Chapter 2: Trial by Dreams

"What's happening to them?" Catherine asked as she saw her twin and cousin sit on the ground. They looked like they were burning. Edward was covered in white flames while Vincent was covered in grey flames. It seemed their crystal cores resonated with the mysterious energy and manifested the flames.

"This is the ritual known as the Phoenix Dream Trial. Mankind was not meant to have the power within the crystal cores. That orb of power belonged to a peacock that mutated while the virus was first experimented with. Naturally, the peacock was killed, but some of the experiments escaped and caused the disaster we live fighting from everyday," Dr. Gavin smiled. "You have a pink core so pink flames will appear around you. The crystal core will change into its true form as an orb of power, with the shape and color changing. You'll join them shortly once we find you a suitable weapon to assist you."

"Um, okay. I'll be back guys," Catherine said and followed Dr. Gavin outside to the armory.

------------Vincent's Mind---------------

Is this a dream? Where am I?

"You are where you must be," a voice answered.

What? Who are you? What are you? How can I hear you in my head?

"I am merely a shell of what I once was. My power burns inside you to awaken your own. You can say, I was one of the first generations of the infected, the Mazoku humans call us," the voice replied.

Mazoku? I don't understand. What's happening?

"You are entering a dream-like state. Through me, you are connecting with your crystal core and awakening its true form as your orb of power. The crystal core is like a shell, a defense mechanism meant to keep you from becoming a Mazoku. Making it your orb of power is to discard some of your humanity to fight back and absorb the orb of power from Mazoku beasts you slay," the voice said. "You may refer to me as the Phoenix of Beginning and End. This is your end as a human and your beginning as something more. Something stronger, faster, and better than a human. It is the next step of natural selection. You must choose between five paths of power. One will be one you specialize above all others. One you must sacrifice to use any of those powers. The remaining three will come to you, in time."

Five paths? Five types of power? What are those powers?

"You will go through five dreams and experience the nightmare based on the result. You will naturally know the meaning behind the dreams. Some are figments of imagination. You will see people you have met or will meet in the future. Are you prepared? Focus on yourself. You brought your sword with you. Imagine yourself wielding that sword. It is meant to be a reminder that you are within the dream. Should you forget who you are, you become a Mazoku and the people of reality will slay you. Good luck. Oh, and thank you for the dragon tooth. It will burn to ash and will help solidify your mind," the phoenix said.

Wait! That's mine! You can't take it from me! No! Give it back!

-----------Within the Dream----------------

"NOOOOO!" Vincent cried as he appeared in his white clothes from the Testing Center.

He looked around and saw ruins everywhere. His eyes widened as he saw a broken house with red tiles while all the other houses had blue or green tiles. Blood was being washed away as rain sprinkled from the skies. He could feel the puddles soak his feet as he walked toward the house in his white, plastic slippers.

The door broke in an explosion as a small, sand and dark brown colored dragon baby appeared. It bared its fangs at him before quickly sprinting away into the distance. Vincent want to give chase. He knew this was a dream. No, a nightmare. This was a scene he could never forget. Trembling, he gripped the sword so tight and caused his knuckles to turn white as he walked into the broken house.

The rain doused his head and his hair became heavy as it soaked onto his skin. Each step made his heart beat strongly, as if a man was banging on the taiko drum next to his ear at a Japanese festival. His breath became heavy and his ears started to ring as he saw a little boy with black hair and blue eyes cradling the head of a woman. He was staring at himself, at a younger Vincent Turner. His mother was Jennifer Turner. This dream was the nightmare he experienced almost every night since that day.

"Mommy? Mommy. Don't cry. You said people shouldn't cry or the Mazoku will snatch them from their beds," Little Vincent cried as he kept brushing the water from his mom's face. "It's gonna be okay. Daddy won't come but I'm here. That dragon was only a Thorny Devil, a sand lizard I found. Don't cry mommy. It's gone. It's gone....."

The boy didn't know if his shivering was caused by his grief or rain, but he yelled, "I HATE HIM! I hate daddy! He was never here! He could have saved us! I am not Vincent Edris Yang. I am just Vincent Edris Turner. I don't have a father! I don't! So come back mommy....come back. Please don't leave me alone. Please........"

"This is the first trial. This is no dream. It's a nightmare," Vincent said as he fell to his knees.

Yes. This is the nightmare of the first trial. The first trial is always the greatest pain you experienced before attempting the ritual. This dream's path of power, do you know what it is?

"How could I not?" Vincent said as tears went down as his eyes. "Every time I wake up from this nightmare, I always wished I was stronger. That I could have protected my mother! That I had enough power to not hide in that dirty locker as my pet Thorny Devil lizard mutated and killed her. That I had the power to beat up my father and ask him why he abandoned us before cutting off his head!"

Indeed. The path of power is symbolized by a six-eyed jaguar. Choosing this path is to strengthen your body past human limits. To be stronger, faster, and own superior reflexes than your enemy. To have a body with a physique comparable to a Mazoku. This is the path of a beast. Now is the time to witness the second dream.

