Minutes later, the lead guard returned to the edge of the ditch, his expression smug as he surveyed the battered and broken figures below him. His voice carried with practiced ease as he began to speak.

"Unlucky. That's the only word I can use to describe your situation," the lead guard said, his tone dripping with mockery.

Zayn's brows furrowed as the word echoed in his head. Unlucky? What is this about?

The lead guard continued, his next words sharp and biting. "But what else could I expect from a group like you? Worthless, pathetic creatures who've lived your entire lives contributing nothing. Today, however, you've been given a rare opportunity."

Zayn tensed as the guard's mocking tone shifted to something far more chilling.

"In just a few minutes, this ditch you've so dutifully dug will serve its purpose. It will be filled with monsters," the lead guard announced, his words falling like a death sentence.

Zayn's breath caught. Monsters? He's got to be joking… right? But the lead guard's expression was deadly serious.

"And," the lead guard continued without pause, "if, by some miracle, any of you manage to survive this trial, you will be granted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ascend from your pitiful status as Lower citizens to the ranks of Middle citizens."

For the first time, Zayn saw a spark of life in the faces of the other Lower citizens. Heads that had been bowed for hours lifted, and their hollow eyes now held a faint glimmer of hope. The transformation was startling—these people, who had seemed dead inside, suddenly looked alive.

Zayn was baffled. I couldn't get a single word out of them on the way here, and Lain said their minds were empty of thought. But one promise of elevation, and this is their reaction?

He turned his gaze to Lain, hoping for an explanation. The boy in front of him stood just as stunned, his wide eyes betraying his confusion.

"Don't look at me," Lain said in his mind. "I… I have no idea why they're reacting this way. I thought they were completely gone, but this…"

Zayn's unease deepened. If even Lain doesn't understand, maybe he's not from this Kingdom either. What the hell is going on here?

The lead guard's voice cut through his thoughts once more. "Make the most out of your useless selves," he sneered, "because if you want to survive, you're going to have to prove you're worth keeping alive."

With those parting words, the lead guard turned on his heel and began walking toward the next ditch. One of the guards hurried after him, his voice low but urgent as he caught up.

"What's going on with this, sir?" the guard asked, his voice strained. "The monsters shouldn't be anywhere near this side of the border."

The lead guard stopped, glancing back at the monolith before addressing the guard. "The council just informed me. There's been a change of plans—last-minute orders. There is a hidden hive of monsters nearby we need destroyed and apparently, there's a spy among us. Revealing this information at the last second was meant to catch them off guard."

The guard looked shocked. "A spy? Among us?"

"It's not clear who it is," the lead guard replied. "The council suspects the spy already knows their cover is blown, so the strategy now is to reveal everything and wait for them to slip up."

The guard nodded, though uneasily. "Understood, sir."

Meanwhile, Zayn and Lain remained in the ditch, still recovering from the brutal removal of the silver spheres from their bodies. Blood and sweat soaked their clothes, and their bodies felt frail, but their minds were racing.

"Monsters? What the hell is this?" Zayn asked inwardly, his frustration bleeding into his thoughts.

"It doesn't make sense," Lain replied. "Monsters shouldn't be anywhere near here unless…" His voice trailed off as though he were connecting pieces of a puzzle.

"Unless what?" Zayn pressed.

"Unless someone's deliberately using them for something," Lain said gravely.

Zayn's thoughts spiraled as he tried to rationalize the situation. The council is keeping the guards in the dark and now they're dropping monsters on us like this is some kind of test? None of this is adding up.

They both fell silent, overwhelmed by the mounting layers of danger and uncertainty. Whatever was coming next, it would require every ounce of their strength and wits to survive.

Zayn and Lain sat quietly in the ditch, their battered bodies aching but their minds racing. The looming threat of what was to come left them with no other option but to act soon. With the briefest exchange of glances, they came to the same conclusion: whatever their plan was, it had to be enacted soon. They could no longer afford to wait.

Far above them, the lead guard had finished spreading the news to the other ditches. Standing near the edge of one of the highest ridges, he allowed himself a small, private smile. It's going to get messy soon, he thought, but it's all for the Kingdom. The Lower citizens should be proud to serve in such a vital capacity.

He issued a command to the guards, instructing them to return to their assigned posts near the ditches. Once his orders were given, he ascended the mountainside with startling speed, his movements a blur as he reached a midpoint along the slope. There, the purple monolith hovered silently, pulsing faintly in anticipation.

