The Reaper

Chapter 14: The First Trial

It is currently three in the afternoon. I and the rest of us: In, Choi, Patty, Michelle, and Grace, are all lined up in the middle of the square, sitting down and beginning our meditation, as per the Master's orders.

We each wear our sparring uniforms with our wooden swords lying flat and parallel in front of us. The uniforms are made up of paddings that cover our shins, forearms, shoulders, chests, backs, and heads. They are soft and foam-like material, and not at all thick, which moves not at all limiting. It's nothing fancy, though, just something we use for contact sparring.

I breathe in slowly, feeling the air fill my lungs, and then I slowly breathe out. I listen to the air going through my nose, drowning all the noise around me, except for the ones I want to hear.

I hear the heartbeats of others taking the test with me. In is nervous. He's having a bit of trouble keeping himself calm. Choi, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. He's been calm long before I started hearing his heartbeat. Very focused and battle-ready. As for the girls, they are as focused as they can be. However, Patty is slightly getting bored. I can hear her fingers moving against each other as a sign of impatience.

The sun sets and the sky is dark. We still waiting for the first trial to begin. Master, in a standard outfit, comes out from the training room. "Initiates!" We open our eyes and look up to him. "We're now going to begin the first trial! For all six of you, we will be testing your ability to fight in the dark. Show us what you have learned on how to move in the shadows, to see by not seeing, and how to use the environment to your advantage. The objective of this trial is simple. There is an unlit candle somewhere inside the training room. Find that candle, light it up and you pass. However, the men inside the room will be trying to prevent you from lighting the candle. To fail this trial, these men must hit you three times with their swords on your arms, legs, or bodies. If you get hit in the neck or head only once, that is an automatic failure. Any questions?"

No one raises their hand or says anything.

"Very well. We do not have a specific order on who gets to go first. We will be going based on volunteers. So, who wishes to go first?"

I stand immediately before anyone might have the chance to stand up.

"Daryl Kang," Master walks up to me. He softens his voice and says to me, "Remember what I said the other day. You must never use your powers for the duration of this initiation. Are we clear on that?"

"Yes, Master." It's not like I want to use my powers anyway. I'll only use them to severely hurt or kill my enemies.

"Once you enter this room, your trial will begin," he walks through the door and closes it as I put my mask on and my wooden sword picked up.

I enter the room in pitch-black darkness. Unable to see, unable to hear anything. I take a knee and place my fingers on the ground, trying to feel even the slightest vibration made by their footsteps. I close my eyes, enhance my awareness of my surroundings...My breathing slows down, and my heartbeat and my body temperature reduce. I've detected several men around me, stalking me on all sides, including from above. The one on my right is the closest. He's about to attack! I deflect his sword and strike him in the head. Another from behind! Managed to shield my back, swiftly, I turned, evading his horizontal slash, and simultaneously thrust my sword to his eye. The man collapses, groaning in pain as he leaves and disappears along with the first man I took down. The rest that are still hiding have vanished.

I stay cautious as I slowly walk forward, trying to find the candle, but it has come to my realization that it's not in this room. Could it be hidden underneath the floors? Or could it be in the catwalk room? I tread forward, gently placing my fingers against the door leading to the catwalk room. The rest have certainly regrouped in there. Since they are expecting me to come in, the front door is too obvious. However, if I take alternate ways to get in there, they'll be expecting that more. The front door it is then.