Aarav's body plunged into the abyss, the world around him swallowed by shifting darkness.
For a moment, there was nothing—no sound, no air, no sensation. Just an endless, suffocating void.
Then—
He was falling.
Wind roared past his ears. The abyss wasn't empty—it was a vast, spiraling tunnel of shifting light and shadow, warping and twisting like a living thing. Symbols flickered across the walls, ancient inscriptions burning with golden fire before vanishing.
Other warriors fell alongside him. Some twisted midair, trying to stabilize themselves. Others remained motionless, their faces frozen in grim concentration.
Aarav spun, trying to orient himself.
Then he saw it—a platform below, rushing up to meet them.
It was massive, carved from stone that glowed with faint blue patterns. Floating chains extended from its edges, vanishing into the abyss beyond.
And standing at its center—
A figure waited.
Tall. Cloaked in shifting mist. Its face was hidden beneath a hood, but its presence radiated power.
A voice echoed through the abyss, deep and commanding.
"The First Trial begins now."
Aarav braced himself.
The moment his feet touched the ground, the platform shook—and the trial began.
The impact of landing sent a tremor through Aarav's legs, but he barely had time to recover before the entire platform came alive.
The stone beneath his feet shifted, glowing blue patterns slithering across its surface like veins of fire. Around him, other warriors landed—some gracefully, others crashing down hard.
The cloaked figure at the platform's center raised a hand, its voice echoing with a weight that pressed against their very bones.
"The First Trial is a test of survival."
A deep, resonant hum filled the air.
The glowing patterns on the platform expanded—forming a massive circular sigil beneath them. Symbols burned brighter, pulsing in rhythm like a beating heart.
Then—
The chains holding the platform snapped.
The entire battlefield dropped into the abyss.
Aarav's heart lurched as the platform plummeted, but just as panic threatened to take hold, something else happened—
The ground shattered.
From beneath the broken stone, figures emerged.
Twisted, shadowy creatures, their forms barely human, crawled from the depths. Their bodies were wreathed in black smoke, their eyes burning with a violet glow. Their presence felt… wrong, as if reality itself rejected them.
The cloaked figure's voice rang out once more.
"You must endure. You must fight. Only those who survive will move forward."
The moment those words were spoken—
The creatures attacked.
Aarav barely had time to react before the first shadow-creature lunged.
It moved impossibly fast—a blur of darkness, its jagged claws slicing through the air toward his throat.
Instinct took over.
Aarav twisted, dropping low as the attack whistled past his head. The creature's momentum carried it forward, and he drove his fist into its side.
His knuckles connected—
But it was like punching smoke.
The creature dissolved, reforming a few feet away, its violet eyes flaring with hunger.
More of them surged forward.
Across the platform, the other warriors were already engaged in battle. Some wielded weapons that crackled with supernatural energy, others fought barehanded with inhuman strength. A warrior with burning tattoos crushed a creature's head with his palm, while another with a floating spear cut through the shadows with blinding speed.
Aarav gritted his teeth.
He didn't have a weapon. No divine gift. No supernatural power.
But that didn't mean he was helpless.
He shifted his stance, eyes scanning his opponents. The creatures were fast, but their movements followed a pattern—attack, dissolve, reform. They couldn't be hit directly.
But what if—
Aarav rushed forward, feinting a punch at one creature's chest. It reacted instantly, dissolving into smoke—
Exactly what he wanted.
The moment it began to reform, Aarav pivoted and drove his elbow straight through its emerging core.
A piercing shriek tore through the air. The creature disintegrated completely, vanishing into wisps of black mist.
Aarav's lips curled into a smirk.
"Got you."
But there was no time to celebrate.
Because at the edge of the battlefield, the air was twisting.
Something bigger was coming.
And it was headed straight for him.
Aarav barely had time to catch his breath before the air behind him rippled.
A towering shadow-beast emerged from the shifting darkness—a monstrous figure at least ten feet tall, its body a shifting mass of black mist and jagged bone. Unlike the smaller creatures, its form was solid, its glowing violet eyes locked onto Aarav with an unmistakable hunger.
The moment it appeared, the other creatures halted, withdrawing as if in submission.
This one was different.
This one was a Predator.
A deep, unnatural growl rumbled from its chest.
Aarav's instincts screamed. Move!
He barely leaped to the side as the beast's clawed arm came down—slamming into the platform with enough force to crack the stone. Shards of glowing rock exploded outward, cutting through the air like blades.
Aarav hit the ground and rolled, his heart hammering.
This thing wasn't like the others.
It was stronger. Faster. And worst of all—it wasn't fading like smoke.
It could be hit.
But it could also hit back.
The beast turned, its violet eyes narrowing. Then—it moved.
Aarav had no time to react.
In the blink of an eye, the monster was right in front of him.
Its clawed hand lashed out—
Aarav barely managed to block, crossing his arms in front of his chest. The impact sent him flying, his body crashing against the platform's edge. His vision blurred, pain flaring in his ribs.
The beast didn't stop.
It lunged again, claws poised to rip him apart.
Aarav's mind raced. He needed a plan. Fast.
His fingers brushed against the ground—against the glowing cracks in the platform's surface.
And then—he felt it.
A pulse of energy.
Aarav's eyes widened.
The platform itself… was alive.
And for the first time—he felt it responding to him.
---