Soul Puppets

The two were about to close their deal when the hall door suddenly opened. Silence descended, and all eyes turned to see what would happen next. A tall, skinny figure entered. She wore a white suit that hung loosely on her frame, her hair was cut short, and her eyes seemed devoid of life. The moment she stepped in, everyone swore the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. She walked to the front, standing there, silently waiting for the few brave souls still chatting to finally quiet down. Her gaze alone was enough; sensing it, they lost the nerve to continue their conversations.

"You are here to die. Only a few of you are here to join the Avalon Society," she declared, her voice sinister and chilling.

She then fell silent, waiting for the competitors' reactions.

"I want to join, but if the price is my life, there's no reason to waste my time here," a young man stated, moving to leave the hall. The instant he opened the door that the old woman had used to enter, he was cut down by what appeared to be a sword. He was split in half, and it took a few seconds for most people to register his death. Some initially thought he was merely reconsidering his choice. When his two halves separated and blood spewed forth, terrible screams erupted throughout the hall. As the screams continued, the old woman waved her hand, and seven figures marched into the hall. They were human-like but possessed an unnatural stiffness not found in the living. They moved with precise, uniform movements. Each stood six feet tall, heavily built, with red eyes, and wore what looked like knight's armor, two long swords strapped to their backs. The seven figures positioned themselves before the stage, looking out at the competitors.

"The first test is very simple. Survive for thirty minutes with these Soul Puppets attacking to kill you," the old woman announced. She offered no further explanation before the puppets began their assault. Those at the front were caught off guard, and dozens were instantly cut in half. The scent of blood filled the hall as everyone frantically decided on their path to survival. The old woman had already left, and the question of whether one could back out of this test had already been answered.

Cate, Mary, and the strange young man were at the back of the hall, far from the attacking puppets. Because of this, the three remained calm. Even Mary, who seemed timid, understood that this was their best position. All they had to do was hope it took the puppets a long time to cut down the other competitors. They only needed thirty minutes to pass the test. People began attacking the puppets with fireballs, ice spears, powerful gusts of wind, and many other magical attacks that made the hall tremble, but they soon realized the puppets were immune to magic. A young mage saw this and immediately used her magecraft to increase her strength, speed, and enhance all her other senses. She moved like the wind and punched one of the puppets in the chest. It was sent flying through the walls and landed in the grassland beyond. This was when the competitors learned they were not in a building but an isolated hall. They immediately used their powers to break through the walls and escape the bloody hall. Just like that, Cate's hopes of sitting back and waiting things out were shattered. She remained calm, and before Mary could say anything, Cate began speaking in Latin, casting a spell. Neither Mary nor the young man had ever heard of this spell. When she finished, a thin, transparent film of energy rose from the earth, surrounding the three of them in a bubble of sorts. Bang! The hall could no longer withstand the countless attacks from the competitors and collapsed. Mary screamed when she saw a large steel beam falling towards them, but Cate just smiled. Bang! The beam struck the bubble and was gently deflected to the side as though it were air.

Cate had cast a protection spell on the three of them. The magnificent hall from moments ago was now nothing but debris. All the competitors had already fled the place, and those remaining were either dead or dying. Only Cate and her group stood intact. Mary could feel the great power that Cate wielded, but the strange young man simply showed no fear, not even for the puppets. He remained still, unmoving. Cate was intrigued by the young man, but this was not the time to probe for information. In the debris of the hall, a single puppet remained. It thrust its sword into the head of an already dying competitor, as if to ensure he was dead. It then surveyed the collapsed hall, its eyes glowing crimson. Cate could see the thirst for blood in its gaze. These creatures were clearly products of dark sorcery, yet they were being used by the Avalon Society, which claimed righteousness as its shield. Cate smiled at the irony.

"I will finish it off," the strange young man said once the puppet began moving in their direction.

Cate grabbed his hand. "No need," she said. The young man was confused, but since Cate hadn't let them down so far, he decided to trust her. The Soul Puppet walked directly towards the three people and stopped just outside the magic bubble. It looked around in confusion, even sniffing the air like a hound. Mary was certain they would be caught, so Cate decided to explain what she had done.

"I have cast a protection spell that can deflect any attack from anyone with weaker magic than I. This spell also makes us invisible to most living things and even these puppets can not see un since they are made using human souls as the main ingredient .Even if some things can see through the barrier ,the spell deal with them by confusing their minds until they forget ever seeing what lies beyond the barrier ."After her explanation, Mary and the young man both looked at her as though they were seeing her for the first time .