The voice projected itself across the mental link, and Tyler felt the subtle shift in attention as Darius, Livia, and Elric all became aware of it.
Elric, ever the one to break the tension, quipped mentally, “A voice in our heads now? Lovely. This day just keeps getting better.”
The entity responded with a delighted laugh. “Ah, Elric, the jokester of the group! I like you.” But Elric’s eyes narrowed, sensing a hint of something disingenuous behind the voice’s tone. “Now, let’s get down to business. One of you lucky folks is about to inherit a little something extra. Our dear Edward left behind a unique power, and since he’s no longer around to use it... it’s up for grabs.”
Tyler added, trying to clear the confusion. “Edward was sent home, apparently.” The weight of the decision loomed over them all. Edward’s power had always been enigmatic, bound to shadows and the ability to possess others. It had saved them before, but it was both a gift and a burden. Now, with their lives so intricately tied, the idea of taking on that power felt even more daunting.
The voice continued, carrying a mischievous edge, “But here’s the kicker—when a power like this gets passed on, it doesn’t stay the same. It evolves, adapting to its new host. So what it’s about to become... Good or bad, well, that’s anyone’s guess... And by the way, this is a one-time offer. No refunds.”
Elric, usually the one to keep things light, spoke up with an uncharacteristic seriousness. “I’ll take it. If we’re all sharing this burden, I’ll carry my part.” No one objected; they all knew how much Edward had hated that power, and there was a reason for it. But recent experiences had left Elric feeling weak and powerless, and he wouldn’t mind having a trump card up his sleeve.
The entity seemed almost giddy. “Bold choice, Elric! Let’s see what happens when this shadowy legacy meets your shiny new mana core.”
Energy rippled through the group, stirring the mana within their linked cores. Elric squared his shoulders, ready to embrace whatever challenge awaited him. But as the power began to flow, a sharp jolt of resistance pulsed through their bond. Elric’s confident stance wavered as his face scrunched in confusion.
Suddenly, the energy sputtered out, leaving an awkward silence in its wake. The entity’s voice broke through, dripping with gleeful mockery. “Well, that was... anticlimactic. Looks like you just failed the trial, my friend. Didn’t even last a second! Bravo, really top-tier effort.”
Elric blinked, stunned. “Wait, what? Failed? I didn’t even get to—”
“Exactly!” the entity cut in with a delighted cackle. “You flunked out so fast, you didn’t even notice it happening. But don’t worry—you won’t remember a thing, which is probably for the best. Who knows what horrors you just faced... for all of a millisecond.”
Tyler barely stifled a laugh as Elric’s expression shifted from shock to indignation. “Oh, come on! That’s not fair! How am I supposed to improve if I can’t even remember what I messed up?”
“Sorry, pal,” the entity chimed, clearly enjoying itself. “Rules are rules. You took a shot and, well, the power just said ‘nah.’ Don’t take it too hard—it’s not for everyone. Some folks are just destined to be comic relief.”
Elric scowled. “You know what? I don’t even want your stupid power.”
“Oh, sure,” the entity teased. “Classic sour grapes. But hey, look on the bright side—now you’ve got a great story about how you got insta-failed by an ancient, all-powerful force. That’s gotta be worth something, right?”
The entity gave one final amused chuckle. “Alright, Livia, it’s your show now. Let’s see what you’ve got!”
“What? I didn’t—” Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to protest. Reality blurred and dissolved into the darkness around her. She was plunged into a void—a space that defied all sense of light or shadow, filled instead with swirling currents of raw, chaotic energy. The air thrummed, heavy with a force that pressed down on her like an ancient presence testing her resolve.
“You’re in the trial now, Livia,” the entity’s voice echoed, now stripped of its earlier playfulness. “This is where you prove yourself. Edward’s old shadow power is evolving, and it’s seeking to align with your nature. But it won’t be easy. You’ll need to attune yourself to the mana currents—learn to navigate them, master them, and become one with them. Only then will the power reveal its true form.”
