Divinity's Trial

THE GRAND ACT

When Tur emerged from the Core, the passage of time had warped in a way none of the dwarves could have predicted. Outside, six months had passed, but for Tur, it had been mere hours.

The dwarves had grown anxious and fearful as they stood guard around his motionless body, which had sat cross-legged before the Core, wreathed in an ethereal fire that flickered and danced, but never consumed him. His skin glowed with a faint luminescence, and even the strongest among the dwarves hesitated to approach him. Valnyr, now in the form of the pen, hovered near his side, occasionally sparking with energy.

Every day, the dwarves waited, sending messages to the Elarion Council and other races about Tur's strange state. No one dared disturb him, for the fire surrounding him was not of any natural source—it was the very essence of the Core. The few times a dwarf ventured too close, the flames flared violently, pushing them back without burning.

**Dwarven Elder Thorvik, grimly:**

*"We have seen no such thing before. Not even the greatest prophets of old touched the Core and lived to speak of it. And this... this fire that surrounds him, it is unnatural. But it does not harm him."*

Six months passed in a haze of uncertainty. The dwarves wondered if Tur's body was merely a vessel now, empty, consumed by the magic of Elarion. Others whispered that he might have perished within the Core and that his physical form remained only as a remnant. But the faint heartbeat, the occasional twitch of his fingers, gave them hope that something was still alive within.

Then, on a quiet evening, as the dim blue glow of the Core reflected off the stone walls, the fire surrounding Tur's body suddenly vanished, leaving the cavern in cold silence. The dwarves who had been keeping vigil gasped as they witnessed the flames withdraw into his chest, merging with his very essence.

Tur's eyes snapped open.

His gaze was different—deeper, filled with the wisdom of the Core and the burden of the knowledge he had gained within. He stood slowly, his body steady and his movements deliberate, as if testing the newfound strength within him. Valnyr hovered beside him, crackling with energy before resting gently in his hand.

The dwarves, still unsure of what had transpired, stepped back in both awe and fear.

**Dwarven Elder Thorvik, cautiously:**

*"Tur... you return after many months. We feared you were lost."*

Tur looked at the elder, his expression calm, though his eyes glowed faintly with the power of the Core. He took a deep breath, feeling the energy of the Core still surging through his veins, reshaping his understanding of the world and his purpose.

**Tur, voice steady but filled with authority:**

*"Time moves differently within the Core. I spent only hours inside... yet, much has changed."*

He looked around at the faces of the dwarves, their anxious expressions revealing just how long they had been waiting for this moment.

**Dwarven Guard, disbelief in his voice:**

*"Six months... six long months you sat here, engulfed in fire. What happened within the Core, Tur? What did you see?"*

Tur paused for a moment, his mind replaying the battle with Agnus, the knowledge of Elarion's ancient betrayal, and the revelation that the so-called gods were nothing more than self-serving beings, casting themselves as deities to control the world. He now carried the weight of that truth, and with it, a new purpose.

**Tur, gravely:**

*"I faced Agnus, the so-called God of Elarion. He was no god—only a deceiver. His greed and the greed of others brought the Great Cataclysm upon this world. They destroyed Tabrees and all who stood for the one true Creator. The fire that surrounded me was the Core's acknowledgment of my resolve."*