The blue light pulled me through the tunnel. Fast. So fast I couldn't see anything clearly. Just streaks of blue light rushing past me.
Then suddenly, I stopped. The blue tunnel was gone. I was somewhere new.
I found myself in a huge open space. The ground under me was solid but looked like flowing white water. The sky above wasn't really a sky - just more swirling colors, but calmer than before.
All around me were other white blobs who had followed me into the tunnel. Some rolled around nervously. Others stayed very still, like they were afraid to move.
"Welcome to the First Trial: The Absorption Fields," said the system voice in my mind. "Here you will begin to change."
Floating in the air were tiny dots of color. Red, blue, green, yellow - hundreds of them drifting slowly through the space. They reminded me of the dust that had confused the red hunter earlier.
"Absorb the colors," the system explained. "Each brings different change. Choose wisely."
I watched as one brave white blob moved toward a cluster of red dots. When it touched the first red dot, the particle disappeared into the blob's body. A tiny spot of red appeared on the blob's surface.
The blob seemed excited. It rushed toward more red dots, absorbing them quickly. With each one, the red spread across its surface. Soon, it wasn't white anymore - it was light pink, then darker pink, then almost completely red.
Other blobs began moving too, each heading toward different colored particles.
"What do the colors mean?" I asked the system.
"Experience them to learn," was the only answer.
I rolled forward slowly, unsure which color to choose. A blue particle drifted near me. I touched it gently.
The blue dot disappeared into my body. I felt a strange tingling where it entered. A small blue spot appeared next to the pink mark I already had.
Something changed inside me. I felt... quicker somehow. I rolled forward again and noticed I could move faster than before.
Interesting. Blue seemed to bring speed.
A yellow particle floated past. I touched it too. A yellow spot joined my growing collection of colors. Immediately, I felt more aware of my surroundings. I could sense things farther away, notice smaller details.
So yellow meant better awareness.
All around me, other blobs were changing colors. Some chased after just one color, becoming more and more red, or blue, or green. Others, like me, were trying different colors.
One blob that had absorbed many green particles suddenly stretched its body into a long, thin shape, then snapped back. It seemed green brought flexibility.
"Choices define paths," the system voice said. "Some colors clash. Some blend. Balance finds strength, but specialty brings power."
I noticed some blobs were having problems. One that had absorbed both red and blue particles was vibrating strangely, its surface showing purple where the colors mixed. It seemed uncomfortable.
Another blob that had taken in too many yellow particles was spinning in circles, as if overwhelmed by all it could sense.
I moved carefully through the field, selecting particles thoughtfully. I took another blue, feeling my speed increase further. Then a green one, which gave me more control over my shape.
Some blobs were getting greedy. They rushed around absorbing every particle they could reach. Their surfaces became muddy with mixed colors. They moved erratically, as if the different colors were fighting inside them.
"First lesson of the trials," the system announced. "Restraint brings clarity."
In the distance, I noticed something strange. A section of the field where no particles floated. In the center of this empty space stood a blob unlike any I'd seen before. It wasn't just one color - it was many. Blue, green, yellow, and more, all swirled together in beautiful patterns. Not mixed and muddy, but organized and harmonious.
The multi-colored blob watched us all with what felt like amusement.
I rolled toward it, curious.
"Careful," warned a voice beside me. I turned to see another blob following me. This one had absorbed mostly blue particles with just a touch of yellow. "That's a veteran. They say those who complete many trials become like that."
"How many trials are there?" I asked.
The mostly-blue blob pulsed in what seemed like laughter. "No one knows. Some say hundreds. Some say thousands. Some say they're endless."
Before I could respond, a loud rumbling sound shook the ground. The white floor beneath us started to move, flowing like a river.
"Phase two begins," announced the system. "Retention test."
The floor moved faster. Blobs started sliding, unable to stay in place. Some rolled desperately against the current. Others let themselves be carried away.
I found that my blue-enhanced speed helped me fight the current, but it was still difficult. The multi-colored veteran hadn't moved at all, somehow anchored in place despite the flowing floor.
"Those who cannot hold their ground lose what they've gained," the system explained.
I watched in horror as blobs that couldn't fight the current began to fade. The colors they'd absorbed leached out of them, returning them to plain white as they were swept away.
"No!" cried the mostly-blue blob next to me as it started sliding backward. It rolled frantically, trying to maintain position.
I reached out, stretching my body thanks to the green particle I'd absorbed. I managed to touch the blue blob, giving it something to hold onto.
"Thanks," it said, stabilizing itself against me. "I'm Sapphire. At least, that's what I'm calling myself now."
"I'm Luck," I replied, still fighting against the current.
"Good name," Sapphire said. "You certainly have some."
The floor flowed faster. More and more blobs were swept away, losing their colors as they went. Soon, only about half of us remained.
The multi-colored veteran finally moved, rolling effortlessly against the current toward us.
"Interesting," it said, its voice somehow richer and deeper than ours. "Most newborns absorb everything they can. You showed... restraint."
I didn't know what to say. It hadn't been wisdom that guided me, just caution.
"The floor will stop soon," the veteran continued. "Then comes the real challenge."
"Real challenge?" Sapphire asked nervously. "This isn't it?"
The veteran's surface rippled with colors. "Absorption is just preparation. Application is the test."
