All right, let’s get this done.’ Laz thought to himself as he walked almost relaxedly toward the Drifting Shadows that were floating towards him.

Laz watched as the nearest Drifting Shadow glides across the cracked earth towards him, its form flickering and shifting as it draws nearer. The air around it grows colder, and the faint sound of whispering despair fills the Laz’s ears, like tinnitus filled with sorrow. Laz’s movement became sluggish, and a voice in his mind whispered, “It’s pointless… Just let it consume you…”

Laz clenches his fist, and the Glove of Emberlight begins to glow, its warmth cutting through the coldness of the Drifting Shadow’s presence. With a determined exhale, Laz extends his arm using what resolve he could muster and releases a blazing arc of energy that slices through the air toward the shadow.

The arc of energy strikes the Drifting Shadow head-on. The shadow’s form flickers violently as the energy sears through it, leaving a trail of glowing embers in its wake. The embers cling to the shadow, burning away the darkness that composes its body. All that was left were some embers of essence and a smell of ozone that was so strong it almost burnt Laz’s nose.

Laz shook his head, waking himself up. That was actually cool. Death was much better than life. He felt bad thinking that, but it is what it is and he actually wanted to survive now.

He brought back the essence to Hazel, who in turn put the essence into a compartment that he had failed to miss beforehand.

“This essence you bring me is the life force, “the elan vital”, of what will be your fortress. Keep bringing this and deposit it here and we will be able to upgrade everything you want to.” Hazel explained. “With enough of this you will be able to build and create, power and grow, and possibly even change time. Now go back and bring me more!”

Laz ran back out to look at the other two Drifting Shadows. Without much ado, Laz was able to destroy the two. He wanted to feel good about himself, but then he remembered that most first waves were just a tutorial to get the player on their feet. Laz ran back to the middle of his home base to deposit the essence he picked up.

Hazel had just finished up uprighting a table and was sweeping underneath it when Laz got back.

“You are sweeping while I am fighting?” Laz asked incredibly.

“Yes, a clean, orderly house is a good house. It is easier to survive in a nice place. Also, under the debris, I actually found some lost essence as well.” Hazel held up two pieces of essence.

With the five pieces of essence secured, Hazel walked Laz to a desk in the corner next to the compartment. After putting the essence in, the desk lit up and started to glow. On it was a map of his fortress, presently all ruins.

“This is where you will be able to find what upgrades are available to you and plan your tower fortress. Presently, you have five essence points. Can’t build much with that, here look at it yourself.”

Laz scooted next to Hazel and looked at the desk. On the right side of it was a map and on the left was a scrolling list of available upgrades. There were three available choices, a beacon that would warn him of coming attacks, a barrier that would hold back forces, or a pet.

A pet? A pet always helps, but you gotta pay for it. It's the cheapest now, but you will be paying for its whole life.

Laz said, “I love it, I love pets.”

“OK, you have a pet, now can we continue?”

“Yes.”

Hazel looked at Laz, “Pay attention, this is on you. I’m here to help, but you have to know more is coming through those portals. You have no clue what is going to be thrown at you. It’s going to come from all directions at the same time.”

A cute little mixed dog came around the corner and sat by Laz.

In the down time between the next attack Laz looked around. He could tell somehow that these ruins used to be a great and beautiful area. What happened? What brought him here? In this weary, blue ruin? Laz patted the dog, “What am I going to name you?”

The ground beneath them shook violently as the second swarm began to emerge from the warp gates. Laz felt the weight of his despair pressing down on him, but now, mingled with that weight, was a small glimmer of something else. Hope. It was faint, barely there, but it was enough.

"I don’t know if I can do this, damn it, just starting to relax"

With great effort, Laz raised his hand, the Glove of Emberlight flickering weakly in response. The light was dim, but it was still there—a tiny spark of resolve that hadn’t yet been snuffed out. And as long as that spark remained, Laz knew he had to keep fighting. Not just for himself, but for Hazel, for the memory of those he had lost, for the hope that one day, the pain might ease, and the light might return.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

As the shadows of the second swarm began to close in, Laz took a deep breath and steadied himself. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. He might not be ready to rise to the occasion, but he could take one more step. And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough to keep going.

Laz stood at the center of the cracked platform, his eyes scanning the desolate horizon for any sign of the approaching swarm. The oppressive weight of apathy still hung heavily on his shoulders, but he was determined to hold his ground. The Pyre Spikes he had chosen as his defense flickered weakly in the distance, their flames ready to ignite any enemy that dared to cross their path. Beside him, Hazel hovered anxiously, her eyes filled with both concern and a glimmer of hope.

But as the tremors from the approaching swarm intensified, something unexpected happened. A cold, eerie draft swept across the platform, carrying with it the faintest whisper—an unsettling, insidious sound that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

Hazel Screamed, "Laz… do you hear that?"

