The cavern trembled as the massive crystal in the center of the Sanctum of Echoes glowed brighter, its light casting long shadows across the crystalline walls.
Veyra's hands glowed in response, the gene-seeds in her pack pulsing in sync with the crystal.
The voice echoed in her mind, its tone both commanding and expectant. "The first trial tests your will," it said. "Survive, and you will take the first step toward your destiny. Fail, and the Void will claim you."
Veyra's heart pounded. She didn't know what the trial entailed, but she could feel the energy in the air—raw, unyielding, and dangerous.
The ground beneath her cracked, and a section of the floor rose, forming a platform.
From the shadows of the cavern, shapes began to emerge—humanoid figures made of the same crystalline material as the walls. Their bodies shimmered, their movements jerky but fast, and their eyes glowed with a cold, blue light. There were five of them, each holding a weapon—a sword, a spear, a bow, and two with daggers.
Veyra drew her knife, her injured arm protesting. She couldn't fight five opponents, not in her condition.
But the gene-seeds' energy surged within her, urging her to act.
The first figure—a swordsman—charged, its blade swinging in a wide arc. Veyra dodged, her enhanced reflexes saving her, and slashed at its leg. Her knife bounced off the crystal, leaving only a scratch. The figure didn't even flinch.
The spearman attacked next, thrusting its weapon at her chest. Veyra rolled to the side, the spear grazing her cloak. She fired a burst of light from her hands, the impact shattering the spearman's arm. The figure staggered but didn't fall, its arm reforming in seconds.
Veyra's stomach dropped. They were regenerating—she couldn't win this way.
The archer fired, an arrow of blue energy streaking toward her. Veyra summoned a shield of light, the arrow bouncing off, but the impact sent her stumbling.
The two dagger-wielders closed in, their movements synchronized. Veyra ducked under one's strike, kicking at its legs, but the other slashed her thigh, drawing blood.
She cried out, her vision blurring from the pain.
She retreated to the platform, her mind racing. She couldn't fight them head-on—they were too strong, too fast. But the gene-seeds' energy was still there, guiding her.
She focused, her hands glowing brighter, and aimed at the massive crystal in the center.
If the figures were connected to it, maybe destroying it would stop them.
She fired a concentrated burst of light, the beam striking the crystal with a deafening crack.
The crystal shattered, and the figures froze, their bodies crumbling into dust.
Veyra collapsed to her knees, her body trembling.
The voice spoke again, its tone approving. "You have passed the first trial. Your will is strong, but the path ahead is long."
The platform lowered, and a section of the cavern wall slid open, revealing a tunnel.
Veyra stood, her injuries screaming, but she forced herself to move. She had to keep going.
The tunnel was narrow, the air cold and heavy.
Veyra's wounds slowed her down, but the gene-seeds' energy kept her moving.
She didn't know what other trials awaited her, but she knew she couldn't stop.
The Gene Lords were still out there, and the Void—whatever it was—was watching.
She had to uncover the truth, to harness the gene-seeds' power, before it was too late.