—Trials of Flame, Mirage, and Void—
The dungeon pulsed with an eerie rhythm, as if it were alive. Lior's breath was shallow, his heartbeat thundering louder than his footsteps. The air was heavy, soaked with magic and the scent of scorched stone. The others—scattered and fighting for their lives—were each facing their own nightmare.
Lior glanced at Night, who stood calm as ever, twin crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dark. "We can't afford to rest anymore," Lior muttered, clenching his sword. "If this floor is divided, then each of us has to conquer our own trial."
Night smirked slightly. "Then let's make ours count."
Ignis & Aqua — The Trial of the Flame Leviathan
Far below in a molten chasm, Ignis and Aqua stood back-to-back as the cavern shook violently. Lava rivers burst from the walls, and from the center rose a colossal beast—a serpent made of living fire, its scales molten, its roar deafening.
"The Flame Leviathan," Aqua whispered, her voice trembling. "Its flames can melt even divine steel."
Ignis grinned, fire bursting from his arms. "Good thing I am fire."
Their clash lit the entire floor. Aqua summoned torrents of enchanted water, clashing against the infernal tide, creating steam that blinded the beast. Ignis, fueled by his own flames, leaped through the steam and struck the Leviathan's core. But the explosion that followed scorched everything around them, leaving Aqua shielding them both with a dome of enchanted ice.
"Still alive, huh?" Ignis coughed, smiling weakly."Barely," Aqua sighed, the frost melting from her fingertips. "Let's never do that again."
Terra, Solaris & Sylph — The Trial of the Mirage Hydra
Elsewhere, in a labyrinth of crystal and illusion, Terra smashed through mirrored walls while Solaris's light illuminated the maze. But every reflection birthed a new copy—a shimmering Hydra of illusion, its seven heads flickering in and out of reality.
"This isn't real," Sylph said, her voice echoing. "But the pain is!"
The Mirage Hydra struck with beams of refracted light, slicing through the floor. Solaris countered with radiant flares, bending the Hydra's own light against it, while Terra raised stone walls to block its attacks. Sylph spun her winds, creating a storm that shattered the false images—revealing the true Hydra in the center.
"Now!" Solaris shouted, wings bursting with light. Together, Terra's strike, Sylph's storm, and Solaris's solar burst obliterated the monster's core—turning the entire chamber into dust and light.
Lior & Night — The Trial of the Void Entity
Meanwhile, Lior and Night found themselves before a vast, dark hall—its ceiling lost in shadow. A single pulse of violet light flickered in the distance. As they stepped closer, the air grew colder, thicker. Then, from the abyss, it appeared.
A towering, humanoid form cloaked in pure darkness, with hollow eyes that seemed to swallow light itself.
"The Ancient Void Entity," Night muttered, drawing his blade. "A creature born from emptiness."
Lior's magic refused to respond. Every attempt to channel mana was crushed by the oppressive void energy. "Damn it… I can't use anything."
"Then we fight without it." Night's tone was sharp, calm, absolute.
The entity's shadow stretched, splitting into multiple forms that lashed out with tendrils of darkness. Lior parried desperately, while Night moved like liquid shadow, slashing through the dark with precision. But every wound the entity took simply reformed.
Lior was running out of breath. "It keeps regenerating!"Night's eyes glowed faintly. "Then we'll cut through its core."
With one synchronized movement, Night fused part of his essence with Lior's blade—an echo of the earlier fusion skill. For a moment, Lior's sword shimmered with both light and shadow, the impossible union of Night and Solaris's energies.
He charged forward, piercing the entity's core. The resulting explosion tore through the void—silence swallowing everything.
When the dust settled, the entity was gone, and the oppressive aura lifted.
Lior dropped to his knees, gasping. "That… was too close."
Lior tried using his ability again, but it didn't work.No matter how hard he focused, the system remained silent, his mana flow unstable. It was like the dungeon itself was sealing his powers.
Night folded his arms, scanning the path ahead."Seems like whatever's blocking your skills wants us to move forward," he said calmly.
Before they could come to a conclusion, the sound of scraping claws echoed behind them. Lior turned sharply—hundreds of reptiles, their scales glinting under the dim dungeon light, were slithering and running straight toward them.
"Tch—seriously?" Lior muttered.
Being so exhausted from their previous fight, neither of them thought of standing their ground. They bolted.
"Run first, think later!" Night shouted, dashing ahead.
Lior tried to keep up, panting. "You think you're faster than me? Watch this!"
He pushed mana into his legs, boosting his speed—only to realize Night was already far ahead, glancing back with a smirk.
Night laughed, his voice echoing down the corridor. "You call that fast? Come on, Summoner, don't embarrass yourself!"
Lior gritted his teeth. "You're enjoying this way too much!"
Their footsteps thundered through the narrow tunnel, the reptiles screeching close behind. The air grew colder the deeper they went until, without warning, the tunnel widened and opened into a vast chamber.
They both stopped, their boots skidding against the stone floor. The air was different here—dense and heavy.
A deep, resonating pulse echoed through the chamber. Then the ground shook. Dust fell from the ceiling.
A sound—low, guttural—rumbled from the darkness ahead.
Lior's breath hitched. "Night… tell me that's not what I think it is."
A massive figure stirred in the shadows. Its eyes opened—two glowing crimson orbs that cut through the dark. The air trembled from its presence.
Night's usual grin faded. "You've got to be kidding me…"
The creature stood, its scales gleaming with a faint blue-black sheen, wings folded tightly behind its back. Its roar was deafening, shaking the entire chamber.
Lior steadied his stance, exhaustion forgotten. "No turning back now," he said quietly. "We move forward."
Night sighed, drawing his twin blades. "We really should've just fought the reptiles…"
The ground cracked beneath them as the beast advanced, its immense power pressing against them like a storm.Their tired bodies screamed for rest—but their hearts blazed with defiance.
The test of survival had begun.