Author Notes:
In the Author notes of the previous chapter, I mentioned that the next batch of chapters would be severely longer than Chapter Two. I made good on that promise as this chapter was almost three times the length of the previous one.
Disclaimer: All original properties used in this chapter, be it characters or worlds/cities, belong to me and me alone. However, any such things created by anyone else belongs to them. Also, Kingdom Hearts is the property of Disney and Square Enix.
To the sight that Atlas and Gios both had in front of them, the world they saw was one that spoke history. The sky had a unique red and magenta hue going on with a half-moon, half-sun up in the sky providing a unique contrast between light and dark as one half of the land before them was night time and the other half was daytime. It wasn't the kind that seemed to be going on for a limited time. It was that of a permanent kind of situation. The land itself was vast and had nice balance between nature and buildings built by man. There was a mountain range that had a beautiful light and dark ratio, then there were plains in the distance. Then, as the gaze of Gios came to the city, hovering above it all was a luxurious castle, one that had a color palette as the same as the red and magenta that graced the entire area. The castle itself seemed to have a gothic-like appearance as it towered to the heavens.
"I would like to welcome you to Enigma of Horizon." Atlas said.
Gios looked on and Atlas would gesture him to walk down the single pathway that led all the way to the lower level of the city. As they walked lower and lower to the path, taking turns that brought them more to the base level of the land, they passed by the citizens. Each set of eyes looked at Gios with wonder. There were even some that shouted out "The Chosen One!", to which Gios reacted strangely(inside only). He didn't know what that meant, but perhaps he did. It probably had to do with whatever power he had inside of him. In any case, once they had reached the lowest level that the city had to offer, instantly Gios and Atlas were surrounded by the lowest of the low that the city had to offer.
"IT'S THE CHOSEN ONE!"
"THE CHOSEN ONE HAS COME AT LAST!"
"I WANT A MILKSHAKE!"
Aside the last set of people who said they wanted a milkshake, Gios was starting to suspect that he was a big deal around wherever in god's name he was. It was still very new to him. He didn't know whether to be scared or excited. He had never felt so many types of emotions at once. Yet, he strangely found himself being completely at home here.
The duo continued walking, making their way through the crowds that gathered. Atlas actually had to assert his authority on some that wouldn't make way for the two of them. Though, eventually the beggers and homeless made way for them to cross into what Atlas told Gios was the Middle Class District, which was much nicer and definitely a lot cleaner than that of the Lower Class District, which had mud all over, run-down buildings, and dirty inhabitants. In the Middle Class District, Gios found himself being approached in a more professional manner as the people shook his hand and some even bowed to him. Safe to say that was a little weird for Gios, but it was much better than the others approaching him in an almost creepy-like manner.
When they had passed the Middle Class District and came to the front gates of the Castle, Gios looked at how tall the Castle really came to and he was just amazed that something like this could be built. "I have to say, this is mighty impressive." Gios admitted aloud as he was indeed taken back by the sheer size of the castle.
Atlas smiled, "It sure is. Just wait until you see the inside." He said motioning Gios to follow him.
Gios did not say anything. He simply followed Atlas into the castle as the gates, which had a tick-tac-toe-like look and each horizontal and vertical portion would open in their respective ways. That meaning the horizontal portions would retreat to the left and right while the vertical portions went up and down, and the entrance to the castle was revealed, to which Atlas and Gios would enter it.
Upon entering the castle, the first thing that Gios noticed was the elaborate detail on the walls and many floors that he saw as he looked him. His red eyes saw a variety of colors, from red and orange to white and black. The textures on the wall ranged from elegant smoothness to rough-around-the-edges material. It was much like the outside of Enigma, with half of it being light and cheerful , and the other half being very, for a lack of a better word, rough-like. Gios instantly found the obvious diverse appearance of the walls, the stairs, the carpets, and pretty much everything his eyes first glanced on.
As he still looked at the main hall of the castle, Gios would hear a slight chuckle escape from Atlas' mouth, which caused him to slightly dart his red orbs at the man. Atlas looked at him with a smile. "Something you find amusing?" Gios asked Atlas.
Atlas said nothing. He just walked past Gios and there was an universal feeling in the room, specifically emitting from Atlas that prompted Gios to follow the man. The black-haired man couldn't place it, but he just knew that was what Atlas was pretty much telling him to do without actually having to do it.
~B~B~B~B~B
Deep underground and about seven floors below the main hall, there stood six figures in black robes with the red insignia of the fiery eyes. They each stood on separate platforms that were all leveled to each other. These platforms surrounded a central platform on the ground which had a swirling twister of red and orange fire. It was pretty much the only light source in the cavern that they were in as the rest of the cavern and the one path that led in and out of it was nearly pitch black with the exception of a dimly-lighted balls of fire.
