Ancestral Lineage-Chapter 99: Crimson Awakening. The Trials of Isolation and Betrayal.

Ethan braced himself as he stepped through the blinding light. For a moment, the world felt weightless, as if he were floating in a void. Then the sensation shifted, the ground solidifying beneath his feet. He opened his eyes to find himself standing in a vast expanse of barren wasteland.

The sky above was an oppressive gray, swirling with ominous clouds. The air was still, unnervingly so, and the only sound was the faint crunch of dry earth beneath Ethan’s boots as he moved. The horizon stretched endlessly in every direction, devoid of landmarks or life.

"Isolation," Ethan muttered, his voice swallowed by the silence. He didn’t know how but it felt somewhat familiar. In fact, all he had been experiencing now was familiar but he was sure he’d never personally experienced them.

The word carried a weight that made his chest tighten. He had been alone before—physically, in moments of solitude, or emotionally. But this was different. This was total.

Ethan began walking, unsure of where to go but unable to stand still. The silence was deafening, amplifying the sound of his own breathing and the rhythmic thud of his heartbeat. Minutes stretched into hours, or so it felt. The passage of time was meaningless here.

As he walked, the monotony began to play tricks on his mind.

A faint whisper tickled his ears.

"Ethan..."

He stopped, spinning around. The wasteland was empty, yet the whisper persisted, growing louder, more insistent.

"Ethan..."

It was Clara’s voice.

"Where are you?" Ethan called out, his voice cracking against the silence.

No answer came. Instead, shadows began to creep along the edges of his vision. They were subtle at first, faint smudges against the gray horizon. But as he continued walking, they grew darker, more defined, until they seemed to close in around him.

The first illusion appeared without warning.

One moment, Ethan was alone; the next, he stood in the academy’s training grounds. The familiar sight of students sparring, the hum of affinity energy in the air, and the faint scent of ozone from overcharged abilities—all of it felt real.

But something was wrong.

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Clara, Trevor, and Emily stood in a tight circle, their backs to him. Ethan called out to them, relief flooding his voice.

"Guys! It’s me!"

They turned slowly, their faces devoid of warmth.

"You left us," Clara said, her voice hollow.

"Abandoned us," Trevor added, his gaze cold.

Ethan took a step back, shaking his head. "No, I didn’t. I’d never—"

"You always put yourself first," Emily interrupted, her tone dripping with bitterness. "While we fought and bled, you moved ahead, leaving us behind."

"That’s not true!" Ethan shouted, his voice echoing in the illusion. "I’ve fought for all of you. I’ve bled for you!"

But his words felt empty. The trio’s eyes burned with accusation, their forms twisting into monstrous shapes. Clara’s hands elongated into claws; Trevor’s skin cracked, revealing fiery veins beneath; Emily’s body dissolved into a swirling mass of shadow.

They attacked as one.

Ethan barely had time to react, throwing up a psychic barrier to deflect Clara’s claws. For some reason, he could once again use his abilities but not as he wanted. His Psychic affinity felt different. It felt weak, sluggish to the extent that he had to push himself more before he could use a power skill. Trevor lunged, flames erupting from his hands, forcing Ethan to dodge and counter with a blast of telekinetic force. Emily’s shadowy form wrapped around him, suffocating and pulling at his limbs.

"You can’t save them," a voice whispered in his ear, cold and mocking.

Ethan roared, unleashing a pulse of psychic energy that shattered the illusion. The training grounds dissolved, leaving him once again in the barren wasteland.

The isolation deepened as Ethan walked. He lost track of time and distance. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, until they weren’t whispers at all but voices screaming his name.

The figures that appeared now weren’t his friends but nameless faces twisted by despair. A young boy sobbed at his feet, his body bloodied and broken. A woman clawed at her throat, gasping for air.

"You could have saved us," they cried in unison, their voices echoing in his mind.

"I didn’t know you," Ethan murmured, his voice trembling. "I couldn’t—"

"Excuses!" the crowd roared, surging toward him.

