The moment Kame realized he was no longer inside the trial, a hollow stillness wrapped around him.
The crushing pressure that had once weighed down his chest was gone.
The fear that clawed at his instincts had vanished.
Even the pain—sharp, unforgiving pain—had disappeared as if it had never existed.
For a brief moment, Kame wondered if everything he had endured was nothing more than an illusion.
Then a calm, authoritative voice echoed through the vast emptiness.
"Well done, young boy."
Kame turned instinctively toward the source.
"You have successfully cleared the first stage of the trial," Pride continued. "Two more stages remain."
The words struck harder than any blow.
"…Two more?" Kame muttered, his eyes widening before his expression hardened.
Frustration surged violently within him. His jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. He wanted to scream. He wanted to demand answers. But he didn't.
Not in front of Pride.
He swallowed the irritation whole, burying it deep inside his chest.
"So… let's finish the remaining trials quickly," Kame said, forcing steadiness into his voice.
Pride studied him for a brief second, as if seeing straight through the act.
"Follow me."
Without another word, Pride turned and began walking.
Kame followed silently, his footsteps echoing faintly as his thoughts drifted back to the first trial.
It had been cruel.
Too realistic.
Not something meant to merely test strength.
It tested identity.
As they walked, an uneasy sensation crept up his spine.
Something didn't add up.
Wait…
His pace slowed.
That school…
Images replayed in his mind—classrooms, hallways, familiar faces laughing and shouting his name.
But then the realization struck.
Those weren't Kame's memories.
His breath caught.
They were mine.
My childhood friends… not Kame's.
They were Jake's friends.
A chill ran through his body.
Before he could speak, Pride came to a halt.
"We have arrived."
Kame snapped back to reality.
He looked around, expecting something grand—another twisted environment, another hell disguised as a trial.
Instead, he found himself standing inside an enormous white marble hall.
Endless.
Silent.
Perfectly empty.
"So… this is the second trial?" Kame asked cautiously.
Pride shook his head.
"I wish I could say that," he replied. "But despite the limited time we possess, the truth is simple—you are not yet prepared for the second and third trials."
Kame frowned. "Then why bring me here?"
"We will wait," Pride said calmly. "For one day."
"…Wait?" Kame repeated. "And what exactly will waiting here for a day accomplish, Mr. Pride?"
Pride turned toward him, a faint, knowing smile forming on his lips.
"Even if I were to explain it now, you would not understand," he said. "Understanding comes after power. Not before it. Complete the remaining trials, and the answers will reveal themselves."
Kame exhaled slowly. "So we're really just waiting?"
"Yes."
"What about food? Water? Sleep?" Kame asked, gesturing around. "This place is literally empty."
"The moment we entered the sanctuary," Pride explained, "we were diverted into another realm altogether. This is no longer the human world."
Kame paused.
"…That makes sense."
Only now did he notice it.
No hunger.
No thirst.
Not even fatigue.
As if his body itself had been placed on pause.
"You need to sleep," Pride said suddenly.
Kame blinked. "What? Why—"
"Enough," Pride interrupted sharply. "No excuses. It is important."
Something in Pride's tone made Kame hesitate.
Without arguing further, he lay down on the cold marble floor.
The moment his eyes closed—
Darkness swallowed him whole.
A Different Consciousness
Kame opened his eyes.
But instantly, he knew—
This was not his body.
He recognized it.
Too well.
Jake Park.
Yet something felt terribly wrong.
He could see clearly.
He could hear every sound.
He could sense the cold air brushing against skin.
But he couldn't move.
I can't control this body…
I'm only observing.
Iron bars filled his vision.
"…Bars?"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
A prison?
Jake's body moved forward on its own.
"Hey!" Jake shouted arrogantly, gripping the bars. "Do you even know who you're dealing with? Where's my servant? I only punched some random guy! Under whose authority did you lock me up?"
Footsteps approached.
A police officer stopped in front of the cell, eyes burning with restrained fury.
"Sir," the cop said aggressively, "do you even realize who you assaulted?"
Jake scoffed.
"That 'random guy' was a minister," the officer continued. "And it happened during an open rally. Do you have any idea what kind of consequences you've brought upon yourself?"
For the first time, unease flickered across Jake's face.
But deeper—
Far deeper—
The real Jake was screaming.
Watching everything unfold from the depths of consciousness.
Helpless.
Confused.
Terrified.
I can see everything… but I can't do anything.
Then it hit him.
"…Wait."
A single thought echoed in the void.
I was transmigrated into someone else's body.
His realization deepened, dread spreading like poison.
So if I'm here…