The temple walls hummed with an otherworldly energy as Jade and Rael stood before Kuroshi, the enigmatic figure seated high on a stone platform. The air was thick with tension, and Jade could feel his pulse quicken with every passing second. His feet felt like they were rooted to the cold stone floor, as if the gravity of the moment had increased tenfold.
Kuroshi's violet eyes glinted in the dim light of the temple. His gaze was unyielding, almost predatory, as he observed Jade with an intensity that felt like it could strip him to his core. There was no kindness in those eyes. Only a sharp, calculating coldness that seemed to measure every inch of his being.
"I trust Rael has told you of the trials ahead," Kuroshi spoke softly, his voice like a serpent's hiss, curling through the silence. "You do not simply 'learn' to control power. You must prove you are worthy to wield it. To understand it. Only then will you survive."
Jade nodded, though the words felt heavy on his tongue. He had no illusions about the difficulty of this path. He had heard rumors of Kuroshi's training — it was brutal, unforgiving, and it could break a person. But if he was to have any hope of surviving in this world, he had no choice. He had to push forward, no matter the cost.
Kuroshi stood slowly, his movements deliberate and fluid. The temperature in the room seemed to drop as he descended from his platform, stepping closer to Jade and Rael. Jade couldn't help but notice the slight gleam of amusement in Kuroshi's eyes.
"You wish to control your power, but first, you must face the trial of the unworthy," Kuroshi declared, his voice turning darker, more foreboding. "It is not enough to have power. You must be able to bear the burden of it."
Rael's expression hardened at Kuroshi's words, but he said nothing. Jade, on the other hand, felt a lump form in his throat. His old memories as Yūma — his past life — reminded him of the countless times he had failed to control his powers, the moments where his own strength had been his undoing. Was he truly ready for this?
Kuroshi's smile stretched slightly, his gaze piercing. "I'm sure you've heard of the trials before. But what you do not know is that they will push you to your breaking point. You will be forced to confront your own darkness — the very thing that makes you unworthy. Only by facing it can you prove yourself."
Without waiting for a response, Kuroshi flicked his wrist, and suddenly, the room around them seemed to shift. The walls warped, distorting into shadows that crawled and twisted like living entities. Jade's heart pounded in his chest as the room closed in on him. The air became dense and suffocating.
"Your first trial begins now," Kuroshi's voice rang out, reverberating through the space. "To survive it, you must accept your flaws. Only then can you conquer your power."
Jade's vision blurred as the air thickened, and he felt his chest constricting. He looked around in panic, but everything was shifting too fast, as if the very reality around him was folding in on itself. He could hear Rael's voice somewhere behind him, but it sounded muffled, as though it were coming from underwater.
In an instant, Jade's body was forced to its knees. A wave of heat surged through him, a searing reminder of his power — the fire within him that had burned so many before. It raged, twisting and churning beneath his skin, eager to escape. He could feel it, just at the edge of his control, pushing against the walls of his being.
"I can't…" Jade whispered, his throat tight. The flame within him threatened to consume him, just as it had in the past. His fingers curled into fists, digging into the stone floor. But no matter how hard he tried, the flame refused to be controlled. It was out of his grasp, a wildfire inside of him, unstoppable and merciless.
"You cannot control it," Kuroshi's voice echoed, cold and certain. "And that is why you are unworthy."
The words struck Jade like a physical blow. He was nothing but a failure, just like he had been in his past life. His memories flooded back — the destruction, the mistakes, the people he had hurt. The power inside him had always been a threat, and no matter how hard he tried, he could never control it. He had failed, over and over again.
But as those thoughts threatened to drown him, something inside of him snapped. The flame within him roared, reacting to the emotion, to the desperation. Jade's breath came in ragged gasps as the fire within him intensified. It wanted to break free. It wanted to destroy. But Jade felt something shift. Something familiar, deep in his core.
His old self, the one that had failed so many times, was gone. This was not the Yūma of the past. This was Jade — someone who had lived through the darkness and had come out the other side, stronger. He could feel it now: the spark of control, the presence of something deeper than raw power.
Jade reached out with his mind, pushing past the overwhelming urge to let the flame run wild. Slowly, carefully, he felt the fire retreat, wrapping itself around his core instead of exploding outward. It resisted, fought him, but Jade gritted his teeth and held firm.
For the first time, he was in control.
The air cleared, the shadows around him dissipating. Jade's breathing slowed, his heart finally finding a rhythm. He stood up shakily, eyes locked on Kuroshi. The trial wasn't over, but Jade had passed the first test. He had proven to himself that he could control the fire within him.
Kuroshi's violet eyes gleamed with approval, but his voice was stern.
"You've taken the first step, Jade," he said, his words almost a whisper, as though the temple itself was listening. "But there will be many more trials ahead. This is only the beginning."
Jade nodded, his determination growing. He was ready.