A trial and a meeting

Nadia woke up to find herself in a strange place.

It seemed to be underground as there was no sky above and even the land under her feet was not made of earth but instead of bones of various creatures… including humans.

On the high walls, blue flames lingered, illuminating the strange land while giving it an eerie feel that caused Nadia to understand that this wasn't a place for the living.

Taking a moment to steel her nerves, she slowly got to her feet and began to walk.

If her deduction was correct, this strange place was the Hell, otherwise known as the Underworld.

It was a dimension strongly linked to the Devil Wheel, one that all Mystics from the Wheel must enter to receive their trials.

She had prepared herself to come here but upon arriving, she couldn't help but feel fear.

It truly was a strange and eerie place.

As she kept on walking on the piles of bones, she noticed the presence of creatures hidden in the areas the light of the blue flame couldn't reach.

She felt their gaze on her, causing goosebumps to break out all over but knowing fully well that staying in place would be more problematic, she kept on moving forward.

Soon, she arrived before a throne room with a woman seated on the highest seat.

She noticed the acute difference between the throne room and the rest of the underworld.

While the Underworld was lit up by blue flames with no sky above, the throne room had a sky with a crimson moon hanging silently above, revealing its brilliant light to the land below.

The bones remained but beside it, a river of blood flowed quietly, with strange creatures swimming within.

Nadia instinctively gulped as she glanced at the highest seat to find a ridiculously tall woman seated there.

Dressed in a pristine black dress with a black veil over her face, the woman had a crown of stars on her head and her footstool was the 8 phases of the moon moving like a kaleidoscope.

Her left hand was placed on the armrest while her right held a wine cup filled with blood.

Nadia quickly bowed her head as a sign of reverence.

With quivering lips, she remarked. "Nadia Khan pays homage to the Mistress of the Crimson Night."

The strange woman slowly raised her head but only her red lips and pale skin could be made out as she replied in a voice that was both ethereal and mind-numbing.

"You are a newborn."

Silence reigned as she studied Nadia briefly before the hand holding the wine cup bent causing the cup to tilt.

Out of it, red liquid flowed and stained the bones below.

Nothing happened for a moment before the field of bones began to quake aggressively.

Nadia closed her eyes in terror, only opening them once again after the tremors ended.

Gulping nervously, she slowly raised her head and before her, an arched gate made of bones and stained with blood stood silently.

At its center, a tree with ten circles was depicted.

"Do you wish to take your first trial?" The Mistress of the Crimson Night asked.

Nadia bit her lower lip before nodding. "Yes."

"As you wish." The Mistress arose from her throne of bones and after raising her left hand, addressed Nadia.

"Become a scourge to the fortunate. You must cause the downfall of 12 fortunate families using all means available to you to smear their good name and destroy their good fortune. If you pass, you shall break the lock, but if you fail… prepare to die."

Nadia remained stunned as she couldn't fathom the scope of what the Mistress was asking of her.

"Mistress…" In a bid to ask questions, she realized that she was ascending and a moment later, she was gone with silence returning to the underworld.

***

Natasha glared at the Hunter while taking on an offensive stance.

"Will you not hear what I have to say?" Hunter asked only to snap his finger before quickly disappearing after which a sword slash passed through the area he had previously stood.

Appearing a few meters away from there, he frowned as it seemed Natasha wasn't willing to listen to him.

"Do you expect me to exchange words with the Apostle of an Evil god?" Natasha questioned as she took an offensive stance again.

This time, she prepared to close the distance.

"I am not here to fight you but clear up the misunderstandings you might have."

Natasha didn't even bother responding as she planted her feet into the ground and without warning, shot forward like a bullet.

Upon closing the distance, she swung her blade but Alex was prepared as he snapped his fingers and teleported behind her with a revolver already drawn.

The former however wasn't to be outdone as she pulled out another hilt and held it inversely before flicking the switch.

Alex barely managed to dodge the attack as a blade shot out toward his torso.

"I may not be at your level, but don't underestimate the power of a WeaponMaster!" Natasha righteously said as she prepared to attack again.

Unfortunately for her, Alex had reached the peak of his patience as he snapped once again.

Boom

She froze as pulsating black and white erupted from Alex's shadow, taking on a form that could only be described as a demonic entity.

Natasha barely restrained her fear as she gripped her sword hilt tighter.

"I do not wish to fight you but if you force me, do not expect to leave here alive."

"...Why are you here then?"

"To talk to you."

"What?... Why?"

Alex sighed. "You are wasting your time on the wrong guy. You should have known by now that I wasn't the one that wiped out the Gordon family."

"That may be true but you are an Apostle of an Evil god. Your identity is enough reason to come after you."

"What makes you so sure?"

Natasha didn't reply as she glanced at the black-and-white demonic entity floating above Alex's head.

Realizing what she meant, Alex dispelled the presence before speaking up. "You should know by now that I am not an Apostle but a Mystic of the Human Wheel."

"And you expect me to believe that?"

This time, Alex remained silent as he waited for Natasha to understand.

It didn't take long before her eyes flickered as she realized what he meant.

In the heat of the moment, she hadn't noticed that each time Alex had used his ability, there was a distinct finger snap.

Revealing a complicated expression, Natasha remarked. "You may be a Mystic of the Human Wheel but I don't recall any of the domains within the Wheel being so strongly inclined to yin."

Alex pursed his lips, taking a moment to consider before he slowly replied. "Do you see what's happening in the western district?"

"That… why are you bringing that up?" The issues regarding the western district were a sore spot for Natasha, after all, despite her oath to protect the citizens of BoneHaven, she could only watch in despair as the citizens of BoneHaven treated one another like animals.

Alex continued. "The Royal Blues have cordoned off the western district and arrested the prominent people amongst them. Anger, hatred, sadness… all these emotions are being cultivated into the hearts of the commoners, leading them down a dark and dreary path."

".... What are you trying to say?"

"I was born out of those emotions, which is why my inclination is so strongly pointed at yin. I am a guardian of the night born out of the hopes and dreams of the commoners to have someone stand up for them against the oppression they have faced."

"You…"

"It is a responsibility I wish I didn't have to bear but I have no choice but to do so. Call me an Evil god and even chastise me if you want… but what have those poor commoners done to deserve being treated like animals?"

"I… I don't know what to do." For the first time since he arrived, Natasha revealed a weakness as her shoulder slouched.

With a smile appearing at the corner of his lips, Alex remarked. "That's why I'm here."