As Stark stepped through the portal and landed back in the normal version of the [Devil’s Abyss], the familiar air of tension hit him immediately.
The dark, eerie atmosphere felt more alive now, as demons scattered through the first zone, clashing violently with groups of students trying to hold their ground.
“…”
Stark watched for a moment, taking it all in.
He was used to this chaos by now, but something about it today felt different.
Maybe it was because of the [Third Domination Trial] hanging over his head like a guillotine.
Then, out of nowhere, a voice broke through his thoughts.
“What the fuck?”
He turned, eyes narrowing.
A guy, who seemed to be part of one of the fighting groups, was pointing directly at him with wide eyes.
“I swear I saw that guy come out of a portal… like, out of nowhere!” the man exclaimed, panic rising in his voice.
His friend, beside him, slapped his head, “Are you stupid? You’ve been drinking again, haven’t you?”
“N-No, I swear… oh, forget it, I must have imagined it…”
‘Phew,’ Stark thought, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
That could’ve gone badly. Explaining that he had come from a completely different part of the rift through some mysterious portal would raise far too many questions—questions he didn’t have time for.
With a quick focus on his [Devil’s Abyss Token], a swirling mist of darkness engulfed him, and in an instant, the rift disappeared from around him.
When his vision cleared, he was back in the academy lobby.
The usually bustling space was eerily empty, reinforcing the fact that Stark was the only one who had been inside the rift for the last two weeks.
Stark stepped out of the academy and, without bothering to hail a taxi or wait for transportation, he immediately set off running.
His speed was like a blur, the world around him whipping pést as he sprinted toward his apartment.
The adrenaline coursing through him from the looming trial announcement made his heart race even faster.
In less than ten minutes, Stark arrived at his complex.
He darted inside, making his way up the stairs to his floor.
His body moved on autopilot, but his mind was swirling with thoughts of the trial, of the looming confrontation with the [Crimson Moons Trio], and what awaited him in the deadly challenge.
When Stark opened the door to his apartment, he was greeted by a pleasant scene: Lana was in the kitchen, cooking something that smelled good.
Sora, on the other hand, was curled up on the couch with a book in hand, looking as calm and collected as ever.
The moment Stark stepped inside, both women turned to him. Their eyes widened in surprise, and Lana wasted no time, rushing toward him.
“Finally, you’re back!” she exclaimed, flinging her arms around him in a tight hug.
“Yeah,” Stark nodded, hugging her back, though his mind was still elsewhere.
Even though he’d been gone for two weeks without any updates, it didn’t seem like the girls had been worried enough to think something terrible had happened to him.
That was… interesting.
After they broke from the hug, Stark asked casually, “Did you get your flowers?”
Lana smiled, clearly proud. “Yes! Sora and I managed to get them. Sora finished hers in under a day and brought some to me, but people have been struggling. Even after two weeks, only six of us managed to complete the task!”
“Oh, wow,” Stark said, feigning surprise.
He had gathered those flowers in less than 30 minutes—though, to be fair, that was in the twisted version of the rift, which was more difficult.
…
They sat down to eat dinner together, a meal Lana had cooked.
Stark tried to focus on the food, but his mind kept drifting back to the countdown timer that hovered in his vision.
Every time he blinked, it was still there, ticking away, a constant reminder that time was running out.
Tick! Tick! Tick!
[Time remaining: 5h34m]
He tried to dismiss the panel or minimize it, but it wouldn’t go away.
It was currently 18h26 PM, so by logic, the trial would start at midnight.
As they finished eating, Lana stood up to clear the table, brushing off Stark’s offer to help.
“No, no, you relax. You just got back.”
Stark leaned back in his chair, glancing over at Sora.
Her face was calm, but her eyes were dark, mirroring his own thoughts.
The two of them were bound to the same fate—another Domination Trial.
“Sora,” Stark broke the silence between them.
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond.
“Did you get the notification?” he asked, his voice low.
“Yes,” Sora said, almost emotionless. “In five hours.”
“Same as me, then.”
There was a long pause.
Neither of them wanted to say it out loud, but they both knew this trial would be just as dangerous—if not more so—than the last two.
The first trial had five participants; the second had ten.
Now, fifteen people were involved, and both Stark and Sora were fully aware of what that meant.
The body count and difficulty would rise.
In the first two trials, they were the only survivors.
What about the third? Would they walk out of this one alive? Or would this finally be the end?
Sora let out a soft sigh, her eyes dropping to the table, “We’ll get through it.”
Stark nodded, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
He was confident in his own abilities, but he was more worried about Sora.
The enemies they’d face this time were going to be much stronger.
The trial’s recommended level was 100 after all, and Stark was already level 119—far beyond most other participants.
He couldn’t help but think about Lana though.
She wouldn’t be able to join them in this trial, and neither of them knew how long they’d be gone this time. The last trial had taken months. What if this one took half a year?
“I’ll tell her I’m going on business for a few months,” Sora said suddenly, reading Stark’s thoughts. “I won’t be answering any calls. You should do the same.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same,” Stark replied, though he wasn’t sure how well it would go over with Lana. “I’ll say I’m visiting my family. That’s why I won’t be able to contact her.”
“Terrible excuse,” Sora sighed, “but it’s Lana. She’ll wait for you, no matter how long.”
Stark didn’t quite understand how Sora could be so sure of that, but he let it go.
He trusted Lana, and she was strong in her own way.
She could handle a few months of waiting.
When Lana returned from the kitchen, she let out a big yawn. “Man… I’m exhausted.”
“You should rest,” Stark said immediately.
“I agree,” Sora added, standing up. “I’m going to be gone for a while too, on business. It might be a couple of months.”
“Oh, that’s fine!” Lana said cheerfully. “More time for me and Stark, right?”
Stark hesitated for a moment, but then added, “Actually… I’m going to visit my family. I’ll be gone for a while, too.”
Lana’s expression darkened, and her shoulders slumped. “Oh… okay. But can I come with you? You can introduce me to your family!”
“Sorry, they’d prefer I go alone,” Stark said, trying to sound as apologetic as possible.
Lana looked like she was on the verge of tears, and guilt gnawed at Stark’s insides.
He didn’t want to lie to her, but he had no choice.
Before she could fully break down, Stark did the only thing that came to mind. He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her on the mouth, right in front of Sora.
“…!” Sora’s eyes widened, and Stark could feel an odd tension in the air as something passed through her—a strange mix of jealousy and desire.
She quickly shook it off, clearing her throat.
“If you wait for us, I’ll do anything you want,” Stark whispered to Lana with a soft smile.
“R-Really? Anything?” Her eyes lit up with excitement.
“Yeah. Whatever you want.”
Lana beamed and hugged him again before heading off to bed, clearly exhausted.
She also hugged Sora.
As soon as she was out of sight, Sora crossed her arms, looking at Stark, “What does she want that has you promising anything?”
“Heh… I wonder…” Stark shrugged, though he probably had an idea, “More importantly though…”
Fwish! Ding!
He raised his arm and summoned a large, ornate black door from the ground.
It was the entrance to the [Memories Museum].
It hadn’t been shown, but Stark still trains regularly inside of the memories museum.
“We have four and a half hours. Let’s not waste them, this is the memories museum,” he pointed at the door, “It can help us become stronger.”
Sora was surprised, but she nodded.
Both of them knew they had to be at their best for the trial, and the [Memories Museum] was the perfect place to hone their skills before it began.
They stepped through the door, the heavy weight of the trial hanging over them as the countdown continued to tick away in their minds.
