A True Heart's Test: Chapter 3 – Law Enforcement vs Assault

Chapter 3 – Law  Enforcement vs Assault

Our portal takes us to the entrance of a grand cathedral decorated with statues of serviles or angels. The statues of serviles on one side wear robes and hold a book in one hand and a shield in the other while the statues on the other side are wearing armor and hold swords in one hand and a weighing scale in the other hand. Two big crowds of people are gathering at the cathedral all of which seem to be nobility judging by their outfits. One group of these people almost seem to be wearing a type of light armor that’s colored crimson and black while the other one is dressed more elegantly in lighter colors of white, gold, and shades of light blue.

“Oh! I’m so glad that we managed to get here!” Eleazar says as he grabs my hand and hurries us into the cathedral.

“Why? Do you know what’s going on?” I ask.

“Two friends of mine are going to be crowned today. Let’s hurry!”

I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that Eleazar got invited to this wedding since he’s done much for many nobles and Church leadership. The guards recognize Eleazar, don’t bother checking to see if we have an invitation like they do with the rest of the guests, and bring us to a special balcony to get a good view of what’s happening. Eventually, the ceremony begins and I follow Eleazar and everyone’s conduct so I can do what I’m supposed to and not stick out more than I already do. During the ceremony, I hear the names of Eleazar’s two friends that this ceremony is for, Prince Caleb and Princess Kyla.

Prince Caleb wears a suit of spiky crimson and black armor. In contrast, Princess Kyla wears a silky dress light blue and white dress. Both are crowned by an archbishop who blesses them and then hovers his hands over them.

“Prince Caleb and Princess Kyla, I charge you with protecting our home, the Kingdom of Simbiosi. Through your unity and the power of your hearts, you will serve the Absolute, truth and love itself, and do what’s best for your neighbors, your family, and strangers alike. Such will be your responsibility until your death,” the archbishop says.

After this, a normal mass is held. Being a noble restricts your life choices more than being a peasant like me. If I ran off and had a plan as to where, my parents and my boss can do really do nothing about it. It’s not illegal for a nobody like me to run away since I’m so replaceable. On the other hand, if a noble runs away, their families send their personal forces or the authorities to get them. It’s illegal, in most cases, for a noble to leave their given job because of their importance and they face harsh jail sentences once someone is available to replace them. There are even stories made about these kinds of nobles. One story I remember is about a princess who sought Our Lady of Sorrows to become holy.

Huh? Oh, the mass is over. I got too distracted in my thoughts to really pay attention to it. Anyways, Eleazar and I go to the celebration for the prince and princess and get to talk to them.

Eleazar hugs both of them and says, “I’m so glad that I made it to your ceremony.”

“We’re glad too,” Kyla says.

“It’s good to see you, so is this your girlfriend that you always talk about?” Caleb asks.

“I’m not his girlfriend! What are you telling people?!” I say to Eleazar.

“Nothing! I didn’t say that.”

“I’m just joking. He does always talk about you so I assume you were. My apologies.”

He should stop talking about me to everyone he meets. I’m already sick of it.

“So, why did the Absolute bring you here?” Kyla asks.

“Cornelia is supposed to witness certain events so that she can unlock her heart’s Absolute ability.”

“I’m hoping to get it soon so I can leave the life I currently live.”

“What kind of ability are you hoping to get?” Caleb asks.

“Something great, something amazing like transforming things, making things manifest, and stuff like that you know. An ability that stories are made of.”

“I get it. Having an amazing Heart Absolute ability is a blessing. We should know since we have one of the best as we can summon dragons,” Kyla says.

“I summon a better dragon though. It’s a red and black dragon that’s the embodiment of justice,” Caleb says.

“It’s not a better dragon. It’s just a complimentary dragon to mine, which is a light blue and white dragon that’s the embodiment of mercy.”

“Those do sound amazing. I definitely want something like that.”

“It’s great to have, but you also bear an even greater responsibility to use it well. Believe it or not, I sometimes feel jealous for community service workers like you, so I could live a simple, humble, and quiet life.”

“I don’t feel that way, most of the time anyway. The only time I do is when I want to be left alone, not have so much responsibility hanging over my head, and people bothering me with things I already know.”

“You might actually get an ability that will help you in your current job. That’s what happens with most people and what happened with us. Our dragons help us deal mercy and justice just like we do on a daily basis.”

“I hope not. I’ll lose my mind if that’s the case.”

It better not happen. I don’t want one of those “you had your special power this whole time” sort of cases. I will go insane if it does. Both Eleazar and Kyla tell me about the honors of community service that I roll my eyes at.

“Our maids and butlers hold some of the highest honors in our family and are invited to our many dinners and celebrations. When they fall sick or are dying, they are given the best service we can offer and their families are compensated after their deaths,” Kyla explains.

Blah, blah, blah, I don't care. I don't even care if Kyla and Caleb offer me the chance to clean their castles and take care of their families. All I want is out of this job. For the rest of the celebration, I stay quiet and enjoy whatever kinds of exquisite foods they serve except for the healthier stuff.

“You have to eventually eat your greens and healthy foods,” Eleazar tells me.

With a mouth full of chicken and beef, I say, “Whatever.”

Back home, I eat enough mediocre foods and force myself to eat my greens and fruits. I'm going to enjoy all the meat I can while I'm here.

“She has the right idea,” Caleb says with his thumbs up towards me.

Kyla shakes her head in response. After dinner, people start to dance. Knowing what's going to happen, I try to get up and use going to the bathroom as an excuse to skip out on dancing, but Eleazar already knows I'm lying and drags me to the dance floor to dance with him, which embarrasses me to no end. Kyla drags Caleb to the dance floor to dance with us and he feels the same way I do. Eventually, the dancing ends, we have dessert, and the party ends. Caleb and Kyla allow us to rest in their castle which has a similar design to the cathedral we were at. Apparently, this place is usually used as a meeting place for both sides of the kingdom and the home of the newly appointed prince and princess who are meant to oversee both sides of it.