The world around her shattered into a kaleidoscope of impossible landscapes. Livia stood at the entrance of an immense, ever-shifting labyrinth suspended between towering pillars of crystal and shadow. The walls were made of flowing energy—veins of mana that pulsed and twisted like living conduits, humming with barely contained power. Above her, floating platforms spun in intricate patterns, each one lined with glowing runes that twisted in alien languages. The sky itself was a swirling vortex of colours as if the universe had been condensed into a single storm, tearing at reality.
The labyrinth was alive. It moved with her, paths shifting as she stepped forward. Illusions flickered—portals opening into realms of fire, ice, and void, each more daunting than the last. She was thrust into mazes of mirrors that distorted her reflection into hundreds of versions of herself—each one a different possibility, a different destiny. Deadly traps triggered without warning—blades of mana, arcs of lightning, whirlpools of liquid shadow—but each trial was more than just survival. It was about reading the flow of energy, finding the unseen currents beneath the chaos, and riding them like a wave.
Time ceased to have meaning. Days passed, or perhaps only seconds, as Livia faced challenge after challenge. She scaled walls that bled liquid starlight and solved puzzles and throughout it all, she felt the relentless push of the evolving power testing her, seeking to understand her limits, her instincts, her will.
At the heart of the labyrinth, she was confronted with a swirling nexus of pure mana—a cyclone of power that defied comprehension. It surged with every current she had learned to tame, challenging her to dive into its depths. With a deep breath, Livia leapt, embracing the torrent, letting it pull her under. The energy tore through her, but she didn’t resist. She became the current, weaving herself into the storm, letting the chaos flow through her veins until there was no separation between herself and the power.
And then, just as suddenly as it began, the trial ended. Livia jolted awake, gasping for breath. She was back in the real world, standing alongside her friends. Her heart thundered in her chest, her senses still reeling from the vivid intensity of the trial. Yet, something was undeniably different. The power had fully integrated, its presence woven into her core, humming with a new kind of potential—one that felt uniquely her own.
The entity’s voice returned, now laced with admiration. “Well, well! You did it, Livia. The power’s yours, and it’s taken on a whole new shape. No more shadows for you—you’re now linked to the mana currents themselves. You’ve got the ability to teleport by riding those streams, and it looks like you should be able to tame mana beasts with simple. Not bad if I do say so myself.”
Livia blinked, still processing the flood of information, the vivid memories of the labyrinth still fresh in her mind. Testing her new ability, she focused and in a blink, she vanished, reappearing a short distance away in a flash of shimmering blue light. The teleportation was seamless—like she was gliding through a river of mana, effortless and swift. She could feel the currents now, invisible but ever-present, ready to be harnessed at her command.
Darius let out a low whistle, impressed. “That’s some serious power, Livia. You’ve got a whole new arsenal now.”
Tyler couldn’t help but grin, relief and excitement mingling in his expression. “You’ve earned it, Livia. This changes the game for all of us.”
The entity chimed in once more, its tone brimming with playful mischief. “Watching you zip around like that is going to be entertaining! And if you can command creatures like those giant snakes in Tyler’s inventory... ‘wink’, ‘wink’, well, let’s just say you’re in for some fun.”
Livia nodded, a newfound confidence settling over her as she turned inward, feeling the pulse of her augmented mana core. “Thank you… What’s your name?”
The entity’s voice softened, almost affectionate. “My name is Aelithra.”
Before Livia could ask more, Aelithra interrupted with a laugh. “No more questions! You’ve all made your choices, and set your paths. I’ll be watching from the sidelines, but this is your story now. Make it count, heroes. I’ll be rooting for you!”
With that, the presence faded, leaving them standing in the quiet stillness of the crater. The air was charged with possibility, their bond stronger than ever, and with Livia now wielding a power that could tip the scales in their favour—or lead them down an unpredictable path.
