Then, it happened.
Disaster.
Hope saw it before it even fully unfolded—the exact moment the battle turned from desperate to lost.
The broad-sword wielder made a mistake.
A single miscalculation—a slight mistiming of his downward swing.
It was all the Ant Fiend needed.
The beast reacted instantly, seizing the opportunity with terrifying precision.
With a blur of movement too fast to follow, its dagger-like mandibles lunged forward.
The student didn't even have time to react.
A sickening sound echoed through the cavern—
Flesh tearing. Armor breaking. A scream ripping through the air.
Blood gushed from the student's side, splattering onto the rocky ground as his body staggered backward.
His weapon clattered to the floor.
His teammates were a step too slow.
A fraction of a second late.
And in battle, that was all that mattered.
Hope's fingers instinctively tightened around his sickle-like dagger as he watched.
His muscles tensed.
The thought of intervening crossed his mind—
For a moment.
A brief, fleeting moment.
Then he dismissed it.
"Not my problem."
He exhaled, shaking his head.
They had chosen to fight.
They had chosen to challenge this fiend.
And now, they were facing the consequences.
Every person should carry their own responsibility.
"That's just how the world works."
Then—
A familiar voice spoke inside his mind.
A voice that wasn't his.
"You're right."
It chuckled, dark amusement lacing its words.
Hope twitched.
His jaw tightened.
"Damn this flaw."
He cursed under his breath, rubbing his temple.
He wasn't crazy.
At least, not in the way most people thought.
This voice—
It had been there for as long as he could remember, when the veil marked him.
Not always speaking.
Not always active.
But it was there.
A whisper in his mind.
A twisted reflection in mirrors
A shadow lurking in his thoughts.
And right now, it was enjoying this moment far too much.
Hope scowled but pushed it aside.
He had more important things to focus on.
The Ant Fiend shifted its weight, readying to finish its wounded prey.
The injured student was struggling to stay upright, clutching his bleeding side, his face pale.
His teammates looked panicked—
Desperate.
But there was nothing they could do.
Nothing fast enough.
The Ant lunged—
And then—
It died.
Death Came Like a Flash of Light
Hope didn't see it.
Not truly.
Not fully.
There was no warning—
No buildup.
No grand display of power.
One moment, the indestructible Ant Fiend was there—
The next, it was torn in half.
A flash of light was the only thing Hope caught.
Then, before the fiend could even let out a final screech—
Its two halves crashed to the ground with a wet thud.
The cavern fell into dead silence.
Hope's breath slowed.
His sharp eyes flicked to the center of the scene—
To the figure now standing there.
A lone man.
Unarmed.
Green blood dripping from his fingers.
Not an awakened
Not another scavenger.
An Instructor.
An Ascended Instructor.
One of the elite few overseeing this test.
Hope knew exactly what had happened.
The Instructor must have heard the student's scream.
And he had arrived in an instant.
Hope had no idea what kind of power the man possessed—
But whatever it was, it had been fast.
Faster than anything Hope had ever seen.
The Instructor looked at the injured student, his expression unreadable.
"I heard a scream from this place."
His voice was calm. Controlled.
"Pick him up and follow me before he bleeds out."
The remaining students rushed to comply, scrambling to support their injured teammate.
The Instructor barely paid them any attention.
Instead—
His head turned slightly.
His sharp gaze landed on a specific spot in the shadows.
A spot where no one should have been able to see.
A spot where Hope was hiding.
"You can come out now."
His voice was casual—but there was an edge to it.
"There's no use in hiding. The test is over."
Hope's entire body stiffened.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
He had been detected.
Somehow.
That shouldn't have been possible.
His awakened abilities let him merge with the darkness, rendering him undetectable.
And yet—
This Instructor had found him without effort.
Hope clenched his jaw.
Then—
He jumped down.
His silent landing startled the other students, who stared at him in shock.
They hadn't even known he was there.
Hope ignored them.
His focus remained on the Instructor.
The man didn't seem surprised.
If anything—
He looked amused.