Triune: The broken path
Chapter 32: Trial of nothingness, Trial of void

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Trial of nothingness, Trial of void

Kael opened his eyes, his head feeling fuzzy. His vision was dim, and a throbbing heat made him feel dizzy.

"Where am I? What’s going on?" Kael thought, puzzled.

Just then, he heard a female scream, followed by the sound of something crashing.

"You bitch! Leave me the fuck alone! I earned that money, and I decide what to do with it! Fuck you!" A man’s furious shout rang out before the door slammed shut.

Kael’s breath hitched. His body trembled as an overwhelming sense of déjà vu gripped him.

"No... no, no, no..." He bolted toward a room, his heart pounding. As he got closer, the sound of soft sobbing reached his ears—familiar, painfully familiar. His hands shook, and tears welled up in his eyes as he slowly pushed the door open.

"M...Mom?" Kael’s voice quivered, breaking into sobs.

There, sitting on the bed, was a woman, her shoulders trembling as she cried.

"Kael..." she choked out, lifting her teary eyes to meet his. She could no longer hide it from him—his father had beaten him unconscious just minutes ago, and blood was still trickling from his head.

Kael’s breath came in ragged gasps. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck, holding her tightly.

"Mom, I understand... Everything will be fine, I promise," Kael whispered, his voice thick with emotion. His mother broke down completely, sobbing even harder as she collapsed in his embrace.

*****

A Few Hours Later...

Kael sat in his room, staring at his reflection. He was ten years old again. His drunk, gambling-addicted father had just beaten him unconscious and abandoned his mother.

And soon, he would die—murdered by the men he owed money to. They would take his organs, and his mother would still be left in debt.

"Was everything I saw before... fake?" Kael wondered. "I had a family... I was rich... But now... I’m back here?"

But no matter what, he wasn’t going to let things play out the same way.

"Mom, you’ve suffered enough."

Determined, Kael began looking for ways to earn money. His memories of the trial were sealed away—only his past life on Earth remained intact. Yet, through trial and error, he soon realized something shocking:

He had lived for a hundred years before dying in his past life.

This time around, Kael worked hard and became a successful businessman. His mother always smiled, watching him take care of her.

At 25 years old, however, something was off.

"Why haven’t I met my so-called wife?" Kael frowned, puzzled.

A few months later, he finally saw her—but she had married another man.

And that wasn’t all.

Two years later, his mother died—earlier than she had in his past life. His business crumbled. By the time he turned 30, he was dead.

********

(1/1000 reincarnations completed.)

(Hint: Those who wield nothingness must become nothingness itself.)

Kael’s eyes widened as he found himself back in the white space. This time, all his memories returned. His spine tingled with fear.

"I... I didn’t even realize it was a trial?"

The strength behind this trial was terrifying.

In this life, he had been able to care for his mother and make her proud... but in the end, both of them still died. His wife had married someone else.

"Was it because I changed the flow of time?"

Then, a realization struck him.

"Wait... in the last reincarnation, I only had memories of my past life on Earth. Shouldn’t I have memories of this trials too?"

Before he could think further, a new message appeared.

(Trial has begun.)

Kael lost consciousness and woke up again—as a ten-year-old, just regaining consciousness after being beaten by his father.

"Huh... I have the memories of my first reincarnation..."

His eyes burned with determination.

"Let’s try again."

(34/1000 reincarnations completed.)

(Hint: Those who wield nothingness must become nothingness itself.)

Kael stood frozen in the white space, his fists trembling.

"Thirty-four times... I’ve tried thirty-four times to change this world, but I always die early. Nothing goes as planned."

His voice cracked with frustration.

"What does it mean to become nothingness?! What the fuck am I supposed to do?!"

He screamed into the void, but there was no answer. Only the cold, indifferent message.

(Trial has begun.)

For the 35th time, Kael reincarnated.

This time, he did nothing different—he followed the same path as his first life.

And just like before, he lived to be a hundred years old before dying.

Back in the white space, Kael let out a slow, ragged breath.

"Heh... really? I have to watch my mother suffer for years and do nothing? How despicable..."

His voice wavered with anger and pain.

He had endured so much that his rational mind was beginning to fade.

"But... at least I got to spend time with Mom again."

He forced a grin.

(Trial has begun.)

And so, the cycle continued.

With each reincarnation, Kael lost more and more of himself.

His anger burned hot—until it disappeared entirely.

His emotions dulled.

His eyes became indifferent to everything.

The only time he smiled was when he was with his mother and family.

(100/1000 reincarnations completed.)

(113/1000 reincarnations completed.)

(164/1000 reincarnations completed.)