The six surrounding the swirling fire each had their arms out as if concentrating on the fire itself. One could even put up a guess and say that the six of them were the ones that not only created the swirling fire, but they were also the ones who were holding in its tall, almost uncontrollable form.
"Is everything set?" Drake asked.
"It should be. Just need a few more seconds." Replied Amber
"We can't do this for much longer!" Said an almost feminine male voice.
"Just a little longer. You can do it, Trav!" Amber shouted.
Snarling, Trav would shut his mouth and he concentrated more. Once he did, the fire would soon swirl around them, but it did not hurt them. Instead, each of them would glow with a radiant orange. By the time a few minutes had went on, the fire soon faded and would retract into the central platform to which was revealed to have the same insignia that their cloaks had. Whatever they were doing had finished and it was shown as the insignia showed a faint glow.
"It's done." Amber said relieved.
As if on cue, two pairs of feet was heard through the echoes of the caves that led to the cavern. Each of the six looked on and they saw that it was someone they all were expecting.
"Atlas!" Drake yelled out in joy.
Everyone all jumped from their platforms and they each would greet Atlas and Gios, though the latter was a little taken back by all the people. "I sure hope these aren't people who will want a milkshake, Atlas." Gios said slightly nervous.
Looking at Gios, Amber removed her hood, revealing a rather beautiful face. Her hair was of azure blue, but it also had streaks of black and white on the sides. Her complexion was the most beautiful that Gios had seen. Her eyes, as her name suggested, were of amber shade. The blue-haired beauty smiled. "I assure you, we are not like those in the Lower District, but I will admit that a milkshake does sound good right about now." She chuckled.
Gios nervously laughed, but would take her word on it. "If you say so." Gios said shrugging.
Atlas looked at Gios and then to Amber. If he didn't know better, he would say that Gios was taken back by Amber's beauty. Not like he couldn't blame the kid. She is pretty attractive and he was at that age. Atlas would shake off that thought for another time. "I believe we should continue then." Atlas said.
"With what exactly? Gios said as he looked at Atlas with inquisitive eyes.
Atlas just smiled. "You'll see." He simply said as he walked towards the central, thus prompting everyone else to do the same.
Gios was getting just a little annoyed with all the secrecy of what exactly was going on. In the thirty minutes that Atlas and Gios had walked to this cavern, Atlas said nothing about where they were going or even why they had to do down seven floors of gravel and dirt. Even more on that, Gios would bring it up every few minutes about why they were going down so many floors and Atlas never even budged. He only said 'you'll see', as he just did a few seconds ago.
As all eight of them got to the central platform, Atlas looked back at Gios. His expression was not like before. This time it was dead serious. There was no gleeful smile or anything of the like. His eyes had a different feeling emitting from them as well. "Gios, as I have told you before, you have a wonderful and just as equally, dangerous power within you, but it has not yet awakened. That is why you are here with the seven of us. We are going to help you awake it." Atlas informed Gios.
"And how exactly are you going to do that?" Gios asked in response.
"Right before you arrived, the six of us worked for three hours straight concentrating our own magic into this circle just for the sole purpose of you having your powers awakened." Amber informed Gios.
Looking at the central platform, Gios thought about what both Atlas and Amber had told him. He was in the cavern to have whatever power that was within him to be awakened. He didn't know exactly how it would be awakened, but from what Amber said, it had to do with the circle with the flaming eye insignia engraved into it. "Then I guess we should get started, now shouldn't we?" Gios simply said.
Atlas smiled, as did everyone else. None of them said anything. All they did would go to their respective pedestal. Atlas would motion Gios to stand in the center of the platform. Gios would do as such. Once he did, there was a flash of red from the insignia as if reacting to Gios himself. Gios took notice to that, but he would stand right dead center of the platform.
As all seven of them were at their respective pedestal, Atlas would nod to each of them. At that very moment, they held their arms out and not only did the platform that Gios was on raise, so did all seven pedestals. They would raise up seven floors, going past the main hall, to which they would pass and as Gios would just look over, he saw eyes were on him, as if people in the castle were anticipating it. Gios just couldn't help but notice that they were going up a lot of floors. Actually, Gios noticed that they were going really fast and before he knew it, they were at the very top of the castle as seen by the change of scenery. It was when they got on the roof that Gios looked around and he saw swirls of different colors of fire all around, each interlocking with the natural energy in the air. They were up so high that Gios took in a breath, and he felt that it was heavier. Gios felt the heaviness as he felt a little strange taking that breathe in and releasing it.
"What's up with the fire and heaviness of the air?" Gios asked.
Atlas smiled and chuckled. "That is not fire you see and that is not heaviness in the air you feel. This is your power." Atlas said, "Or rather, what you see as your power. In reality, this is the first trial you'll go through." Atlas continued. "To being the process of awakening your powers, first you must evolve from your mortal status and step into the shoes of the your true kind." Atlas told Gios.