Tyler took a deep breath, letting the tension drain from his shoulders. “Alright,” he said, his voice steady as he looked at his friends. “Let’s move. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
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After the team managed to snatch a few hours of rest, Elric pieced together an outfit from the armour scavenged off the adventurers who had ambushed them outside the safe zone—an encounter that now felt like it belonged to a different lifetime. The memories of that skirmish seemed distant, almost trivial, compared to the scale of what they were facing now. With the portable smithy set up, Darius and Tyler didn’t waste a moment, channelling their focus into integrating every stolen mana core they’d collected into their arsenal. Elric’s telekinesis staff, Livia’s elemental bow—everything was upgraded to squeeze out as much mana efficiency as possible, resulting in a significant boost to their reserves. The difference was palpable; the extra mana could be the edge they needed in the battles ahead.
Tyler also took the time to meticulously rework the runes on everyone’s weapons, ensuring they could draw power not just from the embedded mana cores, but also from their personal cores. This dual-channel setup meant they could tap into a deeper well of energy during critical moments. The gravitic runes, notorious for their mana demands, were particularly tricky. To make them stable and reliable, Tyler had to network three mana cores into each weapon capable of handling gravity manipulation. Darius had pointed out that if their weapons hadn’t been forged from the near-indestructible adamantine that Thal’kor had supplied, they would’ve shattered under the sheer power they were now channelling.
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Tyler even etched a gravitic rune into his own swords—an insurance policy for when things inevitably went sideways. He would’ve liked to add more enhancements, fine-tune the runes, and maybe even work in some extra defences, but time was slipping away, and the clock was already ticking against them. The upgrades were enough for now.
After just a few hours in the cabin, the tense calm was shattered by a booming voice that seemed to echo from all directions—the announcer. They had one hour before the ring would shrink, and every zone under a red sky would cease to exist. The gravity of their situation hit them like a cold wave; there was no time for hesitation. Tyler quickly assessed the sky—every other zone in the ring now bathed in an ominous crimson glow. They had less than an hour to reach the battlefield Darius suggested, where they might find dead challengers whose runes hadn’t been claimed. It was their best shot, but it wouldn’t be easy.
“We’ll have to get to the battlefield quickly,” Tyler said, his voice laced with urgency. “But walking isn’t going to cut it. We need to be ready for whatever’s left out there—especially any surviving challengers.”
Livia, who was still attuning herself to the flow of mana currents, stepped closer. There was a new steadiness in her eyes, the confidence that came with her evolved abilities. “I can help with that.” Her gaze locked onto Tyler’s, and in that instant, he felt the bond between them strengthen, a silent exchange of trust and understanding.
Tyler didn’t waste time. He reached into his inventory, summoning one of the massive snakes they had encountered earlier. The serpent coiled as it materialized, its scales reflecting the muted light with an armoured sheen. The creature’s head rose, nostrils flaring as it surveyed its surroundings, before its ember-like eyes focused on the group with a mix of curiosity and hunger.
For a tense moment, the snake’s primal instincts took over. Its muscles tensed, sensing the powerful aura emanating from the group, yet calculating whether they were prey. Tyler’s hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword, ready to act if the situation escalated.
But Livia stepped forward, exuding a calm confidence that rippled through their shared connection. Her eyes glowed with a soft blue light as she focused her will on the snake, her mind reaching out to influence its primitive thoughts. The creature’s body stiffened momentarily, resisting her command, but then, gradually, the light in its eyes dimmed and its aggressive posture softened. The snake slithered closer, now completely subdued and obedient under Livia’s control.
“There we go,” Livia said, a note of satisfaction in her voice. “It’s under control. We can use it to cover more ground.”
Darius gave a nod of approval as he ran his hand over the creature’s armoured scales. “Not bad, Livia. This’ll save us some serious time.”
Without further delay, they climbed onto the serpent’s broad back, gripping the ridged scales for stability. Once everyone was securely in place, Livia gave a mental command, and the snake surged forward, its sinuous body moving with fluid grace across the uneven terrain. Its powerful muscles propelled them swiftly, covering ground at a pace they couldn’t have matched on foot.
The air was thick with tension as they traveled, the silence between them heavy with anticipation. Tyler’s mind was racing. Even though the immediate crisis seemed momentarily under control, he couldn’t shake the nagging worry gnawing at him. The mana streams within him felt more erratic, more fragmented than before. Splitting his core had staved off the worst of the pressure, but it was clear this solution was a temporary fix. He could sense the same strain in his friends—each of them now burdened with a piece of his power, yet unaware of just how fragile their new connection was.