"What is this place?" Vincent asked as he appeared in village. His eyes widened as he saw Mazoku wolves growl at him, blood dripping from their fangs.

He yelled in surprise and ran toward the wolves. Strangely, they just stood there as he slashed at them with his sword. He heard pleas and cries but ignored them. They sounded human but the wolves were Mazoku. They had to be killed or he would be. His clothes became soaked in crimson as Silver Thorn flashed under the sun as it cut through the wolves.

He saw people turn to him as they were turning into wolves. He had lived as an Exile all his life. He knew they were no longer human and quickly killed them as they turned. He had seen adults kill other humans most of his life, killing any who were infected and were in the midst of turning. Mercy only got more killed and infected others. No one would know if they were immune or compatible unless they got bit first.

"Don't kill me!" a little girl screamed as she crawled backwards on the ground as he stared down at her. "I'm still human."

"Better to die a human than one of them. You're not real anyway," Vincent said and she screamed as he killed her and yelled at the sky. "What is the point of this? All I did was kill Mazoku? I just used my weapon to kill them. Is this dream supposed to faze me? I've seen it all before."

You have experienced much, as a child. However, what if this was real? What if this was a reality you had to face in the future. Would you kill them all in cold blood as you did before, knowing what they once were? Who can say that the wolf you killed, as you escaped to the city, was not human once? Would you still make the same choice?

"I....don't know," Vincent said as he stared at Silver Thorn covered in black and crimson blood, the blood of a human and a Mazoku over ten years old.

This is the second trial, the path of the knight. Your weapon could be used to save others or massacre them. It is guided only by your hand. This path is symbolized by a sword and is one that prioritizes strength, both physical and mental. The weapon is only as mighty as the will that guides it. Now, for the third dream.

"Vincent, keep your shield up and pierce those soldiers!" a man cried as Vincent appeared as an older version of himself wearing steel armor and a round shield with Silver Thorn at his waist. "We must defend our people! We may die this day, but we die knowing we did what we could for our country!"

"Argh!" Vincent grunted as a sword bashed against his shield. He looked at the spear in his hand and just thrust it at whoever was hitting him.

"Hold the line! Do not let them through!" the man cried as Vincent and the others tried to maintain formation.

"The enemy is using their catapults!" a soldier cried and a huge boulder just crushed Vincent and three nearby soldiers in an instant. Vincent became a ghost and watched as the enemy broke through and killed the other soldiers as they advanced over the wall. Siege ladders landed against the roof and more enemy soldiers passed by.

Well, you died. Of course, you didn't feel the pain. This is a scene from your possible future. It won't be exactly alike and your enemy might not necessarily be human. However, an enemy will try to scale the wall and invade the city. Do you know what this scene symbolizes?

"Loyalty and duty unto death. An undying will to defend others," Vincent said as the wall was finally overrun.

Indeed. The power of the third path is one of defense. You will be as a shield, protecting your allies as you repel the enemy. This is the path of a guardian, symbolized by the shield. You will be as an invincible fortress against physical and magical assaults. There are two more paths.

"Huh? Why am I here?" Vincent asked as he became a student in a classroom in a student uniform. "What am I wearing? Why do we all look alike?"

"Something wrong, Vincent?" a middle-aged woman asked as she adjusted her glasses and waved a strand of black hair away from her face. "Do you perhaps know the answer to my question?"

"Uh," Vincent gaped.

"It appears my lecture woke up Vincent from his nap," the teacher said as nearby students giggled. "As I was saying, magic is a power granted to us by our orbs of power. There are many names for it, such as mana, qi, chi, or spirit power. Magic is a very difficult power to grow but its potential is limitless. It is akin to having powers of a god."

Now it should be obvious what this is. This is the path of a mage, a human who can use the power of his orb to create magic. It is symbolized by the staff and requires much training to master. Those who specialize in this path will use magic unlike any other. There is one final dream and you must make your choice then.

"What's wrong Vincent? Why are you banging your body on the wall?" a voice laughed as Vincent appeared in a ruined castle. He yelled in pain as his body was blasted into the wall several times, as if an invisible hand was smashing a rock on the ground. The wall cracked and Vincent coughed blood as he fell to the ground. He yelled in pain as he heard something crack but could not move his body.

"Where is he?" Vincent thought as he couldn't see him.

"Here, there, and everywhere. You can't hide your thoughts from me," the voice mocked.

"Stop it!" Vincent cried as his body was flung into the air and crashed on the ground again.

"What's wrong? Can't move? Don't worry. I'll help you," the voice laughed and Vincent's body stood up without his control. His arms held his waist and flapped as his knees bent. Vincent never felt more humiliated. He was doing the chicken dance he read about in a book!

"Buck. Buck! Cock-a-doodle-do! It's the chicken dance time!" the voice roared with laughter until Vincent's body was crushed into a puddle of blood. "That was fun. Now, where are other toys?"

"What was that?" Vincent roared as he appeared as a ghost and looked down at the puddle of blood, able to see the blood as his transparent hand could not even touch it as he waved his hand in it.

This is the fifth power. It is one most don't really pick as magic has more uses. Do you know what it is?

