Huff...huff.
After gazing down the hallway that seemed to span infinitely, Henry struggled to catch his breath. His stomach churned as his earlier nausea slowly crept up his throat, and his legs began to tremble weakly beneath him.
At that moment, Vincent's grip tightened firmly around his arm."Don't fall here, I know you're scared, but remember your trial." Vincent stared deeply into his eyes and said firmly, "You've faced fear before, right? Then overcome it."
"Y-Your wrong.. I- I didn't face anything!" Henry hurriedly shook his head, staring at his weakened form reflected in those bright emerald eyes."M-my trial wasn't about fighting.. I..I didn't fight." His voice leaked out nervously.
Yet the words landed heavily in their hearts.
'That was possible!?' Damon turned sharply, eyes widening.
Vincent's body stiffened as disbelief flashed across his face. "What do you mean you didn't fight?" he demanded. "Then how did you pass? How did you get your technique?"
Henry's gaze drifted to the floor, shame and fear written on his face. "It was given to me," he confessed. "I didn't earn it. I didn't face anything."
Silence swallowed the hallway.
Damon felt something twist inside his chest. If that was possible, then could his own trial have been easier too? Could he have avoided the beasts, the blood, the terror of facing the monster that killed the three Explorers? The thought lingered for only a heartbeat before another voice rose in his mind.
["Would you have wanted it that way?"]
'....' Damon went silent, hearing Master Tomoe's question. Truthfully, he couldn't deny the fact that he preferred the hand he had been dealt. Much like his brother, had he not endured those experiences, this place would have crushed him already.
"It does not matter," Amidst his thoughts, Kruger's voice then cut through. While they conversed, He had stood silent, like an observant statue, as a cold, deathly spiritual energy spread over his body, but now his silver eyes rested on Henry.
"Eh…?" The brothers turned toward him in unison, confusion etched across their faces.
"Not every trial is combat-oriented, as not every Specter is meant to be."Kruger continued calmly. "There are those who live for personal growth through combat and those who strive to better the lives of others, yet the choice of how they live does not hinder the totality of what they may achieve as Specters."
His silver eyes dropped briefly to the dagger in Henry's hand. "I do not know you well. But you chose to stand here, in the belly of horror, beside your kin. That is the choice of a fighter. The 'how' of your beginning is irrelevant. The 'why' of your presence here is all that matters."
Henry swallowed, fingers tightening around the hilt.
Noticing his words had taken root, Kruger turned away from them, already moving forward. "You chose to fight, so fight. It is that simple."
Under the trio's watchful gaze, he began to slowly pace around the hallway. Occasionally, his gloved fingers trailed along the dirty walls, brushing over faded, painted markings, worn-out musical notes, scribbled clefs, and fragments of staff lines that seemed to bleed into the plaster.
"Is he… reading the intent?" Damon muttered.
Vincent nodded. "If the creature made all of this instead of moving us somewhere else, its energy should be saturating the area." He frowned. "But I don't sense anything."
"I don't either."Henry shook his head helplessly before taking a deep breath and slowly breathing out. The turmoil slowly began to fade from his mind.
Vincent turned to Damon. "What about you?"
"To be honest, I did feel something," Damon hesitated for a moment, then said slowly. "Back when we were in the carriage. I felt a faint itch at the back of my neck, and immediately after, I could sense Mr Kruger's spiritual energy."
"You couldn't before?" Vincent asked in bafflement. "What about when we witnessed the soul escort ritual at the mortuary? Did you not feel anything then?"
'I did see the energy with mystic eye, but I wasn't able to sense the intent behind it until a few minutes ago. Was I missing something..? Damon began to question if something was interfering with his perception.
["You misunderstood, child. I did not lie when I claimed your perception had improved; it was your own innate flaw preventing you from perceiving the intent held within the priest's spiritual energy."] Tomoe's voice resonated within his mind once more, stirring up ripples in his heart.
But before he could probe further, Kruger's movements suddenly halted.
"I believe I know where we are." He turned around, frowning slightly as he walked back towards them. "This place is a distorted replica of the Quintet Musical Collage building."
Without waiting for anyone to say a word, Kruger took out a white handkerchief and wiped the dirt from his hands, then added. "While examining the walls, I discerned two distinct spiritual intents. One is the gloomy signature of the creature, but the other is completely different. I'm certain I have sensed it before; however, I cannot recall where or who it belongs to."
"You're saying there might be something or someone else in here?" Damon asked with a look of confusion, though he was already guessing he wouldn't like the answer.
Suddenly, a faint sound reached Damon's ears, and his body flinched.
Drip. Drip.. Drip..
"Do you hear that?"Almost immediately, Damon focused his Mystic sense, quickly looking around to locate the source of the sound.
Yet, the others merely shook their heads. They heard nothing but the sound of their own breathing.
Crack!
Then a sharp crack echoed above them. Instantly, Vincent and Kruger looked up as a thin fracture spread across the ceiling, water seeping through.
Another crack soon followed, then another, and the sound of splintering stone grew louder. At that moment, all silence was banished from the hallway as it began filling with the roar of rushing waters.
"We need to move," Vincent shouted urgently, pushing Henry forward.
"Where!?"Henry cried, panic creeping back in as the water swirled around their ankles. "It's all one long hallway!!"
"We don't know that!!"Without hesitation, Damon yelled out, already rushing ahead. "This is a school! There should be classrooms ahead!"
As the ceiling groaned, they quickly increased their running pace; however, the gloomy waters continued surging down the hall like a hungry beast.
"Keep Going !!"Glancing back, Kruger bellowed out an order.
He then spun around, planting his feet to face the deluge. His right hand, clad in the scarlet devil-faced glove, shot forward, palm out.
In a second, three shimmering, rectangular layers of crimson energy materialized in succession, slotting together to form a massive, glowing barrier that sealed the hallway from floor to ceiling.
The water slammed into it with the force of a tidal wave. The barrier held, shuddering violently but containing the onslaught.
"Did he stop it?" Seeing this, Damon slowed his pace for a moment, sighing in relief. To his dismay, cracks began to form on the first layer of the barrier, as if his words were a cursed omen. "Dammit! Me and my big mouth…" Damon cursed, increasing his pace once more.
Now running beside him, Henry looked back to see cracks forming on the second layer. "Will it hold?" He asked subconsciously.
Vincent also slowed, turning to assess the damage, his mind racing for a solution. That's when he saw it.
A massive, sleek shadow, moving with impossible speed through the torrent behind the barrier. It coiled and surged forward, a bullet of pure malice aimed at the center point.
"KRUGER! Watch out!"Raising his hand to reinforce the barrier, a helpless shout tore from Vincent's lungs.
But it was too late.
The Creature struck, and all three barriers shattered simultaneously, like brittle glass. The water then rushed forward and consumed Kruger in a single, merciless instant.