Deep within the forest, exactly in the center, life ceased to exist. No trees or shrubbery were coating the land. It was deathly silent, no animals or creatures existed.
It was just desolate land. Dirt and nothing else. But deeper in stood a stunning visage.
In contrast with the dreary landscape, stood a large pristine castle. It was surrounded by snow-white walls, with watchtowers on each corner.
The castle itself was imposing. Also made out of snow white walls, it stood out like a sore thumb.
Inside the castle, there was a big throne room. And at the end of the room stood an ivory throne. It almost blended in with its surroundings.
And on the throne, a humanoid figure sat lazily. It was completely white. It had no blemishes or any faults.
It had a lean muscular build. It also had nothing on its face, except a mouth, which was currently contorted into a frown.
Its right hand irritatingly tapped on the throne's hand rest. It sighed, stood up, and walked towards the white doors. A large white tail followed behind.
As it walked, its shoulders bulged, and a moment later, a white regal robe fell gently behind its feet.
The doors opened to a vast hallway. It made its way across to another set of doors. These doors led to a balcony.
It leaned on the ledge as it looked at the desolate land. Only it wasn't paying attention to the landscape. Its mind was somewhere else.
Looking up at the dark sky, only a single thought erupted into his mind.
'So a god has finally appeared in this blasted place.'
******
It had been about six days since the initiation started. A great deal has happened in this short period of time. Some cadets had flourished so far and others struggled.
The latter either hid from the horrors or simply died. This was a harsh trial they had to endure, so it was expected.
The former fought monsters and horrors with vigor, aiming to complete this initiation stage.
One such individual was excelling. He was a big, muscular man with mid-length brown hair that swept in the wind. He was clad in brown silver armor which was finished with a big brown cape.
His blue eyes scanned the clearing for any danger. When he was done, he straightened his right arm in the air with a thumbs-up.
"It's safe. This is the perfect place."
From behind him, a group of people emerged from the tree line. There were at least twenty. Four of them walked in front of the rest, with varying characteristics.
The first one to speak up was a man in his early twenties. He had a lean build and, by old-earth standards, was of African descent. His dreadlocks were tied into a ponytail to keep them out of his eyes in combat. His upper body was exposed.
His red eyes scanned the clearing and he shrugged. "I guess. It's better than nothing."
The next person to speak up was a man in his thirties. His skin was as pale as snow, which made him look like a walking corpse. He had snow white twin daggers on his hips. His jet-black hair covered his deep sunken eyes as he spoke.
"How long is it going to take to set this all up?"
A bubbly voice quickly chimed in. "It probably won't take long!"
This person had a petite body covered in a white robe, her blonde hair complementing it well. In her right hand, she held a staff.
The big man thought for a moment and quickly came to a solution.
"Alright, everyone, we are going to set up a temporary camp here until tomorrow. Then we will build a base for the foreseeable future."
He shifted a bit and looked behind him with a smile. "What do you think June?"
June stood closer than the rest of them. She was now clad in black leather armor and was armed with two swords. One was the katana she used against the wolves, which was sheathed on her left hip.
And the other was a massive greatsword, it had a black blade and hilt. It was as big as her and was fitted nicely on her back.
She smiled back and nodded. "That sounds like a plan."
The big guy nodded and looked at the clearing once more.
"Alright, everyone! Let us get to work!"
******
Finn felt weightless. He couldn't feel a thing. He wasn't even sure if he existed. Looking around, if that was what he was even doing, all he could see was an empty abyss with an array of stars scattered around.
'What... is this?'
"This is your heart, kiddo."
Startled, Finn looked around for the unknown voice. After finding nothing, he calmed down a bit.
'Kiddo? What kind of weirdo talks like that? Probably someone old.'
"Hey! I'm still young!"
This time, he could hear the direction of the voice; it came from his right. He turned in said direction and finally saw the owner of the voice.
The owner was a young male, he had golden hair that crowned around his face, golden eyes that shone with mischief, and his face was finished off with a goofy smile.
He adorned regal golden armor as he lazily floated in the air, his tail wrapped around his waist.
'Tail?'
"What? Have you never seen a monkey before?"
Finn took a look at the stranger once more and sighed. 'I must be going crazy.'
The stranger's tail irritatingly whipped from left to right. "Ugh, it's always like this with you mortals."
'Mortals?' That's when something clicked in his brain as he looked at the stranger.
"Yes, that is right! I am-"
"Sun Wu Kong." Finn finished his sentence.
"Wow, way to take the spotlight." He deadpanned.
He sighed and his eyes glowed faintly. His laziness was now nowhere to be found. His eyes bored deep holes into Finn. "Yes mortal, you find yourself in front of a god."