The Banditos

The Water Test

Clancy has been left alone in the dark room for what feels like hours. He's used the time to calm himself down and try to prepare himself for what's next, but he's still filled with anxiety and fear. Suddenly, the door opens again, and Nico appears in the doorway.

"Time for phase two," Nico says, his voice cold. "Follow me. Let's get this party started."

Clancy nods silently, not wanting to give Nico the satisfaction of seeing his fear again. He stands up and follows Nico out of the room.

Nico leads him down another hallway, the floor and walls both made of cold, grey stone. They walk in silence, Clancy's heart racing as he wonders what phase two will entail.

They reach a set of large double doors, which Nico swings open to reveal a massive room. Clancy's eyes widen as he takes in the sight before him.

The room is circular, with high ceilings and stone walls. In the center of the room, there's a large pool of water, surrounded by a platform that juts out from the wall. Standing on the platform, looking out at the pool of water, is a figure in a black robe, their face hidden by a hood. Clancy swallows hard as he realizes who it is.

As Clancy and Nico approach the figure, the hood slowly falls back, revealing the cold and cruel face of Andre, another of the nine Bishops. He turns to face Clancy and Nico, a smirk on his face.

"Ah, Nicolas," Andre says, his voice smooth and cold. "You've brought us a new test subject, I see."

"That's right, sir," Nico replies, his tone submissive. "This one's got some fire in him. I think he'll make a good test subject."

Andre turns his attention to Clancy, his cold eyes examining him keenly. "You must be the one who managed to pass the first test. Impressive."

Clancy doesn't say anything, simply stares back at Andre defiantly. He doesn't want to show any weakness or fear in front of this cruel Bishop.

Andre chuckles, amused by Clancy's courage. "A feisty one, I see. That makes things more interesting." He gestures towards the pool of water. "Step forward, boy. It's time for your test."

Clancy looks from Andre to the pool of water, his heart beating faster. He knows he has no choice but to do what the Bishop says. He takes a deep breath and steps forward, approaching the edge of the ledge.

He stands at the edge of the ledge, looking down at the dark water below. He can feel the eyes of Andre and Nico on him, watching for any sign of fear. He tries to keep his expression neutral, but he can feel himself starting to shake.

"The test is simple," Andre says, his voice ringing out over the room. "You are to jump from here into the water below. The water is deep, but you should be able to swim to the surface and reach the edge of the pool. I assure you, you won't drown."

Clancy feels a wave of fear wash over him. Jump into the water? From this height, it must be at least ten feet. He's not a strong swimmer, and he can feel the cold dread in the pit of his stomach.

He glances over at Nico, hoping for some sort of reassurance or encouragement. But Nico simply looks back at him with cold eyes, not offering any help. Clancy knows he's on his own.

He takes a deep breath and tries to steady himself. He looks down at the water again, trying to estimate how long it will take him to reach the surface once he jumps. He can hear his own heart racing in his ears, his palms sweaty and his legs feeling weak.

Nico gets frustrated that he won't jump, so he steps up and pushed Clancy off the ledge, sending him plummeting into the water.