Chapter 12: Into The Abyss (1)

As Bellator's battered and tired body lay on the floor, covered in blood, a golden hue enveloped him as his broken bones started fixing themselves, and all the poison in his system was being removed.

While all of this was happening, his necklace, which had previously been a red Ruby, had turned a golden color as it slowly healed his body.

Though unaware of what was happening, Bellator was in some trouble. Although his body was in the cave, his mind was simultaneously taking the test.

'Where am I?' Bellator thought as darkness filled his vision. Confused, the last thing he remembered was activating the test, and after those words, he was in complete darkness.

At first, he thought he was asleep, but once a status screen showed up, he knew that he was currently taking the test.

And just reading the description scared him, as he had never imagined how horrifying the test was.

\[The conditions have been fulfilled\]

\[The test of ???? shall begin\]

\[Test\]

\[Objective: Stay sane\]

\[Time limit: 1 year\]

\[Reward: Trait - The One Who Sees All\]

\[Failure: Death\]

'What kind of test is this?' Bellator thought, worried. He was in never-ending darkness where the only sounds heard were his own voice, and he had to stay sane for one year.

'This shouldn't be that difficult; I mean, I survived that wolf, so this will be a walk in the park.'

At least that was his initial thought.

As time went on, he was bored. He had no source of entertainment, no one to talk to, and in this place, his body didn't need to sleep.

Sitting in the suffocating silence, time passed slowly. All Bellator could do was sit and stare into the abyss.

The first day passed silently, though with no way of keeping track of time, Bellator had no idea how long he had been there.

'This silence is driving me crazy; the sound of my heartbeat is the only sound in this place,' Bellator complained, worried about how he had to spend a whole year in the place.

An unknown amount of time passed for Bellator as all his time was spent staring into the abyss. He started getting scared as soon as Bellator realized something.

'I'm not alone.'

"Hello, is anyone there?" Bellator asked as he heard a sound again.

"Yes, oh, thank goodness, I thought I was here alone," a gentle voice came. His figure was covered by the darkness as the man spoke to Bellator.

"What's your name?" Bellator asked with apprehension in his voice.

"I don't know?" The man responded.

"What do you mean you don't know? How can you not know your own name?" Bellator asked, confused.

"My memories only stretch back to my arrival here. I don't know how long I've been here or who I am," the man said, confusion in his voice.

'Is he real, or have I just been here for so long that I'm starting to go crazy?' Bellator thought as he spoke to the man.

"What about you, what's your name?" The man asked.

"Bellator."

Not knowing what else to say to the man, Bellator stayed silent. Even in his previous life, he had never been a talkative person, yet that didn't seem to be a problem.

In the outside world, Bellator's body lay on the hard and cold cave. The necklace which had already healed all his wounds had transformed as the previous golden glow which surrounded him turned pink.

Unaware of what was happening to his body on the outside world, Bellator, still stuck in the darkness, was being questioned heavily.

"So how old are you? Do you have a family? How long have you been here? What did the outside world look like? Do you know where we are?" The man asked numerous questions.

"What is this, an interrogation? Why are you asking so many questions?" Bellator responded, annoyed.

"Oh sorry, I only have vague memories, and you're the first person I have met since being here, so I was curious," the man asked. Sadness could be heard in his tone as he stayed silent.

*Sigh*

Letting out a sigh, Bellator talked.

"Sorry, it seems being stuck here has just annoyed me too much," Bellator said apologetically.

"It's okay," the man said as his gentle voice flowed.

As he talked with the unfamiliar man, Bellator felt happy. Instead of the eerie silence that had filled the room, it was now filled with laughter and chatting as Bellator and the man conversed.

"So wait, did you say the car was flying?" the man asked, confused by the stories that Bellator told him.

It seemed the man had basic knowledge, yet not of Bellator's world. It seemed he had either been on Earth or a parallel planet.

"Yes," Bellator said, nodding his head. Though in the darkness, the man didn't even notice.

"So you're saying in your world cars fly, and magic is real?" the man said, surprised.

"Yes, I've already told you that five times. Why do you find that so hard to believe?" Bellator asked, amused by the person's questions.

"Oh sorry, this just sounds like a fairytale to me. I may not have a lot of memories, but one thing I do know is that wherever I came from, there were no flying cars or magic," the man said as his eyes shined with intrigue.

'Time no longer seems to go so slow.'

"Hey, it kind of feels weird being called 'you' the whole time. Can you give me a name?" the man asked.

"You want me to give you a name?" Bellator asked, surprised.

"Yes," the man asked pleadingly.

'Why would he want a name? He is an illusion... Isn't he?' Although he had enjoyed his time with the mysterious man, Bellator had always thought he was an illusion. He had just thought he was hearing voices and had been playing along, yet hearing the man ask for a name made Bellator question whether he was real or not.

'He can't be real... Is he?' Questioning whether the man was real or not, Bellator realized he had been silent for a while, and the man was waiting.

"Uhmmm..." hesitating while thinking of a name, Bellator blurted a name out.

"How about...