Placing his hand on the glowing crystal at his waist, the lead guard whispered a series of commands, forcing the monolith to embed itself into the mountainside. The jagged purple light radiating from it spilled into the surrounding rock, carving veins of energy that snaked downward like glowing roots. Satisfied, he descended just as swiftly as he had climbed, returning to the base of the mountain.

The guards stationed at the various ditches turned their attention to him as he arrived. Holding the crystal high, the lead guard issued one final command.

The monolith, embedded in the rock above, began to pulse more violently now, its vibrations resonating deep into the mountain. The ground trembled underfoot, forcing some guards to steady themselves as the rumbling grew stronger.

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For a moment, nothing happened. The lead guard frowned, a flicker of doubt crossing his features. Did I misinterpret the council's instructions? Did I make a mistake? But his uncertainty was short-lived.

The mountain began to shift.

Rocks, once still and lifeless, quivered as though stirred by an unseen force. Dust fell in sheets, cascading down the slopes as the tremors intensified. Slowly at first, then with growing speed and purpose, the stones began to move, separating themselves from the mountain's surface.

Zayn, still recovering in the ditch, could feel the vibrations rippling through the ground. He exchanged a worried glance with Lain. "What now?" he muttered under his breath.

From above, the spectacle unfolded with terrifying clarity. The rocks didn't simply fall—they rose. What had been inert stone only moments ago now took form, reshaping themselves into jagged, beetle-like creatures. Their cracked, uneven shells glistened faintly in the dim light, and from their abdomens hung swollen crimson sacs that pulsed like beating hearts.

The swarm grew rapidly, one monster after another pulling free from the mountain as if tearing through the fabric of reality itself. Soon, the slopes were alive with motion—a tide of creatures, numbering in the thousands, scuttling with dreadful coordination.

The lead guard wasted no time. Raising the crystal once more, he activated the monolith again. Thin, sinewy threads of purple energy extended from it, snaking downward like spectral tendrils. These threads spread across the ground, weaving toward the ditches and connecting to the glowing runic markings on the Lower citizens.

The monsters froze.

Their countless, glittering eyes locked onto the threads as though entranced. A collective shiver ran through the swarm, and then, as one, they began to follow the purple strands, their movements mechanical and deliberate. The guards, now standing well away from the ditch edges, tightened their grips on their weapons, their expressions a mix of fear and grim determination.

One by one, the beetle-like creatures began to spill over the edges of the ditches, pouring in like a living flood.

In the ditch, Zayn and Lain had no idea what was happening above until they heard the sound—an unnatural, chittering noise that echoed down the walls of the pit. Zayn's stomach dropped as he turned his gaze upward.

At first, the dim light made it hard to distinguish the shapes. Then, as more creatures descended, the truth became horrifyingly clear.

The monsters were pouring into the ditch, their movements chaotic yet unnervingly purposeful. Zayn's jaw clenched as he took in the sight. This can't be real.

Around him, the Lower citizens erupted into panic. Their earlier hope vanished in an instant, replaced by shrieks of terror. Some tried to climb the walls, their bleeding hands scrabbling uselessly at the slick rock. Others simply collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably as the tide of monsters closed in.

Lain, however, refused to let chaos take hold. Raising his voice above the cacophony, he shouted, "Stop panicking! Listen to me!"

His commanding tone momentarily silenced the cries, drawing desperate eyes to him.

"These monsters aren't as strong as they look," Lain lied smoothly. "The only real problem is their numbers. If we work together, we can take them down. But you have to fight!"

Zayn, watching this unfold, realized Lain was improvising, trying to salvage the situation. And, shockingly, it was working. The sheer force of Lain's conviction lit a spark in the crowd.

Lain pressed on, his voice unwavering. "Do you want to die here as nothing, or do you want to earn your way out? Do you want to stay as Lower citizens, or do you want to fight for something better?"

The desperation in the Lower citizens' faces shifted. Some of them, trembling and terrified, picked up nearby rocks and broken tools. Others simply clenched their fists, preparing to fight with whatever strength they had left.

Zayn inwardly commended Lain's quick thinking, even as he cursed the absurdity of their situation. "Fine," he muttered under his breath, his eyes locking onto the tide of monsters closing in. "Let's see what this 'Story' has in store for me."

The swarm descended, and the battle began.