"He could see my thoughts. He could move me without physically doing so. Is this supernatural power?" Vincent asked.

Indeed. This is like being a psychic. He used telepathy to read your mind and telekinesis to control your body as he would a puppet on strings. This is the path of a shaman. It is symbolized by a jade talisman.

"So what now?" Vincent asked.

You have witnessed the five dreams and nightmares. Trauma, murder, death, embarrassment, and helplessness with a touch of humiliation. The five paths are now open to you. You may only touch two of the items as they appear before you. You will pick one to specialize and another for you to give up. The one you specialize in is one you will master the most. You can only perform the basics of the other three until its true power is open to you. Don't expect much from those three paths until then. As an Exile, you will have access to those powers up to a certain level. You should already know you Exiles are different than those sheltered humans of the city. This is my gift to all Exiles. Praise me. HAHAHAHAHA!

Vincent was thrust in front of an altar in a completely white room that seemed endless. White tiles were on the floor and the five items were atop five Roman pedestals. The items were a six-eyed jaguar, a sword with an aura of blood, a golden shield as radiant as the sun, a black staff that caused Vincent to shiver with fear, and a jade talisman. Vincent already knew what path to specialize in as the lack of the path's power traumatized him: the path of the beast. The jaguar had two regular eyes with two smaller eyes located on both sides of the head, next to the eyes.

"I wish to specialize in the path of the beast," Vincent said.

Are you sure? Most would pick warrior, mage, or guardian. Then again, they did not cause their mother's death. Very well. The power of the beast is yours to take. Now, pick a path of power to sacrifice and never attain.

"The path of the knight. I want revenge. For both the death of my mother and the betrayal by my father. To kill the dragon and atone my sin. To not hate myself every night for bringing that lizard home because it looked cool. If I had asked my mother, instead of sneaking it with me, it wouldn't have happened.I'd only hate my father. I don't need physical and mental strength as I chose the path of the beast. I don't want to depend on a weapon to attain power and I am not so foolish as to sacrifice defense. I need to make sure I can stay alive until I get it. I may not be as physically powerful or courageous, but I will be pretty damn close on my own," Vincent growled.

Just like your Mazoku self. You know, you would have turned into that six-eyed jaguar if you weren't compatible with the virus. As you've picked the path of the beast, a silver colored tattoo of a six-eyed jaguar will be on your back. Your orb of power is a sphere with one hundred and eight spikes around it, like a spiked ball. It's true color is silver, like your sword. You should know that magical and supernatural powers are difficult to wield together. Very few have been able to achieve it.

When you awaken from the dream, a jade medallion with single one of my crimson feathers will around your neck, the tip of the feather a myriad of all colors of the rainbow. Both your cousins have already succeeded and have received different gifts from me. Take care, Silver Exile. Revenge can destroy yourself just as much as it will your enemy. This is my warning to you. Darkness and light is in your heart. Do not let the balance be broken.

---------------Awakening from the Dream---------------------

"Vincent!" Catherine cried as she hugged her cousin.

"That hurts," Vincent said as he pushed her away and saw the phoenix jade medallion on his neck. It was as if the the feather belonged to a tiny phoenix and were both vibrant and soft. They were strung above a jade coin about an inch and a half in diameter and had many intricate carvings on both sides and a hole in the center.

"And here I was wondering if you had failed," Edward grinned as he helped his cousin to his feet. "The first trial must have been terrible."

"It was but it helped remind me of my goal," Vincent said and saw Dr. Gavin stare at him. Vincent's shirt had been burned off and a silver, six-eyed jaguar tattoo was on his entire back.

"We have seen your dreams, boy. You truly suffered a horrible past," Dr. Gavin said as he pointed at the giant orb of power, Vincent catching images of himself choosing the six-eyed jaguar. "While we could not hear what transpired, we know your mother must have died due to the dragon. You were telling the truth. I am sorry for your loss. For the record, I would like you all to state your full name, the path you chose, and the path you sacrificed."

"Edward Jones Turner. The path I chose was the path of the knight and I gave up the path of the shaman," Edward said, many people approving of the choice as it was the standard and most popular choice.

"Um, Catherine Melissa Turner. I chose the path of the mage and gave up the path of the shaman," his twin said as she stared at the floor due to being shy in front of too many people.

"Vincent Edris Turner. I chose the path of the beast and gave up the path of the knight," the last of the three said, many murmuring as it was unusual for one to pick the path of the beast. Some people did have the paths of mage and shaman but most just chose to specialize in one and regret not choosing the other as the sacrificial path.

"Very good. This concludes the tests of the Testing Center. You will have identification cards handed to you shortly. When you turn fifteen, a picture will be included in it like all the other children," Dr. Gavin smiled.

"What now," Vincent said as Edward and Catherine also looked at the doctor.

"You have until the age of fifteen to adjust your body to your orb of power. In the meantime, you will learn about our city and go to school with all the others. You will have the same teacher, but the subjects you learn are what the teacher decide. There's really no set schedule for each subject. They will teach multiple subjects, like an elementary teacher. I welcome you as official residents of Black Gate City," the doctor bowed as all the people above also nodded their heads in turn.