Ethan raised his hands, summoning a barrier to keep them at bay. But they pressed against it, their distorted faces filling his vision. Their screams pierced his ears, their accusations tearing at his psyche.

"You will always be alone," a voice boomed, louder than the others.

Ethan fell to his knees, the weight of the trial pressing down on him. His breathing was ragged, his body trembling.

For the first time, doubt crept in.

What if this was his fate? To fight, to lead, but always alone? And why was he feeling all this when he had clearly lived in Cigomia Street all his life? This all felt surreal and suspicious but strangely familiar too.

He closed his eyes, shutting out the voices and the visions. In the silence of his mind, he forced himself to think.

"This is the trial," he whispered. "It’s trying to break me. To make me believe I’m alone. But I’m not."

Memories surfaced, unbidden yet welcome. Clara’s laughter. Trevor’s teasing smirk. Emily’s quiet encouragement. Harley’s sweet personality. Lamair’s calculative yet crazy attitude, Miss Carmen, his mother... all the good people in his life. The camaraderie they shared, the bond forged through countless battles. Yes, countless battles. Cough*

Ethan’s resolve hardened.

"I am not alone," he said, louder this time.

The crowd froze, their forms wavering like smoke in the wind.

"I have my friends. My family. They’ve stood by me through everything, and I’ll stand by them. No trial, no illusion, can take that away."

The wasteland began to crumble. The ground cracked, the gray sky split apart, and the shadows receded.

When the trial ended, Ethan found himself standing in a circular chamber bathed in soft light. The oppressive weight was gone, replaced by a profound stillness.

The same resonant voice from before echoed around him.

"You have faced isolation and emerged unbroken. Remember this: true strength lies not in solitude, but in the connections we forge. You have passed the second trial. Proceed."

Ethan exhaled deeply, his body sagging with relief. The chamber began to shift, the light intensifying as the next trial prepared to reveal itself.

"I’m ready," he said, his voice steady.

But deep down, he knew the worst was yet to come.

___

Ethan had barely a moment to collect himself before the chamber transformed. The light that had surrounded him dimmed, flickering like a failing bulb, and the air grew thick and stifling. The walls morphed, becoming jagged and uneven, as though carved from raw stone.

Before he could fully grasp his surroundings, Ethan found himself in the academy’s great hall. It was eerily quiet, devoid of the usual buzz of activity. The banners of the Tyrants hung high above, their colors muted and dull.

A familiar voice broke the silence.

"You really think you can trust them, Ethan?"

Ethan turned sharply to see Leon leaning casually against a pillar, his trademark smirk firmly in place. But something about him was off. His eyes glinted with malice, and his stance radiated a confidence that bordered on arrogance. Not like he wasn’t arrogant already but this was, too much.

"What are you talking about, Leon?" Ethan asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Your friends," Leon said, his tone dripping with mockery. "Clara, Trevor, Emily... You think they’re loyal to you? That they’d never turn against you?"

Ethan frowned, his gut twisting. He knew this was the trial. He knew it wasn’t real. And yet, the words cut deeper than they should have.

"They’ve always stood by me," Ethan replied firmly. "I trust them with my life."

Leon chuckled, the sound echoing unnaturally through the hall. "We’ll see about that."

The great hall shifted and warped, the stone walls melting away to reveal a dark, oppressive forest. The trees loomed tall and skeletal, their branches clawing at the sky like bony fingers. Shadows danced and flickered among the trunks, and the air was filled with the faint sound of whispering.

Ahead of him, Ethan saw the figures of Clara, Trevor, and Emily. Relief washed over him as he began to approach, but he stopped short when he noticed the tension in their stances.

They were arguing.

"He’s holding us back," Clara said, her voice sharp and filled with frustration.

Trevor crossed his arms, nodding in agreement. "We’ve been cleaning up his messes for too long."

Emily looked hesitant, her gaze flickering between her friends. "But he’s our friend..."