What doesn't surprise me is that Caleb and Kyla are married. On the other hand, what does surprise me is how they got this castle and their new responsibility. Their families had to raise up a single heir who would find someone on the other side of the kingdom to fall in love with. Assuming this happened, the couples would compete for the position Caleb and Kyla have now. The rest of the details are lost to me as I passively listen to them talk to Eleazar who probably already knows this. Well, at least they give me another reason not to feel jealous about nobles.

Tonight, Eleazar and I are given one of the guest rooms to sleep in, which is meant to fit around twenty or so people. I sleep on the other side of the room because I don’t want to be bothered as much by Eleazar’s snoring. When we used to have sleepovers, he would snore and keep me up for an hour before I fell asleep. At first, I thought it was funny until it quickly got old and annoying. In the morning, the castle’s servants wake us up and give us new clothes. Eleazar is given a clean pair of his uniform while I am given the same clothes that the servants are wearing. This pair of clothes is colored light blue and crimson with designs of golden flowers on them. Since these clothes are nicer than what I have, I wear them.

The servants then bring us to the luxurious dinner table that looks like it’s meant to fit at least fifty people. Here, the servants are eating with Kyla and Caleb and the table is filled with many kinds of breakfast meals such as plates full of pancakes and plates that have breakfast sandwiches with a side serving of potatoes. We are given seats by Kyla and Caleb who ask us how our rest was and how is the service here.

“The service is great and I slept well, at least until Cornelia started her snoring like she usually does,” Eleazar says.

“I do not snore,” I say.

“To be honest, I miss it. She did it all the time when we had sleepovers and I find it cute.”

“Shut up.”

“I know how you feel. Caleb does it all the time too,” Kyla says.

“Shut up. I do not snore,” Caleb argues.

“Anyways, what do you think you'll be doing to help Cornelia find her Heart Absolute ability today?”

“I thought we keep following you since you already have yours and we were brought to you by the Absolute.”

“You won't be able to do that today since Caleb and I are already tasked with taking down the Kingdom of the Universale.”

“That is unless you can handle the danger,” Caleb adds.

“Why are you going after them?” I ask.

“They're heretics who have openly attacked and rebelled against our Church.”

“Still, why attack them? I've heard that their kingdom accepts people of all beliefs.”

“That's exactly the problem,” Caleb says, “They accept the conceited and all that is false thinking that what's true or not doesn't matter as long as you appear to be a good person. Truth and lies cannot coexist, especially in a society where the good of humanity means something different to different people. Love of one thing always leads to hatred of the opposite.”

I've heard of Caleb and Kyla's Kingdom of Simbiosi always going to war with defectors and supposed heretical kingdoms.

“Why not try to convince them to change? Why go to war?”

“War is what we're good at when people refuse to give us what is rightfully due. It's the reality of this world. Kingdoms and people are constantly at war for what's God of their hearts and only those who fight for the Absolute will have the final victory. Don't worry about the casualties. Our dragons will rightly judge the Universale, spare the innocent, and execute the guilty.”

He's not lying or exaggerating. There are always people fighting in this world for something they highly value. I still don't like that Caleb and Kyla will have to go after the Universale. I've heard they're such nice people and have Heart Absolute abilities. What does it matter if they're slightly wrong about their beliefs?

“Whatever the reason for this war is, Cornelia and I can join you. We already put ourselves in danger before coming here to witness a great man obtain his Heart Absolute ability and change someone else's heart in the process. If we're not meant to be there, the Absolute will let me make a portal to get us out of there,” Eleazar says.

“Okay. Stay behind us and out of danger as much as you can,” Kyla says.

“Or maybe they or at least Cornelia should be in more danger. It is the way that a lot of people get their ability. It's how we got it when we risked our lives to save each other and almost died in the process,” Caleb mentions.

“That's true, but I don't think she'll have to go through the same thing. She doesn't have the same responsibilities as us.”

“You don't know that. She may obtain some kind of amazing ability in battle.”

“You think that because you think of everything in terms of battles.”

“That's right because life is one constant battle against vices and our enemies.”

Again, Caleb is right and I hope he's correct about me getting an amazing ability in the coming battle. When we head out, I ride with Caleb while Eleazar rides with Kyla since the dragons can't really handle more than two people on them and Kyla doesn't mind me riding with Caleb who I like more. Eleazar creates a portal for us and we go through it to instantly get to where we need to be. We find ourselves a fair distance away from a city with large city walls and many castles within it, which makes it look like a city controlled by kings. The city is surrounded by damaged farmlands that look more like a forgotten warzone than anything resembling a quiet farm town. Further from the warzone are luscious fields that show the beauty that the warzone probably was.

While we fly to the city, I notice that we aren’t being fired upon, so I say to Caleb, “They aren’t attacking us. Maybe they want peace?”

“We do too, but they refuse it. If they aren’t going to fire the first shot, then we will,” Caleb says.

His and Kyla’s dragons start firing a barrage of red and blue fireballs respectively at the city that damage the walls, castles, and churches. This is when the inhabitants of the city send fireballs of their own at us and leads to us firing at them while advancing and dodging their counterattacks. We spin, roll, and fly in all kinds of ways to dodge the attacks, which also make me feel sick. As we fly over the city walls, the barrage stops.

“We wish to negotiate terms of surrender,” someone says from the balcony of one of the castles.

This person seems to be a noble because of their clothing though they are not too well dressed and there’s no sign of them being conceited. They don’t have a crown or any black shaped hole in their chest that would show regardless of their clothes. Caleb’s dragon bathes this person in its red fire that overwhelms their person to their knees but doesn’t burn them. In fact, their clothes don’t even burn off.

“See? I have submitted myself to your fire and have come out unscathed. It proves my innocence. Now, if you will, please meet us on the ground to talk. We don’t want to continue this war.”

Caleb and Kyla look at each other.

“Okay, we’ll do it,” Kyla says.

We land on the ground where we meet many others who look like the noble all of which are modestly dressed. Again, Caleb's dragon breathes fire on these people and again they are unaffected by it, but everything around them, on the other hand, catches fire and is put out by the people around us.

“Do you not yet see that we are innocent?” one of the people asks.

“It appears to be so. Prove it with your formal surrender and what penance you will do to pay for your crimes against the Church and Simbiosi,” Caleb says.

“We have done nothing wrong.”

