Nil carefully descended the cliff, his gaze fixed on his feet to avoid any missteps that could send him hurtling down to the city below. Although he was eager to explore the unfamiliar city and its peculiar inhabitants, he was determined to do so in one piece rather than as a bloody mess.

It took nearly twenty minutes, but the group stood directly before the city walls. Several of the strange humanoids looked at them with curiosity. A few, Nil noticed, were staring with hungry eyes.

"Keep it moving!" Captain Collins shouted.

We moved as one, our feet forced to move at a stride. Nil caught a few of the recruits staring as they made their way through the streets, but the threat of the captain's wrath kept their attention forward.

In almost no time at all, they stopped in front of a massive building. It was made of grey stone, the colour of ash. Along the pillars that lined the front of the building were finely etched symbols. As he studied the symbols, he finally made out what they were.

The symbols represented the six gods. And when a man robed in a black robe came gliding down the building's steps, it all but confirmed his suspicion. This was the temple, the first holy temple dedicated to the gods.

Even the average citizens of Skelas knew the tale of the gods' arrival. Every child learned about the awakening of divinity that summoned the Silver Lords. And how only through their sacrifice did they prevent the complete annihilation of the world.

To Nil, the church and gods held little significance. Although he acknowledged their existence through their physical appearances in the real world, they remained distant figures whose role in his life was merely background noise. For him, they were nothing more than stories told to children of his generation.

As the priest reached the final step, he stopped and bowed to the group. "Welcome, Shattered. I congratulate you all on surviving your first trial. May Ordros guide their souls into the wheel and add their threads to the Grand Weave."

Morris and some of the recruits bowed, while the captain, though wearing a sneer, also tilted his hat down as a sign of respect. Morris and some of the recruits turned while the captain, though wearing a sneer, also tilted his hat down as a sign of respect.

The princess was one of the people who bowed at the priest's words, an unsurprising action. All nobles recognized the gods as the highest power. The other families would execute their line down to the last child if they didn't. Yet another reason why Nil refused to put his faith in the gods.

Morris raised his head and smiled at the priest. "Have the rooms been prepared? The guild requires them to report to the hall before midnight."

Nil noticed a brief flash of anger in the shardpriest's eyes. It was gone in an instant. If the others saw the flare of emotions, they chose not to point it out. He couldn't blame them. To question a priest would be the height of folly.

"Do not worry, sir Morris. The cleansing baths are ready, and the ritualists stand by to complete the baptism. I assure you, the guild will have their recruits."

"Let's stop wasting time then. Morris, I officially hand these sandbags off to you. If Scythe finds out I delayed delivering this stupid beast, he'll have my head." Captain Collins ignored the priest and turned to the group. "Hopefully, we won't have to see each other for a long time. If you do, remember one thing. Don't be an idiot and waste the guild's resources. And never, I repeat never, piss off the cook."

With that, the captain walked away, the subdued monster in hand. He turned the corner behind one of the buildings and disappeared out of sight. Morris shook his head while the priest stared neutrally in the captain's direction.

"I apologize for his actions. He's a little...rough, around the edges."

The priest waved a dismissive hand. "No worries. Patience and understanding are sacrosanct to a priest. Now, come. Let us begin."

The group followed the priest up the steps and into the first temple. The inside was shaped like an octagon. Six of the eight sides were decorated in a theme that matched one of the gods.

At the same time, the eighth side led to a nondescript hallway into the back of the building. It was that hallway the priest led them through.

After passing through the final archway, the hall opened into a vast room that diverged into four hallways. A woman dressed in the church's regalia stepped forward and bowed to the priest.

"Brother Crenshaw, everything is ready," she spoke.

"Thank you, sister Mala," Crenshaw answered with a bow. He then turned to the recruits and spread his arms akimbo. "Everyone, you will be led to your rooms in a moment. I understand you may be tired and maimed from the trial's ordeal, but please, listen to my brothers and sisters. The time for your rebirth is near, and the gods have generously sacrificed to provide you with the means to your awakening. Do not falter now, not at the foothold to greatness. May the Six guide your path."

Suddenly, a group of priests emerged from an unknown entrance and surrounded the recruits. One of the robed women forcefully took Nil's arm and guided him down one of the hallways. Despite his efforts, Nil couldn't escape the woman's surprisingly firm grip.

He was pushed through an open door, and it was slammed behind him. Upon entering the room, he looked around suspiciously. The room was plain compared to the rest of the temple, with only a circle of gold on the floor as decoration.

Looking around the room nervously, he watched the priestess produce a basket filled with clothes. Silently she motioned for him to step into the circle.

"Uh, listen. What's going to happen?" Nil asked hesitantly.

The priestess stared at him silently, unmoving.

"Hello?"

