“This form attacks the mind. For these two ladies to pass this trial, they must fight a mental battle, one that wouldn’t be easy on them.”
In the sky, the shadow-beast twisted around Linx and Jinx like a giant serpent made of ink. It didn’t touch them, but it surrounded them. Its whispers crawled into their thoughts.
Jinx gripped her daggers tightly. Her breathing became shallow. The assault on her mind was palpable and tormenting, considering the beast had already entered her mind.
It got into both their minds.
“Why are you still trying?” the voice asked her. “You’ve always been the weaker one. You only stand because of her.”
Jinx flinched. Her daggers shook.
“You’re a shadow,” the whisper said. “No talent. No gifts. Just a follower.”
The eyes around them began to glow faintly purple. The sky pulsed. Linx’s grip on her sword weakened.
Jinx dropped to one knee, feeling the weight of the tormenting voice entering her mind. The feeling wasn’t pleasant at all.
Below, Klaus felt Asha clenched her fists around his, but didn’t move. She clearly didn’t like the turn of events, and while she would love to help them, she couldn’t afford to.
Even Klaus knew he couldn’t interfere. Until it came down to it, he wouldn’t lift a finger. So he could only hold Asha’s hand, making her know he was still there for her.
“They must overcome it themselves,” Pickle Berry said. “No one can fight this for them.” She noticed Asha’s expressions too, so she made sure she understood what was happening and what she could and could not do.
In the air, Linx shut her eyes. But the voices got louder.
“You failed your family.”
“You’ll fail her, too.”
“You should never have been born.”
Tears formed in her eyes. The assault on her mind was just too Much. Perhaps the Voice noticed Linx was the greatest threat among the two sisters, so it focused more on her.
However, that was its first mistake. Leaving Jinx to focus on Linx gave Jinx more time to make a move. Meanwhile, Linx continues to suffer under its torture.
“Your sister never wanted you.”
“She wants you gone.”
“You are the talented one, and so you stole her life.”
“She hates you and you know it.”
The voice kept speaking into Linx’s mind, making the white-clothed swordsman feel as if her heart and mind were drowned in a wave of sorrow, heartbreak, and fear.
Suddenly, a warm hand touched her shoulder.
Jinx.
She stood beside her now, eyes wet, body shaking, but her face calm.
“I’m here,” she whispered. “You’re not alone.”
The whispers paused.
Linx opened her eyes.
Feeling her sister’s touch and world, her mind was pulled back from the darkness it had stepped into.
She nodded at what her sister said.
The two sisters stood back-to-back once again. This time, they are ready to end the battle before the creature turns them mad.
They closed their eyes—not to escape, but to focus.
In their minds, the darkness still clawed at them.
But now, instead of succumbing, they choose to answer.
“I’m not perfect,” Linx said inside her heart.
“But I grow every day, learning to do the best I can.”
“I’m not gifted,” Jinx whispered within herself.
“But I fight for those I love.”
The creature ahead stepped back as the darkness around Linx and Jinx cracked.
A single spark of light formed between them and started taking form.
Then another.
And another.
Until stars that were covered by the darkness returned to the sky, one by one.
The Whispering Dread hissed, feeling the change in its surroundings, and started moving back. It thrives on darkness, so feeling its domain getting suppressed, it had to move back.
However, Linx and Jinx’s determination didn’t waver. The light stung it, touching its mind.
The more the girls stood tall, the brighter the stars became.
The shadow creature screamed in silence, twisting in pain.
Then, it shattered, breaking apart like dust caught in the wind. It couldn’t withstand the light anymore, so it was consumed.
The moment the abomination was dealt with, the world returned to normal. All forms of darkness were washed away, replaced by light.
Air rushed in. Sound returned. The sky turned grey once again, considering the tribulation still isn’t finished.
Linx and Jinx floated side by side, their faces calm, but tiredness could be seen in their eyes.
The sky began to change again, signalling the arrival of the fifth form of the tribulation.
But this time, it didn’t roar or whisper. It breathed. The fourth formed heard a roar come from a mouthless being. However, this time it was merely a breath.
A soft wind blew. Then another.
Then it stopped.
Suddenly, the world turned weightless. The clouds above twisted into golden swirls. Lines of light began to form in the sky, shining patterns that glowed with symbols unknown. Each symbol pulsed like a heartbeat.
The situation unfolding was just too bizarre. The first was a scream that penetrated the mind, but the second was silence filled with only air. A rather calming sound.
The earth beneath trembled. The clouds split open.
And from that crack, a figure descended.
It looked human.
But it wasn’t.
Its skin was gold, smooth like polished metal. Its eyes were empty. No pupils. No warmth. Just white light. In one hand, it held a scale. In the other, a book with blank pages that flipped on their own.
When its feet touched the air, a voice rang out—deep and ancient. The instant the voice came, Linx and Jinx felt their souls touched by something profound.
“This is The Fifth Form,” Pickle Berry spoke, “It’s called The Arbiter of Truth.”
Pickle Berry turned and looked at Klaus. “This… this one judges everything they’ve done until now.”
Hearing the name and description of the 5th form, Klaus turned and looked at Linx and Jinx, who were clearly affected by the eyeless presence in the air.
“So their soul is in danger now, huh. Looks like this yin-yang tribulation is much more dangerous than I anticipated.” Klaus sighed and then looked at Asha’s worried face.
“They will be fine,” he said to her, making the worried insect queen smile.