As if on cue, the floor stopped moving. The system voice returned:
"Final phase: Adaptation."
The empty field suddenly filled with strange obstacles. Walls rose from the floor. Holes opened up. Sections of the ground began moving in different directions.
"Reach the exit. Use what you've gained. Those who fail return to white."
At the far end of the field, a glowing exit portal appeared.
"Good luck, new ones," the veteran said, rolling away easily. "Remember what you've learned."
Blobs began moving toward the exit. Some fast, some slow. Some stretched over walls. Others tried to go around.
I looked at my small collection of colored spots - blue for speed, yellow for awareness, green for flexibility, and the original pink mark from the red hunter.
"Ready?" Sapphire asked, their blue body quivering with nervous energy.
"I think so," I replied.
We started moving together toward the exit. The first obstacle was a high wall. Thanks to my green particle, I could stretch up and peek over. I saw a deep pit on the other side.
"We need to be careful," I told Sapphire. "There's-"
A scream interrupted me. A bright red blob had rushed the wall, shooting over it fast only to fall into the pit beyond. As it fell, its red color drained away until it was white again. Then it vanished.
"Red gives strength and speed but no caution," said a voice behind us. I turned to see a mostly yellow blob with green streaks approaching slowly. "I'm Viridian. Mind if I join you? I can see dangers, but I'm too slow on my own."
I looked at Sapphire, who pulsed in agreement.
"I'm Luck, and this is Sapphire," I said. "Let's work together."
Viridian's yellow surface brightened slightly. "The red ones always rush ahead. The blue ones overthink. Green ones adapt but lack direction. Yellow ones see everything but act too late. Balance matters."
With Viridian's guidance, we found a narrow path around the wall. Sapphire's speed helped us cross quickly. My flexibility let me reach places the others couldn't.
We worked our way through the obstacle course while many others failed. Some fell into traps. Others got stuck in dead ends. With each failure, colors drained and blobs disappeared.
"Where do they go?" I asked as we watched another one vanish.
"Back to the beginning," Viridian said. "To try again. Or to become Stuck Ones."
We were halfway to the exit when something large and dark rose from the floor. It looked like a blob but huge and pitch black.
"Enforcer," whispered Viridian fearfully. "Don't let it touch you."
The black enforcer began moving through the field, sliding toward any blob that wasn't making progress. When it caught one, it absorbed them completely.
"Not just back to white," Sapphire said, trembling. "Completely gone."
We moved faster, helping each other through the obstacles. The enforcer seemed to notice us and changed direction, heading our way.
"It's targeting us," I said. "Why?"
"Success draws attention," Viridian replied. "The trials test worthiness. Those who cooperate challenge the system."
The exit was close now, but the enforcer was closer. It moved with terrible purpose, gaining on us. My blue-enhanced speed wasn't enough to outrun it.
"We need a plan," Sapphire said.
I looked at my teammates, then at our surroundings. An idea formed.
"Viridian, can you see any weak points in the floor?"
The yellow-green blob focused. "Yes, there," it indicated a spot just ahead. "It's thinner there."
"Perfect," I said. "Here's what we do..."
As the enforcer closed in, we positioned ourselves around the weak spot. When the dark blob was almost upon us, I stretched my body into a trip wire. The enforcer hit my extended form and stumbled onto the weak spot. The floor cracked, then broke.
The enforcer fell halfway through, stuck in the hole.
"Now!" I shouted.
We rolled past the trapped enforcer and raced for the exit. Behind us, the dark blob pulled itself free and resumed the chase, but we had enough lead now.
The glowing exit portal grew brighter as we approached. Sapphire reached it first, disappearing in a flash of light. Viridian followed. I was last, diving through just as the enforcer's shadow fell over me.
Bright light surrounded me. I felt a strange sensation, like my body was changing. The colored spots I'd collected weren't just spots anymore - they were spreading, merging, becoming part of me.
When the light faded, I wasn't in the Absorption Fields anymore. I was in a new place. A safe place, it seemed. Other blobs who had completed the trial were here too.
I looked down at myself. I wasn't plain white anymore. My body had a soft blue-green tint with flecks of yellow. The colors swirled gently beneath my surface.
Sapphire rolled up beside me. They were a deeper blue now, with patterns like waves across their surface.
"We made it," they said. "First trial complete."
Viridian joined us, now a rich yellow-green with complex patterns like leaves.
"The first of many," they said. "And now we rest before the next."
I felt different. Stronger. Faster. More aware. The colors I'd absorbed weren't just decoration - they had changed me fundamentally.
Around us, other successful blobs gathered in small groups, comparing their new colors and patterns. Some were solid colors - pure red, or blue, or green. Others, like us, had combinations.
"So what happens now?" I asked.
Viridian pulsed thoughtfully. "Now? Now we prepare. Because the second trial is always harder than the first."
In the distance, I could see another portal beginning to form. Its light was different - orange instead of blue. Something about it made me nervous.
"How many trials did that veteran complete?" I wondered aloud.
"Hundreds, probably," Sapphire replied. "Maybe more."
I looked down at my new colored body. This was just the beginning of change. How many trials would it take before I became something completely different? Something unrecognizable from the white blob I'd been?
The orange portal grew brighter. The next challenge was coming soon.