Laz turned, confusion creasing his brow. The whisper grew louder, rising into a chorus of sinister voices, each one laced with malice and deceit. It was then that he felt it—a chill running down his spine, a deep, gnawing sense of unease that wasn’t coming from the enemies outside, but from within the very platform he stood on.

Before Laz could react, the ground beneath him began to crack and shift, splitting open with a loud, jagged noise. From the dark crevices, shadowy forms began to emerge, crawling out from the depths of the earth like twisted, nightmarish creatures. These weren’t like the Drifting Shadows that approached from the outside—no, these were different. These were Phantom Burrowers, sinister entities that had lain dormant beneath the battlefield, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Phantom Burrowers were small, writhing creatures, their bodies composed of black, oily tendrils that undulated and twisted as they moved. Their eyeless faces were grotesque masks of hatred, mouths full of needle-like teeth that chattered incessantly as they clawed their way to the surface. The air around them grew colder as they emerged, carrying with them the stench of decay and despair.

Laz screamed, “No… they’re coming from below!"

Laz’s voice was tinged with shock and fear. He hadn’t expected this—enemies from within, bypassing his defenses entirely. The Pyre Spikes flickered in the distance, Lighting up and destroying the Drifting Shadows but obviously unable to help with the Phantom Burrowers that now crawled across the platform, spreading out in all directions.

Hazel yelled, Laz, we need to stop them! They’re going to undermine everything and wreck destruction!"

The Burrowers moved quickly, their tendrils spreading like a dark web across the platform, seeking to destroy the very foundation of Laz’s defenses. They hissed and screeched, their voices a discordant symphony of madness that clawed at Laz’s mind, threatening to pull him deeper into the pit of apathy.

For a moment, Laz felt the familiar urge to give up, to let the Burrowers have their way. What was the point in fighting them? He just began, he has nothing to lose. They were everywhere, overwhelming him from within his fortress. But then, Hazel’s voice cut through the noise, a beacon of clarity in the chaos.

Hazel reminded him, "Laz, don’t let them win! You have to fight back, from the inside!"

With a surge of desperate resolve, Laz focused on the Glove of Emberlight. The warmth that had once seemed so faint now began to grow, a small flame flickering to life in his heart. He raised his hand, the glove glowing brighter as he summoned the power of his inner resolve.

Laz: "I won’t let you take everything from me… not again."

The glove blazed with light as Laz unleashed a Blazing Grasp directly onto the platform beneath his feet. The flames erupted from his hand, spreading across the ground in a wave of searing heat. The Burrowers recoiled, their oily tendrils catching fire as the Glove of Emberlight’s flames consumed them. A few of the the Phantom Burrowers shrieked and writhed, their bodies burning away into ash as the fire cleansed the platform of their corruption.

But the fight wasn’t over yet. The cracks in the ground still pulsed with dark energy, threatening to unleash more Burrowers at any moment. Laz knew he had to act quickly, to seal the breaches before the enemies could swarm him again. He focused his willpower, summoning the last reserves of his strength to channel the flames from the Glove of Emberlight into the fissures, sealing them shut with molten energy.

As the final breach closed, the platform grew still once more, the echoes of the Burrowers’ screams fading into silence. The Pyre Spikes in the distance flickered back to life, their flames burning more brightly now that the threat from within had been extinguished.

Laz stood panting, his chest heaving with the effort it had taken to repel the attackers. He looked down at the Glove of Emberlight, its glow steady and warm.

"You did it, Laz… You fought them off.” Hazel was saying when a blur came out of nowhere. A Phantom Burrower somehow made it through before the ground closed up and now was attached to Hazel. Wrapping its tentacles around her, getting a tighter grip every second.

NO, NO, NO! Laz ran to Hazel and started ripping off the tentacles one by one. Not only did he release their grip, but then he dismembered them from their owner. Underneath the mass of tentacles, he could see Hazel struggling for any breath.

At their feet a pile of dismembered tentacles was growing. For every one he removed there seemed to be a few more.

Laz thought of an idea. It was a dangerous move, but he had to do it. He was going to try to use the Glove of Emberlight this close to Hazel. It lit up, starting to glow. In a blinding light, he aimed at the Phantom, just barely missing Hazel.

Laz woke up from his unconsciousness a while later. Hazel laying besides him, breathing but still unconscious as well. A burn streaked her shoulder, arm, and midriff. The air filled with ozone and the smell of burnt hair.

Hazel opened her eyes, “Dude, that was close.” and passed out again.

Laz nodded slowly, feeling the weight of his apathy lift just slightly. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep going. He had fought off the enemies within, and for now, that was victory enough.

“Congratulations!! You survived the first challenge. Apathy”, A booming voice announced from the sky, “Now you have made it to Grief. Have Fun.”