"Remove all articles of clothing and proceed into the circle." Her tone was robotic and showed no hint of emotions.

"And if I don't want to strip and enter the weird circle?"

"Then you leave, incomplete."

Nil sighed and began stripping. While he wasn't shy about his body, doing it in front of a masked stranger was undoubtedly weird. After removing his shirt, he paused in shock.

Iridescent silver scars branched like webbing across his skin, located below his sternum. He could feel their warmth when he gently ran his hand across them.

He looked up, but the priest remained a statue, unnerving in her stillness. Brushing off the weird scars, he stepped into the circle and waited.

The priestess pulled a strange orb the size of her hand out from underneath the pile of clothes. When she pressed it into a hidden indent on the floor, the orb melted in a liquid and slowly replaced the circle's golden lines.

A strange energy rose from beneath Nil's feet after the white liquid completely covered the golden circle. Faintly he could hear the sounds of humming fill the chamber. As the energy grew in volume, his skin started to itch, and the middle of his chest ached.

Whatever was happening made him uncomfortable. The itching, while annoying, was not harming him, or at least not in any way he could recognize.

In front of his eyes, the air vibrated with a white mist that bounced erratically. Each deep hum sent the energy into a chaotic spin that crashed against his skin.

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Five minutes went by, and the itching intensified. Ten minutes pass, and the ache from his scars spreads deep within his bones. By the fifteenth minute, his body was now floating in the air, and his limbs turned unresponsive. And finally, after twenty minutes, a loud chime rang through the chamber's walls, and the rush of energy slowly lowered until the itching disappeared.

His skin felt raw. It reminded him of the time Mother Irenna used a pumice stone to scrape off deadened skin during the plague season. Gritting his teeth, he stared angrily at the priestess. A little warning would have been nice.

Without a word, she held up the basket of clothes and waited. Nil pushed down his anger and gingerly slid the clothes on. Surprisingly they helped soothe his skin rather than irritate it.

After he finished, she collected his original clothes and headed towards the far wall. She pushed a secret button, causing a section of the wall to slide open, revealing a barely lit hallway.

"Follow," she said.

He followed the priestess with quiet footsteps, carefully trained from years of sneaking out of the orphanage. The only sounds were the soft clacking of the priestess' shoes.

The trip was short, and the priestess led Nil into a darkened chamber nearly four times the size of the one before. There was no circle this time, and the lack of a light source caused the shadows to stretch across the room. A rational human would have likened it to stepping into the endless void or even the darkened maw of a massive beast.

"Walk into the chamber and begin the awakening of your powers. After your rebirth, I will lead you back to your people. May the Six guide your path." With a few steps, she retreated into the dark and vanished from Nil's sight.

Shivering slightly, Nil walked further into the chamber with his head on a swivel. Realistically there was no reason for him to be scared, but he didn't survive being an orphan by being needlessly careless. Everything about this place, from the hidden city to the strange temple run by stranger priests, was foreign to him.

Deeper and deeper, he went long past what he thought was normal. Well over a minute walking, and he had yet to touch the otherside. Suddenly, his next step caused light to appear beneath his foot.

As he raised his foot to examine the floor, a loud booming voice shook the world. Forced to one knee by the pressure, he slammed his palms downward to hold himself up.

"In the face of true death, you held your head high and stared into the eyes of the reflection, unflinching. I Approve!"

With a ding, the pressure disappeared, and Nil watched in concern as the glowing symbol on the floor morphed into a stream of light that pierced into his chest where the fracture of scars resided.

Once more plunged into a world of complete darkness, he stood on shaky legs. Patting his chest thoroughly, he couldn't tell if anything was wrong. Certainly, nothing felt different about his body.

Pushing forward, he continued into the darkness. Soon enough, another symbol lit up beneath his foot. Prepared this time, he crouched low and waited for the world-shaking voice.

This time a woman's voice, cold as steel, rang out from the void. "Strong of heart but one tainted by rage. For twisting the knife not in necessity but in savage delight, I Object!:

The pressure vanished, but so too did the light. Instead of morphing into a stream, it cracked and shattered into motes of dying sparks.

An uneasy premonition built up in Nil's stomach. These questions, the temple, this strange ritual, it only made sense if the voices knew what Nil had done in his trial. Moving on, he tampered his unease down and strode forward.

The process repeated again and again, both times ending in rejection.

"Faced with limited choices, he walked the path of the truly monstrous. To deny one's sanity and welcome the feral beast, I Object!"

"To face the trial is to claim one's other half. Unsatisfied with victory, he lusted for power. A glutton at his core, I Object!"

The third was a woman's voice that sounded almost sad. It was as if the god who judged him wept for the lost little soul that was Nil.