"You can't be serious?" Gios said as he started to feel the effects of the heavy air.
"This is nothing but." Amber chimed in.
"Let's face it, he's not ready." Drake stated.
"Drake, you hush!" Amber snapped, "He has to or we're all doomed." She said.
"Amber, I know you think this boy is strong, but let's face it." Said another female voice, "he's just not ready. I mean, look at him." She said pointing to Gios.
When she pointed at Gios, the raven-haired teen was already on his knees, sweat dripping from his body, and he was panting erratically. Gios was finding it extremely difficult to even stay on his feet, let alone be able to advance to the next step of whatever it was that Atlas had said.
"Maybe Star's right, Atlas. Maybe he isn't ready." Amber said looking to Atlas.
Atlas heard them all say what they had to say, but he wouldn't respond to any of them, not to Star — not to anyone. Despite everything they have said and what was happening to Gios — or rather what wasn't — Atlas had all the faith in the boy. He knew that Gios could move past whatever setback he was having at the moment. He knew that despite Gios already on his knees cause the heaviness of the air was so much, he would rise up to the occasion.
While the lot of them were discussing it amongst themselves, Gios could hear every bit of what they were saying. Even though a few of them expressed their doubts in him, Gios found the strength to look up to Atlas and he saw the man just smile at him and nod. From whatever part of him that sensed that unexplainable bond that they two of them shared — a bond that even Gios doesn't understand — he knew that Atlas had unconditional faith in him and that's all that the raven-haired teen needed..
Gios would try to stand up, but every inch that he would raise up, he felt the air just getting heavier and heavier. It got to the point where Gios was almost forced to the ground. He was fighting and fighting it, feeling the pressure every second. Gios wasn't making progress. His arms were shaking uncontrollably and his knees responding to the pressure by feeling like they were going to break any second now. Gios silently cursed himself as he was thinking of what he could do to at least get to his feet.
"Believe in yourself, Gios." Atlas said out of nowhere.
The other six looked at him and so did Gios, but his look was more of a happy surprised kind of look, while the others had a sort of 'what-are-you-thinking' look. Atlas knew what he was doing and giving the boy a few encouraging words wasn't a bad thing.
Gios took Atlas' words to heart — he really did. It probably was that Atlas voiced his faith in him or perhaps it was just something in Gios that needed the reassurance of what he needed to do. Regardless, Gios was finding it a little easier to get his body to respond to his commands of wanting to stand. He could feel his joints shaking less and less, thus coming under his control once again. Furthermore, Gios felt no shaking or breaking in his legs, which hinted at the fact that he had some sense of control in them as well. Realizing this, Gios attempted to breathe again. While the air still felt a little heavy, it seemed that it was no longer a paralyzing heaviness. Gios knew that he could do this and he was going to do it.
Preparing to stand, Gios first notice that he was able to at least sit his body up vertically, but he was still on his knees. So far so good. Gios made a mental note of how he was making progress. He knew the next step was going to be tough. Digging deep, Gios would raise his right leg up, feet firmly planted on the ground. By using on hand to press on his leg, Gios forced his body to push up to its feet. He felt the resistance that the heavy air was giving him, but with the sheer dedication of his willpower, Gios found himself on his feet. Granted, he staggered for a few seconds, but he found himself back on his feet. Of course, he was panting a bit, but so would anyone else if they had to do what he just did.
Up on each of the pedestals, six gasps were heard. However, Atlas didn't release one. He just nodded and smiled. He knew that Gios had it in him. All the boy needed was a little encouragement and reassuring. "Very good, Gios." Atlas said.
Gios looked up at Atlas and everyone else smiling, but he was panting heavily. Whatever he just happened to him, whether he evolved into more than mortal status, it sure as hell tired him out. "So. what's next?" Gios said as he still panted heavily.
Atlas smirked. "Next step is entirely up to you." Atlas informed him.
"What do you mean?" Gios asked.
"Tell us, how do you feel?" Atlas asked.
"What kind of question is that? Of course I-" Gios said as he suddenly found that his body did not feel tired. He wasn't panting anymore and what was weirder, found himself feeling stronger. "-I feel strange. I don't feel tired anymore. Actually, I feel stronger." Gios said confusingly.
"That's because you have evolved into what we call Superhuman." Atlas said, telling Gios exactly why he feels stronger.
"What do you mean?" Gios asked as he found himself echoing his last question, but in a different manner.
"It is as I just said. You're evolved from your mortal status and you're now like the seven of us — Superhuman."
"And is that supposed to be good or something?"
"I'm glad you asked. This means that now we can go to Trial Two."
"And that is..?"
"Sending you to heaven of course."
And it was with Atlas saying that, Gios's jaw had officially dropped.
AN: I hope whoever reads the chapter enjoyed it. Read, review, fav, and follow if you can. Until next time I guess~