As the landscape blurred past, Tyler couldn’t help but scan the skies, watching the red glow intensify as they drew closer to their destination. Time was running out. This wasn’t just a race against other challengers; it was a race against the encroaching void that would swallow everything in its path if they didn’t get out in time.
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The group dismounted from the giant snake as it coiled protectively around them, its massive form creating a temporary barrier against the encroaching dangers. The battlefield lay ahead, silent yet brimming with tension, as if the very air vibrated with the echoes of the battles that had raged before. The sky above was stained a deep crimson, a clear warning that this zone would soon collapse. Time was slipping away—they had only twenty minutes before the area was consumed, taking them with it if they didn’t move fast.
Tyler’s eyes swept the scene, cataloguing the broken bodies scattered across the field. The sight was grim, but there was no time for hesitation. “We need to move fast,” he said urgently, his tone sharp. “We’ve got less than twenty minutes to find runes on these bodies and get out. If we’re still here when the zone collapses, it’s game over.”
Darius took charge, stepping forward as they approached a cluster of corpses. “Here’s how we play this,” he said, his voice clipped with tension. “Each of us needs to touch one of the runes on these bodies. But there’s no telling if a rune is active until it’s touched. And remember—each rune only works once.”
Tyler’s mind raced, analyzing the situation. They were gambling blind, and the pressure of choosing the right runes without knowing if they’d work gnawed at him. “We’re taking a serious risk here,” he muttered. “But we don’t have a choice. Who’s going first?”
Darius’s jaw tightened. “We don’t have time to debate this. Elric goes first, then Livia. Tyler, you go last.”
Livia’s eyes narrowed. “Hold on, Darius. We’re all at full mana right now, but we need to be smart about it. I’ve got my own core, and I’m more self-sufficient. If anyone should go last, it’s me.”
Darius’s frustration boiled over. “This isn’t about raw strength—it’s about survival. If one of us goes down, we all go down. If we screw up the order, it could be the end.”
Livia’s gaze hardened, but she relented. “Fine. But we need to move.”
Tyler stepped in, diffusing the tension. “He’s right, Livia. You’ve got the best shot of handling whatever’s on the other side. And with my mana pool being the largest, I’ve got the best chance of withstanding the zone collapse if we cut it close.”
Tyler turned to Elric, who had been unusually silent, his nerves showing. “Elric, you ready to do this?”
Elric let out a shaky breath. “Not really, but if I don’t, we’re all screwed. Let’s get this over with.”
The group approached the first body—a fallen warrior whose face was twisted in a rictus of fear. The rune on his wrist was dull, offering no hint of whether it was still active. Elric hesitated, then pressed his hand onto the rune. Silence. Nothing happened.
He moved to the next body—a challenger charred by fire magic, the remnants of his burnt cloak fluttering in the wind. Elric placed his hand on the rune. For a tense moment, it seemed like nothing would happen again. Then, with a flicker, a faint pulse of energy surged, and in the blink of an eye, Elric vanished, and teleported to the next stage.
“That’s one down,” Tyler said, tension mingling with relief. “Livia, you’re up.”
Livia’s expression was unreadable as she knelt beside the next corpse, a fallen sorcerer with blood-stained robes. Her fingers brushed the rune on his wrist—it flickered weakly but stayed inert. The red sky darkened above them, a silent reminder that time was running out.
“We can’t keep checking like this,” Darius growled, frustration building. “We need to find something that works.”
Livia moved to another body—an archer impaled by a jagged spear. The rune was faint, barely holding a trace of energy. She touched it, but again, nothing. Her frustration was evident, but they had no time to dwell on it. They moved on, combing through the fallen, the minutes slipping away. Tyler, grim but pragmatic, stored a few bodies in his inventory as they went. If they survived this, he wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to recover any useful gear.
“Come on,” Tyler urged, his voice tight as he glanced at the darkening sky. They had less than five minutes before the zone collapsed.
