Ray slowly descended the staircase, followed by the others.

“Move, you're too slow.”

Ren grumbled.

“Make me- argh,”

Ren shoved Ray aside and then ran down the stairs. Shin and Chio speeding after him.

“Are you alright?”

Erith asked, helping him back to his feet. Ray blushed in embarrassment.

“He just caught me off guard, that's all. Anyway, mind your own business. While I have no choice but to work with you here, I will never forgive you or your family for their actions. "

Ray said, wishing that he could have taken this test alone. Not only was Ren trying to sabotage him, but he had to get help twice now from the golden child of his clan.

“Ray, all I have ever done is try to be your friend. I know what they did to you was terrible, but you can’t continue to blame me for my grandfather's mistakes.”

She said, while her eyes were turning red. Ray’s stomach dropped. He had remained prejudiced, unable to accept Erith's support despite her consistent kindness after his parents died.

“I apologize. My anger clouded my judgment, and I won't let that happen again. I will never forgive your family for what they have done, but that’s not your fault and I should not have put it on you. Can you forgive me?”

Ray asked, staring at the ground to avoid looking at Erith.

“Yes.”

Erith said, grabbing his hands.

“And one day, when we are powerful enough, I hope to hold my blood responsible for the atrocities that they could have prevented in our clan.”

Ray felt a wet sensation on his cheek, grateful that someone considered him more than a burden in this world.

“I’m glad that there is still someone in this world who doesn’t think I’m worthless.”

He sobbed. Erith pulled him into a hug. They stayed like that for a minute before Ray finally spoke up.

“I guess we should probably catch up with the others.”

Erith released him and then nodded before walking down the staircase. Initially, the pair moved at a slow pace until a horrifying scream echoed from the lower level. The two of them shared a glance before running down the stairs. A gruesome scene unfolded below: a monstrous praying mantis, its lower half serpentine with blood-covered metallic skin, held the severed halves of Shin in each of its claws. Ray froze, his stomach churning at the scene before him. A screech that sounded like metal grinding agents metal brought him back to his senses as the monster brought the top half of Shin toward its clacking mandibles. With a roar from the other side of the room, Ren charged at the beast's axe, held high. He brought it down on the back half of the creature, causing it to screech in pain. The sound was deafening and Ray had to cover his ears. The creature then dropped what remained of Shin before whirling around and launching Ren into a nearby wall. Ray witnessed sparks erupting from a gash on the monster's back, evidence of the strike's impact. He quickly came up with a plan, shouting out to a stunned Erith.

“Erith, snap out of it and use your staff to create a smoke screen for me.”

She shook her head before composing herself and following his direction. Smoke billowed, filling the room. Ray melded with the smoke creeping toward the creature's back and pouncing on it, digging his feet into the gash left by Ren. He repeatedly stabbed the creature in its neck. It screamed again before thrashing around, trying to break his grip. But he held and continued stabbing, embedding the smaller dagger to us as a handhold. He felt a sharp pain in his legs as the jagged hide of the beast sliced into his calves. But rather than worry about it, he focused on dodging the creature's slashing claws. Fortunately, it appeared unable to reach him in his current position. With a few more stabs and a last shriek, its eyes dimmed as it fell to the ground, lifeless. Ray collapsed onto the floor, panting as Erith ran over the smoke clearing.

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“I can’t believe you killed that thing.”

She said, her eyes scanned him before focusing on his legs. She pulled a jar out from under her robes that Ray recognized as a healing salve.

“Sit still and let me put this on your wounds.”

Ray winced from the pain of the salve being applied before it brought relief as the cuts knitted back together. Turning, he heard Ren limping over with a grunt. He stopped for a second, staring at the beast before grumbling and sitting down. A sobbing Chio followed him.

“It’s my fault he’s dead. I kept teasing him, calling him a coward for taking a shield, and he ended up taking his amulet off to prove that he wasn’t. Then that thing came out of nowhere and grabbed him before we could react and all I could think to do was run.”

He said between sobs

“He would have died even with the trinket on. That thing would have still torn him apart before it activated.”

Ren said, placing a hand on Chio’s back. As the adrenaline faded, Ray the gravity of the situation finally hit Ray. Shin was dead. He hadn't known him all that well and didn't get along with him at the best of times, but he did not deserve this fate. Dead before he could even start on his path to power. Ray could not help but think about what if he had been the first one down that staircase? Would the monster have targeted him instead? He shook his head, trying to snap out of it. “Nothing good is going to come from thinking about what if. I just need to keep pushing forward and obtain my goal.”

Ray thought, stealing his resolve to keep pushing forward. The group sat in silence for about half an hour, with only the occasional sob from Chio, before Ren spoke up.

“We need to continue forward. Nothing good is going to come from staying here any longer.”

Ray nodded before turning to Chio.

“Are you sure you want to continue?”

He asked.

“Yes, if I stop then we both will have failed and what would the clan think of me and my family then?”

Chio responded. The group all nodded before continuing forward. There were three paths in front of them, all marked by runes that Ray did not understand.

“So, what path should we choose?”

He asked the group.

“That creature came from the left path, so it may not be a good idea to go that way in case it has friends.”

Chio said.

“I think we should try the middle path first. I think that the other paths may just be there to distract us from our goal.”

Erith replied. The group nodded in agreement and started walking down the middle path. The path kept going for a while before turning to the right. Ray came to a stop, hearing something up ahead.

“Quiet, it sounds like someone is running towards us.”

The group all stopped prepping for a fight as the footsteps came closer. A group of three came sprinting around the corner.

“Aw shit!”

The leader yelled before skidding to a halt. He started looking frantically around before calling out to the group.

“Please help us. There is a creature following us and if we all work together, then we just may survive.”

“Coward! A true warrior would not ask for help from the enemy but face both threats head-on.”

Ren shouted back.

“He does not speak for all of us.”

Erith said. Ren snorted

“If Ray could put one of those things down, then why should we ally with someone who could-”

An enormous creature interrupted Ren by plowing into the wall shaking the building and throwing dust into the air. No longer arguing, the two groups came together to form a defensive wall. As the dust shot into the air from the impact settled, Ray could make out the shape of their attacker. It was an enormous beast that looked like a rhino, except it seemed to be covered in a shiny liquid of some sort. Ray drew his daggers, preparing for the fight. The beast turned towards the group, staring at them for a moment. Then It charged.