The monsters poured into the ditch like a dark tide, their chittering legs creating a cacophony that echoed off the walls. Zayn clenched his fists, ignoring the raw, wounds that seared with every movement. Around him, the Lower citizens scrambled for anything they could use as a weapon. Rocks and shattered pieces their own bones became lifelines in the chaos.

Lain stood at Zayn's side, his breathing steady despite the terror etched into his face. "Stay close," he murmured, gripping a jagged rock in one hand. "We make it through this together, or we don't make it at all."

Zayn scoffed at the choice of words but still nodded, his jaw tight. "Let's just focus on surviving the first wave."

The monsters descended en masse, their beetle-like bodies gleaming in the dim light. The crimson sacs on their abdomens pulsed as they skittered forward, antennae twitching hungrily. The first of them leapt from the wall, its mandibles snapping.

Zayn reacted on instinct. He sidestepped the creature's charge and drove his fist into the side of its head. The blow landed with a sickening crunch, the monster's fragile exoskeleton shattering under the force. It crumpled to the ground, its legs twitching, but then Zayn was met with a surprise as it pulsing red sac exploded with copius amounts of what Zayn could tell was blood.

The sheer amount staggered him as it nearly blinded him but he had no time to correct himself.

Another monster lunged at him, its sharp legs aiming for his chest. Zayn ducked and grabbed a nearby rock, smashing it into the creature's underside. The crimson sac ruptured, spraying even more warm, viscous liquid that splattered across his arms and face. The smell was acrid, burning his nostrils, but he pushed through the nausea.

All around him, the Lower citizens were fighting for their lives. A man to his left screamed as a beetle latched onto his leg, its mandibles tearing through flesh. Another citizen, a woman with a wild look in her eyes, swung a broken bone like a club, shattering the heads of two monsters in quick succession.

Lain moved with precision, his rock a blur as he crushed monster after monster. "Don't let them swarm you!" he shouted over the chaos. "Focus on one at a time and keep moving!"

Despite the chaos, Zayn couldn't help but marvel at Lain's ability to keep the group focused. The boy was relentless, his movements sharp and efficient. Zayn matched his ferocity, his fists and feet moving in a brutal rhythm as he tore through the creatures.

But for every monster they killed, two more took its place. The ditch was rapidly filling with bodies—both human and otherwise. The Lower citizens were holding their ground, but the tide of monsters was unrelenting.

Zayn found himself back-to-back with Lain as the swarm pressed in. "This is insane!" Zayn shouted, his voice hoarse. He slammed a rock into another monster, splitting it in two. "We can't keep this up!"

"We don't have a choice!" Lain shot back, gritting his teeth as he crushed the head of another beetle. "Focus on surviving!"

The monsters seemed endless. Zayn's arms burned from exertion, his vision blurred from the blood dripping into his eyes. He could hear the cries of the Lower citizens dwindling as more and more of them were overwhelmed.

A sudden weight slammed into his side, knocking him to the ground. Zayn rolled, narrowly avoiding the snapping mandibles of a beetle twice the size of the others. Its crimson sac pulsed violently, and its jagged legs pinned him in place.

Zayn gritted his teeth, pushing against the creature with all his strength. The silver scars on his body burned as if they were alive, fueling his muscles with a burst of power. With a roar, he shoved the monster off and drove a sharp stone into its sac. It exploded in a spray of blood, but the victory was short-lived.

The swarm descended on him like a wave.

"Zayn!" Lain's voice was distant, drowned out by the chittering of the creatures.

Zayn swung wildly, his fists connecting with carapace after carapace, but there were too many. Their legs crawled over his body, their mandibles snapping at his flesh. He felt their weight pressing down on him, suffocating him, drowning him in a sea of writhing bodies.

The last thing he saw was the dim light of the sky above, framed by the writhing tide of monsters. His vision blurred as pain erupted across his body, and he sank into the darkness.

The ditch was silent, save for the sound of chittering legs and the faint hum of the monolith above. Lain stood frozen, his eyes locked on the spot where Zayn had disappeared beneath the swarm. His chest heaved with exhaustion, but his mind raced.

He can't be gone.

Lain clenched his fists, the rock in his hand slick with blood—both his and the monsters'. He turned his gaze toward the remaining Lower citizens, their terrified faces a mix of desperation and fear.

"Don't stop fighting!" he shouted, his voice breaking. "We survive this, no matter what!"

But even as he said the words, Lain knew the battle was far from over. The monsters were still coming, and the ditch had become a graveyard.

And yet, somewhere beneath that sea of monsters, Zayn's was out of it yet.