We walked through a towering white door that opened into a small hallway, which led to another circular balcony. Standing on the balcony, one could look down at a dark platform where lines upon lines of knights were training. They practiced sword movements in perfect unison, hundreds—if not thousands—moving together, creating a scene of awe and grandeur.
"This is the first hall," Eryndor said. "Here, the newly recruited are taught the basics of all weapons. An Astral Knight must be able to wield anything they can get their hands on. Nothing should limit them."
The circular balcony connected to a staircase that spiraled downward into the training ground. From where I stood, on the other side of the staircase's opening, were three grand doors. The door on the left was simple, while the one on the right was more ornate, with swirling patterns adorning its surface. The middle door was the largest and most striking—grand and pure white, embellished with silver patterns. It resembled the doors on the personal floor where I lived with my family.
"Those are the testing rooms. When someone believes they've trained enough and mastered the basics of every weapon, they can take the tests," Eryndor explained, gesturing toward the doors. "The one on the left is the beginner-level room. If they pass, they earn a badge signifying their basic mastery of all weapons and advance to the next stage."
He pointed to another room on the left from where we were standing the door of that one was engraved with a badge.
He pointed to the right-hand door. "That's the intermediate room. Passing this test grants an intermediate-level badge and moves them to the next phase of training."
And he pointed to a room similar to the previous one opposite to it its door bearing a different badge
Finally, he turned toward the grand central door. "And that is the mastery room. Anyone who passes here earns the title of Master in every weapon, completing this first stage of training."
In total there were five door on the balcony three for testing and two fro beginning and intermediately taring while the common area was the joint training before one gave or passed the beginner room test.
"So after the mystery test must come the next hall" I asked.
"True lets us move see that now" Eryndor replied.
Before we left, I also went inside the beginner and intermediate training rooms rooms. The beginner-level room housed trainees practicing complex techniques that combined offense and defense. In the intermediate room, knights were actively dueling. Some bore injuries while others celebrated their victories.
We left the first hall and entered the second. It followed a similar system to the previous one but focused on hand-to-hand combat. Here, the trainees practiced lethal moves aimed at vital areas like the heart and head. In the common area, they drilled basic maneuvers repeatedly until they became muscle memory. In the beginner room, they practiced advanced techniques against animated dummies imbued with life by some magical source. The intermediate room, however, was much more brutal. Trainees fought each other with unrestrained ferocity. Blood stained the floor, and some bore deep gashes or cuts.
"This is the second hall," Eryndor said as we exited.
Next, we entered the third hall, where the focus shifted from physical combat to mental acuity. Trainees were subjected to sudden attacks and had to defend themselves while following commands. Those who hesitated often sustained injuries—some even fatal.
"This is where mental fortitude is built," Eryndor explained. "They learn that a single moment's lapse can mean death. Mental strength is as crucial as skill in battle."
The testing rooms here were no less challenging. In the beginner-level room, trainees faced dummies that moved with deadly precision. They seemed almost too dangerous for the untrained, though to me, they looked weak compared to Lucian's dummies. The intermediate room was entirely different. Magic altered the environment, shifting it into dense forests, freezing mountains, or scorching deserts. These settings introduced environmental hazards alongside mystical threats—branches that ensnared, trees that attacked, and deserts rife with hidden dangers.
"This is where they start learning to survive harsh conditions and face mystical dangers," Eryndor said as we walked out.
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"The three halls together form the Grand Beginning Phase of Astral Knight training. To move beyond, trainees must pass the Grand Test, which evaluates everything they've learned so far. Only those who succeed advance to the Grand Intermediate Phase, held in the next three halls," he explained.
This training process fascinated me. It revealed the intricate mechanisms behind the Astral Knights' strength and discipline.
The fourth hall marked the beginning of the Grand Intermediate Phase. The atmosphere here was different—the air seemed alive, pulsing with vitality and essence.
"In this hall, trainees are introduced to essence: its properties, how it works, and how to wield it. It serves as a transitional phase from pure physical and mental training to the mystical realm," Eryndor said. This hall lacked the three-tiered system of its predecessors, focusing instead on foundational knowledge of essence.
