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Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 182: Fear
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It had been hours since the Bishop and the Chosen 'took' their own lives.
Immediately after the Chosen had gotten the story and confirmed exactly what had happened, the aspirants had been moved from the chapel to a wide, stout room with no windows and a single door.
Lanterns burned on all four walls of the room, their light spilling over and illuminating the place, but it was not bright enough to be more than dim.
No one had spoken since. Or at least, no one had spoken to anyone that was not their paired partner.
The silence that filled the room felt like a hidden presence, listening to their heartbeats. It was broken only by the occasional shuddered breath or the creak of someone shifting on their bench.
Grief wasn't the right word for the emotion that filled the room. Most of them hadn't known the Bishop for long, after all, they'd been raised in other cities and brought here for their trials.
No, the emotion in the room was something else. It was more like numb confusion. Horror. Fear.
Ren sat beside Lilith, her head resting against his shoulder. She hadn't spoken either, but every few minutes, her fingers would brush against his hand, as if trying to remind herself that he was still there.
He couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. This meant that she was making an effort to gain her emotions back. To fill up what Soul Dominion had used.
Of course, the urge could fade very soon. As long as her emotions flickered while in this state, no one could tell what she'd try next. Not even Ren.
He didn't know how much time passed. Just that eventually, the door opened with a groan.
A pair of silent Chosen, different from the ones that had entered the chapel earlier, their cloaks clean of any blood, gestured for them to rise.
They followed.
The hallways were quiet as they walked, their footsteps echoing beneath the vaulted ceilings. Eventually, the stone corridor opened up into a massive circular courtyard at the centre of the church building.
And there it stood.
The Shivering Tree.
Its trunk was gray and thick, standing wide and gnarled with age and wisdom. However, its branches were spread wide and high, and every single leaf was a pale white. So white that they looked like fragments of snow.
The entire tree, even the trunk itself shook without stopping in an hypnotic rhythm, as if the tree was caught in an invisible breeze
The whole group was silent, but this time, it was different. Even those who had been close to breaking down earlier now stared in silent awe.
Standing right in front of the tree was a man wearing silver robes with thick threads of gold designing the hems, his posture proud. His voice carried the moment he spoke, breaking those who had been hypnotized by the tree out of their stupors.
"Hello, aspirants. I am Father Francis, member of the Synod." He said, his eyes roving over them. "I will be overseeing your trials today."
Immediately, the atmosphere changed. They all knew what was going on without having to be told. The aspirants who had been slouching straightened immediately, as if his presence alone demanded it.
"Under normal circumstances," he continued, "you would not be told the truth. But given the… unfortunate incident that you have all been a part of, it is necessary that you understand exactly what is expected of you."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"We are in a time of great danger, and the Church needs new Chosen. So, the Pope has authorized me to… help you with the secret of your trial."
Nobody even bothered to whisper or murmur as his gaze swept across their faces. "The trial is simple, though passing it is not." Father Francis continued. "You must approach the Shivering Tree, and as you place your hand on it, you shall resonate."
"Each pair will bond, finding a shared frequency with something that defines them. A pair can choose opposites. The male, fire. And the female, water. Or they could both go all in on fire, doubling their firepower. Whatever you choose, that resonance will bind you for life."
He paused. "But all this is possible only if you get to actually touch the tree. You see, this is a secret that only Chosen are privy to, but none of you must fail. You shall all become Chosen for the Pope demands it of you."
Ren blinked as he realized what was going on. Father Francis was about to reveal the trick of how to pass the trial and become a Chosen.
"The Shivering Tree, and the Creator, absolutely detests one thing only." the man paused. "Fear."
"For if you allow your fear to control you… the tree will reject you." Father Francis continued, his voice growing harder. "Fear is part of the process. You are not meant to eliminate it. You are meant to overcome it. To step forward despite it. Today, you all carry more fear than any class before you. And that is exactly why this test matters."
He stepped closer to them now, his eyes narrowing. Ren could almost feel the resonant loop the man was holding tightly controlled. He knew in that instant that this man was powerful.
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"And now, the warnings." Father Francis stopped, his eyes hard. "There are certain things you are forbidden from resonating with on the pain of death."
"Resonance with blood. Flesh. Soul. Bones. Dreams. Emotions. Memories. Should any of you attempt to bond with these six things… I will kill you myself."
A few aspirants gasped.
"I will be watching. You have five minutes to think about what you want to resonate with. Then, each pair would step forward and take the test." He stepped back, and it felt like a storm had just passed. Like the sun had just peeked from behind the clouds.
Five minutes. That was all they had.
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