I poured every ounce of Neba I had into the ship, my hands glowing brighter as the ship’s damaged structure slowly repaired itself. The groans of the wood strengthening under my touch mixed with the distant screams of the creatures outside.

*Why isn’t ship healing properly? Don’t tell me… they are trying to damage the ship and get in…

“sh*t i need to channel more Neba!”

Ezra and Liam had left the cabin to protect Nely and me, their shouts echoing over the clash of battle. I didn’t need to look to know they were fighting relentlessly.

But my body was reaching its limit. Blood trickled from my nose and blurred my vision as I felt a sharp pain shoot through my head.

“Agh!” I winced, the effort forcing bloody tears from my eyes.

“Dune!” Nely called out, her voice sharp with worry. “You’re overdoing it! Don’t waste all your Neba like that!”

“I know… I know!” I groaned, barely able to speak. “But if the ship sinks, we’re dead anyway! I have to keep going, even if it—”

I cut myself off and ignored her protests, focusing everything I had on keeping the ship intact. My vision wavered, my breath coming in ragged gasps as the last bits of damage sealed themselves.

Finally, after what seemed like hours the cabin was fully restored. The ship steadied, the sounds of creaking wood fading into silence. My head dropped as exhaustion hit me like a tidal wave. I glanced at the timer, blinking weakly at the display: [17:37]

Fifteen minutes. I had bought us over fifteen minutes.

But I couldn’t celebrate. My body gave out, and darkness closed in. The last thing I heard was Nely shouting my name before I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was also her kneeling over me, her hands glowing faintly with green Neba as she channeled her own Neba in me to help me heal my battered body. Blood coated her arms and face, streaked with grime and exhaustion.

The twins sat nearby, leaning against the cabin walls, their faces and clothes just as bloodied. They looked as tired as I felt, gasping for air and barely able to move.

“You’re awake,” Ezra said with a crooked grin. His voice was hoarse, but there was a hint of relief in it.

Liam nodded in agreement. “Your goddamn plan worked, Dune. It was a hell of a lot easier to fight with the fire driving them back.”

I sighed, sinking into the floorboards as a wave of relief washed over me. “Good… glad it helped,” I muttered weakly.

“Good job Dune,” Nely said as she plopped down beside me. Her voice was softer now, her usual edge dulled by exhaustion.

I smiled faintly at her. “You too… couldn’t have done it without you.”

But then a thought struck me, sobering the moment. If that had been just the first wave…

“We need to get ready for the second one,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Everyone nodded, the weight of my words sinking in. No one argued. No one complained. We all knew what was coming.

Before we could move, though, something shimmered in front of us, drawing our attention. A glowing display appeared in the air, listing the results of the battle:

[ Kill Count ]

[Liam - 775 Kills]

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[Ezra - 786 Kills]

[Nely - 912 Kills]

[Dune - 1256 Kills]

“What?” I blinked in disbelief as everyone’s eyes turned to me. Even I was confused.

“I don’t get it,” I muttered. “The explosion kills should have been counted for Nely. She’s the one who triggered it.”

The others looked just as puzzled, but Ezra cracked a grin. “Guess they like you more, boss.”

Liam shrugged. “I mean, technically, the plan was yours. Maybe that’s why.”

Nely didn’t say anything at first, but I caught the faintest smirk tugging at her lips.

Before I could say more, I felt a sudden shift within me. A strange warmth spread through my body, and my Neba reserves ticked upward slightly.

“What the…” I whispered, feeling a noticeable difference. My Neba had been boosted slightly, just 3%, but it was enough to make a difference.

“So that’s the reward,” I muttered, realization dawning on me.

“Congratulations, Dune,” Liam said, his tone laced with mock sarcasm.

Ezra leaned forward with a teasing grin. “Enjoy it while it lasts, because I’m taking the next one.”

Despite the tension, I couldn’t help but chuckle. These idiots knew how to lighten the mood, even in situations like this.

We sat there for what felt like hours, slowly regaining our stamina. No one spoke much after that. We didn’t need to. The exhaustion in the air was palpable, and we all understood that rest was the most important thing now.

By the time we stood up, the horizon had already started to brighten. The first rays of sunlight painted the sky in soft oranges and pinks.

After some time we shared a quiet meal of fish, the tension momentarily eased by the simplicity of the moment.

We sat around the table, eating in silence, until Ezra finally broke it. "Let’s share everything we know about the trials and what’s happening to us," he said. "I’ll start."