Finally, they found a body with a dimly glowing rune. Livia knelt, her hand steady despite the ticking clock. As her fingers touched the rune, light flared, and she vanished in an instant.
“Two down,” Darius said, tension threading through his voice as they moved to the next set of bodies. They were down to less than two minutes.
As they reached the next corpse, Tyler’s instincts screamed at him. Something wasn’t right. The air buzzed with a malevolent energy. They weren’t alone.
“Hold up,” Tyler hissed, his eyes scanning the battlefield. Shadows danced between the debris, and the faint rustle of movement reached his ears. They were being watched.
In an instant, several groups of challengers revealed themselves, weapons drawn. They had the same plan—find runes before time ran out—but they weren’t interested in cooperation.
“Darius, touch the rune!” Tyler yelled as the challengers charged.
The battlefield exploded into chaos. Tyler and Darius fought desperately, holding back just enough to conserve energy for the next stage. But the clock was ticking, the red sky darkening into an ominous blood-crimson as the zone’s collapse drew near.
“We can’t hold out much longer!” Darius shouted, swinging his hammer to fend off an attacker.
“Touch the rune now!” Tyler urged, parrying a strike as more challengers closed in.
Darius fought through the crowd; his eyes locked on the rune on a heavily armoured body. He reached out, but a challenger lunged at him with a spear aimed at his heart. Tyler sprang forward, deflecting the blow with a grunt. “Now, Darius!”
Without hesitation, Darius slammed his hand onto the rune. In a flash of light, he was gone.
Tyler was left alone, the remaining challengers circled, eyes gleaming with deadly intent. He was out of time, out of options. Above, the sky cracked as the zone began to tear itself apart.
But in that moment, clarity washed over him. If he was going to make it out, he had to cross a line he’d avoided until now. The fear, the hesitation—it all melted away, replaced by cold resolve. He wasn’t doing this for himself. He was doing it for his friends, for those who still had a chance.
His gaze locked onto one of the closest challengers—a man with a scar and a twisted sneer. The decision was made. Tyler’s grip tightened on his blade as he moved with deadly precision. This wasn’t just survival; it was necessity.
In a swift motion, Tyler’s blade struck true, slicing through the man’s defences and plunging into his chest. The challenger’s eyes widened in shock, a gurgled breath escaping him as he crumpled to the ground. There, faintly glowing on the man’s wrist, was the rune Tyler needed.
Tyler’s breath hitched, but his hands were steady as he reached for the rune. “I’ll make this count. I swear.” He whispered to the dying man as he pressed his palm against it. Regret could wait—there was no time for it now. Blue light engulfed him as the rune activated, pulling him away from the collapsing battlefield just as the sky above shattered into oblivion.
Tyler staggered, his vision swimming as blood dripped from his wound. The remaining challengers circled him, eyes gleaming with malice. He was alone, out of time, and out of options. The sky above them cracked as the zone began to tear apart.
Just as the challengers moved in for the kill, a calm clarity washed over him as he finally made the choice. He wasn’t doing this for himself—he was doing it for his friends, for the people who depended on him to survive. If this was the only way to keep them all safe, then he would bear that weight. The moment the decision solidified in his mind, the fear and hesitation that had always plagued him vanished, replaced by a cold resolve.
When the light faded, Tyler found himself alone in a small, bright modern room. I looked like a room on a cruise ship and the air was filled with a soft, rhythmic hum that reverberated through the walls. Tyler blinked, trying to shake off the disorientation as he took in his surroundings. The floor beneath him shifted ever so slightly, like it was moving.
His gaze was drawn to a small circular window near the far wall. He crossed the room, curiosity building, and peered outside. His breath caught at the sight—he wasn’t in space, but soaring high above a colossal planet. The sky was a deep, swirling blue, dotted with floating islands of varying sizes, each one covered in lush greenery and cascading waterfalls. The ship he was on drifted gracefully among them, navigating through the misty clouds as if it were part of a grand, endless voyage.
Tyler’s mind raced as he tried to make sense of it all. He was on some sort of flying vessel, cruising through a sky filled with floating islands that stretched as far as the eye could see. The scale of it was staggering, like something out of a dream.