章 83: Ally

Alden slowly came to. 

His eyelids fluttered open, allowing light to stream into his pupils. 

Alden discovered he was back inside the Keeper's Donjon, sitting on a chair.

A light mist encompassed his surroundings. 

It was as if he had never left… 

Which, in a sense, was true - only his mind had entered the Key, leaving his physical body behind. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't be haunted any less by what he saw. Alden sighed, sealing the dark and negative experiences away. The last thing he recalled in the Trial was light and darkness fusing in an enthralling display before his consciousness was forcefully ejected from the Key. 

Based on the smile that had split the Reaper's face, Alden surmised he had passed.

That, and also the fact that he hadn't become a vegetable. 

Something which was… a great relief. 

There was another indicator of his success.

Alden sensed his mind had become stronger, firmer.