*he didn’t even wait for us to answer.. this guy*

All eyes turned to him as he leaned back, his usual confidence showing. "Me and my brother, well, last thing we remember is stealing some food from a shop. Not really important. I used my first question to ask where we were. They told me we’re in a separate dimension, and that Zetens would be taking these trials with us. Then i made Liam ask them about the purpose of the trial, and they told him that trials purpose was to choose 10 Zetens that would be blessed by them. That’s all the important stuff."

These two are actually smart…

I frowned, realizing Ezra and Liam were just as short on answers as the rest of us. Information is still valuable.. so does that mean only 10 will be chosen? Or will only ten of us survive? More importantly how many of us are there? But at least one thing was clear, we weren’t in Fein. Or, wherever Fein was. We were in a different dimension apparently.

"How did you guys end up together?" I asked, curious.

Liam chuckled, leaning forward with an amused grin. "We weren’t together at first. But here’s the thing, Dune we both got this another ability that lets us stay in contact. When we activate it, we can hear each other’s thoughts. So, during the whole trial, we were talking like we’d been doing it all our lives. It was wild."

"It was funny though," Ezra added with a smirk. "Talking to someone you don’t even know and realizing later it’s your twin brother? That was one hell of a surprise."

Liam nodded. "Once we gained our first memory, we knew for sure. We’re twins. But finding each other here? That was pure coincidence."

"Yup," Ezra added, grinning.

Then Nely spoke up. "I lived near small town called Envyl. It was mostly forest and lakes, but we had walls and a barrier to protect us. It was on Sanatria’s continent."

"So, you’re from here too?" I asked.

"Same here," Liam said.

"Me too," Ezra added casually, popping a piece of fish into his mouth.

“Well no shit”

Nely paused, then continued. "My first question to the gods was… about my name. They told me I was Nely."

Ezra groaned loudly. "You wasted your question on that? Seriously?"

"Shut up!" Nely snapped, glaring at him.

I laughed, raising my hand. "Hey, I did the same thing."

Ezra turned to me in disbelief. "What? No way. You? Dune, I thought you were smarter than that!"

“Well, I still managed to get useful information."

Ezra leaned forward, intrigued. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

The others looked at me, waiting. I took a breath. "After I defeated my opponent, he told me this whole trial system was created by the gods. They’re the ones who put us here. And… I’m also from Sanatria. In my memory, someone told me about an upcoming disaster and warned me to escape. Clearly, I didn’t since I ended up here. That’s all I’ve got."

"Disaster?" Liam frowned.

Ezra scratched his head, looking confused. "Yeah, but… what about the gods? Are they bad?"

Nely kicked him under the table, “Are you stupid? Of course they’re bad. Look at where we are! They made me kill someone else… They threw us into this nightmare."

Ezra rubbed his shin, grinning despite the pain. "Relax, Nely. It’s just a question. Maybe they’re not evil, just… bad at their job."

I stayed quiet, staring at the table. Back when I killed that man in the trial, I didn’t feel sadness at all. Regret, maybe. But grief? None. Maybe… maybe it wasn’t my first time killing someone.

Nely turned toward me, her gaze sharp yet calm. "About the fight.. Dune, you fought well... but you can’t really keep up with us," she said, her tone calm.

“I don’t think you know this, but Zetens have two different Nebas. Even I don’t fully understand it, but I can use Zeten’s Orange Neba to enhance my body and stamina, while also using my own green Neba for my ability. That’s why im much faster and stronger than you all. You, on the other hand, you use your green Neba for both your ability and your body, or even your weapon, and that’s your weakness."

I frowned, her words sinking in. My mind raced as I tried to process the difference.

Ezra interrupted with a sigh. "Our weakness is worse if you ask me. Those whispers… they make me go crazy sometimes. It’s so hard to concentrate, let alone think straight, when the whispers attack."

"Whispers?" I asked, confused.

Liam leaned forward, arms crossed. "Dune, that’s just a Zeten thing. It happens to all of us, thousands of whispers clawing at our ears, like voices trying to take control. They can make us lose focus, or worse… lose control entirely."

I froze. Whispers? My chest tightened. But I’d heard whispers too, back then during the trial. And I’m not a Zeten.

What the hell does that mean? I need more answers.

I shook the thought away and focused on the moment. "About the next wave," I asked, glancing at everyone. "Is there anything we can do to be prepared?"

"We’re out of explosives," Nely said with a sigh. "The ship’s healed, but… we have no idea what the next stage will be."

"Then we just stay alert," I said, standing. "It might start anytime."

With that, I left the cabin and stepped outside. The sunlight hit my face. My eyes scanned the horizon as the ocean stretched endlessly ahead of us.