Aaron stood at the edge of the strange, shifting landscape of Eternal Night, the game world that had once felt like a thrilling escape, but now felt like an elaborate cage. The landscape ahead of them was a sprawling field of bright, shimmering gates suspended in the air, each one glowing with a distinct color. The sheer enormity of the world they were trapped in had begun to settle in; no longer did the towering trees and distant mountains feel beautiful or awe-inspiring—they now felt oppressive, like walls closing in.

The class system was the first real obstacle they had encountered since the defeat of the AI. As they walked toward the glowing gates, Aaron couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease. The choices they were about to make would shape their fates, and those of their teammates, in ways that could change everything.

"Alright, we’ve got to pick," Mara said, her voice barely above a whisper. She stood next to Aaron, peering up at the nearest gate. "Do you think this is like... permanent? Like, once we pick, that’s it?"

Aaron rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of the answer. In the real world, character creation and class selection had always been a quick process, just another part of the game’s interface. But this was different. They weren’t choosing virtual avatars—they were choosing how they would interact with the world around them, how they would fight, defend, and survive. The stakes felt much higher.

"I’m not sure," Aaron replied, his voice laced with uncertainty. "But it feels like once we pick, we’re locked in. It’s like the game is testing us. It wants to see how we adapt."

Dex, who had been walking silently in the back of the group, stepped forward. He was always the most thoughtful of them, even if his more reserved nature made him appear distant. "Each class has its advantages and weaknesses," he said, his voice calm but deliberate. "We need to be careful. We can’t afford to make the wrong choice. If we pick a class that doesn’t complement the others, we could fail. We’re a team, and we need to be strategic."

Mara looked over at Dex, her brow furrowed. "But how do we even know what classes complement each other? We don’t have any idea what the enemies will look like or how powerful they’ll be."

"Exactly," Aaron said, nodding in agreement. "That’s what makes this so hard. We’ve never had to worry about choosing our classes before—not like this. It’s not just about fighting; it’s about survival."

They all stood there, staring at the gates, each one representing a different class: Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Healer, and so on. Each gate was a doorway to a different path, a new set of abilities and skills. The Warrior class glowed with a fiery red aura, promising strength and power. The Mage’s gate was cool and blue, offering control over the elements and a mastery of magic. The Rogue’s gate was a soft green, shrouded in shadows, symbolizing stealth and agility. The Healer’s gate pulsed with a gentle, calming light, suggesting the ability to mend wounds and provide support.

But there was also a gate that stood apart from the rest. It was dark, almost pitch black, and yet it shimmered with a strange, iridescent hue that seemed to shift with the movement of the air around it. The gate pulsed with an eerie energy, drawing Aaron’s attention. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt an odd pull toward it.

"That one," he muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the dark gate. "What’s that one?"

Mara followed his line of sight. "I don’t know. It doesn’t look like one of the usual classes."

Dex, too, had noticed the strange gate. "I’ve seen something like it before in the game’s code," he said, his voice thoughtful. "It’s not part of the official class system. It’s—"

Before he could finish his thought, a figure appeared before them. A tall, slender man, dressed in a long black robe, with a mask covering his face. His voice was soft but authoritative as he spoke.

"You have come to choose your classes, but beware—each decision you make here will determine your future. The path you choose will shape your destiny, but it will also tie you to this world forever."

The figure’s words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. The group stood in silence, processing the weight of what had been said.

"Who are you?" Aaron asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What is this place?"

The figure tilted his head, a gesture that seemed almost playful. "I am merely a guide. This place is where you must decide who you will become within the world of Eternal Night. It is not merely a choice of power, but of purpose. You will find that the world itself will react to your decisions."

Mara stepped forward, her expression cautious. "What happens if we don’t choose? What if we just leave?"

The guide’s masked face gave no hint of emotion, but his voice was filled with a hint of amusement. "You cannot leave without making your choice. This is the first trial, and you must pass it to proceed. You will be trapped in this world until you find your purpose—unless you choose wisely."

Aaron felt a chill run down his spine. "And what if we choose wrong?"

"Then you will be lost," the guide replied cryptically, and with that, he vanished into the air, leaving them alone once more with the glowing gates.

The silence stretched between them as each of them stood in front of a gate, contemplating the decision that lay ahead.