The fourth voice was that of a stately man. It reminded him of Michael from the orphanage. The man spoke tersely and with dripping disapproval. It angered him to be reminded of how small he felt in the face of that disciplinarian authority.

With his fists clenched, he welcomed the darkness openly. In a way, his blood ran hot, and he had things to do. All his plans, the sacrifices made by others so he could become a delver, he refused to accept that they would all end here. There was nothing to apologize for; he did what he had to do.

This time instead of pressure, it was a subtle push. Like a gentle but firm hand that rested on Nil's shoulders as he kneeled. "To use the resources you are given, every advantage must be taken. He heeded the advice of his superior and forged a weapon to obtain absolute victory. I Approve."

The light crawled up his skin and entered the lines of shimmering silver scars. The heat grew in his chest, and he felt it ascend upwards across his neck. As the last light flickered away, he saw two branching lines crisscross at the base of his neck and extend upwards.

One more step to go. Only one last god to please. Nil continued, his eyes opened wide.

Finally, what Nil suspected, hoped, was the last symbol lit up beneath his feet. The energy that surrounded him was unlike the rest. It was neither oppressive nor gentle, not a blade against his neck nor a trail of tears splashing against his skin. It was simply more.

"More than shattered more than survived. He accepted the power offered and accepted it fully. We shall welcome the birth of an ascender. I Approve!"

Immediately after the voice faded, a new one took its place. It sounded lifeless and lacked emotions. "Three for, and three against. Shattered Soul is now in limbo. Will there be any who step forward to claim this challenger?"

The sixth voice from before rang clearly in his head. "I shall dawn this mantle and accept this soul into my flock. For this, I sacrifice willingly."

"THY WORD HAS BEEN GIVEN, AND THY WORD HAS BEEN RECEIVED. I APPROVE!"

The two presences retreated into nothingness, and Nil stared intently at the glowing symbol.

As the symbol broke down, it turned not into a stream but an orb. A floating sphere made of silver light slowly glided closer. With his breath held, the sphere entered the center of the web of scars and pushed.

Nil's vision wobbled, and he lost his balance. His head cracked against the chamber floor, but he ignored the sound as a strange heat expanded inside him.

The energy diffused throughout the mesh of scars and continued the expansion above his neck. Lining the back of his skull, the heat traveled upwards till it reached his forehead.

The energy gathered near the left side of his forehead and swelled until he felt his skull ready to burst. Thankfully instead of exploding his brain, the energy split into two unequal parts.

A smaller amount traveled down in a straight line till it reached his eye, and he felt it settle into the socket. The more significant swell of energy pushed out of his skin, and he heard a sharp crack followed by liquid running down his face.

After what felt like an eternity, the intense heat dissipated, and he regained his connection to his eye. To his surprise, he found himself no longer in a boundless void but instead saw a beam of light shining down from the sky.

When he tried to move, he found himself flailing awkwardly as if he was floating in water. Against his better judgment, he opened his mouth and sucked in what felt like water, but he felt a rush of oxygen enter his lungs.

He extended his arms and swam upwards, using the bright light as a guide. As he swam higher, the light became brighter and almost blinded him. He squinted his eyes and kicked his feet harder.

Breaking the surface, Nil instinctively gasped for air, only for the exact opposite to happen. Instead, he coughed up a silvery liquid that slid off his skin like oil. A hand reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder, dragging him onto solid ground.

Turning around, he saw that his savior was the priestess from before. With a smile that looked strange on her previously emotionless face, she tilted her head forward in a bow. "Congratulations on your rebirth, Shattered. Would you like a mirror to see the changes made to your body?"

His throat feeling raw, he simply nodded. With a final bow, the priestess turned around and pushed a hidden button along the nearest wall. The middle-most pannel flipped around, and a reflective mirror replaced the stone.

It made Nil feel weird being able to approach a reflective surface of such clarity openly. A lifetime of stories and lessons had made the mere idea of mirrors a blasphemous thing that carried a lurking leviathan in its reflective surface.

Approaching slowly, he noticed took into the mutations in his body. The most noticeable addition was that of a long, bone-white horn growing out of his forehead. It was aligned right above his left eye, which was now equally as changed.

His green eye was bisected by silver lines that ran across his eyeball in the shape of a triangle. Holding one hand over his eye he tested for any defects in his vision but found none.

Not the strangest mutation I've ever seen, he thought to himself.

Only then did he notice a strange symbol in the corner of his vision. It was a subtle blue star that flashed in and out.

Wondering what it was, he focused on the symbol and nearly jumped back when a large blue box with a green border appeared in front of his face.

Name: Nihil Frost

Race: Altered Human

Age: 17 Ascension: First Shattering Soul Mark: Yor's Chosen

Awakened Ability:

Mirrored Reflection

Secondary Ability:

Shard Sight