“Oh yeah? That battlefield outside of your walls and the many you have injured say otherwise.”

“We were defending ourselves!”

“I don't believe heretics who preach against the Church and make us look like liars.”

“We don't believe you are liars. We just think you're mistaken.”

“Enough! Clearly, you don't want to surrender or repent of your sins. If my dragon won't burn you, then perhaps Kyla's will." Caleb motions to Kyla and she reluctantly nods back and her dragon breathes its fire on the people in front of us leading to the same result. "Huh? A bunch of fireproof fellas, aren't you?”

“We aren't! We know that those flames burn the guilty and no suit of armor is strong enough to resist it.”

“Then it's some kind of conceited magic.”

“Look at us. We wear no crowns or clothe ourselves in kingly clothes. In fact, our hearts have their Absolute ability.”

“Prove it.”

Two people step up from the group and two dragons manifest beside them that appear to be just like the dragons Caleb and Kyla have. They are surprised by this and speak to each other in whispers that I can't hear. I'm just as concerned as they are. It's not common for those on the side of the Absolute to fight each other, but when it does, it historically ends in stalemates, and many innocent people dead. It could also be that the Universale are actually faking their Heart Absolute abilities and their innocence through some kind of conceited ability though I don't think this is the case.

“Forget it. We came here to punish your rebellion and since you aren't going to surrender, then you will die,” Caleb says as he takes out his spear and shield from his back.

He and his dragon charge at the two who have dragons. In response, they have their dragons breathe their fire on him and his. As Kyla moves to aid Caleb with her hammers and dragon, we get to cover. The other two dragons manage to push back Kyla, Caleb, and their dragons and even singe them with their fire. Undeterred by this, Kyla and Caleb fight on and manage to get in close to their enemies. Even the dragons fight together, though it seems like no side is winning.

“We should do something,” I say.

“Like what? I'm trying to make a portal but can't.”

“No, don't make a portal. Maybe my Heart Absolute ability will kick in soon.”

Come on! Here's another chance for me to do something and it's still not coming out! Am I supposed to be learning something from this? If so, I don't see what it is just like the other time. Eventually, Kyla and Caleb are pushed back and seem to be on the edge of defeat. They get on their dragons and try to fight their enemies this way, which causes their enemies to do the same. This results in both sides taking flight and having them fight with their dragons in the sky. Some of the buildings are hit as a result of them exchanging fire blasts and debris fall down to where we are. The guards of the city protect us and the civilians before getting us to smaller buildings that they've made into shelters for fights like this, but it doesn’t last long as both Caleb’s and Kyla’s dragons crash with them on it into the shelter.

Everyone in the shelter who isn’t injured scatters while Eleazar and I pick ourselves up to check on Caleb and Kyla who are pretty banged up. Caleb’s spikey armor is heavily damaged with the spikes missing, his left shoulder piece broken, and many places on his armor are damaged and burned. Meanwhile, Kyla’s light armor which was once as white as snow is now dirtied and ruined with no trace of light blue or white left in it.

“Caleb! Kyla! Are you alright?” Eleazar says.

“Yeah, I’m fine enough to fight,” Caleb says as he struggles to hold his spear and broken shield.

“No, you’re not. We should find a place to hide and then plan out our next attack,” Kyla says.

“Eleazar. Let the Absolute decide through your portals.”

“I’ve been trying to make them. Maybe now they’ll work.”

A portal does end up appearing in front of us that we all go into. It puts us somewhere in an empty abandoned church that’s in a not too crowded part of the city. Both Caleb’s and Kyla’s dragons disappear in a flash of light as they sit down to rest. Caleb punches the floor.

“What wrong?” Kyla asks.

“I thought we would easily win! We have our Heart Absolute abilities after all and we serve the truth, right? So, why didn’t we win like we did the other times? What did we do wrong?” Caleb says.

“I don’t know. This church that the Absolute brought us to may have an answer.”

“I think that it shows us that we were right. This place used to be dedicated to the Absolute judging from the torn artworks and broken statues. What are we missing?”

“Maybe we’re meant to think that the church isn’t right about everything and a change in thinking may be in order. This church is abandoned after all,” I suggest.

“How could you suggest that? We’re fighting against an enemy whose beliefs contradict a need for truth since they accept all beliefs without care if those beliefs contradict one another, if they’re based in historical and theological fact, and if they’re reasonable.”

“Maybe the Absolute is trying to show us that you’re missing a part of the truth,” Eleazar suggests.

“How so?” Kyla asks.

“This church does have signs of the worship of the Absolute present, but most of it is gone or torn down. Just like it, Caleb is talking all about your victories rather than the victories that the Absolute gave you. It is because of the Absolute that you have these abilities and they don’t always guarantee you victory. Think about it like the job of an artist, writer, or any other job. You aren't perfect at the job, to begin with, and even when you're good at it, there's always room for improvement. I mean we aren't perfect people in our personalities either and we need the daily help of the Absolute to become who we're meant to be.”

“He's got a point,” Caleb admits, “I do always resort to violence first and then ask questions later, but I do it because I want to protect the ones I love and establish peace as quickly as I can.”

“Peace is hard fought and won. It's a lesson I struggle to learn too since my family and I try to negotiate and covert our enemies sometimes to no avail. A firm, correcting, and loving hand is required in those cases.”

“And when there's a chance of conversion and possibility to lessen the bloodshed, we have to restrain ourselves.”

Something about Caleb and Kyla changes. It's like what happened to Lionel, but different though I just like before, I can't tell what it is. The two of them summon their dragons and allow us to ride with them to the primary castle in the center of the city. Here, we approach the main gate and its many guards that defend it. Okay, what are you two going to do now?

“Prince Caleb and Princess Kyla of the Kingdom of Simbiosi, have you finally come to negotiate terms of peace?” a guard says.

Many more guards gather around us, the nobles in the castle gather at the windows and the other two who could summon dragons appear and guard the gate. Caleb and Kyla look at each other and then hold each other's hands. Now, something's really different about them. I can feel it and it looks like everyone around us can too judging from their reactions.

“We have come to bring both mercy and justice,” Caleb and Kyla say in unison, “Both are part of a whole as we are with the Absolute and each other. The two are made into one flesh. Mercy and justice are nothing more than the Judgment of the Absolute.”

