The sun had just begun to rise over the eastern horizon, casting muted gold across the city, when Kairis Ash stepped onto the rooftop. The black key rested heavy in his hand, a shard of the void that pulsed faintly, almost alive, echoing a silent promise of trials beyond comprehension.
Elyra and Aeren were asleep inside, protected by Kaiyara, who had insisted on staying close. Kairis barely spared them a glance, the weight of responsibility pressing down on his shoulders like gravity itself.
He exhaled and activated the key.
The world around him rippled. The air thickened and warped, shimmering like liquid metal, as though reality itself was bending to the will of something ancient. A portal bloomed in front of him, black as the void, the edges lined with faint, pulsating violet.
> No turning back, he thought.
Stepping through, he felt the familiar tug of his Aerial Step instinctively guiding him as the city melted from view, replaced by a darkness that seemed to stretch into infinity.
The instant Kairis landed, the world crystallized around him. A corridor unfolded, impossibly long, stretching at angles that defied perspective. Shadows clung to the walls, alive, whispering faintly with the presence of the void—Lucien's subtle signature.
The system interface flickered weakly. For the first time, it showed nothing beyond his basic stats: Level 20, Class: Gravity Warrior, Subclass: Apostle of Void, HP 6,900, MP 3,750, Stats: STR 45, DEX 42, AGI 44, INT 40, DIVINITY 20, AUTHORITY 15.
No abilities flashed in golden text. No hints.
> This isn't just a dungeon. This is Lucien's test, Kairis realized. No aid. No shortcuts. Only my strength and gravity.
The corridor ended at a massive obsidian gate. There, perched like a living nightmare, was Veythar, the scaled-down black dragon, its eyes glinting with malevolence even at 20% of its original power. Its wings flared, sending gusts that bent gravity around Kairis slightly—enough to make standing difficult.
The system chimed faintly. Quest Activated: Enter the Dungeon of the Void Apostle. Objective: Survive and overcome. Time Limit: None. Death: Temporary. Restrictions: Void powers disabled.
> Temporary death? Kairis mused. So Lucien wants me to learn through loss.
Veythar roared, shaking the ground beneath Kairis. Black scales glimmered in the void-light, each tooth the size of a small sword. Its tail whipped with enough force to shatter stone, and its claws left trails of displaced gravity in the air.
Kairis's heart didn't race. Fear had left him years ago, replaced with calm calculation. He let his Gyro-Telekinesis flare, subtly adjusting the gravity around his body to stabilize against Veythar's initial strike. The dragon lunged, claws tearing at the corridor, and Kairis jumped into the air, using Aerial Step to land on the wall mid-flight.
The dragon twisted, its maw snapping at him, fangs grazing his coat. Kairis's hand instinctively drew his sword, its edge vibrating as he warped space slightly to intercept Veythar's next strike. Sparks of kinetic energy exploded outward as gravity twisted around their collision.
> This is going to hurt, he thought, tightening his grip.
Veythar lunged again, this time spitting a concentrated gravity pulse—a sphere of distorted space aimed directly at Kairis. He countered mid-leap, manipulating gravity around the sphere, slowing it just enough to shift to the side. The dragon's momentum carried it forward, crashing into the corridor wall, sending stone shards flying.
Kairis's breathing remained steady, each movement precise. Aerial Step allowed him to traverse the walls, the ceiling, and even momentarily the floor, creating a three-dimensional battlefield. Gravity warping around his hands allowed for subtle manipulations—pulling Veythar's tail forward mid-swing, redirecting attacks.
> "Is that all you've got?" he muttered, voice carrying over the echoes of the corridor. "Come on. Show me what's left of your strength."
Veythar responded with a furious roar, swinging its tail in a gravity-bending arc that forced Kairis to sprint along the walls at a blur of motion. His Black Hole ability was still too dangerous to use—they were confined to a tight corridor, and even a small-scale collapse would risk collapse on himself.
The dragon's intelligence, even at a weakened state, was formidable. It anticipated attacks, reacted to feints, and probed for openings. Kairis had to be cautious, balancing aggression with survival instinct, all while feeling the crushing weight of Lucien's design—every death, every close call a lesson.
Veythar smashed into a corridor intersection, sending fragments of gravity twisting through the air. Kairis rolled, feeling his shoulder graze against a sharp shard. Pain shot up his arm, but he blocked it out. This is survival. This is training.
He leapt onto Veythar's back mid-flight, gravity-warping his sword to slide across its scales, opening small but deep gashes. The dragon roared in fury, shaking him off violently, sending Kairis crashing into the wall. Pain and wind rushed through him, but he rolled, flipping mid-air, activating Aerial Step to recover.
Veythar lunged one final time, aiming for a killing strike. Kairis closed his eyes, feeling the pull of gravity around him, warping the space between them. With a precise step and push of his energy, he sent the dragon barreling into the corridor ceiling, using the rebound to launch himself directly into Veythar's chest.
> Black Hole, he thought.
He initiated a small-scale Black Hole, just enough to immobilize the dragon while avoiding fatal self-injury. The corridor walls groaned as gravity twisted violently around the creature, pulling it down, compressing it, restricting its movements.
Veythar struggled, thrashing against the gravitational field, but Kairis's control—fine-tuned through years of hunting monsters—held. The dragon's energy began to wane, exhaustion overtaking it as Kairis delivered the final strike with his sword, slashing through the chest, piercing scales, and muscle alike.
Veythar collapsed with a deafening roar, the gravity field dissipating, leaving Kairis panting and bloodied, coat torn, hair sticking to his sweat-soaked forehead.
> "Level cleared…" he muttered, chest heaving, but the sense of victory was tempered by knowledge: this was only the beginning.
The corridor ahead shimmered, and a faint whisper tickled his consciousness:
> "Good… you live, and you learn. Next awaits."
Kairis's eyes narrowed. Each boss, each layer, each death he endured—they were all pieces of the true test Lucien had prepared. And somewhere in the shadows, Malthior, Seraphyx, Veloria, and the others waited, fragments of creation given life, ready to push him beyond the edge of mortality and skill.
He adjusted his grip on the sword, feeling the hum of gravity in his veins, the Black Key faintly pulsing.
> Let's see what you've got, void, he whispered, stepping into the next corridor.
The dungeon had begun in earnest. The corridors, the arenas, the shadows—all alive with purpose. And Kairis Ash was ready to face every challenge Lucien Dreamveil had woven into this crucible.