Following the rules of universal travel, the path towards the unknown will often seem to take forever as time stretches off into eternity -until you’ve finally reached your destination.
But the inverse is also true.
Jaeden’s grip tightened on the hilts of his blades as they walked. The Orichalcum Sword at his side pulsed with a subtle rhythm, each vibration crawling up his arm and settling into his chest like an unspoken challenge. The Umbral Blade, ever colder, seemed to retreat further into its own enigmatic silence, as though contemplating the gravity of what lay ahead. Between the two, he felt the weight of inevitability - a decision yet to be made but looming like a storm cloud.
Beside him, Liandra moved with equal parts determination and unease. Her shadow-threads flickered around her in restless waves, reacting to the unsteady pulse of energy radiating from the dungeon walls. She shot Jaeden a quick glance, catching the tension in his furrowed brow, but said nothing. Words seemed futile against the mounting pressure, like trying to contain a wildfire with a handful of water.
Then the world shifted, snapping them abruptly back to the amphitheater. There was no grand transition, no gradual easing into the familiar space - just the sudden realization that they stood at the edge of the octagonal chamber once more. The faint glow of eldritch light spilled from its wide archways, painting jagged shadows on the stone floor.
At the center of the chamber stood the guardian figure - a towering presence draped in a shroud of indifference. Its armor gleamed faintly, catching the ambient light in sharp, angular reflections. Jaeden’s voice broke the silence, casual and cutting.
“Hello, Chester.”
A soft chuckle echoed from the shadows, growing louder until Echo stepped into view, his smirk wide and unapologetic. He held out one hand expectantly, and the armored figure shifted, grumbling as it slapped a handful of coins into his palm. The motion rippled through its form, and in an instant, the imposing figure was gone, replaced by the familiar, leonine shape of the Grimalkin.
Chester yawned exaggeratedly, baring fangs that gleamed like freshly polished daggers. His golden eyes narrowed into slits as he sat back on his haunches, tail swishing with calculated irritation.
“That doesn’t count. You cheated,” he hissed, his voice a venomous growl.
Echo waved a dismissive hand, the coins disappearing into his coat with a flick of his wrist. “Oh, posh. Don’t be such a sore loser. You’re just mad you lost the bet.”
The Grimalkin’s ears flattened against his head, a low yowl of frustration escaping his throat. He extended a paw, claws glinting dangerously as he began grooming himself with deliberate disinterest. The act was almost theatrical, each swipe of his tongue screaming disdain.
Jaeden ignored the display, his attention shifting to Echo. “Hey,” he began, his tone sharp. “I finished the dungeon, saved the girl. Quest complete, right?”
Echo’s grin widened, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Oh, yes, indeed! Quite the accomplishment, my boy. Though I must say, it took you longer than expected to come to your senses.”
Jaeden’s brow furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Echo gestured broadly to the chamber’s branching pathways, his voice lilting with mock patience. “The trial, of course. It was never about the tasks themselves - it was about how long it would take for you to break the cycle. To rage against the machine, so to speak.”
“Wait. You’re telling me I could’ve been stuck in that hellhole forever?” Jaeden’s voice rose, incredulous.
“Certainly!” Echo’s shrug was maddeningly casual. “But you could’ve left at any time, too. Each path held its challenges, its lessons, its rewards. But instead, you got yourself tangled up in that delightful little side quest. So, we let it play out.”
Jaeden’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “So I was just your lab rat. Great.”
Liandra cleared her throat, drawing their attention. Her shadow-threads flared briefly before settling, and she took a cautious step forward. Though her voice trembled slightly, her resolve was clear. “That’s all fine for him,” she said, gesturing to Jaeden. “But what about me?”
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Jaeden’s gaze darkened, and he stepped closer to her, his presence a shield. “Yeah. What about her? Is she just some illusion? Part of your trial?”
Liandra stiffened beside him, her confusion evident. But Echo was already shaking his head, laughter bubbling from his lips.
“Oh, heavens no,” he said. “She’s as real as you are. Had you failed to save her, her demise would’ve been quite… unpleasant. But no, she’s very much alive and part of your world now.” With a flourish, he waved his hand, and a shimmering portal of silver light appeared beside him, its edges crackling with frosted energy.
Chester’s growl cut through the air, his golden eyes narrowing into predatory slits. “I still say you cheated.”
Jaeden turned, a sharp smirk playing at his lips. “Hey, I asked if the quest would be honored. You never said I had to complete the whole dungeon. Save the girl, get out, and…” His gaze fell to the twin blades at his side. The weight of realization sank into him like a stone.