Both of their dragons combine into a singular massive dragon. It's colored crimson, light blue, white, and black, has eight arms, four wings, and has other aspects of the dragons that make it up such as spiky horns and shield-like wings. The dragon roars before firing a blast of gold and black fire into the sky. A few seconds pass before the sky darkens and fire begins to rain from the sky. This fire homes in onto people and burns them with its flames. It exposes some as being conceited such as the two guards who had dragons under their control.

The dragon then breathes its fire into the ground to expose a large creature beneath it that begins to rise from the ground. This causes massive damage to the city and buildings to collapse. What's even stranger about all this is that certain people are caught by the black tendrils of whatever is beneath here and sucked into it. Eleazar and I struggle to keep our balance until he's able to make us a portal and get us out of the city. His portal brings us far away from the city, but still close enough to see what's going on.

What’s before us now is even more insane than everything that’s going on. A black mass of faces and mini arms rises from the ground and levitates through some unknown means. Caleb and Kyla’s new dragon flies around this massive being and I can hardly see them on it.

In an echoing mass of male and female voices, the being says, “You have your Absolute, your truth and we have ours. This is its manifestation as a result of our unification and all our hearts combined. This is our True Absolute. Make peace with our god now or face its judgment.”

Caleb’s and Kyla’s voices ring out as one as well and respond, “There are no multiple truths. Only one. Let the Absolute’s judgment come upon you to deliver both mercy and justice.”

Both Caleb and Kyla’s dragon fly around the being breathing fire around it to destroy it as its many faces and arms lung out to try to stop them. I feel so small compared to everything around me as if I shrunk to the size of an ant. I’ve heard of people using their Heart Absolute abilities together as one to make a new power, but I didn’t imagine it would be like this. It makes me think about what my Heart Absolute ability will look like and what I’m supposed to learn from this. Maybe it’s that I should remember that the Absolute is the source of my Heart Absolute ability and I won’t be perfect even with it? The first part of it goes without saying since the ability is called a Heart Absolute ability after all, but the second part is harder to find relevant.

So what if I won’t be instantly perfect? I’ll have my Heart Absolute ability, my life will change for the better, and things will progressively get better from there. I imagine that I’ll be like Caleb and Kyla. Right now, they’ve just finished off the being that is crumbling to the ground in burning pieces. They’ve gone from achievement to achievement with probably more in the future. Eleazar cheers for their victory and I put my hand in his face so he doesn’t hug me in excitement.

“Aren’t you happy for them?” Eleazar asks.

“Sure. Just portal them and us out of here. They probably want to go home and celebrate their victory,” I say.

After agreeing with me, we meet up with Caleb and Kyla and portal back home to find everyone overjoyed at the news of our victory. It is then that their dragon becomes two separate dragons again, which doesn’t bother them too much since they’ll probably be able to use it again. A victory celebration like the one we were at the other day is held the next day and Eleazar and I attend it or rather Eleazar forces me to attend it since he doesn’t want to portal us out to our next destination. At the celebration, much praise is said for Caleb and Kyla who are allowed to speak after they receive their gifts from the nobles of Simbiosi and Church leaders.

“Our victory may have been won, but we still have a long road ahead,” Kyla says as she starts off her speech, “The world is a violent place. Having mercy on criminals and sinners is the preferred option to deal with these people since we are all flawed, but sometimes justice must be satiated.”

“But even then, justice is mercy because it stops a person from ruining themselves further and makes them see the error of their ways. Every sin and evil deed is supposed to be rewarded with the soul’s death and bodily death, and yet, hardly anyone is struck down where they stand immediately after they sin. No matter how much we improve and get strong, we still have room for improvement and it’s in that space that the Absolute continues to inspire us and mold us into who we are meant to become.”

Caleb and Kyla then say with one voice, “Through the trials and hardships of life, we will overcome our faults. Together with our hearts beating as one, we will become truly ourselves and establish peace in the world through mercy and justice.”

Their speech receives the applause of everyone in the hall. The celebration goes on for the entire night and exhausts me to the point where I don't feel like I have the strength to continue for the next day. I wish Eleazar didn't make me dance so much and try all the food. Stupid idiot. Eventually, after breakfast the next day, we say our goodbyes and leave.

"You're in a rush," Eleazar says.

"Yes, I am. Now, make a portal," I say.

"Didn't you enjoy your time here?"

"Eleazar, please, the next place we are going to will give me the last piece of the puzzle that I need to obtain my heart's Absolute ability. Can we hurry up?!"

"Okay, okay. Someone didn't get enough sleep."

If he wasn't my only way to get where I need to go, I'd punch him in the face. I'm surprised that I haven't done it after so many years. Finally, he makes a portal that I immediately go through. Now, I'll get the last thing I need to unlock my Heart Absolute ability, and then I'll truly become who I'm meant to be and start a new and better life.

A True Heart's Test: Chapter 2 – Absolute or False

Chapter 2 – Absolute or False

A blindly light subsides as I get through the portal to reveal a beautiful forest of flowers and wildlife.

“Huh. I thought we’d be in some kind of training place that will bring out my heart’s Absolute ability,” I say.

“Adivino did say that’d we experience events that will teach you. Maybe we’re supposed to see how other people get their Heart Absolute ability so you can learn from them?” Eleazar suggests.

“I see how that could help, but still, how will we know what events to follow? Who are we going to follow and what exactly am I supposed to learn? This place looks and smells like a peaceful beautiful paradise.”

“Yeah, but something about it doesn’t feel right.”

“I think you’re just imagining things.”

The sound of people moving draws our attention to a squad of knights that are moving through the forest. They must’ve not seen us because we’re in the shadows of the trees and a fair distance away.

One of them looks around and then says, “Captain, shouldn’t we look for Lionel? He’s not here.”

“If he’s not here with us, he must’ve been enraptured by a trick of the witch in this forest. Simpleton couldn’t even follow the order of staying close by us. The rest of you better stay close. We’ll search for his corpse after our hunt is complete.”

“Yes, sir,” the knights say before moving on.

“Huh. There’s a witch in this forest. Sounds like a fairy tale you tell children,” I say.

