Kael's eyes snapped open, his breath ragged as he found himself once more in that desolate, colorless world—a place where time itself had ground to a halt. The air was thick with an eerie stillness, pressing against his skin like the weight of a thousand unseen eyes. Though he had been here before, the sight still sent a primal chill down his spine.
But this time was different.
Now, with his mana veins awakened, he could feel the energy around him—except it wasn't the warm, life-giving mana he knew. No, this was something twisted, hollow, as if the very essence of vitality had been leeched away, leaving behind only a numb, gnawing void. Cautiously, he drew a thread of it into his body, testing its nature.
A sharp, searing pain lanced through his veins.
Grey smoke coiled from his skin like a living thing, writhing in the air before dissipating into nothingness. His breath hitched—he had seen this before, during the trial. Erasure. The same force that had nearly unmade him. He severed the connection at once, gritting his teeth as the last wisps of smoke curled away from his trembling limbs.
Even the mana here wants me dead.
His gaze lifted to the sky, and his blood turned to ice.
The silver moon hung as it always had, casting its ghostly glow over the barren landscape. But now—now—he saw it for what it truly was.
An eye.
Vast, unblinking, and filled with an intelligence that made his instincts scream at him to run. It wasn't just watching the world below—it was watching him. The moment his eyes locked onto it, the pupil seemed to shift, narrowing ever so slightly, as if in recognition. A silent challenge passed between them.
Swallowing hard, Kael tore his gaze away, forcing himself to focus on the figure at the center of this nightmare.
It sat as it always had, hunched and motionless, its long, raven-black hair spilling across the dead earth like a shadowy shroud. But now, the strands had grown even longer, weaving into the ground like roots, as if the figure itself was becoming part of this forsaken realm.
Kael's pulse hammered in his chest, each beat a deafening drum in the suffocating silence. He took a step forward. Then another.
The figure twitched.
Kael froze, his muscles locking in place. Slowly, agonizingly, the being began to rise. Dust cascaded from its tattered white robes, swirling in the stagnant air as it straightened to its full height. Kael's breath came in short, sharp bursts, his fingers curling into fists.
"Who are you?" His voice cut through the emptiness, sharp as a blade.
No answer.
The figure remained still, its face obscured by the curtain of its own hair. Kael forced himself forward again, each step heavier than the last, as though the very ground resisted his advance. The dread coiled tighter in his gut, whispering at him to turn back—but he needed answers. This thing, this place—they were tied to him. He could feel it.
Then, without warning, the figure's head jerked up.
Kael's heart stopped.
A pair of hollow, silver eyes stared back at him—eyes that held no pupils, no life, only an endless, consuming void.
His vision shattered into darkness.
Something wet and rough dragged across Kael's face, pulling him from the abyss. The darkness here was different—softer, quieter, wrapping around him like a comforting shroud. For a fleeting moment, he wanted nothing more than to stay, to let the peace consume him.
"Kree!"
The sharp cry pierced the silence, followed by another insistent lick. Kael groaned, his eyelids fluttering open to a blur of golden scales and excited chirps. Dryx perched on his chest, his little claws pricking through the fabric of Kael's shirt as he nuzzled against his chin.
"Missed you too, Dryx," Kael croaked, lifting a shaky hand to stroke the drake's head. His body ached as if he'd been trampled by a herd of stone bulls, and his mind…
That figure. That eye.
The memories surged back, sharp and unsettling. Who—or what—was that being? And why did it feel like it knew him?
"Well done, Kael."
Eva's voice materialized beside him, her translucent form shimmering into view. She regarded him with an unreadable expression, her arms folded. "You have successfully cleared the first part of the trial."
Kael blinked. Then his stomach dropped.
"First part?" He pushed himself up, ignoring the protest of his muscles. "You mean there's more?"
"Two more, to be exact."
A frustrated growl tore from his throat. He had nearly died in that trial—had felt his very existence unraveling at the edges. And now he had to face two more?
"But, "by completing this stage, you've unlocked partial access to the Shard's abilities. Consider it… a reward for your survival."
Kael exhaled sharply, running a hand through his sweat-damp hair. A reward? More like a consolation prize. Still, it was something. If he was going to survive the next trials, he'd need every advantage he could get.
Dryx chirped again, nudging his arm as if sensing his turmoil. Kael managed a weak smile, scratching under the drake's chin.
Stronger. Faster.
He had no choice. The next trial wouldn't be so forgiving.