The creatures lunged, moving with an unnatural speed that made Alaric’s breath catch.

“Stay close!” Selene shouted, darting forward with her sword raised.

Her movements were precise, each swing of her blade cleaving through the air with deadly efficiency. One of the creatures lunged at her, but she sidestepped and slashed downward, severing its limb in a spray of black ichor.

The second creature circled toward Alaric. Its glowing red eyes locked onto him, and his heart thudded in his chest. His hands clenched into fists, but he had no weapon, no magic—nothing.

“Use your environment!” Selene barked.

Alaric’s eyes darted around the chamber. His gaze landed on a jagged piece of rubble near the wall. As the creature pounced, he dove for the rubble, grabbing it just in time to swing it upward. The makeshift weapon collided with the creature’s jaw, sending it sprawling to the ground.

The third creature hesitated, its head snapping between Selene and Alaric as if deciding which one to attack. Selene didn’t give it the chance. With a fluid motion, she hurled a dagger from her belt, embedding it deep in the creature’s skull. It collapsed instantly.

Alaric stood there, chest heaving, his hands still gripping the rubble.

“Not bad,” Selene said, retrieving her dagger.

She grabbed the glowing fragment from the pedestal and turned to him. “One down. Let’s move before more show up.”

As they navigated the maze-like corridors, they encountered other Travelers. Some ignored them, rushing past in search of their own fragments. Others eyed them warily, their hands resting on weapons.

Selene was right—trust was scarce in the Tower.

They found the second fragment in a room filled with shifting platforms. It hovered high above them, and Alaric had to climb a precarious series of ledges to reach it.

Selene stayed below, her sword ready in case anything—or anyone—tried to interfere.

When Alaric finally grasped the fragment, he felt a faint warmth pulse through his hand. For a brief moment, he thought he might have unlocked his magic, but nothing happened.

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By the time they found the third fragment, the tension between them had begun to grow. Selene was increasingly curt, her eyes scanning the shadows with a paranoia that unsettled Alaric.

“You’ve done well so far,” she said as they exited the chamber, their three fragments glowing faintly. “But the next trials will be harder. You’ll need to be ready.”

Something about the way she said it made Alaric uneasy.

Back in the waiting chamber, the atmosphere was different. The Travelers were restless, their conversations hushed and tense.

Alaric sat against the wall, the fragments they’d collected resting in a pouch at his side. Selene stood nearby, speaking quietly with another Traveler—Kael.

He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but their body language was sharp. Kael gestured animatedly, while Selene remained rigid, her arms crossed.

Alaric’s unease grew.

The System chimed, and a new message appeared in front of them:

Trial Complete. Participants with three fragments may proceed.

Alaric rose to his feet, his gaze darting between Selene and Kael.

Selene turned to him, her expression unreadable. “Ready?”

He nodded, though the knot in his stomach tightened.

The next trial began immediately. They were transported to a vast forest, the air thick with fog. The System’s message appeared:

Trial Three: The Gauntlet

Objective: Survive.

The fog muffled everything—sounds, sights, even Alaric’s thoughts. He stayed close to Selene, her figure barely visible ahead.

“Stay alert,” she said. “This trial is about endurance. The System will throw everything it can at us.”

They moved cautiously through the forest, fending off smaller monsters that lunged from the shadows. Alaric began to notice, however, that Selene was becoming increasingly distant, her movements less coordinated with his.

“Are you okay?” he asked, panting after a particularly close fight.

She didn’t answer.

The fog thickened.

Suddenly, Alaric felt a sharp pain in his side. He stumbled, his hand flying to his ribs. Warmth seeped through his fingers—blood.

He turned, confused, and saw Selene standing a few feet away, her sword drawn.

“Selene... what are you doing?”

Her expression was cold. “You’ve done well, Alaric. But the System rewards strength. It doesn’t reward weakness—or liabilities.”

The betrayal hit him harder than the blade.

“You were planning this the whole time,” Alaric said, his voice trembling.

Selene didn’t deny it. “Survival isn’t about trust. It’s about knowing when to cut dead weight.”

She lunged at him, but Alaric threw himself to the side, his instincts taking over.

The forest erupted into chaos. Monsters howled in the distance, drawn by the scent of blood.

Alaric didn’t have time to process the betrayal. He ran.