd was silenced when a figure in priestly garb made his way from the cathedral doors to the temporary podium erected specifically for the event, as he reached the podium he took out a black stone covered in stone he finally spoke, and his voice reaching the entire crowd seamlessly "Welcome everyone for today is a day of celebration the day of awakening is upon us once more, a tradition as old as the dynasty itself may the gods look on those who will challenge the trials favorably. But I'm sure you don't want to hear this old man continue to blabber so without further ado may the awakening ceremony commence all challengers say your final goodbyes and make your way into the cathedral." the head priest said before turning back and making his way back to the cathedral.

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Cornelius turned to his left looking at Samien before saying "I guess this is it, wish me luck," a hint of nervousness could be heard in his voice.

"May the gods look favorably on you this day young master," Samien said before turning back and making his way back out of the city. Cornelius stood there watching him leave for a while before eventually steeling his resolve and joining the crowd of youths heading inside of the Cathedral.

As he walked through the doors he saw the interior of the temple the hall had seven statues depicting the Seven gods of man, the first one depicted a man wearing simple garb in his one hand he held a coin purse and in the other, he held a scale this statue depicted Vigro the God of commerce.

another depicted a woman with a blindfold over her eyes with tears streaming down her face she was on her knees wearing a simple dress, this was Aeva the goddess of mercy and Justice. Another statue depicted a broad-shouldered man with a grin on his face he wore intricate armor a sword in one hand and a head in the other, this was Aevon the god of war and death.

The next statue depicted a woman with her legs covered by a tornado she wore leather armor and an intricate helm, in one hand she held a lightning bolt and in the other, she held a jug of water, this was Morgane the goddess of the storm and sea. The next statue depicted a two-headed man one face had an expression of pure terror while the other had a wicked grin with madness in his eyes he wore simple beggar clothes, this was Daevon the god of fear and madness.

The final two statues were of a man with a lion's head wearing fur armor while the second was of a woman with shackles around her hands and feet wearing an intricate gown these two were the main gods of the pantheon, Leon The god of the sun and beasts and Umbra the goddess of the moon and fate they where the most powerful of all the gods.

As the youths streamed into the temple the nervous whispers could be heard clearly, the same priest who gave the speech was standing in front of the statues of Leon and Umbra he cleared his voice and spoke "The time is upon us you all must be wondering what comes next so let me explain, you will be split up in groups and led to different section of the temple where you will be given the Elixer of shattered dreams it is a hallucinogenic that will cause you to fall asleep and give you temporary access to the spirit world, be warned your safety is not guaranteed when the trials begin there is no turning back so those who are dissuaded by this you may leave now," he paused as some of the youths gathered turned around and where ed back out the temple.

"Good now that the riff-raff have left we can continue, each trial is unique to every person so there is no telling what you will face all I can do is wish you all the best of luck," after saying this the other priests started to separate the youths into seven groups and lead them to different sections of the temple.

Cornelius was in the second group they were led to the basement area of the temple, where there were simple straw beds laid out for the youths they were each assigned to their beds. The dark and gloomy atmosphere of the underground level of the temple was lit by a few candles so it was covered in dark shadows, the priest that had led them here where one of Adronei an order of priests that had their tongues cut out in servitude of Aeva and their eyes sown shut, they were capable of perceiving the world in different more mysterious ways.

The priest of Adronei had always given Cornelius the creeps for a goddess of mercy the fate of her priests had always seemed merciless and cruel but before he could ponder on it further one of the priests approached him and handed him a glass flask it was the elixir. He took it carefully and downed it in one go.

Shortly thereafter he started to feel drowsy and fell asleep not long after that, the sleep was strange though it was a strange mix of dreaming and lucidity at first there was only darkness, he started to panic because he could not feel his body no it was more than he could feel nothing at all as if nothing but his consciousness existed.

Time moved strangely in this strange void for it felt like an eternity had already passed before something finally changed in the darkness of the void a star was born, and that was when the voices began at first it was a barely audible whisper of incoherent gibberish, but soon those whispers became loud screaming if he had ears in this void they would have already started bleeding.

The louder the voices became the more the star changed at first its light was pure white but then a seed of corruption bloomed turning that pure white had become a muddy porcelain color with a nasty black running like cracks through its beautiful surface.

Slowly another eternity passed but something changed if he still had hair they would be standing on end because a resident of the void had finally noticed his presence the last thing he felt before passing out was primal fear a fear beyond terror itself.