Chapter 4: The Trials of the Wisdom God

Chapter 3: The Call to Arms

The day of the exams was a mix of nervous silence and hushed chatter. We all stood in line, a long procession of aspiring mages, waiting for our turn to enter the portal that would take us to the Temple of Wisdom. Each group was called in every ten minutes, and with every group that disappeared, the tension in the air grew thicker.

As the line inched forward, Mr. Edward came over to our group. His usual absent-minded expression was gone, replaced by a serious, focused look. "Be careful," he said, his gaze sweeping over each of us. "Especially you," he added, his eyes lingering on me for a moment. He said nothing else, just a small, almost imperceptible shake of his head before he walked away.

I was left with a sinking feeling. Why me? Was it because of my human magic? Or my connection to him? I felt the weight of all the secrets I carried—the dream, the altar, the human books, and my own suppressed power. I knew whatever was behind that portal was not what we had been led to believe.

"Carly, we've been called, let's go in," Claris said, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety.

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. We had trained for this. We had a plan. We had each other.

We stepped into the swirling vortex of the portal, and the world dissolved into a blinding flash of light.

The first trial was a tricky one with a terrible scenario. We were immediately hit with a swirling storm of wind and ice that threatened to push us back to the entrance. It was a test of our resilience, but we worked as one, creating a powerful barrier that allowed us to advance forward. The howling winds battered our shield, but we held on, finally managing to land on the other side.

The storm had vanished, replaced by a still, snowy landscape. There, we found some other mages, injured and scattered across the snow. We decided to help them, and with their addition, we were a group of nine. As we advanced, we came to a narrow passage with a magical inscription: "Only four can pass." We could have easily gone through before we rescued them, but now we were faced with a dilemma.

We quickly came up with a plan. We sent Kelvin and Eastella back with the three people we rescued, trusting them to protect the injured mages while Claris and I, along with Ember, moved forward. Our actions and our choice to sacrifice our full party's progression for the safety of others ended the first test.

The next was different. We had to come out safely from the Tomb of Wraiths. "This test won't be easy, guys," Claris said, bracing herself. "You have to brace yourself."

As soon as we entered the tomb, the air grew thick with a chilling presence. Woosh!, the wraiths passed right through us, their icy touch sending shivers down our spines. We knew that barriers were useless against them, so we moved slowly and quietly, trying not to cause any alarm.

Halfway through, we came across a webbed entrance. Kelvin decided to clear it with his gauntlet spell. A shower of dust and webbing fell, followed by a skeleton skull that tumbled to the ground. "On no! We've alerted the wraiths! Everyone, run!" I yelled, taking the lead and following the map.

Tat! An arrow shot toward me, but I didn't even have to think. My Stone Body defense, now a passive skill, instantly activated, deflecting the projectile. "This place has traps! Everyone, be careful!" Claris yelled as we continued to run, a horde of wraiths in pursuit. Luckily, they were a bit slower.

We reached a dead end—a massive, strong wall with no way out and skeletons scattered all around. My teammates looked defeated, but I had a thought. The trick wasn't a door, but an item. "Everyone, check around you for a magic item!" I said.

Kelvin pulled one of the caskets open, and a dead body fell out. Luckily, we spotted a ring, which we quickly grabbed. The ring was able to ward off the wraiths, but it couldn't help us escape. I looked at the wall and saw a slot for a ring and another for what looked like a stick. I remembered a magic wand I had picked up from the skeleton that scared my friends. I placed it in the slot, and it fit perfectly, creating a low, humming sound. "Impressive," a voice in my head whispered.

"Oh, thank goodness you picked that wand!" Claris said, still celebrating.

"Guys," I said, "It's time for the last test, which means we're going solo."

The atmosphere died down. All I could do was wish them luck and tell them to win the last test.

The world was replaced by a soft, white light. I felt my feet touch down on a floor of polished obsidian, and the air around me was still and quiet. Before me stood a chamber with no walls, only the endless white void of the temple. In the center, sitting on a floating cushion, was a small, ancient-looking old man. His beard was long and white, and his eyes, though wrinkled with age, shone with a deep, knowing intelligence. He was the burrowed form of the Wisdom God.

