The silver-masked Voodoo loosened his grip, his serpent-like tentacles retreating with a slick sound. Aiden staggered back slightly, the pressure finally gone from his arms.
"Follow me," the Voodoo said, voice distorted, metallic, and commanding.
With cautious steps, Aiden followed him through the darkness. The path ahead looked like a forgotten mineshaft — the walls reinforced with ancient wooden beams, cracked and rotting from time. Occasional crystal veins pulsed faintly with a strange, eerie glow, lighting their path as they ventured deeper underground.
The silence between them was thick, only broken by the distant echoes of water dripping and the soft hum of energy resonating through the stone.
Eventually, the passage opened up into a vast subterranean chamber.
Aiden's eyes widened.
The place was enormous — carved straight into the heart of the earth. Towering stone structures lined the sides like shrines, while veins of luminous crystal branched through the cavern walls like arteries. Platforms floated mid-air, suspended by some unknown force. It was haunting… and breathtaking.
The silver-masked figure stepped to the edge and raised his hand."What do you think? Beautiful, isn't it?"
Aiden didn't respond, still lost in the sight before him.
Then, the Voodoo's tone shifted.
"But this... this is not for you."He turned to Aiden, his hollow eyes gleaming from behind the mask."You have the body of a warrior — not a miner."
Before Aiden could question it, the Voodoo pulled him away from the main chamber and toward a sealed section of the cave. Enormous metal doors loomed ahead, adorned with carvings of beasts and warriors locked in combat.
With a wave of his hand, the doors creaked open, revealing a vast arena-like space.
Golems. Towering, elemental creatures made of stone and glowing crystal stood motionless inside. Each one pulsed with raw, concentrated energy, like they were waiting — watching.
And dead rotten bodies all over the floor.
Aiden didnt give a crap, and silently looked ahead.
"Since you know how to fight, this place is perfect for you."The Voodoo's voice echoed across the chamber."You might even get stronger... if you survive."
Aiden stepped forward, his fingers twitching with anticipation. A smirk crept onto his lips.
"Count on it."
The Voodoo gave a final laugh — a chilling sound that reverberated through the air like a dying song.
"Do what you want."
And with that, he vanished into the dark, leaving only silence behind.
Aiden glanced around at the dormant golems. His heart beat faster, not from fear — but from something deeper. The thrill of challenge. The hunger for growth.
He cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders with a lazy grin.
"Well... this is my life now."
Then he stepped forward, into the trial that awaited.