The APEX RINGS tournament arena loomed like a coliseum of black stone, bathed in flickering flames that cast dancing shadows across its walls. The 666 competitors, divided into 222 teams, stood in formation, their uniforms revealing their distinct identities.
The Blazing Skulls, clad in cyberpunk attire of red and yellow-orange hues, bore an embroidered flaming skull in shades of blue and cyan on their backs, styled like a biker jacket. Gills "The Blaze," their leader, stood tall, red flames glinting in his eyes. Beside him, Soehpt "Ghost Flame," nervous, clenched his fists, his spiritual blue flames poised to erupt. Kira "The Unbreakable," a fiery 20-year-old redhead and Gills' childhood friend, adjusted her gloves, ready to heal or strike as needed.
Nearby, the Styx Reapers, dressed in fantasy-inspired black-and-white uniforms adorned with a stylized reaper in mauve and violet, exuded confidence. Tyrnat "The Black Prince," their leader, stroked his shadow sickle with a smug grin. Yulius "The Bloodthirsty," gripping his bone sword Massacre, stared down opponents with intensity, while Nera "The Dark Seamstress," a pale, white-haired 19-year-old with a childlike demeanor, adjusted her cursed doll, casting shy glances at Tyrnat.
The Nephalems, shrouded in mystical white-and-black cloaks, hid their faces behind masks. Their logo—a golden horned mask with a silver halo—gleamed under the flames. Bhaadon "The Unknown," tonfas in hand, stood still, flanked by Solom "The Cloud" and Gota "The Rain," both poised for action.
A thunderous voice ripped through the air, shaking the arena.
"Welcome to the First Circle: Anguish," it roared.
"Face your deepest fears in a labyrinth of nightmares. Shatter the illusions that bind you and find the exit before time runs out… or be consumed by them. Let the weak perish!"
The ground cracked open, and the arena morphed into a labyrinth of mist and shadow, its shifting walls and twisting corridors swallowing the competitors. Each participant was isolated, thrust into a personal nightmare under the oppressive weight of a ticking clock: a pulsing red glow hovered above the maze, marking an unrelenting countdown. The screams of the first trapped teams already echoed, heightening the urgency.
Gills found himself in a narrow corridor, a horrifying vision materializing before him: his team—Soehpt and Kira—burning alive, their screams piercing his heart. "Gills, you abandoned us!" Kira wailed, while Soehpt wept. Panic surged, but the red glow pulsed faster—time was slipping away. "This isn't real," he muttered, red flames flaring like armor. He struck the illusion, shattering it, but the corridor split, revealing a new path. He ran, breathless, urgency driving him past the whispers clawing at his mind.
Soehpt, in another passage, faced his aged, broken reflection. "You're a burden," it hissed, its voice cutting deep. Panic gripped him, his trembling hands faltering as the red glow quickened. "I… I'm stronger than this!" he shouted, summoning his spiritual blue flames. A burst of light shattered the illusion, but the labyrinth shifted, a wall rising before him. He sprinted in a new direction, heart pounding, desperate to escape before time ran out.
Kira, trapped in a tight space, saw Gills and Soehpt slaughtering each other, their bloodied bodies collapsing before her. "Stop!" she screamed, her regeneration powers flaring instinctively. The red glow pulsed mercilessly. Furious, she smashed the illusion with her fists, breaking it apart, and bolted through the maze, her footsteps echoing as she dodged shifting walls, determined not to fall behind.
Tyrnat was plunged back into his dark hell, his world crumbling under black ash as his loved ones screamed. The red glow flickered dangerously. He summoned Ombrailes, a tiny winged demon, to light his path. "I've survived worse," he murmured, shattering the illusion with a flick of his shadow sickle. He carved a black passage through a wall, racing toward the exit, his strategy keeping him ahead.
Yulius, surrounded by darkness, saw his past victims rise, their accusing voices stabbing at him. "Monster!" they cried. The red glow hastened, pressure mounting. Gripping Massacre, his bone sword, he slashed the illusion apart, his blood control forming projectiles to scatter the shadows. He charged through the maze, heavy steps ignoring deceptive turns.
Nera faced a vision of Tyrnat, dead, his voice blaming her: "You failed to protect me." Tears streaked her pale cheeks, but the red glow pulsed faster. Clutching her cursed doll, she unleashed shadow threads to shatter the illusion, her love for the real Tyrnat guiding her. She stumbled through the corridors, breathless, determined not to fail.
Bhaadon, beneath his mask, saw a ruined kingdom, accusing faces glaring at him. The red glow blinked, time dwindling. He used telekinesis to repel the vision, steeling his will, and levitated debris to block a moving wall, carving a path through the labyrinth.
Solom was cloaked in darkness, but he levitated, lightning sparking from his staff Ivory to illuminate the corridors. He shattered the illusion and soared through the maze, dodging traps as the red glow intensified.
Gota saw her loved ones drowning, watery jellyfish pursuing her. The red glow pulsed relentlessly. She summoned her aqueous creatures to break the illusion and ran, her steps slipping on wet ground, racing for the exit before time expired.
The first to emerge were Tyrnat, thanks to his passages, followed by Bhaadon, then Gills. Soehpt stumbled out last, panting, supported by Kira, who smacked the back of his head. "Get it together, idiot!" she growled. Yulius, Nera, Solom, and Gota emerged just in time, but dozens of teams remained trapped, their screams fading as the labyrinth consumed them. The survivors exchanged rivalrous glances, the path to Temptations opening before them, promising new challenges.