"Welcome, child of two worlds," he said, his voice a gentle hum that echoed in my mind. "This is the final test, and it is a test of your mind. There are no spells here, only puzzles. Solve them, and you may pass."

"Tell me," he began, his eyes twinkling, "what has no voice, but can tell you every story? It has no wings, but can take you anywhere. And it has no body, but is the soul of all that has been and all that will be?"

I thought for a moment, letting the question settle. My mind cleared as I focused on the words. It was a riddle, a test of pure logic.

"A book," I answered confidently.

"Correct," the old man smiled. "The simplest minds often find the simplest truths."

He then gestured to a shimmering pool of water on the floor. "Look into the water, and tell me what you see."

I peered into the pool. It showed me fragmented images of my past, moments I couldn't fully remember. I saw my mother and father together, their faces filled with a love I had never known. Then, the images shifted, and I saw a creature with long, dark claws, and the terrified look on my mother's face. The images swirled, and I felt a pang of confusion and fear. I knew this was a test of my memory, but the images felt distorted, trying to trick me.

I took a deep breath. "The past is a river that flows but does not return. I do not see a true reflection of the past, but a manipulated memory designed to keep me from moving forward." I said.

A flicker of surprise crossed the old man’s face. "Clever," he mused. "But the real challenge awaits."

Suddenly, the chamber around me dissolved. I was standing in a field of fire, with the Elven city of Eldoria burning behind me. I saw my elven friends and my parents, their faces etched with horror. But they were not running from the fire; they were running from me.

I was in my human form, my hands glowing with a terrible, dark power. "You were the cause of it all! The blighted light! The corruption in the world, it was you! Your human blood, your human form," a chorus of a hundred voices screamed at me. I saw my friends, Claris and her family, screaming and crying. "You are not one of us! Your very existence will bring doom to our world!" they yelled.

The visions were too real, the voices too loud. I felt the sanity slipping from me, a suffocating pressure that threatened to break my mind. I was a monster, a curse on all I loved. I screamed and covered my ears, but the voices would not stop.

Just as the madness was about to take hold, a faint image of my friends and family flashed in my mind. Their smiles, their laughter. It wasn't the vision of their terror, but the memory of their love. My human heart was not a curse. It was a bridge to a new hope.

They don't know the truth, I thought. My human self is not a curse. It is a new light.

I closed my eyes and focused on the core of my being, the part that was neither elf nor human, but me. I let go of the doubt, the fear, and the anger. I am Carly, and I am the new light. The terrifying visions shattered like glass. I was back in the chamber, the old man looking at me with a knowing smile.

"You have passed," he said, his voice full of warmth. "You see the truth, not with your eyes, but with your heart. You understand that your power is not determined by who you are, but by what you choose to do with it. A time will come when it seems like the whole world has forsaken you. Let this test be a lesson."

He gestured to the shimmering portal. I was ready to step through, but something stopped me. I remembered Mr. Edward's title. "Wait," I said, turning back to face him. "Who's the Broken God?"

The old man's eyes twinkled. "The Broken God... That's something you have to figure out for yourself 'cause the answer's something you already know."

His words confirmed my suspicion. He wasn't talking about a separate deity. The Light Relic wasn't just a relic; it was the strongest of the gods, a selfless being who had shattered his own essence to put a stop to the demonic race. The "Broken God" wasn't a separate entity, but the very light I was chosen to carry.

I nodded, the truth settling in my mind like a heavy stone. A new portal opened behind him, shimmering with a vibrant golden light. "Go, child. The world awaits its new dawn."

I stepped through the portal, armed with more than just a passing grade. I had a name, a truth, and a terrifying purpose.

When I got out of the portal, I figured everyone was out. They said their test wasn't a puzzle but a maze where they had to find their way out of a life-threatening monster that was slow but would kill them with a single hit. I happened to be the one who came out last, having spent more than seven hours in what felt like hell.

"I'm glad you guys made it," I said as we went to the back section of the temple where those who had been tested were. Some were in a state of trauma because they got stuck in the maze and had to feel the pain of getting crushed or whatever they experienced. It wasn't like everyone's test was the same.