Time lost all meaning.

He couldn’t even remember the hint of the trial anymore.

(200/1000 reincarnations completed.)

(345/1000 reincarnations completed.)

(550/1000 reincarnations completed.)

(999/1000 reincarnations completed.)

(Hint: Those who wield nothingness must become nothingness itself.)

Kael stared blankly at the void.

"Every time... I always forget this hint."

For every life he had lived, he had endured unbearable psychological torment.

At this point, he felt hollow inside.

He lifted his gaze to the endless white void.

"This is the last one... and I’m sick of this. I’m sick of everything."

Darkness swallowed him as the trial began again.

This time, Kael refused to play along.

He woke up, grabbed a kitchen knife, and stormed out the door.

His father was still wandering outside, drunk.

"Worthless," Kael muttered before stabbing him in a dark alley.

He returned home, staring at his mother with dead, lifeless eyes.

"Mom, I chased Dad away. I saw some men stab him to death, screaming about his debts."

His mother collapsed, sobbing.

"Kael... no..."

She hugged him tightly.

Kael just stood there, his face blank.

"She still loves him... even after everything. I’ve seen this play out hundreds of times..."

His eyes darkened.

And deep inside, something in him finally... broke.

"Everythingmustend," Kael thought, his dull eyes staring forward with determination.

This time, he didn’t follow the original path. He became rich earlier, but more importantly, he finally found his wife. For hundreds of reincarnations, he had researched and studied everything about her—her movements, her habits—and now, at last, he had tracked her down.

"You must end too," Kael murmured, watching her.

She was drawn to him, impressed by his charm and intellect. They went to a night restaurant for dinner, and when he offered to drive her home, she accepted.

Kael glanced at her from the driver’s seat, his grip tightening on the wheel.

"I’m tired of this," he muttered, pulling over near a secluded, shadowy area. His stomach churned with revulsion as he stepped out and retched.

"Kael, are you okay?" she asked, concern etched across her face.

Kael turned to her, his expression unreadable. "I’m fine."

He stepped closer.

"End."

Her brows furrowed in confusion—until she gasped, eyes widening. She looked down, trembling, as a knife was buried deep in her stomach.

Kael watched without emotion as the light faded from her eyes and she slumped lifelessly.

With a hollow stare, he dragged her body into the bushes, then got back in the car and drove home. Nearing his house, he changed into fresh clothes before stepping inside.

"Son, you’re back!" his mother greeted with a warm smile as she walked toward him.

For the first time in countless lifetimes, Kael’s frozen heart pounded wildly. His dull eyes flickered with something unfamiliar—something long forgotten.

"...Mom," he murmured stiffly.

"Yes, honey? Aren’t you happy to see me?" she asked, tilting her head with a gentle smile.

Kael grinned—a twisted, empty grin. "You’re already dead."

The knife slashed across her throat before she could react. Her eyes widened in shock, hands clutching her neck as warm blood spilled between her fingers.

She collapsed to her knees.

"It’s done," Kael whispered, his eyes regaining their former emptiness.

And then, something incredible happened.

Reality shattered. The illusion of his mother dissolved, twisting into something else entirely.

It finally hit him. The hint he had always forgotten.

(Hint: Those who wield nothingness must become nothingness itself.)

It was literal. To truly wield nothingness, one must be devoid of all emotion. To embrace the void, one had to be hollow.

Kael laughed—hysterically, uncontrollably. "A thousand reincarnations... and only now do I understand!"

Darkness consumed him.

(Trial Completed)

- Concept of Nothingness Acquired

- Body of Nothingness: Feeds on emotions. The stronger the emotion, the more powerful the host becomes.

- Ability: Hollow (Passive): The host is naturally devoid of emotions, allowing for purely logical thinking. This can be toggled on or off at will.

- 1/100 Shards Collected – Unlocking the Realm of Nothingness

Kael examined his rewards as he stood in the endless white space. He knew it now—he had become something else. The love for his mother was gone. His weakness was gone.

(Congratulations: Two Trials Completed!)

(Congratulations: You Have Passed the Trial of Void!)

(Congratulations: Three Trials Cleared!)

(You Have Become an Awakener and an Abomination. You Now Wield the Three concepts of void, nothingness and chaos.)

Kael’s brows furrowed. "Wait... the Trial of the Concept of Void had no challenge?"

Then, realization dawned.

Simply receiving the Orb of the Concept of Void meant he had already passed its trial.

Because Void was an insatiable hunger—an endless abyss that could never be filled.

And he... was the same.

Like trying to fetch water in a basket, he would always be empty. The hunger would never fade.

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