“That’s because fairy tales, like all fiction, are inspired by real life with some being based on more real things than others,” Eleazar says.

“Right, and I’m assuming you still believe in the monsters under your bed that give you sleep paralysis and try to drag you under when you’re awake when you’re not supposed to.”

“I still believe that.”

“Of course you do.”

Eleazar and I hear the sound of someone running in armor from behind us and turn around to see a young man in armor with the symbol of a royal blue sheep crest on his chest, which is the same symbol the other knights had.

“Have you seen-” the boy says before I cut him off by saying, “Your knight friends who’ve abandoned you? Yes, we have.”

“They haven’t abandoned me! They would never.”

“I’m sorry, but your captain told them to. You must be Lionel. My name is Eleazar,” Eleazar says.

“So, you must be telling the truth, if you’ve heard my name. Yes, my name is Lionel. Nice to meet you Eleazar. I can’t believe my friends would leave me behind.”

“They said you must’ve been enraptured by the witch of this forest. Are you okay? Were you under some kind of spell?”

“No, I wasn’t. I was just distracted by the beauty of the forest as if it spoke to me like it usually does.”

“So, you were enraptured,” I say.

“I guess you could say so since the witch made the forest and I do love nature. Don’t you? The beauty of nature is so alluring that I could stare at and talk to it all day.”

“You do that a lot, Cornelia,” Eleazar mentions.

“I don’t do the speaking to the forest part.” What kind of weirdos do that anyway? “You better get back to your so-called friends, Lionel.”

“I can’t do that and leave you, civilians, alone without protection. I’ll escort you out of the forest before rejoining my squad.”

“I’m afraid that we can’t do that,” I say, “The Absolute led us here so I can get my Heart Absolute ability.”

“Oh, really? That’s amazing! I wish I had my heart’s Absolute ability. In that way, I could help more people.”

Eleazar says, “Well, you can help us by helping us get to your friends. Cornelia is meant to view some event here to help her and she may have to witness you and your friends defeating this witch.”

“Okay! Let’s do that!” As Lionel accompanies us while we walk in the direction of his squad, he asks us, “What do you guys do?”

“I help teleport people around the world,” Eleazar says.

“That explains those fancy robes of yours. What about you, Cornelia?”

“Nothing good. I just work in community service.”

“I did that before I became a knight and even after becoming a soldier, I had to be the cleaning guy for everything at the base since I didn’t do so good in my exams to become a knight. In retrospect, I feel like I should’ve stayed a community service member.”

“You’re stupid for thinking that.”

“I know.” Huh. I didn’t expect him to agree with me. “I should trust the Absolute where it takes me because it is the Absolute after. It’s literally the truth and doesn’t lie to me, right?”

“Right, I’m sure you’ll eventually become a great knight. You just started out after all,” Eleazar says.

“You’re right. Thanks, Eleazar and Cornelia.”

What did I say that was encouraging for him? Whatever. We continue through the forest and as we adventure forward, the forest grows and changes ahead of us with pretty plants and flowers and smells directing us to go in certain directions.

“Should we follow the way that’s being presented to us? Maybe the witch is trying to guide us to the knights?” I suggest.

“No, because the witch is conceited,” Lionel says, “This power of hers isn’t natural nor is she being her true self. I doubt she is a nice person.”

“Why’s that? We haven’t been attacked and this place looks beautiful.”

“Being conceited doesn’t make you a good person because you choose to become something that isn’t you and you put yourself above the Absolute because you think you know better than truth itself. How can anyone that’s like that be good?”

I guess that makes sense. We were taught in school that by the end of our lives our hearts will be judged on how closely they resemble the Absolute since all hearts are made in the image of it and all hearts yearn to be what they were meant to be whether they acknowledge it or not. Hearts become conceited when they reject the Absolute or willfully ignore the call to learn the truth about themselves and the reality of the world around us. If a heart is blackened by conceit, it is tossed away to be forgotten, but if a heart closely resembles the Absolute, it will be cleaned of stain before being forever remembered and join the many hearts gathered in the Absolute to live forever happily in its love. Of course, I’ve tried to be what the Absolute wants me to be though I don’t really know why some people who are viewed as conceited are viewed as bad since they are trying to be what they believe to be themselves and this forest doesn’t look like it’s the home of an evil witch.

After going in our own direction for a while, we find the knights who seem to be on edge and it seems like one or two of their number is missing.

“Captain!” Lionel says.

“Lionel, be careful you, idiot!” the captain says.

“I am, sir!”

“Obviously not since you brought civilians deeper into this forest.”

“They’re here because of the Absolute and Cornelia here needs to witness something to get her Heart Absolute ability.”

“Okay, whatever, there’s nothing we can do to get them out of the forest now. Just keep your eyes open. Two of our knights disappeared even though they were close to us. Since you managed to make your way back, we’re hoping they’ll find their way back as well.”

“I hope they’ll find their way back too, sir.”

“Shut up and form up!”

“Yes, sir! Come on, Cornelia and Eleazar. We’ll protect you.”

As we get in the middle of the squad of knights who move forward with their backs to us, we hear a woman’s voice echo in the forest. She says, “Beware, all trespassers. Leave me in peace or suffer the consequences.”

Soon after, two sets of broken knight armor fly at us with presumably the wearers following behind them. They scream in terror in their damaged clothes as they run away from us and tell us to run with them out of the forest because of the witch. Maybe they have the right idea.

“We won’t run away from you, witch. You’ll pay for your conceited behavior, your thievery, and the many lives you’ve taken,” Lionel bravely says.

“You should leave with your friends, boy. I’ll spare you for your appreciation of my garden. Take the offer.”

“No! I am duty bound to bring you to justice.”

“Then you will soon regret not accepting my mercy.”

The trees of the forest suddenly have thorns growing around them and husks made of thorns that look like soldiers with swords and spears rise from the ground to attack us. Lionel and the knights try fighting these forest soldiers; however, they are unable to put them down since the forest soldiers keep moving even when their heads and legs are cut off, and the parts that are cut off are replaced by thorns that come from the ground. In a desperate attempt to kill one of these soldiers, the captain repeatedly slashes it apart until it’s all destroyed. This would’ve inspired the rest of the knights to do the same, but he is dragged away screaming into the forest by a large bush of thorns.

