The rest of the trip to the top wasn't so much boring as...anticlimactic. We were on edge and ready for a fight the whole way up, as well as in pain and just generally waffling between exhausted and healed up. Despite the multiple moments of weakness though, we didn't run into anyone else. We had to basically sprint to stay away from the jellyfish, so maybe that was why, but when we finally made it to the top we were definitely the first ones there.

I was still deciding which of us should go first when Callie pushed me ahead of her. At my obvious confusion, she just chuckled. "You're way ahead on the soul thing, and have a much better chance of actually winning this. I'll take the silver key fragment, you can have the gold. Besides, I already got some benefits from this. My soul is up to forty two percent of the way through orange after all that."

Mine was at sixty four, a consequence of the increased difficulty as we went. Still, we'd both made an absurd amount of progress. The first bump from that initial energy had been a huge boost, but the rest of them had really added up. I nodded to her gratefully, happy to be with someone who cared about me enough to pass up such an amazing chance.

The trip up had been pretty harrowing, and having Callie with me had certainly given me plenty of moral support, even if the trial tested us separately. Every step towards the end had been agony, and having her with me had made it possible for me to keep going, even when I was dreading the pain I would be feeling in the next second. I couldn't describe the relief of reaching the end of the line.

As we stepped onto the island, I saw a small, golden temple situated in the middle of the space. It looked peaceful and relaxing and very safe, and I just had a positive feeling from staring at it. I found myself walking forward almost unconsciously, but I wasn't worried. The temple was a good place. When I reached it I felt a soothing wash of power flow through me, cleansing the anxiety, the pain, and all the residual stress from the climb.

I was suddenly...at peace. I'd healed from the soul damage, but the mental strain had been taking its toll, and I hadn't realized how much exactly until it was all gone. There was a flash, and a small golden piece of metal was floating in front of me. I tried to take it, but as soon as I touched it, it just melted into energy and merged with my soul. I tried to find or interact with it, but there was no reaction.

Callie stepped up beside me, and I felt the cleansing through the bond before the silver fragment appeared in front of her and did the same thing. "Wow." She said with a relaxed sigh. "That is...nice. It's like a million good nights of sleep and a billion of the most soothing cups of tea ever all at once." Her voice was dreamy and serene. She was feeling the same things I was, and neither of us ever wanted it to end.

I nodded lazily, taking a seat for a minute inside the temple to process. We needed to decide our next move but I didn't see any of the others nearby, so it seemed like a good time to think. Going from terrible pain to perfect serenity in a few seconds was whiplash inducing, and I think we both needed a few minutes of down time on top of that to make sure we were in the right headspace to continue. After a few minutes of basking though, it became clear we'd waited long enough.

"So...what do we do now?" I asked. I had a decent idea, and we'd talked a bit about this, but I wasn't thrilled to consider it. Having to switch back to a normal headspace after being so relaxed certainly wasn't helping.

Callie sighed. "We move on." She said firmly. "We talked about this before we came in, if we got separated it might be necessary to split up." We'd made a few plans before coming into the temple, just contingencies for various situations, and getting separated was among those."Waiting here would be dangerous. Someone could find out we have the key fragments, not to mention no one can get seriously hurt or killed here. The others will be fine, but we can't hang around."

She was right, but I hated it. Not just because I felt like we were abandoning our friends, but because I desperately wanted to wait and talk to my sister. Sadly, Callie was right. Staying would put us at odds with everyone who came here. Judging by the way the keys melted into us, we'd need to be killed in here to retrieve them. If I died and got kicked out I might never get the chance to talk to Chelsea.

I gestured over to the doorway at the far end of the temple. Soothing golden light swirled within it, so bright it was impossible to see inside. "I'm guessing that's the entrance to the next trial. Getting a headstart will probably be helpful." I stood up, walking over to the portal slowly, trying to mentally prepare. I glanced at her. "You realize we might get separated in there too? In fact, it'll probably happen eventually."

She nodded. "I do. But hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder right? Besides, I need to get stronger on my own. My soul is way behind yours. We're both aiming for the same thing here, and if we stick together the whole time I'll be leaning on you and vice versa. It might be best to separate." She sounded nervous, and I got it. A bond like ours was habit forming. Knowing someone was there to watch your back, FEELING it.

