Audun awoke just before the sun began to touch the night sky. He was eager to explore, but he didn’t want to wake up Avari. He gave a quick glance to her next to him, and felt his cheeks flush a bit. What had happened here was probably best to be kept a secret, and he can’t help but wonder what others would of thought if they could have seen them. It was a very lucky thing that the specific path they were on was a lesser known one.

After attempting to meditate and train for a few minutes, he found he couldn’t help but be curious. The sun was starting to rise anyway, it couldn’t hurt too much if he just went to the edges. Walking over, he cast his sense out. Just on the edge of his domain, about 100 meters, he could sense something. It felt… Ancient almost.

He pressed forward into the trees, at first trying to stay on the edge, but eventually, curiosity fully took over. It was not long before he was firmly within the forest. Everything around him felt surreal and strange. He opened his eyes, retracting his sense and letting himself look at where he was. Everything was the same, yet it was different. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the whole world around him had grown bleak. It was as if his screams could never be heard.

Audun shook his head, and decided to return to the roadside. He turned, and casted out his divine sense. A shock filled his body, there was nothing but this forest in front of him. The road was gone, Avari was gone, the life he had felt around him was gone.

“No, no. I must be mistaken. I’m shaken up, if I just head back the way I came, then I’ll eventually meet up with Avari and we can go to her clan.” Dashing forward, he ran. Minutes past, and sweat trickled down his back. It was not from exertion.

“Damn this place! How could I have lost my bearings?! Why won’t my damn divine sense work here?!” He slammed his fist into a tree with rage, splintering it. The sound reverberated through the forest, more and more twisting into the sound of a scream. The scream turned into screams, and the screams turned into howl.

Audun began panting, quickly weaving away from the tree he had struck. His divine sense swathed the area, keeping everything within 100 meters in check. It was only now he noticed there was no wind. Nothing at all moved in this world, not a thing but him. Head spinning, he sat down on top of a branch, hiding himself from what he could. The howls still hadn’t died down.

An hour had passed with him frozen there, before the howling stopped, and the haunting silence took over. The sky was still stuck in the permanent twilight, the sun unable to completely overcome the darkness. Audun cleared his eyes, and stood up on the branch. He needed to find a way out, he needed to find out where he was. He needed to think.

It hit him, he was in an expert’s dimension. He had heard stories that people of old could create pocket dimensions, to silence the world around them and train. The art had been lost for millennia, however, and this tidbit brought Audun no comfort or idea of how to get out. It only made him more desperate, for if an expert’s dimension was an extension of themselves, and he did not want to meet the expert who lived here.

Deciding that sitting around would get him nowhere, he pushed back towards where he came. It was possible that… The realm was looping itself, and if he could find exactly where he had entered, he could break his way out. He threw out his sense once more, only to sense pure, indescribable fear. A being that radiated darkness and evil intent flushed over him. Moreover, it noticed him.

The most primal instinct a human can have shoved itself into his brain. Live. Just live. Run as fast as you can. He immediately turned his heel and dashed away. The being just stood there, waiting. Audun couldn’t help but stop when it was at the edge of his sense. What would this creature do to him if he didn’t keep track of it. Looking to his right and finding a decent bit of shrubbery, he hid. The creature continued to stay at the edge of his sense.

Audun attempted to make out what the creature was, maybe knowing that would subside his fear, but to his horror, it stayed formless. Eternities passed every second, and Audun couldn’t help but feel his cheeks moisten. The beast was taunting him. Just like those bandits…

“What are you staring at little boy…” Terror. Audun’s body was frozen, unable to move. That voice, that horrible voice. It was grating, it was numerous. The voice was every voice that had ever haunted him. His mother, his father, his patriarch, that damned bandit. His entire life came crashing down on him.

“Oh little child, why do you fear me, I only want to take the pain away…” The voice redoubled with memories of the past. He forced himself to stare at the beast, and at that moment had every desire to take his own life. Before him was his mother and father, as one, flickering between that stern face and that caring smile. Yet, they were burned, with only his mother's bright, green, loving eyes escaping the scorched tar.

“Oh Audun, our little prodigy...how could you have forgotten us? Left us? Abandoned us?Why couldn’t you have died with us, Audun? Did you not want to be with your mom and dad?”

