Silence echoed louder than sound ever could.
Kairo stood on a floating platform in a vast void, facing a reflection of himself. But this wasn't an ordinary mirror—it was him… perfected. An image carved from divinity, draped in black armor etched with runes of pure light, and eyes like coals burning with truth.
His double cracked his neck and stepped forward. Each footfall rang like thunder across the void.
> "I am your future. The you that wins. The you that doesn't hesitate. The you unchained by fear, morality, or weakness."
Kairo held his ground, heart pounding. The presence before him wasn't just intimidating—it was intoxicating. This… was what he could become.
> "What's the trial?" he asked flatly.
> "Survive. Conquer. Accept your truth."
And with that, the mirror image raised a hand. The void shimmered—and the platform beneath Kairo collapsed into a swirling sea of floating ruins and endless staircases, all suspended in darkness. A divine maze.
> "You have until the final bell tolls. At its chime, you die… or transcend."
The double vanished, and Kairo dropped.
---
He landed on a cracked pillar suspended mid-air. There was no up or down—just floating chunks of architecture swirling around a glowing core of golden light far below.
Around him, the ruins came alive. Phantom beasts, forged from silver mist and fire, slithered across the debris. Winged constructs hovered like birds of prey, waiting.
And in the distance—he saw the first bell tower.
It pulsed with divine energy.
> "Get there. Survive. Ascend," he muttered.
He sprinted across the falling stones, leaping from one platform to another. His foot slid—he caught a ledge by the fingertips. The place wasn't testing his strength. It was testing his will.
> "This is just another dungeon," he whispered, gritting his teeth.
Except in here—death was permanent.
---
A silver beast lunged at him.
Kairo dodged, barely, rolling across a stone slab.
The creature turned, its form shifting—like a wolf forged from moonlight, with runes glowing along its ribs. No soul. No heart. Just judgment.
> "Let's see if you bleed," he growled, slamming his palm into the ground.
The Fifth Fragment responded.
Light erupted from his hand, forming a blade of crystallized energy.
The wolf snarled—and they clashed.
---
The battle was brutal. Raw.
The beast was faster. Smarter.
Kairo relied on instinct—each strike channeling a different Fragment.
Speed. Precision. Power.
He carved through the creature's side and flipped backward, barely missing the swipe of its claw. His blade shattered on impact—but he didn't stop.
> "I won't die here!"
He focused. Reached inward.
A new power stirred—one he hadn't accessed before. Something darker. Hidden deep within the Fifth Fragment.
He released it.
Time slowed.
The beast froze mid-air.
And Kairo stepped through it, carving a line of pure void through its form.
The creature burst into fragments of light, vanishing into the void.
---
Breathing hard, Kairo stood alone.
The first bell tolled.
The sound wasn't heard—it was felt. Like a pulse in the soul.
> "One down. Two to go?"
But the platform under him cracked again.
This time, it spoke.
Words etched themselves into the stone at his feet.
> "To ascend is to embrace your sins."
Kairo swallowed hard.
> "What the hell does that mean…"
---
A vision flashed.
Not a memory. A warning.
He stood in a burning city—his future self laughing amidst the chaos. Flames devouring homes. People kneeling before him in fear. His blade stained with the blood of gods.
> "You have the potential for greatness, Kairo."
The voice was his own. But twisted.
> "But only if you're willing to let go of who you are."
> "I won't become you," Kairo hissed, clenching his fists.
But deep inside… a small voice whispered:
> What if you have to?
---
Kairo pressed forward. Each step leading to another impossible path.
Floating stairs rearranged themselves as he moved. The second bell tower appeared in the distance—farther this time, surrounded by mist and lightning.
Time was slipping.
He didn't stop.
He couldn't.
---
Suddenly, he felt it again.
Not an enemy.
Not power.
Someone watching.
He spun.
High above, on a stone balcony suspended by chains, a figure watched him.
A girl. Hooded. Unmoving.
Eyes glowing with soft blue light.
Kairo's heart stuttered.
> "Who are you?"
The girl tilted her head.
> "Not your enemy."
Then vanished into the mist.
Kairo stood still.
For the first time… he questioned what this trial really was.