The eerie silence of the ancient battlefield lingered as Nihal and Veyron caught their breath. The monstrous guardian had fallen, its severed form dissolving into the void, yet the price of victory was high. The crystal fragment and the enhanced sword—both gone. Nihal wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing at Veyron, who was still shaken from the fight.

Veyron let out a heavy sigh. "That sword... if we had kept it—"

"We wouldn’t have made it out alive," Nihal interrupted, his voice firm yet reassuring. "Power isn't in weapons, it's in us. If we rely too much on objects, we’ll never reach our true potential."

A small smirk played on Veyron’s lips. "You always manage to surprise me, Nihal. I thought you were just talk, but you keep proving us wrong." He chuckled. "You're different—like Sylva. She speaks less, you talk too much."

Nihal laughed, the tension in the air easing for a brief moment. "Come on, bro. One last tunnel. We’ve made it this far."

THE RULES OF THE FINAL TUNNEL

Before entering the final passage, a massive, ancient board stood before them, etched with faded markings. Nihal tried to decipher the words, but they were unreadable. Veyron, however, traced his fingers over the symbols, his eyes glowing faintly as his power activated.

"This tunnel has rules," Veyron explained, his tone serious. "We have to move silently. The monster inside is blind, but it has... eyes."

Nihal frowned. "How does that work?"

"Think of it like modern security cameras. It can’t see us directly, but it has eyes on the walls—except they're not in this dimension. If we step into their view, we're dead."

A cold shiver ran down Nihal’s spine. "So how do we move?"

Veyron’s sight shifted into another spectrum as he scanned the walls. "I can see the blind spots. Follow my lead."

The two carefully maneuvered through the tunnel, stepping only where Veyron guided. Nihal’s breath was shallow, his heartbeat steady. Every movement felt like walking on a razor’s edge.

Suddenly, Nihal spotted something—a small, ancient key hidden in the cracks of the tunnel. He picked it up silently and showed it to Veyron, who nodded.

"Might be useful. Keep it."

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As they reached another blind spot, Nihal noticed something glowing faintly—a small crystal fragment, radiating with energy.

Veyron’s eyes widened. "That fragment... it’s even stronger than the main crystal. Let’s keep it until we reunite with the others."

Just as they pocketed the fragment, a chilling voice echoed through the tunnel.

"I sense something..."

The monster.

Its hulking form moved with unnatural grace, its massive claws scraping against the tunnel walls. Though its eyes remained shut, its presence was suffocating. The air grew heavier. The temperature dropped.

Nihal’s pulse quickened. Two feet away... it’s too close...

The creature suddenly stopped. It sniffed the air, its head tilting in their direction.

A single misstep. A single sound. Death.

Veyron held his breath. Nihal did the same.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, the monster turned away.

They moved. Carefully. Precisely. Until finally—they reached the crystal.

THE TRIAL OF POWER

As instructed, they placed their hands upon the crystal. A surge of energy coursed through them, and in an instant, they vanished—only to reappear in the heart of an ancient battlefield.

The land was scorched, remnants of war scattered across the bloodstained ground. Swords, armor, and bones lay in heaps. But the most terrifying sight was the guardian standing before them.

This time, the monster had eyes.

A deep, menacing growl shook the earth as it pointed its massive, boomerang-shaped weapon at them.

"Whoever dares to enhance their power must prove their worth. Fight—or be erased."

Instinct kicked in. Nihal and Veyron turned to run, but the monster teleported in front of them within an instant. It was playing with them.

"Damn it!" Veyron hissed. "We need Noctis’ help!"

Lyra’s voice echoed in their minds. What do you need?

"A weapon! Anything!"

Moments later, a shimmering blade materialized in Nihal’s grip. Without hesitation, he swung—but the guardian caught the edge effortlessly and shattered it into pieces with its bare hands.

Pain exploded through their bodies as the monster’s punch sent them flying. Nihal coughed, but to his surprise, there was no blood. Veyron, however, wasn’t as lucky.

Desperation flooded Nihal’s mind. The crystal fragment—they still had it! He grabbed it, embedding it into the broken weapon’s hilt.

A blinding light erupted from the blade. Nihal felt something shift within him. His energy surged, his very existence vibrating with newfound power.

One swing.

A single arc of light cut through the battlefield.

The guardian didn’t have time to react. Its head slid from its shoulders before dissolving into the wind.

The battle was over.

But as they looked around, the crystal and the sword were gone. Erased. As if they had never existed.

Veyron exhaled sharply. "That sword... It ignored matter itself. If we had kept it, we could’ve—"

Nihal smirked. "Chill, bro. If we hadn’t used it, we’d be dead. Power comes from within, not from objects. We move forward. We grow. That’s how we survive."

Veyron chuckled. "I swear, you talk too much."

Nihal grinned. "And you think too much. Perfect team, huh?"

They both turned towards the final tunnel, its dark maw waiting for them.

One last challenge.

One final step.

And the truth waiting beyond it.