Through his sobs, he managed to spit out, “No, no. I wanted to live for you guys. I… I wanted to make you guys proud, and get revenge!”

“Oh dear, stupid, Audun. We want nothing more than for our perfect child who has forgotten us to come back. We want him to never forget us again. We want to punish our perfect child.”

He had so many things he wanted to say, to apologize. He had forgotten them because it was easier. If he stayed focused on the future, if he forgot… Maybe it would be easier. And his mistakes were here, eating him up. He thought of giving up, just letting it happen, when something strange happened inside. A fire lit, a fire stronger than any before. This fire was fueled by three words.

“I… Will… Live…” Moving infuriatingly slow, he turned and tried to run. It felt like he was moving through liquid wax, each movement requiring enormous effort. Audun was acutely aware of every muscle that twitched. Even his sense was groggy. Not long after, breathing became difficult. And then his eyes flung open.

He awoke in a cold sweat, looking around. He saw that Avari was still next to him, and he calmed down. It was just a bad dream. He thought about just trying to wait for her to wake up, but he needed to talk to her.

“Avari, wake up.” He tapped her lightly, but to his shock, she didn’t budge. It wasn’t until now he realized how nothing around him moved. His eyes wide, he stepped back, moving away in horror. He had a sneaking suspicion that that was not Avari. His mind was thrown all around, his thoughts refusing to collect into a coherent stream.

“Okay, calm, think. The scenery has changed, and I’m still alive. That means that the beast, at the very least, isn’t done with me yet. That also means that this place can move. But, no other life was here before, why is Avari here?” A horrible thought flashed. “What if… She’s going to turn into another horrid apparition?!” He jumped back, but this time, he hit hard against a wall. Turning around, there was nothing but trees. Reaching his hand out, he felt that there was an invisible barrier in front of trees. Moving as a blur, he saw that the area was like a box, thirty meters across.

“Damn it! How is my luck so rotten. I just want to get out!”

“And what makes you think you may leave my domain?” That voice was back, but this time it was… Different. It still held remnants of his family's voices’, yet now it also held an ancientness, and it held power. It was as if the beings very voice could shatter Audun to pieces.

“What have I done to be held here? I deserve to leave because I didn’t want to be here in the first place.”

“Ah the folly of a child’s mind. Alas, fate is not what one deserves, but what fate is. You came here not because of some reason, not because your karmic deeds merited it. This merely is.” The voice now only sounded as if it was an ancient senior, scolding a child.

“But fate is also in the hands of people, senior. You could decide very easily to let me leave.”

The voice began to emit a horrid sound, blasting against Audun’s very soul. It was loud and full of base, yet with a feminine touch. “It is true I could easily let you leave. Yet how am I assured you won’t reveal my existence to that vile church?”

“I too have animosity with the church, senior. If you were to look into my soul, you would see there is no dantian. I am an abomination in there eyes, and I would be slaughtered should I ever be found.”

He felt a sweeping sense throughout his soul. “It would indeed seem this is true. I shall let you go, however, there are two things you must do. First, you must swear to me that you will live your life in opposition to the church. Second, you must then pass my trial, and if you do, you shall be rewarded. Fail, and you will perish.”

Audun frowned inwardly, but let out a sigh of relief on the outside. Swearing this will cause him to be bound by the heavens, and irking them anymore would result in complete annihilation. It means that he will eventually have to betray Avari. But he would need to do this eventually, the truth could not be contained forever. Yes, this will help him, and he will have seniors guidance. He could also convince Avari, she was not stubborn.

“I swear to you, that I, Junior, will destroy the vile Church of Heavens. And I will face your task with head held high. I only wish to as-”

“Silence, you will now take the trial. Pass, and you will earn the right to ask me questions.”

The tree’s splintered apart, and from the broken trees rose a huge building, made of a black material. It felt vaguely familiar, and Audun could sense strands of world Qi in it. He suspected it was made from elemental ki, with world Qi used to stabilize it. Taking a breath and collecting himself, letting those horrible events feelings flow out of him, he walked into the building. Down he went, deeper into the senior’s trial, with no way of knowing if he was truly going to get back.