Trial of Knowledge

"Congratulations, Traveler, you have passed the Trial of Desire, the Trial of Patience, and the Trial of Selfishness.

Now, we will commence the fourth and final trial, the Trial of Knowledge."

'Trial of Selfishness... That's something new. But why was it there?' I wondered for a quick second as I dispersed my thoughts and focused on the words, which was something I expected.

"In the Trial of Knowledge, one riddle will be asked. So, are you ready, Traveler?"

'Ready? I was born ready,' I wanted to say in a cool and arrogant way, but I didn't. I might have done so if I knew there would be no change, but I somehow knew that the riddles would be different from what I know.

"I am ready."

But I can't let the chance of getting 'that' go, can I?

"Then, I will ask the first riddle." The robotic, emotionless voice appeared as my mind turned serious, and I tried to calm my thoughts.

"I follow all in different forms,

Even though I only chase, I chase the fastest,

I am hated by some, loved by some,

I am the representation of the worst fear. Who am I?"

'Who?'

I was never the brightest student at G.K., especially not with riddles.

I emptied my mind as I thought about the riddle.

'I follow all in different forms, even though I only chase, I chase the fastest, I am hated by some, loved by some, I am the representation of the worst fear. Who am I?' I kept repeating the riddle as I tried to find the answer, frustration building up inside me.

'Time.' Suddenly, this word popped into my mind.

'I follow all events and actions in different forms. Even though I only chase, I chase the fastest. I am hated by some, loved by some. I am the representation of the worst fear. Who am I?'

'Time follows all events and actions; it continually moves forward and doesn't stop. Time forever marches forward, regardless of how fast or slow events occur. Some hate it because it can feel relentless or fleeting, while some love it because of the opportunities and memories it brings. Lastly, it represents mortality, making it a symbol of our ultimate limitations and fears.'

'The answer is time... but...'

But there it is. It can't be this easy, can it? I looked at the holograms as all I had was a measly 10 seconds.

'The answer is Time.' 

I know it, but there was a certain seed of doubt in my mind. 

'Think. Think. Think. Think. Think. Think. Think. THINK.' 

Time was ticking, each second seemed like an eternity.

'If not time, then what?' Then I realized where I was.

"Darkness. I am Darkness."

"May I know why it isn't Time?"

"Darkness follows all in forms like Shadow; Darkness chases away light also the fastest, as it occurs when light sources diminish or disappear. Darkness is hated because it can be associated with fear, discomfort, or the unknown. But for demons, Darkness is all they want, and Darkness represents the unknown, the greatest fear."

I replied in a confident tone, looking toward the white barrier that didn't even show a hint of flinching.

"Is that all the reason?" The emotionless robotic voice came again.

A grin formed on my face as I revealed the reason why I answered Darkness.

"The Witch Continent, being nearest to the Demon Continent, has always faced the greatest destruction whenever a war occurs. Men, women, children all have died, some lost themselves, while some lost others, surrounding their lives with Darkness. Not only that, problems like Dungeon Appearances and Monster Outbreaks, which mostly happen in the Witch Continent, have made most of the Witches live in fear, in Darkness."

"For a Vampire, your answer is satisfactory.

Congratulations, you have passed the Trial of Knowledge.

Congratulations, all of the four trials have been passed with a satisfactory level.

The Ethereal Barrier will now be disappearing, and you can go inside and find further information."

The robotic voice faded with each voice until its last voice was nothing but echoes that rang before it would also disappear.

The Ethereal Barrier started to disappear with the white mist as if it never existed, revealing a wooden Witch Hut.

A large smile full of happiness, satisfaction, and excitement covered my face. I was so excited that my whole body trembled for a few seconds.

'That's the hut that contains what I need, what I came for, one of my favorite artifacts, one of the highest-ranked artifacts of all.

That's the hut that contains the Eye of Analyzation.'