Mara was the first to break the silence. "I’m thinking Mage," she said, her eyes locked on the blue glow of the Mage’s gate. "I’ve always been drawn to magic. If we’re going to survive this, I think controlling the elements could give us an edge."

Aaron nodded, considering the class. A Mage could control fire, ice, lightning, and other powerful elements. It was a tempting choice, especially for someone with Mara’s quick thinking and ability to adapt. But Aaron couldn’t help but feel a lingering doubt.

"I think I’ll go with Warrior," Dex said after a long pause. "I’ve always been more of a fighter. A good Warrior could hold the line while the rest of you focus on the attack."

Aaron looked at his friends, wondering what to do. There were so many possibilities, but each choice felt like it carried its own risks. They needed a solid balance.

"You know," Aaron said, finally breaking his silence, "I feel like there’s something pulling me toward that dark gate. It doesn’t feel like the others—it feels... different."

Mara frowned. "Different how?"

"I don’t know," Aaron admitted. "But I’ve got this sense that it could be important. Maybe it’s some kind of hidden class, something that we’re not supposed to have access to."

Dex stepped closer to Aaron. "Are you sure about that? It could be dangerous. The game has been changing around us since we got here. We don’t know what kind of risks we might face if we go down that path."

"I know," Aaron said, his eyes narrowing on the dark gate. "But I have to know what it is. We need to be prepared for anything in this place. I’m not going to just pick a class because it’s easy. I want something that could give us an edge, something that’s going to make us stronger."

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There was a mument of silence, the weight of their choices settling over them. Each of them had a different idea of what would make them stronger—Mara with her desire to control the elements, Dex with his focus on combat, and Aaron with his drive to understand the unknown.

Finally, Aaron stepped forward, his hand reaching for the dark gate. The air around him seemed to crackle with energy as the gate shimmered in response to his touch.

"Then I’m choosing this one," he said firmly. "I’ll take whatever it is."

Mara and Dex exchanged uncertain glances before following Aaron’s lead. The glowing gates all around them seemed to pulse as if the entire world were holding its breath.

Without another word, the group stepped through the gates, each entering the world of their chosen class.

As Aaron stepped through the dark gate, the world around him seemed to dissolve into shadows. The air was thick with a strange, almost oppressive energy. His body felt light, almost weightless, as though he were floating through space. The scenery shifted, warping in an unpredictable, dreamlike manner. One mument, he saw the familiar grass and glowing gates behind him, and the next, the landscape had transformed entirely.

He was standing in a desolate, barren wasteland. The ground beneath his feet was cracked and scorched, with dark, jagged rocks scattered around like broken fragments of some forgotten world. There was no sky—only a swirling mass of dark clouds that hung low, casting the entire landscape in a sickly, reddish hue. The air smelled faintly of sulfur, and an eerie wind howled in the distance, carrying with it the sound of distant whispers.

Aaron’s first instinct was to look around for his friends, but he couldn’t see them. He didn’t even know if they had come through the gate with him, or if they had been transported somewhere else entirely. He had chosen this path, and now he had to face whatever it was the game was going to throw at him.

But something felt wrong—this wasn’t like any class zone he had ever encountered before. The very atmosphere seemed to be alive, pulsing with a sense of malice, as though it were aware of his presence.

“Hello?” Aaron called out, his voice echoing strangely in the empty space. “Is anyone there?”

His words were swallowed by the wind, leaving no trace behind. The only sounds were the distant cries of unknown creatures, and the ominous whispers that seemed to come from all around him. He couldn’t make out the words, but they sounded like… laughter. It was as if the game itself was mocking him.

He took a cautious step forward, feeling a growing sense of unease. There was no telling what awaited him here, but he had already made his choice. This was the path he had selected, and now he had to see it through.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble. The whispers grew louder, more distinct, and before he could react, the ground split open in front of him. A massive, grotesque figure emerged from the chasm, its body twisted and distorted, like something born from the darkest depths of a nightmare.

The creature was massive, towering over Aaron with an imposing presence. Its skin was a deep, mottled black, like scorched stone, and its eyes glowed with an unnatural red light. It had multiple arms, each ending in jagged claws that scraped against the earth, sending sparks flying in all directions. Its mouth was a gaping maw, filled with rows of sharp, broken teeth that seemed to stretch far too wide for its face.