As everyone scatters, Lionel says, “We must stand together! Stop running away!”

Unfortunately for us, the knights run away together and are now ignored by the forest knights for some reason. Eleazar tries to make a portal but is unable to and confirms it by saying so. What am I supposed to do now? Is my Heart Absolute ability going to appear now? Come on! Appear already! This would be the perfect opportunity for it. It would be storybook if it does and the answer to my prayers that I’ve been waiting for. We’re surrounded by the forest soldiers now with no way out and Lionel is exhausted and injured from the fighting. My Heart Absolute ability just has to appear now!

Lionel is knocked to the ground and struggles to get up. He says, “No! I’m not going to let anyone else under my protection die.”

As Lionel slams his sword down defiantly, all the forest soldiers stop moving, which saves him from almost being killed by them. Something has changed about him. My eyes feel like they’re telling me this, but I’m not sure what it is. Could it be possible? Lionel holds out his hand and flowers appear on the bodies of the forest soldier and they all back away as he holds out his hands. No way…

“It’s not possible,” I hear the witch’s voice echo in the forest.

“My heart’s inner ability has awoken thanks to the Absolute. It’s over for you now that I am able to control the forest. Give up and submit yourself to justice,” Lionel says.

“There is no such thing as justice. That is why I do what I do. This isn’t over yet. Not while my heart still gives me power over a portion of the forest you don’t control.”

“Come on, Eleazar and Cornelia. I’ll protect you as we move forward,” Lionel says.

More forest soldiers with flowers on them form around us that act as our guards. The forest around us also changes as the thorns around the trees retract back into the ground.

“I’m so glad that you got your Heart Absolute ability, Lionel,” Eleazar says.

“I am too, especially since I needed it now more than ever to protect you guys. We’re not too far from the witch now. The forest tells me so,” Lionel says.

How come I wasn’t the one to get the ability to control plants in the forest? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that Lionel got his Heart Absolute ability in time to save us, but still. Oh, and now the wildlife in the forest, the squirrels, birds, rabbits, and deer are here to help us too. Why not? I’m assuming Lionel getting this ability is something I was supposed to see. So, what am I exactly supposed to take away from this? Well, this isn’t over yet, so the answer should be becoming clearer soon.

With Lionel, Eleazar and I finally come across the witch with a small squad of her own forest soldiers behind her. She doesn’t look like the ugly witch I imagined her to be. Instead, she looks to be a young woman about my age dressed in gold, black, and green grass and flowers with a crown made of black and gold plants. The only part of her that looks like what I imagined is the black heart-shaped hole in her chest, her black and green eyes, and her crown because the conceited are said to always crown themselves with whatever type of crown they feel they deserve.

“Let go of your control of the forest. Can’t you hear its cries of pain as it tries to escape your grasp?” Lionel says.

“I don’t hear it. Besides, control of the forest is a power I rightly deserve after all the suffering I’ve been through and the charity I provide,” the witch says.

“What charity do you provide? You attack the Church dedicated to the Absolute and everyone who enters your forest.”

“I’ve only attacked those who’ve wronged me and those who will harm me and those I love. What your leaders haven’t told you was that I sought the Church’s help to save my dying family, but even after so many years of serving them as a gardener and house cleaner, they wouldn’t take care of my family because I couldn’t afford the bills for their constant care. I had to rely on becoming a witch and being so-called conceited to give them a home out here and the care they needed until they peacefully died.”

For some reason, Lionel kneels down and the grass reaches out from the ground and wraps around his hands. More grass from behind him reaches up and around his eyes.

“What are you doing?” I ask him.

“They’re buried here, right?” Lionel asks the witch.

“Yes, is nature telling you this?”

“It is.”

“Then you must also be able to speak to their souls. They’ll tell you how much they love me and how I was right to do what I was doing.” An odd silence fills the air while Lionel looks surprised and worried. “Well, am I right?”

“No. They feel cold…I can hardly hear their voices.”

“What?”

“They’re in the Land of the Forgotten where all lies and falsehoods reside. You made their hearts conceited like yours, didn’t you?”

“They agreed what I did was right. I punished those who wronged us, took what was rightfully ours, and protected us from people who would want to hurt us for doing so.”

“It doesn’t matter if you were wronged. You still turned their hearts into conceited, false ones and because of that, they’ll suffer for all eternity.”

“No, that can’t be true! They talk to me from time to time to tell me how happy they are!”

“Those must be the vainglory, demons in the image of your family talking to you. They were the ones who helped make your heart conceited and the same ones who made the hearts of those in the Church who wronged you conceited as well. If you continue as you are, you’ll join them and your family in the Land of the Forgotten.”

“No, no, no! You’re lying and you’ll pay for that!”

The two armies of forest soldiers and their leaders clash. While this is happening, roots come up from the ground and surround us, which have presumably come from Lionel. I can see Lionel and the witch fighting and yelling things at each other but can’t exactly hear what they’re saying in all this fighting. Eventually, the dust settles with Lionel being the victor and the witch at the end of his blade.

“I know what it’s like to fail those who you want to protect. When my brother and I were out hunting, I failed to protect him. Instead, I ran away and left him to be food for the wolves. I’ve also failed my squad and the civilians I was tasked with protecting on multiple occasions. I feel like a failure because of those I’ve lost even if I was still victorious in the end.”

“Why are you telling me this? Why not just kill me and be done with your mission?”

“Because I’ve felt the torturing cold of the Land of the Forgotten and I want to protect you from that horrible fate.”

“Protect me? You don’t have a reason to do that. What kind of knight doesn’t kill a witch like me?”

“One that wants to protect rather than kill. As far as I’m concerned, killing is a last resort option and I don’t ever want to kill anyone from now on, especially with what I’ve felt from the Land of the Forgotten and now that my Heart Absolute will allow me to take people in alive.”

“Even so, I’m a conceited witch. There’s no hope for me to change.”

“Of course you can. Everyone is capable of redemption since we all make mistakes. Trust me, I should know. I’ll help you change if you let me.”