The test results came out, and many were offered a place at the elite school, although most declined after the terrible things they had seen. My team was lucky to have passed. Kelvin, Claris, and I accepted the offer, but the others, while successful, had different aspirations. One wanted to study engineering, and the other to become a fashion professional. We greeted them, wished them success in the schools they truly wanted to be in, and parted ways.

The next few days at the academy felt different. The usual calm serenity was gone, replaced by a subtle tension in the air. We were no longer just students learning to be mages; we were on the brink of something much bigger.

The knowledge from the red book proved invaluable at the elite school. It helped me understand and master the human skills that were now part of my repertoire: rogue, cleric mage, and light skills. The school itself was less about theory and more about the practical application of our abilities, pushing us to improve on our specialties. My focus became swordsmanship, which I combined with magic conjures to summon weapons and enhance my physical attacks.

Years passed as Claris, Kelvin, and I honed our skills. Claris perfected her art magic, able to create intricate illusions and powerful, defensive barriers. Kelvin's silent combat skills and tactical mind made him our stealthy scout. As for me, I became the core of our defense and offense, a true swordsman of both elven and human magic. We grew stronger together, a formidable trio whose complementary skills made us unstoppable.

Over the years, we made a name for ourselves. We were a force to be reckoned with, known for our unwavering bond and the unique light that shone from our combined power. Soon, everyone knew us by a single name, one we had earned and chosen for ourselves: The Red Sun.

"Claris, what's the situation on the other side of the gates?" Kelvin's voice crackled through our sound system, a convenient little device we got from Eastella, who had just opened her own magical device store. "It seems the monsters here are heading your direction like I don't even exist."

The mission was to secure the city gate against a wave of giant, rat-like creatures. The challenge was that they had a unique ability to somehow alter their molecular function, allowing them to bypass the magical barriers that protected the city. It was a race against time, with my sixteenth birthday just around the corner.

"Carly, over at seven o'clock," Claris updated me. "They're headed your direction."

"Roger," I said, a grin on my face. My sword came out of its sheath, instantly igniting with a red flame elemental magic. I used a human skill called "Dash," a passive ability that allowed me to move forward instantly, as I pleased. I flew across the battlefield, slashing almost all the giant rats in my path. Some escaped my blade, but Claris and Kelvin had them under control.

Kelvin, with his gauntlets, had an affinity for lightning magic, and he used it with brutal efficiency. His magic core couldn't produce mana, but Eastella had found a way to help him with artificial cores that stored mana in the clouds above him. We had no idea how she pulled it off, but it had clearly become her talent. Ember also helped us with outfits that boosted our overall magic power.

Mr. Edward, who had become my private tutor and guard, had told me to only use 20% of my power unless the situation got "crazy." He actually needed me close because the limiter of the Broken God could not get off without my presence. I followed his order, knowing that even a fraction of my power was enough to get the job done.

With our combined skills, the gate was secure.

We had to report back at the academy. The journey from the city gates was quiet, a stark contrast to the battle we had just fought. As we approached the academy, its true magnificence came into view. It was a tall, beautiful place, its soaring spires made of polished, crystalline stone that shimmered in the sunlight. Glowing runes pulsed with soft light along its walls, and the manicured gardens leading to its entrance were a perfect picture of serenity. It was a place of power and knowledge, and it felt good to be back.

One evening, as we sat together, a news broadcast echoed through the academy halls. The voice of a high council member announced that the Elven world would soon have to begin a full-scale battle against the monsters. The gate we had just protected was only one of many being attacked across the lands. It was a clear sign that the war was upon us, and it had a purpose. We needed to find the betrayer, the one who had brought this darkness to our world. His name was not spoken, but everyone knew who he was. We would have to seek him out in the dark lands.

I looked at Claris and Kelvin. Our days of school and training were about to be put to the ultimate test. The Red Sun was no longer just a name; it was a call to arms.

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Whispers of Eldoria: Chapter one

Whispers Of Eldoria:Chapter 2

Chapter 3: The Call to Arms

Thanks for reading!
I wanted to make this announcement sooner that I may not have time for this book for a while; there has been a lot of news about admissions that has kept my mind busy. I will be preparing for the resumption, which according to the fresher group is next week (I might go late because I was not prepared to resume early and I could not pay the acceptance fee  yet😩). Take care, guys ❤️❤️.