"Friend?" Clara spat, turning to Emily. "He’s a liability. Always throwing himself into danger, forcing us to pick up the pieces. How much longer are we supposed to put up with this?"

Ethan’s breath caught in his throat. "What... what are you saying?"

The trio turned to face him, their expressions cold and unrecognizable.

"We’re saying we’re done," Trevor said flatly. "Done following you. Done risking everything for your reckless decisions."

"Wait!" Ethan pleaded, stepping forward. "You know that’s not true. I’ve always—"

"Always what?" Clara interrupted, her voice laced with venom. "Always put yourself first? Always treated us like pawns in your game? We’re tired, Ethan. Tired of you."

Ethan’s heart pounded as the accusations kept coming, each one striking like a physical blow.

"You were supposed to be our leader," Emily said, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and sorrow. "But all you did was lead us into ruin."

The shadows around them grew darker, coiling around Ethan’s feet like living things. He tried to move, to defend himself, but the weight of their words held him in place.

"This isn’t real," he whispered to himself, trying to steady his breathing. "This is the trial. It’s trying to break me."

But the pain felt real. The betrayal felt real.

This was all familiar. He didn’t know where he saw them previously but he just knew he’d passed here somehow. He tried recalling the trials he’d passed and realized that he couldn’t remember anything. All there was the feeling that he had passed, fulfilled the trials requirements but that was all and it unnerved him to the core.

He couldn’t feel his beasts, he couldn’t access his trusty system nor Zark. He dying within.

...

The trio advanced, their forms shifting and twisting. Clara’s figure became gaunt and skeletal, her eyes burning with an unnatural light. Trevor’s body grew larger, his muscles bulging grotesquely as flames erupted from his hands. Emily’s shadow stretched unnaturally, enveloping her like a living cloak.

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Ethan summoned his psychic energy, the familiar glow surrounding him.

"I won’t fight you," he said, his voice firm.

"Then you’ll die," Clara hissed, lunging at him with clawed hands.

Ethan deflected her attack with a telekinetic barrier, the force sending her flying back. Trevor followed up with a blast of fire, the heat singeing the air. Ethan rolled to the side, countering with a pulse of psychic energy that knocked Trevor off balance.

Emily’s shadowy form darted around him, striking from every angle. Ethan gritted his teeth, focusing his energy to create a dome of protection.

"I don’t want to hurt you!" he shouted.

"Then you’ll fail," Trevor growled, his voice distorted and monstrous.

The battle raged on, each attack forcing Ethan to dig deeper into his reserves of power. Sweat dripped down his face, and his muscles ached from the strain. But he refused to give in.

"This isn’t real," he reminded himself, even as the pain of their blows threatened to overwhelm him. "They’re not my friends."

The trio hesitated for a moment, their forms flickering as if Ethan’s words had struck a nerve.

"You’re not real!" Ethan roared, unleashing a wave of psychic energy that sent them sprawling. "My friends would never say that to me!"

The illusions shattered like glass, the forest dissolving into a swirl of light and shadow. Ethan collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.

When the world settled, Ethan found himself back in the circular chamber. The voice returned, calm and resonant.

"Trust is a fragile thing, easily tested and easily broken. You have faced betrayal and held true to your faith in those who stand by you. Remember this: a leader must trust, even when trust feels impossible."

Ethan nodded weakly, the weight of the trial still heavy on his shoulders.

"Three trials down," he muttered. "What’s next?"

The chamber began to shift once more, the light dimming as the next challenge loomed before him. Ethan clenched his fists, readying himself for whatever came next.

But deep inside, doubt lingered. The trial may have been an illusion, but the seed it planted refused to fade. Could he really trust anyone completely? Or was that yet another test he’d have to face?

But amidst all that, he felt a soothing sensation in and on his body, like he was being massaged in and out. He felt his energy return to him, as good as new. This had been happening ever since he started the trials and he was grateful to whoever was doing that to help him.