Looking at him with a puzzled look, the witch pushes Lionel's blade away from her throat and then says, “Okay, fine. I believe you. Take me in.”

“I will, but first, let me erase this façade you’ve created and give back the forest its natural beauty.”

As he says this, Lionel puts his hand on the ground and the beautiful forest around us decays and dies but then is quickly replaced by a somehow more beautiful forest than the previous one that overtakes it and fills it with more plant life and even more varieties of wildlife teeming in it. Seeing this stuns the witch and her appearance changes to something more humble as she is now wearing a simple dress made of grass and her crown is gone. It looks to me that she’s no longer conceited. Eleazar screams in joyous excitement and hugs me because of the occasion while I look in awe as to what Lionel managed to do.

“Amazing…” the witch says.

“Now, are you ready to go?” Lionel asks.

“Yes.”

“Hold on, guys. I’ll make this journey quicker for you,” Eleazar says before making a portal.

This portal leads us to a simple small city with a castle in the center and walls around it like most cities that I’ve heard of. People in the streets are shocked by our sudden appearance and it seems like the guards in the city are even more shocked to see Lionel taking in the witch by himself.

As we watch them talk to the guards, Eleazar puts his hand on my shoulder and then says, “Ah, don’t you love happy endings?”

“This isn’t the end for them. It’s just the beginning of a new struggle. Lionel will probably fight more because of his Heart Absolute ability and the witch will have to serve time in jail,” I say.

“Don’t be so cynical. I’m sure things will be for the better for both of them.”

“Sure.”

Lionel and the witch turn around to us.

“Thanks for everything, Eleazar and Cornelia,” Lionel says.

“Thank you for protecting us and congratulations on a job well done,” Eleazar says.

“It’s my pleasure. I hope we see each other again someday.”

“Me too.”

“Cornelia is it?” the witch asks me.

“Yes?” I say.

“I recognize the look on your face. I’ve had it my entire life and know how you feel just by looking at you. Don’t take the same path I did or else you might end up hurting those you love.”

“Sure. Thanks for the advice.”

Thanks, but no thanks. There’s no one I really love so there’s no chance of me doing what she said. The two then say their goodbyes before walking away from us.

“So, what have you learned?” Eleazar asks me.

“Nothing in particular other than I’d like to have a similar ability to Lionel’s,” I say.

“Oh, come on. There was a lot to learn from what we witnessed even though they were reminders of things we learned in school.”

“Well, do you want to take a rest before we go to the next place?”

“No, I want to keep going.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

There was hardly anything for me to learn from that besides what I already knew about Absolute and conceited hearts. Maybe it’ll all make sense when I’ve seen everything I need to. Now more than ever I’m anxious to get my Heart Absolute ability. Eleazar forms a portal and we head off to our next destination.

A True Heart's Test: Chapter 1 – Finding Your True Heart

Chapter 1 – Finding Your True Heart

Today’s another day and it’s another day I don’t feel like living. Not because I have any kind of depression or because I feel physically ill. Instead, I feel mentally ill because of the repetition of my everyday life. It’s all fruitless community work. Help out so and so with their animals on the farm, help garden, help clean someone’s house, take care of the neighbor’s children, clean the floors of the church, and so on and so on. As far as I’m concerned, I’m a slave to my town.

“Oh, you’ll get used to it,” another community service member says.

“The people appreciate what you do,” I’ll hear said to me.

“It’s not easy, but it’s good honest work.”

Yada-yada-yada. The only time I felt appreciated for my work was when a random boy five years younger than me made a purple, red, and blue bracelet for me for helping him clean his house. It’s the one time I got anything extra for working and felt appreciated for my work because of his kind and appreciative words and want to know more about what I do, so it feels like an irreplaceable treasure to me and I wear it every day. It’s a shame that I don’t always see him since he’s at school, but I do try to see him when I’m not working, which is rare. My parents say I need to work as much as possible to be noticed and get a real job that has better pay and more honor in performing it. I do as they say, not because I want to do as they say, but because I want to live on my own as soon as I can though, at this rate, I’ll be an old lady just like the other girls that worked this kind of job. Actually, I might not even get out of this job since many old people still work it because they either love it or because they’ll be poor without it. Even if they get promoted and get to work for kings, queens, the Church, and the like, they’ll have to work till they’re old and have to have someone take care of them.

“Are you daydreaming again, Cornelia?” my mother asks me.

“Yes, I am. It’s not like I need to go to work yet,” I say while continuing to sit on the porch and look out into the forest and then up at the sky.

My mother says something to me, but I don’t listen. Instead, I just try to enjoy looking into the sky and in the forest as much as possible. I don’t even know why I waste my time doing this because it’s a small joy that makes me want to go back to it during work. It’s like the few times my parents and I go on vacation. The relaxation just makes me want it more and hate being at work even more.

While my mother is still talking to me, my father comes out presumably to say something else. He looks like he’s about to say something until he is stopped by a portal appearing in front of the house, which I ignore and continue to look up at the sky because I know who’s coming out of it.

“Cornelia! How’s it going?” the guy coming out of the portal says before the portal behind him closes.

“Eh,” I say.

“Cornelia! Get up and greet your best friend. I’m sorry, Eleazar. She’s in a bit of a mood today like usual,” my mother says.

Ha! Best friend. He’s nothing like that. You’re always in a mood too, mother, but you always deny it.

“It’s okay. I can understand Cornelia’s annoyed language. She’s glad to see me as I am to see her,” Eleazar says.

I think it’s better to say that he’s lying and he knows he is. Eleazar sits next to me to look up at the sky before looking at me. Now, whatever good feelings I got from looking up at the sky are ruined, so I stand up. Getting a better look at him, I feel so underdressed compared to him. His long black hair is in a ponytail and he wears a gold outfit with black and red trims and a heart necklace around his neck. This along with his black boots was given to him by the Church and the royalty that he serves as a sign of their thanks and his work. In comparison, my grey dress with light gold lines around my neck, sleeves, and waist and my grey boots make me look like I’m homeless.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure that out. You know how my portals work now,” he says.

“It was better when your heart wasn’t completely dedicated to the Absolute. You could go anywhere you already were.”

