Chapter 3: The Awakening Trial

The night air was colder than before, or maybe it was just Kairos' nerves. The weight of Selene's words still pressed heavily on his mind as he walked beside her through the quiet streets. The city lights flickered in the distance, a stark contrast to the darkness he felt creeping into his life.

He had agreed to trust her, but that didn't mean he wasn't questioning everything. The Celestial System. Evolution. A hidden force that had been searching for him. It sounded like something out of a novel, not his reality. And yet, the proof was undeniable—his own body had transformed overnight, and his instincts were sharper than ever.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked, breaking the silence between them.

Selene glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "Somewhere safe. You need to understand your power before it overwhelms you."

Kairos frowned. "And you expect me to just believe that you know what's best for me?"

She smirked slightly. "I don't expect anything. But if you want answers, you'll follow me."

Kairos sighed, running a hand through his hair. He hated being led around blindly, but what choice did he have? The truth was, he didn't just want answers—he needed them.

They stopped in front of an old building, an abandoned warehouse at the edge of the city. The structure looked like it had been forgotten for years, vines creeping up its sides, the windows shattered in some places.

Selene pushed open the rusted door with ease and motioned for him to follow. Inside, the air was thick with dust, the scent of old metal and concrete filling his lungs. The only light came from the moon filtering through cracks in the roof.

Kairos took a step forward and immediately felt a strange energy settle around him. It was like an invisible force pressing down on his skin, tingling against his senses.

"What… is this place?" he asked warily.

"A training ground," Selene said simply, walking deeper into the building. "Or, more accurately, a testing ground."

Kairos narrowed his eyes. "Testing what?"

Selene stopped and turned to face him, her gaze sharp. "Your first evolution."

Something inside Kairos tensed. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but those words sent a chill down his spine.

"What do you mean, evolution? I already transformed once."

Selene shook her head. "That was only the beginning. Your power is unstable right now—raw, untamed. The Celestial System doesn't just give strength, Kairos. It refines it. Every battle you fight, every challenge you overcome, pushes you further down the path of evolution. The stronger you become, the more your body adapts."

Kairos clenched his fists. He could still feel the strange energy inside him, shifting beneath his skin like a living force. It wasn't just power—it was something deeper, something ancient.

"Then what do I have to do?"

Selene took a step back and smiled. "Survive."

Before Kairos could react, the air around him cracked. A pulse of energy erupted from the ground, sending him stumbling backward as a golden circle of light appeared beneath his feet. Symbols he didn't recognize glowed with an eerie radiance, and the warehouse around them seemed to warp and stretch.

The world blurred. His vision flickered. And suddenly—

—he wasn't in the warehouse anymore.

Kairos spun around, his heart hammering in his chest. The air was thick and heavy, the ground beneath him shifting like sand. The sky above was a swirling mass of deep blues and purples, dotted with countless stars that seemed to pulse like living things.

"What the hell…?"

Selene's voice echoed around him, but when he turned, she was gone.

A cold realization sank in.

He was alone.

And then—

A deep growl rumbled from the shadows.

Kairos' muscles tensed. He turned slowly, his instincts screaming at him. From the darkness, a figure emerged—a beast unlike anything he had ever seen. It stood on four powerful legs, its body covered in jagged black armor, its eyes glowing with a hungry crimson light. Claws the size of daggers scraped against the ground as it stepped forward, its breath fogging the air with every exhale.

A notification flashed in the corner of Kairos' vision.

[Trial of Awakening: Begin.]

Kairos barely had time to process the message before the beast lunged.

He threw himself to the side just in time to avoid the razor-sharp claws that swiped through the air where he had been standing. The ground cracked from the force of the strike. Kairos rolled to his feet, his body moving faster than he expected, the new power inside him already responding to the threat.

The beast snarled and charged again.

Kairos knew he couldn't run. He had to fight.

His body reacted before his mind could fully grasp what was happening. His muscles tensed, his senses sharpened, and for the first time—he felt the Celestial System guiding him.

As the beast struck, Kairos moved. His hand shot forward, and a flash of golden energy erupted from his fingertips.

The blast slammed into the creature's side, sending it skidding across the ground. It roared in pain but didn't stop—it was already recovering, its crimson eyes locking onto Kairos with renewed fury.

Kairos didn't hesitate. He charged forward, his body moving with an ease he had never known. He dodged the beast's next swipe, sliding beneath its massive claws, and then—

Instinct took over.

With a single motion, he twisted his body and struck. A surge of power flowed through his arm as his fist connected with the beast's armored hide. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air. The beast howled, its body cracking from the force.

Then—silence.

The monster staggered, its form trembling—before shattering into golden dust.

Kairos stood there, his breathing heavy. His hands were still trembling from the rush of battle.

And then, in the distance, a voice whispered:

"You are ready."

The world shifted again. The sky dissolved, the ground beneath him vanished—and in the next moment, Kairos found himself back in the warehouse, gasping for breath.

Selene stood over him, arms crossed. "Not bad," she said, smirking. "You survived."

Kairos looked up at her, his body still burning with adrenaline. "What… the hell was that?"

She extended a hand, helping him to his feet. "That," she said, "was your first real step toward evolution."

Kairos clenched his fists, feeling the raw power coursing through him.