Aaron’s heart pounded in his chest as he instinctively took a step back. This was no ordinary enemy. This wasn’t the kind of opponent he had expected to face in a class zone. It was something darker, something more dangerous.

The creature’s voice rumbled in the air, deep and guttural. “You have chosen the path of the unknown, mortal. You are not prepared for what lies ahead.”

Aaron’s breath caught in his throat. He wasn’t sure if the creature was speaking to him specifically or if it was just part of the game’s strange, cryptic narrative. Either way, it didn’t matter. He had no choice but to fight.

He reached for his inventory, but as his hand touched the empty space at his side, he realized something terrifying: his weapons were gone. His abilities, his gear—everything that had been available to him in the game up until now was missing.

The creature let out a terrifying laugh, as if it could sense Aaron’s panic. “You think you can survive without your precious tools? You are nothing without them.”

Aaron’s mind raced. He had no weapons, no spells, nothing to defend himself. But there had to be something he could do. He wasn’t going to let this creature—whatever it was—be the end of him.

As the creature advanced toward him, its massive claws scraping against the ground, Aaron instinctively reached deep inside himself. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he could feel a strange power building within him. It wasn’t from a weapon, nor from a spell—it was something else entirely, something unique to the path he had chosen.

The creature lunged at him, its claws outstretched, but Aaron was ready. He closed his eyes and focused, drawing on the energy that surged within him. The power was raw, primal—an energy that connected him to the very essence of the game. He didn’t know how he knew how to wield it, but as the creature’s claws came down toward him, he held out his hand, palm open.

A surge of energy erupted from his body, a burst of dark, crackling power that collided with the creature’s claws. The force was enough to knock the creature back, sending it crashing to the ground with a deafening roar.

Aaron stood frozen, his hand still outstretched, his heart racing. He had done it—he had fought back.

But the creature was far from defeated. It roared in fury as it rose to its feet, its eyes glowing brighter with rage. "You think this is over? You have only begun to understand the power of this world."

Aaron’s grip tightened. There was no turning back now. Whatever path he had chosen, whatever class he had unlocked, had come with a price. He could feel the weight of it—the responsibility, the danger, and the sheer power he was now wielding.

The creature lunged again, but this time, Aaron was ready. He reached out once more, and the energy surged through him, forming a barrier of crackling darkness around him. The creature’s claws collided with the barrier, but they couldn’t break through. Aaron’s power held strong, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the air.

But Aaron knew he couldn’t hold the barrier forever. He needed to find a way to finish this fight before the creature wore him down.

With a final push, Aaron summoned every ounce of power he had left, sending a wave of dark energy hurtling toward the creature. The force was overwhelming, and the creature screamed in agony as the blast engulfed it. For a mument, there was silence.

And then, the creature crumbled to the ground, defeated.

Aaron stood there, breathing heavily, his hands trembling. He had done it. But at what cost? The landscape around him seemed to shift again, and the once oppressive darkness seemed to recede, replaced by a strange, eerie calm.

But something felt wrong.

He wasn’t alone.

Aaron turned around slowly, his heart racing once more. Standing at the edge of the desolate landscape was a figure, cloaked in shadows. It was impossible to make out any details, but the presence was undeniable. The figure was watching him, waiting.

Aaron’s gut twisted with fear.

"Who are you?" Aaron asked, his voice shaky.

The figure didn’t respond at first. It just stood there, staring at him with its hidden eyes. And then, a voice broke the silence, a voice that was both familiar and foreign.

“You have chosen the path of the unknown,” the figure said. “But you do not yet understand what it truly means.”

Aaron’s blood ran cold as he realized who the figure was. This was no ordinary NPC. This was the game, or something far more sinister. It was the force that had been manipulating everything from the shadows. And it had been waiting for him.

The figure took a step forward, its presence growing stronger. “You are not the only one who has chosen this path. There are others—others who will test you, challenge you, and ultimately shape the world you will create.”

Aaron’s mind raced. This was it. The game had taken on a life of its own, and there was no turning back.

But he was ready. Whatever this was, he would face it head-on.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Aaron said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. “I’ve made my choice. Now I’m going to see this through.”

The figure tilted its head, a strange smile forming on its shadowed face. “We shall see. We shall see.”