Chester’s grin spread, toothy and feral. “And destroy one of the blades.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. Jaeden’s hand drifted toward the Orichalcum Sword, its pulsating energy almost defiant in its intensity. The Umbral Blade remained cold and distant, a quiet force waiting for judgment. The chamber’s light dimmed, shadows lengthening as the weight of his decision pressed down.
Liandra’s voice broke the silence, soft and laden with sympathy. “Jaeden, some choices-”
“-don’t have to be made,” he finished, his voice steely. From his Null Gate, he withdrew the Dice of Chaos, their surfaces gleaming with restless energy. Without hesitation, he tossed them onto the stone floor.
The dice tumbled, their etched symbols flickering like distant stars. They landed on a 1 and 2 - a total of 3. The chamber seemed to hold its breath, the very air thick with anticipation.
Chester leapt forward, claws outstretched, but Jaeden was faster. He scooped up the dice and rolled them again. Once more, they landed on 1 and 2. The air shifted, the tension snapping like a taut wire.
Echo gave a whoop of cheer, like his favorite team had just scored a major play. He leaned forward in excitement and watched the dice as they settled.
And then all hell broke loose.
The results were -explosive.
S.A.S.S.Y.,
Devil’s Gambit Activated
Opportunist Activated
Chaotic Flux Activated
Confluence of Fate Abilities Activated
Then the dice rolled, unstoppable as if propelled by a force far beyond Jaeden’s comprehension. Each bounce and rattle echoed ominously in the chamber, the sound merging with an undercurrent of strange energy that made the very air hum with anticipation.
Liandra’s eyes widened in shock, her shadow-threads coiling tightly around her as if to shield her from the unfolding chaos. The dice moved with a life of their own, careening across the floor with no sign of stopping. Each time they landed, their faces glowed with inscrutable symbols, shifting and rearranging faster than the mind could track.
Jaeden felt a bead of sweat trail down his temple. For the first time in the entire trial, a sliver of doubt edged into his mind. Did I just do something incredibly stupid? he wondered. His gaze darted toward Chester, who had abandoned his haughty demeanor and was now crouched behind Echo’s comfortable recliner, his ears flattened against his skull in feline alarm.
The juxtaposition of Chester’s panic and Echo’s calm - bordering on gleeful - steadied Jaeden’s nerves. Echo lounged as if at a front-row seat to the most entertaining show of his life, a bag of popcorn conjured into existence in his lap. The sight reassured Jaeden. If Echo wasn’t worried, then neither would he be.
Still, his hands gripped the hilts of the Umbra Lux and the Orichalcum Sword of Asterius with white-knuckled intensity. The clash of the two blades’ energies was palpable, each vibrating as if alive, responding to the escalating chaos around them. The feedback coursed through his arms, a reminder of the sheer power he held - and the consequences that came with it.
The dice continued to roll, faster and faster, their motions blurring into a chaotic symphony. Jaeden tried to follow the patterns, to make sense of the sequences, but the sheer speed and complexity overwhelmed him. His initial attempts to count the results faltered; every second brought a new roll, a new transformation.
Finally, with a sound that reverberated like thunder, the dice came to a halt. They had changed again, now resting as two gleaming D20s. Their final result gleamed in bright crimson letters: 3 and 3. Total: 6.
And with that, the storm broke.
S.A.S.S.Y.,
Chaotic Flux has ended. Final result: 86. Transcendent Rank, Tier 9, Class – Ultra.
Congratulations, hero. You’ve gone and done it. You’ve broken the game. I hope you’re proud of yourself... because I sure am! Way to stick it to the man. Or in this case, the cat.
Jaeden opened his mouth to respond, but before he could utter a word, the dice erupted.
It wasn’t a simple release of energy - it was an event. A miniature big bang detonated from the dice, waves of raw power rippling outward in dazzling arcs of light and shadow. The explosion wasn’t loud in the traditional sense; instead, it was an all-consuming pulse of force that shook the chamber, threatened to tear it apart at the seams, and nearly erased everyone present.
Jaeden staggered, his boots sliding on the stone floor as he braced himself. He could feel the intensity of the blast trying to pull him apart molecule by molecule. Yet somehow, the structure of his intentions - his sheer, unyielding will - provided a shield. He couldn’t explain how he knew, but the explosion was shaped, restrained, by his desires. If not for that, the energy would have annihilated them all.