Rudra stood motionless, his body drenched in sweat. The oppressive silence of the training field was broken only by his ragged breathing. His legs trembled violently as though refusing to bear the weight that had suddenly been thrust upon them. Slowly, he looked down at his hands, watching them shake uncontrollably, a bitter realization settling in his mind.

“Is this what it was supposed to be?” he thought, his mind replaying the

words edhir uttered earlier to him

"You body can handle this pressure."

He let out a long, shaky breath, his voice barely audible as he muttered, "It seems the gravity has increased... three times, at least. If gravity increases, weight increases too. If I weigh 30 kilograms, then now... it must be 90 kilograms."

The realization hit him like a hammer. His body wasn't just bearing its own weight anymore—it was being crushed under an invisible force, testing his every fiber. Gathering what little strength he could muster, Rudra took a tentative step forward. Immediately, his breath caught, his lungs burning as though they were being squeezed. He staggered, nearly doubling over, and for a moment, it felt like blood might erupt from his throat.

From a distance, Master Edhir’s voice boomed, cutting through the suffocating air like a blade.

"At least complete a round today. Walk, or run if you can. The choice is yours."

Rudra’s lips curled into a bitter smile as he whispered under his breath, “Is this what he calls mercy?”

Determined not to fall, Rudra willed his trembling legs to move again. Each step felt like dragging a mountain, the ground beneath his feet pulling him back like quicksand. The world around him seemed to blur as his body screamed in protest. A numbing sensation crawled up his limbs, and his mind echoed with a single thought:

"I could collapse any moment now."

Surprised at how faint his voice had become, he trudged forward. Time dragged on, and with every agonizing step, the sun sank lower, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple. By the time the last rays of sunlight faded, Rudra had only made it halfway around the circle Master Edhir had drawn.

Across the field, another figure caught his eye. Ray, his fellow trainee, was drenched in sweat as well, but not from the gravity. To Rudra, Ray seemed to move with an unnatural swiftness, as though carried by the wind itself.

“How is he so fast?” Rudra wondered, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

But his thoughts were interrupted by Edhir’s voice, sharp and scolding.

"What are you doing, Ray? How can you still be this slow?"

Rudra’s eyes widened in disbelief. Slow? He couldn’t fathom how anyone could do better under such brutal conditions. Swallowing his frustration, he pushed forward. The hours stretched endlessly, the cold night air replacing the warmth of the sun.

By the time Rudra neared the end of the circle, his sweat had dried, leaving his body chilled and his movements stiff. A faint hope flickered as he muttered to himself, "It’s bearable now... as if the weight has lessened."

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But just as he finished speaking, his legs buckled beneath him as the crushing force returned.

"What now? Is this some kind of joke?"

Barely able to stay upright, Rudra dragged himself to the starting point. Collapsing onto the ground, he gasped for air, his chest heaving as he tried to steady his breath.

After a moment of stillness, he called out, his voice cracking, "Mas...t...er... I’m done here."

Master Edhir appeared beside him, the black fog that always accompanied him swirling ominously. Rudra’s curiosity had long been piqued by his master’s seemingly otherworldly abilities. Without thinking, he asked, “Master, how do you vanish and reappear like that?”

A silence lingered before Edhir responded, his voice calm yet carrying a weight of mystery.

"Do you want to learn?"

Rudra nodded. For once, a flicker of childlike eagerness showed in his usually emotionless face.

"To do this," Edhir explained, "you must pass through the Key Ceremony. Only then can you generate the energy required to connect with your key."

Rudra nodded again, understanding yet not fully grasping the gravity of what was being offered.

"You may go now," Edhir said, but as Rudra turned, a sharp blow landed on his back.

Startled, he spun around, his eyes questioning. "What did you do?"

With an unsettling calmness, Edhir replied, "I removed the gravity from the ground... and placed it entirely on you."

Rudra’s face twisted in surprise, but Edhir continued, unperturbed.

"For the next ten days, you’ll live under this increased gravity. Adapt or break."

And with that, Edhir vanished, leaving only the faint trace of black fog behind.

Rudra sighed heavily, the weight of the challenge settling on his shoulders. From across the circle, Ray approached, his pale face betraying exhaustion.

"Let’s go. I’m starving," Ray said with a grin.

As they walked back to the castle, Rudra asked, "Is the Key Ceremony really dangerous?"

Ray’s expression darkened. His usual lighthearted demeanor shifted as he replied, "The ceremony isn’t the dangerous part. It’s what comes after that’s truly perilous."

Rudra’s curiosity grew, but Ray deflected with a laugh, asking about the gravity training instead.

Later that night, Rudra lay in his bed, his body heavy and sore, his mind racing with thoughts of the mysterious keys.

Far beyond the walls of Eryndra, atop a jagged mountain cloaked in darkness, nine shadowy figures stood in a solemn circle. The biting wind howled through the crags, but none of them flinched. They were like statues carved from the void itself, their forms shifting imperceptibly under the pale light of a crescent moon. The air hung thick with tension, a silence so profound it seemed the mountain itself was holding its breath.

From the darkness, a voice emerged, cold and sharp as the mountain air.

"Where is the seventh holder of the Seed, Edhir?"

The question lingered, unanswered, until black fog began to coil and rise at the circle’s center. The tendrils of mist moved like living shadows, weaving together to form a man. His silhouette was tall and imposing, yet his demeanor was anything but solemn.

"Apologies, I was preoccupied," Edhir said, his tone laced with playful indifference. A faint smirk could be heard in his voice, though his face remained shrouded.

Another figure stepped forward slightly, their presence colder and more severe.

"You’re always like this, Edhir," they said, their voice devoid of warmth, carrying an edge of reproach.

Edhir chuckled softly, but the levity was short-lived. A new voice spoke, deep and deliberate, resonating with the gravity of the situation.

"The negotiations with the other ten Seeds have failed. They’ve refused to see reason."

The weight of those words hung in the air like an unspoken curse. Another shadow spoke, their voice layered with anger and unease.

"They’ve already taken six pillars of the World of Keys. Six!"

Edhir’s playful demeanor faded, replaced by an eerie stillness. His voice, though quiet, carried a sharp undertone of menace.

"And the last?"

The answer came swiftly, and with it, the tension in the circle grew unbearable.

"The last pillar stands is inside the Kingdom of Eryndras world of keys If they claim it, the balance will shatter."

Silence followed, not the kind that lacked sound, but the kind that carried dread. Each figure, though obscured, seemed to radiate an understanding of what was at stake. The darkness around them grew heavier, as if the mountain itself shared their burden.

Finally, a voice spoke, and its words carried the weight of finality.

"If the final pillar falls..."

They paused, as though dreading the truth they were about to utter.

"It will descend."

The declaration sent ripples through the air, an unspoken fear given form. The words were heavy, oppressive, as if the very act of speaking them had brought the calamity closer.

Edhir’s voice broke the silence, this time devoid of his usual playfulness.

"We all know what that means. ...

Above them, the moonlight dimmed as dark clouds rolled across the sky, as if the heavens themselves recoiled at the weight of their discussion. Far below, the Kingdom of Eryndra remained oblivious to the shadows gathering, to the brewing storm that threatened to engulf their world.

And in the silence that followed, one unspoken truth lingered among the ten

The descent would not only mark the fall of the pillars, but the rise of something far more terrifying—a force that could consume worlds.