Separating wouldn't be a big deal to most people, but losing that constant feedback would be like losing a part of me. Which...was probably all the more reason to do it. Because she was right, this place was about refining your soul, and while the normal percentage bumps were possible just by repetition, the actual transition to the next level was more involved than that. Unless you were a jellyfish, apparently. But for human beings elevating the soul to the next level was difficult.

It was why outside of a place like this temple you could only go up one soul rank. Abel had reached the peak of orange at G-rank, and was now peak of yellow after rank up, but he couldn't break through to green without help. He'd told me a bit about what he'd needed to do to hit orange in the first place, and it was going to require serious willpower. Any weaknesses might screw us both over.

Leaning down, I removed my mask, pulling my girlfriend into a long kiss. When I was done, I squeezed her in a tight hug. "You be careful ok? I won't be there to watch your back this time."

She snorted, a suspiciously wet noise that made me suspect she was crying, though I didn't mention it. "Shut up. I'm stronger than you, I should be worried about you getting killed in here. If I make it to the end and you fail out after I gave up that gold key piece I'm gonna be super pissed. I better see you again before we reach the end of this." I nodded, kissing her on the forehead. Then I turned and walked through the portal, letting the gold light consume me again.

When my vision cleared. I was alone, and in a completely new place. A serene and peaceful forest surrounded me, mist blanketing the ground to my knees and giving the place a transcendant, ineffable appearance. It wasn't spooky, it was too pleasant for that, but it looked surreal and unnatural.

I triggered Eye of Revelation, looking for...anything. Nearby humans, animals, hell, I'd take some particularly chatty plants. Sadly, there were no sentient beings nearby that I could sense. Within a minute or two I felt the information I'd been expecting drop into my head, at least what there was of it.

Second trial. The Tranquil Forest. Callie and I had been right to split up, the forest would have separated us anyway. Maybe fate sense pushed us that way, but regardless, everyone who entered came in here alone.

Where the first trial tested determination and willingness to endure, the second trial tested something completely different. While exciting and dangerous evolution was an important part of refining the soul, peace was needed as well as war. So many Ascendants couldn't handle the quiet contemplation of true solitude. Unstable thrill seekers were a dime a dozen among powerful Ascendants, but among those who could advance past the limits of the soul, that wasn't enough.

This trial was unintentionally kind of a hot button issue for me, because being alone was something I had a lot of trouble with. I was almost never alone. I was with Benny, or with Callie, or spending time with Zeke. My training was alone sometimes, but my friends were always nearby, always a shout away. Being here like this, in total solitude...this was something I had no experience with. Especially not long term.

But if it was just solitary meditation there wouldn't be a forest, there would just be a room. There had to be more to this test. So I started walking, into the depths of the forest, through the mist, and tried my hardest to understand the trial here. To understand what the temple wanted from me.

The deeper I went, the higher the mist rose. I could feel the trees around me, so I didn't bump into them, but the world itself began to be consumed by stifling white vapor, occluding itself from my view, isolating me even further. And that was when I understood what was happening.

There are levels to being alone. Not conscious ones, not really. But they exist. A person in a crowd can be lonely, and a person alone in a room can be with friends. But that lonely person alone in a room will be more deeply alone than the other person. It's another level of lonesomeness, another tier of solitude.

Being alone in the forest was a first tier, and as I walked deeper, I became more alone. I was sure this would continue as I got deeper. There must be a central area to this place. A finish line like the last place had, and in order to pass through I needed to reach it. I needed to keep walking through the loneliness.

But I doubted it would be that easy. There was no jellyfish here, no other people to fight. This was a trial of the self. Of the heart as much as the soul. I stopped, taking a deep breath and letting my uneasiness fade a bit. I didn't like this place, not at all. I needed a second to catch my breath and shake off some of the fear.

This trial was the worst one I could think of for me. The most primal weakness I could think of. Which was why I was now determined to complete it. This was a way for me to grow stronger. Not with stats, but mentally. I was confident that because of my issues I would get more out of this trial than anyone else.

I started walking again, the mist getting thicker. This would be my test for myself, more than anything. I had a nice head start here. I could get through this faster than anyone. It was a shame my soul wasn't strengthening here, otherwise I'd have been hoping to use this opportunity to break through to yellow. Oh well, I could do that on the next trial.