Trial Grounds
Jaxon's boots crushed loose gravel as he led the way, his sword strapped to his back in its compact form. The twin moons overhead bathed the land in a ghostly glow, their jagged shadows stretching over the rocky terrain.
No maps. No markers. Just instinct. And the relentless thump-thump-thump of something following them.
Lyra moved in controlled silence behind him, her posture sharp, calculating. When she finally spoke, her voice was laced with irritation.
"So… let me get this straight. They dropped us into a world we've never seen, took all our tech, and expect us to survive just like that?"
Jaxon smirked but didn't turn. "You sound surprised."
"I sound annoyed." She waved a hand at their surroundings. "Survival is one thing, but this? This is a death trap disguised as a trial."
He shrugged. "Survival isn't about comfort. You don't get stronger by having a safety net."
She shot him a glance. "Spoken like someone who punches first and thinks later."
That made him chuckle. "You say that, but you're still following me."
She rolled her eyes, but he caught the faintest flicker of amusement in them.
Then the sound came again.
Thump-thump-thump.
Jaxon's muscles tensed. The thing stalking them wasn't just following. It was studying them.
Lyra narrowed her eyes, her qi-sensing ability sharpening. "It's fast. And it's getting faster."
Jaxon scanned the terrain ahead. Open ground—bad for ambushes. But a cluster of jagged rock formations just ahead?
Perfect.
"Keep moving," he said, adjusting his grip. "We deal with it there."
She hesitated, then nodded.
---
The Bottleneck
Jaxon positioned himself between two rock pillars, sword now in hand. Beside him, Lyra's fingers crackled faintly with qi.
The thumping stopped.
A sharp click echoed through the still air.
It was here.
Jaxon exhaled slowly. "It's not just a beast."
Lyra's stance tightened. "Then what is it?"
His gaze didn't waver. "Something that's fought humans before."
Silence.
Then, movement.
A shadow detached from the darkness, low to the ground, its body sleek but unnaturally elongated. Its limbs bent at wrong angles, yet it moved with eerie precision.
Lyra's breath hitched. "That's… not normal."
Jaxon's grip on his sword tightened. "No. It's not."
The creature tilted its head, studying them. Its eyes gleamed—not with hunger, but with recognition.
And worst of all?
It was smiling.
---
Strength is More Than Power
Lyra tensed. "So, we kill it, right?"
Jaxon didn't answer immediately.
His strength faction valued power, but not blind destruction.
He exhaled. "Strength alone doesn't make you invincible."
Lyra glanced at him. "Oh? Because from what I've seen, you brute-types love smashing things."
He chuckled. "We do. But power without awareness is just destruction. To be overwhelming, we need to understand what it means to be weak."
She hesitated. For the first time, she saw him differently. Not just a brute—but someone who understood the weight of his strength.
And then—
The creature moved.
Faster than either of them expected.
Jaxon barely had time to raise his sword before it vanished—reappearing behind them.
"Damn it!" Lyra spun, a pulse of qi shooting from her palm. The creature twisted midair, evading with unnatural grace.
Jaxon pivoted, slashing downward, but the thing sidestepped at the last moment.
It wasn't just strong.
It was playing with them.
Lyra clenched her teeth. "We need a new plan."
Jaxon smirked. "I already have one."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Please, enlighten me."
Jaxon's eyes gleamed. "We stop running."
The creature froze.
Then, its grin widened.
And it charged.
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End of Chapter 22
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