Does God want me Barbecued?

"Come closer, child," Elder Kareth said, motioning toward the circle of cracked sandstone where a fire burned unnaturally bright.

Theo stood frozen in front of the old priest, wondering how in the hell he'd managed to talk himself into this. Behind him, the sanctuary's ancient stone walls stretched up like solemn guardians. The air inside was dry, hot, and smelled faintly of incense and something vaguely roasted.

"You said… trial?" Theo asked, trying not to visibly sweat through his fake smile.

Elder Kareth's eyes gleamed beneath his hood. "Indeed. All who wish to be initiated must commune with the Divine Flame. Only the chosen are accepted into Solus' sacred path. The fire does not lie."

Of course it's fire. Of course.

Theo glanced at the flame flickering at the center of the room. It didn't move like a normal fire. It pulsed, slow and steady, like a heartbeat. And it was red, not just red, unnaturally red. Like a neon sign for a divine barbecue joint.

"What's it gonna do?" Theo asked warily.

Speak to me? Burn me alive? Roast my soul like a marshmallow? Lets hope not.

"The Flame will reveal the truth," Kareth said, his tone calm, almost reverent. "Your truth. If your spirit is unworthy, the fire will… reject you."

"Reject me," Theo echoed, dry. "It surely doesnt mean tha—?"

"Do not worry child," Kareth replied with a smile that didn't help.

Theo stepped closer, his boots scraping against the stone floor. The circle around the flame had symbols carved into it, spirals, eyes, and something that looked suspiciously like someone being stabbed in the chest with a giant fork.

He cleared his throat. "So I just… sit?"

"You kneel. Speak nothing. Think nothing. Let the Flame see who you are."

Awesome. Soul strip poker with holy fire.

Still, he lowered himself to the stone, careful not to look too fake religious. His knees hit the floor harder than expected. The heat was intense now, pressing against his skin like a judgmental sun.

The flame flickered taller. Something in the back of his brain twitched.

He was being watched.

Not by Elder Kareth, not by the robed figures standing silently along the sanctuary walls. No, this was something deeper. Bigger. Something ancient, buried just under reality.

The flame leaned toward him.

Theo swallowed.

And the system clicked on.

[SYSTEM WARNING: UNUSUAL ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED]

- Trial Instability Rating: HIGH

- Jewel of Ra proximity confirmed. Initiating Observation Mode.

Theo didn't even flinch. He was too busy trying not to pass out from the sudden shift in air pressure. His ears rang. The fire pulsed again, then surged.

Memories snapped like cables in his skull.

He was eight, clutching his sister's hand at the funeral.

He was thirteen, trying not to cry when he dropped out of school.

He was twentyone, holding a beer and pretending not to care that he wanted to die.

The fire wasn't just seeing his thoughts.

It was devouring them.

A soft voice entered his head. Not loud. Not angry. Just… knowing.

"You carry rage like a blade pressed to your own throat."

Theo flinched. The heat was in his blood now.

His eyes darted to Elder Kareth, but the old priest hadn't moved. He just watched with that same serene, distant look. Like this was all normal. Like Theo wasn't about to get turned into a charred confession log.

The flame towered higher, spiraling upward until it touched the dome ceiling.

"You hide behind a mask. You wield it like a shield. But I see you."

The voice was warm. Too warm. Comforting in a way that made Theo's skin crawl.

"Why do you wish to become one of us, child?"

He paused.

He could lie. Say he wanted to serve the Divine Light. Say he wanted to help others. Say literally anything holy sounding and maybe the fire would buy it.

But the system buzzed in his head again.

[WARNING: LIE DETECTED. FLAME RESPONSE WILL BE HOSTILE.]

Fantastic.

Theo exhaled slowly.

"I want to find something," he whispered.

"What is it you seek?"

"The Jewel of Ra," he muttered, too quiet for the others to hear. "I think I need it."

"You do not think. You know. But to take from fire… you must offer something back."

Theo's fingers twitched.

He didn't like that phrasing.

"What… kind of something?" he asked carefully.

"Your flame. Your truth. Show me. Or burn."

Suddenly, the sanctuary was gone.

He was back in his childhood room.

Everything was quiet, too quiet. Dust motes floated in golden light. His old mattress. The broken fan in the corner. The posters on the wall he'd never taken down.

And in the center of it all stood a red jewel, pulsing gently, shinning brightly.

Theo's breath caught.

[Jewel of Ra Located.]

- Touch to begin trial.

- Warning: Point of no return.

He stepped forward, heart thudding like a war drum. Everything around him shimmered. The bed flickered. The light warped. This wasn't real.

But the jewel was.

He reached out.

His hand hovered over the glowing surface. Heat prickled his skin. Something moved within the stonelike fire and shadow and something alive.

He hesitated.

Then, without breathing, he touched it.

***

The world snapped.

Time buckled.

Color vanished.

And then Theo screamed as he was sucked straight into the jewel without any time to think about it.