We moved to the fifth hall, reserved for those who had undergone an awakening or were nearing the age for it but hadn't yet felt the essence.
This hall was divided into two sections. In one, in the common hall those who had awakened their powers learned to understand and control them. In the joint area, they practiced basic techniques. The beginner hall focused on using their abilities for offense and defense, while the intermediate hall involved duels where they integrated their powers into real combat scenarios.
"What about the second section of the hall?" I asked as we entered the other area.
"That's where those unable to awaken their powers are trained. They learn to use mystical items to borrow power instead of wielding their own," Eryndor explained.
I already knew about mystical items—objects imbued with powers by their creators. Some, like my father's ring, were extraordinarily rare and powerful, their longevity a testament to their creators' skill. Most mystical items, however, lost their potency over time and required recharging or replacement. Items were categorized by the strength and duration of their imbued power.
"The training here mirrors that of the awakened, but with mystical items replacing personal powers," Eryndor concluded as we exited the hall.
"The next phase is where an Astral Knight are taught how to become a true astral knight" he said as we returned to the grand hall with its towering walls and ten distinct doors. I now understood the purpose behind five of them, leaving five more to uncover.
We entered the sixth hall, and unlike the previous structured designs, this hall resembled a large, dimly lit room. Objects such as beds, cupboards, desks, chandeliers, and other furnishings were scattered throughout the common area.
I observed the hall for a moment before noticing movement in the shadows. Trainees, clad in the same uniforms as the knights we'd seen earlier, flitted silently between the shadows. Their figures flashed briefly before disappearing, only to reappear in another corner of the room.
"This is where knights are trained to use shadows to their advantage," Eryndor explained. "Astral Knights' uniforms are mystically crafted to blend seamlessly with shadows, but they must be imbued with essence to activate these properties." His words clarified why understanding essence was critical for every knight. Those who couldn't awaken their own powers needed to rely on mystical items to harness such abilities.
In the beginner training room, trainees practiced fighting in shadows—learning to kill silently, utilize their powers while remaining hidden, and leave no trace behind.
At the intermediate level, the training became more advanced. Trainees engaged in shadow combat with one another, using the darkness itself to attack, evade, and retreat. It was a test of both their skill and their ability to master stealth tactics under pressure.
"This concludes the Grand Intermediate Phase of training," Eryndor said as we exited the hall. "After passing the Grand Test, a trainee can be considered more than halfway to becoming a full Astral Knight."
He gestured toward the next hall. "The seventh and eighth halls form the Grand Mastery Phase, the final stage of training before deployment."
We entered the seventh hall. Unlike the others, it didn't focus on combat. Nor did it have the familiar three-tiered tests. Instead, this hall emphasized knowledge. Here, knights were educated on the main powers of the world, including the Five Ruling Houses and the Aeshterian Knights whom they were sworn to serve. They studied the royal families of all houses, particularly the royal family of our house, which they were bound to protect.
Additionally, they learned battle strategies, studied the nature of the Outer Entities, and gained insight into the infected and the damned—knowledge critical for survival and service.
This hall required a single comprehensive test. Once passed, knights progressed to the eighth hall, which focused on deployment. Here, trainees were assigned their duties—be it guarding specific locations, protecting designated individuals, or managing crucial operations. The eighth hall also oversaw knights who were already out in the field, ensuring schedules and assignments were maintained seamlessly.
"This concludes the training and deployment process for Astral Knights," Eryndor explained as we emerged into the main hall once again.
By now, I felt I had a thorough understanding of the entire process. Yet, one question lingered in my mind. "What about Halls Nine and Ten?" I asked.
"There is no Hall Ten," Eryndor replied with a small smile. "There are only nine halls, and the ninth hall is the Hall of Elders. It is where the higher authorities of the Astral Knights convene to decide the future of the order." He gestured toward the most imposing room, standing grandly in the centre, towering over all the others the hall from where he had emerged. Its prominence made it unmistakably significant, but it also left me puzzled.
"What about that other hall?" I asked, pointing to the hall we had not Seen yet.
Eryndor's smile widened slightly. "Ah, I understand your confusion. That is Hall Zero," he said in his calm, steady voice.