“Hey, don’t say that. Thanks to my dedication, I can create portals to go anywhere and the Absolute brings me to where I need to go. When our hearts are completely dedicated to the Absolute, we are completely ourselves and can do what we were created to do.”

“Oh yeah? Then why don’t I have an ability like yours? I’ve done my fair share of praying and trying to be the best person I can and I’ve got nothing to show for it.”

“But you do! You help our hometown in so many ways. You’re so unbelievably talented.”

“I’m so unbelievably replaceable. There are tons of people who do the same kind of job that I do and many of them do it better.”

“I’m glad you said it,” my father as comes out of the house all dressed up.

“Don’t you have to go to work?” I say to him.

“I am. Love you and see you later.”

“Sure.”

“He’s just joking, Cornelia. Your father and mother really do love you.”

“Whatever. Look, I can’t make portals, pull swords out of nothing, breathe fire, summon animals, none of the special abilities that I hear a lot about and even see in this town. I’ll be just like my parents and their parents before them by being stuck working this thankless poor job for the rest of my life.”

“I didn’t get the ability to teleport anywhere until I was a teenager and my parents are hard workers just like yours with no magical abilities. Having parents with normal abilities doesn’t mean that you’ll have the same ones for your whole life. Don’t you remember the stories?”

“I know about them, but those abilities typically change around our age. There hasn’t been any kind of change in me.”

This is one of the reasons why my parents like Eleazar more than me. They always talk about him as if he’s some kind of hero I should follow in his example. He had a luxurious life handed to him by royalty when word of his heart’s ability reached them. Now, he’s an escort for all kinds of kings, queens, and high-ranking clergy members. He’s talking to me about the Absolute and how I should appreciate what I have, but I ignore it because I hate these speeches he gives me and I hate his overtly happy attitude to the point where I never want to see him. Why did the Absolute even make him come here? It could be…

“Shut up for a second,” I say to stop his ramblings, “Maybe you were brought here so I can discover my heart’s true ability!”

“I don’t know. Don’t you have to go to work and help take care of your family?”

“What’s more important? Becoming my true self to serve the Absolute in the right way or constantly walking in circles?”

“Becoming your true self.”

“Right. Besides, my parents don’t need me.”

“Yes, they do. You’re their daughter.”

“No, they never did. They only needed someone to make money for them,” I say before ducking my head into my house to say to my mother, “Mother! I’m going out with Eleazar! We’re going to find my heart’s Absolute ability!”

“Good, good! Make your father and me proud,” she says.

“Sure.” Turning to Eleazar, I push him along and then say, “Come on, come on! Portal us out of here!”

“Okay, hold on.”

A portal opens and on the other side, I can see a busy office. We go into it before the portal closes behind us.

Eleazar approaches the man dressed in gold like him that’s sitting at the front desk and says, “Hey, Mr. Adivino.”

“Back already, Eleazar? It’s a good thing your portals gently push aside people and open in open spaces.”

“It’s all thanks to the Absolute.”

“Sure is. Who is this with you? Your best friend that you talk about so much?”

“Yes, she is.”

“Who is this?” I ask Eleazar.

“This is my advisor or rather an advisor or mystic for those with a Heart Absolute ability. He, along with the other mystics, have the Absolute ability to consult to Absolute typically to ask if a course of action is correct.”

Great, another ability to be jealous of. If only it was so easy if me to get an answer to every question I have.

“So, you’re going to ask if us going to find my heart’s Absolute ability is correct?”

“Yep!”

“How long is this going to take?”

“This shouldn’t take too long, young lady. Just be patient while I get the help of the other advisors.”

Adivino goes away while I go find someplace to sit.

“I can show you around the place if you’d like, so you’re not just waiting here,” Eleazar says.

I take one look around the building to see all the people with fantastic Heart Absolute abilities such as turning objects into gold, sprouting wings from their back, and the ability to make copies of themselves. Not wanting to see other people’s Heart Absolute abilities, I decline the offer then continue to look at people using their abilities regardless and daydream about what ability I’ll get. My hope is that I get something different that’s unique to me since two people having the same Heart Absolute ability while both are alive is incredibly rare. Maybe I’ll be able to turn water into a solid substance, turn invisible, immediately clean things in the blink of an eye, or perhaps something simple like superhuman strength. I’ll take almost anything as long as it gets me out of my current job and life situation.

From a distance, I can see Eleazar talking to one of his friends that can teleport objects from one place to another. I don’t remember if he told me that she’s related to him in any way or a distant relative since I hardly pay attention to what he says during his visits. It’s also possible that she isn’t related to him and her heart’s ability is something new in her family, which I keep hoping is the case for me. Typically, a child will inherit one or a combination of their parent’s or grandparent’s abilities, but there are cases where a child or even multiple children in a family will have completely different abilities. Eleazar sees me looking over at him and his friends and motions for me to join them, but I shake my head. He then gets them to come over to me, the idiot.

“Everyone, this is my best friend, Cornelia. She’s a really friendly person,” Eleazar says.

Despite seeing the obvious sour expression on my face, Eleazar’s friends still introduce themselves with smiles on their faces and tell me about what Eleazar said about me. Is having a sickeningly happy demeanor a requirement for working here? Also, what am I some kind of pet brought to a show in tell? Eleazar must’ve been telling many tall stories about me if everyone is fussing over me as if I’m some kind of celebrity.

“Eleazar, we’ve come to a decision,” Adivino says as he comes back.

I push through the crowd of Eleazar’s friends and ask, “So, what is it?”

“You are to go with him to learn about your Heart Absolute’s ability by experiencing a few events that will teach you about it.”

“Yes, yes! Finally!”

“This is great, Cornelia-”

“Come on and make a portal already! Come on!” I say as I grab Eleazar’s arm and pull him out of his crowd of friends.

A portal opens in front of us and I try to get Eleazar to hurry up, but he’s resisting as he says his goodbyes to his friends.

“You’re her guiding light, Eleazar. Take good care that she learns what it really means to be herself and the true value of love, truth, and the Absolute,” Adivino says.

“Don’t worry, I will!” Eleazar says before going through the portal with me.

Finally, I’ll be able to get my heart’s Absolute ability and become truly myself. Then, I’ll be able to live a happy and satisfying life.