The ancient hall was silent, save for the echoes of their footsteps as the cohort cautiously approached Blank, who was still kneeling on the cold stone floor. His breath was labored, his body visibly worn out from the battle he had just fought. The cohort stood behind him, their eyes scanning for any further threats.

Flo asked, "Are you alright? You look like you've been through hell," his expression showing a mix of concern and curiosity.

Blank nodded, his grey eyes dull with exhaustion. He was clearly struggling to stay upright, so he turned to the side, facing a wall with his back leaning against it while sitting.

Jamila, still shaken by the Domain and the Warrior, couldn't hold back her curiosity. "How did you know the Domain would appear before the Gate showed up? And who is that warrior? Why did you fight him?" she asked, her voice tinged with fear.

Blank took a deep breath, gathering his strength before answering. "I felt it… the energy. Thanks to my Ability, I sensed the shift in the air, the build-up of power in the Domain. The Warrior was the last thing I sensed coming out of the Domain. His presence was fearsome and dangerous."

Talitha, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, pressed further. "Sensing him is one thing, but how did you beat him? That was no ordinary warrior, from the looks of it."

Blank hesitated for a moment, his face showing no signs of emotion. Slowly, he raised his hand. A faint, glowing orb materialized in his palm, hovering just above his skin. The orb was small, but the power it radiated was unmistakable. "With energy," Blank said nonchalantly. "I can use it to enhance myself, to make me faster, stronger… or I can project it like this." He gestured toward the orb, which pulsed with a gentle light.

Jamila raised her brow in confusion, glancing at the orb. Before she could say anything, Bakir interrupted, his voice tinged with wariness and suspicion. "If that's how you fought him, then what about the explosions we heard? How did that happen?"

Blank's expression didn't change. The orb flickered before dissipating. "I didn't control the energy. I let it run wild, and it caused the explosions. It's dangerous when it gets out of hand and is a last resort."

Jamila reached out, her hands glowing with healing energy. "You're clearly exhausted. Let me heal you, at least. You need to be at full strength if we're going to survive this place."

But Blank shook his head, raising a hand to stop her. "No, it won't work on me."

Jamila insisted and moved closer to Blank, trying to heal him. But it didn't work, just as he had said. She wanted to ask how he knew it, but decided not to press further for now and let him rest.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Gazo, his mind still reeling from everything they had just witnessed, took a step forward, his deep voice cutting through the tension. "What is this place, exactly? And what was that voice we all heard? Normally, you only hear something like that when the System gives you something—a weapon, a memory, an echo—but this was different."

Bruno, who had been silent, surveying the surroundings with a wary eye, finally spoke up. " You're right. The voice we heard... it's the same one you hear when you receive something from the Spell. But this is no ordinary place. We're inside a Fallen Domain. It's similar to a Gate in appearance, but the energy and the aura are entirely different. And they're far more dangerous."

The cohort exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of Bruno's words settling over them like a shroud. Talitha crossed her arms, her gaze distant as she recalled a memory from her past. "I met someone once… someone who survived a Fallen Domain. He barely made it out alive, but what he told me was incredible."

The group leaned in closer, their curiosity piqued. Talitha continued, her voice low and serious. "Conquering a Fallen Domain can reward you with unimaginable gits. I'm talking about mythical weapons, soul bound artifacts from ancient times with immense power. Some people inherit the lineage or techniques of legends, some evolve their Talents or degrade the curses that plague them. Others gain skills, or even remove their curses altogether."

Gazo's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're saying… that you can remove your curse completely? And that's not even the best reward?"

Talitha nodded with a faint smile. "It's true. The most valuable reward is gaining control of the Domain itself. Those who conquer a Fallen Domain can summon it anywhere they choose, it becomes their domain. Each one is unique, with powers that are stronger and more unpredictable than any Talent. It's not just a place, it's an extension of their power, something that covers a whole area and changes the rules of reality within it."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Domains are different. Some Domains change the area to ice, some enhance the owner, and some give them new Talents or skills that weakens their weaknesses. A Domain's possibilities are based on the Domain itself. This one might give you a vast array of weapons to control or enhance your physical might. It might even help you achieve clarity, but that makes it just harder to survive—the better the rewards, the greater the challenge."

Jamila shook her head, a grim smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "So, in short, we're doomed. This doesn't look good for us, does it?"

Flo, usually the optimist of the group, remained silent, his mind racing as he processed what Talitha had said. The implications were terrifying. They were trapped in a place that was beyond anything they had encountered before, and the odds of surviving, let alone conquering it, seemed impossibly slim.

Jamila took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Alright, listen. We're all in the same boat now, and if we want to survive, we need to know what we're capable of. I suggest we all share our Talents with each other, what we can do, what our strengths and weaknesses are. We need to work together if we're going to get out of here."

The others nodded in agreement, understanding the necessity of the suggestion.

Talitha looked around at the group, her expression serious. "I'll go first. Most of you already know some of my Talent, but I'll explain them fully, so we're al on the same page."

The cohort gathered closer, forming a tight circle as they prepared to share their Talents. The vast hall around them loomed ominously, a reminder of the dangerous path ahead. They were trapped in a Fallen Domain, a place of legends and nightmares, and the only way out was to conquer it together, or perish within its depths.