Months after the harrowing incident at Astoria, Aldomite was forced to confront a troubling reality: his own memories were a source of paralyzing weakness. Resolved to fortify himself, he sought out one of the mages instrumental in clearing Astoria's insidious fog—Lady Sydney, an esteemed instructor at the academy and the personal tutor to Elise.
Aldomite arrived hoping she would impart powerful magic. Thanks to the pervasive rumors, Sydney already knew of him, but it was Elise who had revealed the unusual composition of Aldomite's core the day she treated him. Sydney had long been curious to meet the boy Elise regarded as a prodigious talent, and this was the perfect opportunity.
Upon their meeting, Sydney peered into his mana core and immediately noticed its erratic state—a curious, almost volatile mixture, as if an internal conflict were constantly raging within him. An impressive idea sparked in her mind, one that would simultaneously help him confront his inner turmoil and test his latent abilities: Alpobic, "The Cave of Reveals." This legendary cavern was known to harbor some of the world's rarest and most potent crystals.
The Cave of Reveals was no mere cavern; it was a labyrinth of mental torment, perpetually filled with calculated tricks and potent illusions. Entry to Alpobic guaranteed a relentless series of trials designed specifically to dismantle the mind. For generations, it had served as the ultimate proving ground for S-ranked Knights, forcing them to confront the very limits of their sanity and control. This cavern was legendary for its ability to strip bare every hidden fear and unspoken conflict buried within a person's psyche. Only by successfully navigating these harrowing mental mazes could one truly achieve liberation from their inner burdens. The reward for such mastery was immense: a fortified, unshakeable mind, finally settled and at peace, leading to unparalleled strength.
Lady Sydney had specifically summoned Aldomite to this notorious cavern. She remained utterly silent regarding the cave's true purpose, offering only a single, crucial directive: he must retrieve a crystal found exclusively within its depths. She made her terms uncompromisingly clear—failure to return with the artifact meant she would refuse to teach him the powerful magic he so desperately craved.
Buoyed by a fresh wave of self-confidence, Aldomite accepted the quest without hesitation. He had no inkling of the insidious trials awaiting him within the darkness, not just the grueling mental tests stemming from his own troubled past, but the profound challenge posed by the enigma of the Zodiac itself.
Aldomite arrived at the cavern. The air inside was thick and heavy, pressing down on him, and he instantly realized the place was not ordinary. Still, the need to fetch the crystal remained paramount. Deep within, he reached the first trial: a vision that tore open an unacceptable past—a memory he desperately refused to relinquish. Aldomite clung fiercely to this past, and as his Hatred intensified, Zechtron's presence grew closer, threatening to seize his body. This rising darkness was precisely what the demon Arabatogon desired. Once Aldomite's psychic 'cage' fractured under the pressure, the demon would claim the boy's core. Neither Zechtron nor Aldomite understood this was the ultimate hidden plan.
Aldomite pressed deeper into the cavern, still seeking the crystal, but his mind—clouded by the agony of the first trial—made the task impossible. Zechtron leveraged this confusion, encouraging Aldomite to continue, hoping the boy would eventually surrender control so the entity could take over and pursue its own path of vengeance. Neither realized this escalating conflict would ultimately cost them both, and the world.
The second trial manifested as a fight he was destined to lose. The more ground he yielded, the heavier his limbs became, and he began to sink into despair. "I'm tired," Aldomite gasped, the words barely a whisper. "I don't want to fight anymore."
Zechtron seized the opportunity at the brink of collapse, whispering tempting promises of rest if the boy would only yield his body. Surrendering would mean losing his purpose and his life forever, but the weariness was overwhelming.
Just as he wavered, a memory-like vision appeared: the familiar, gentle face of his mother. Aldomite broke, the sudden sight of her, years after her death, shattering his emotional defenses. He burst into tears.
Casillia, his mother, materialized, her voice echoing softly as she called his name: "Aldomite." Seeing her after so many years since her death, Aldomite burst into tears, unable to speak, stunned by the vivid, painful reality of the vision. She walked toward him and gently wiped the moisture from his cheeks.
"I know you are tired, Aldomite," she murmured. "It's because you are trying to do this alone."
"But no one understands," Aldomite finally managed to say, the despair thick in his throat.
"I do," she replied.
Confused, Aldomite asked the question burning in his mind: "Do you know him?" Casillia said she didn't know Zechtron by name, but she had always felt his presence—sensing that he was not alone inside ever since he was a young boy.
She then began a story, recounting a female adventurer who left her family to find a sacred scroll—a mythical text rumored to contain the words of the Gods. The adventurer searched for years, convinced that tackling the quest alone was the only way to succeed. Yet, she found nothing, reaching a point of absolute surrender. Just as she was about to give up, a male farmer saw her resting and asked about her journey. She eventually confessed her fruitless search and her decision to quit. The farmer laughed good-naturedly and said, "I think I have something similar; I found it in the woods one night and took it in."
What the farmer had was not the scroll itself, but a detailed map and crucial hints to its location. The adventurer considered continuing her journey immediately, but she decided instead to stay, settling in the village and starting a family with a local woodsman.
"The lesson," Casillia explained, "is to try asking for help. Even a farmer might hold knowledge that a genius explorer does not." She wanted Aldomite to stop fighting Zechtron and instead to ask for his power—to cooperate—so he could keep fighting until he found his peace, just as the adventurer had found hers.
Inspired by these words, Aldomite found the strength to stand up. For the first time, he reached inward and asked Zechtron for cooperation. Zechtron, seeing his window for complete possession closing, reluctantly decided the boy would fall another day. "I'll borrow him," he conceded.
With the bargain struck, the trial instantly cleared, and the cave became lighter. Casillia gave Aldomite a key and told him she wanted him to find the scroll and continue her journey. In that moment, Aldomite realized the adventurer in the story was his own mother. She said farewell, leaving him with a final, guiding whisper: "Me and your dad are watching you, so make us proud and never give up, my darling boy."
Aldomite was alone again, his cheeks still wet, but his mind had achieved a clarity forged in the fire of truth. He stood on ground that felt real, facing the final, physical challenge.
From the cavern floor, the King Golem rose—a towering sentinel of black, crystalline earth, its massive hands pulsing with chaotic, latent magic. This was the test of application: could he truly master the power he had just claimed?
Aldomite reached inward, drawing upon Zechtron's energy, but this was not the desperate, chaotic surge of the past. The dark magic flowed, disciplined and cold, condensing into a dense, precise lance of focused destructive force—a deadly control that would have made Mrs. Sydney proud. He accepted the Hatred and channeled it into ruthless purpose.
He moved with efficiency, targeting the Golem's weak seams and joints, delivering repeated, disciplined strikes. The sentinel roared in frustration, its massive, random blows unable to touch the focused boy. With a final, piercing thrust of channeled dark energy, Aldomite punched through the Golem's core. The crystalline sentinel crumbled into black dust, revealing the gleaming Crystal resting on a small pedestal.
Aldomite retrieved the crystal. Victory.He stumbled out of the cave entrance, the crystal clutched tightly, his eyes wide with the knowledge of his true identity and his forged purpose.
Mrs. Sydney waited. She took the crystal, her eyes scanning his severely depleted form. "You have talent, Aldomite," she said, her voice grave. "And a will stronger than the power you wield. But that darkness inside you nearly cost you your life just now."Aldomite lay there, exhausted, but with the cold, constant pressure in his chest now replaced by a quiet, focused resolve. He had accepted the hatred, the lie, and his fate. He was ready for the next step.
He was ready for Mrs. Sydney's training.
Chapter 6: THE FAMILIAR GATE