Shadow slave:The Forgotten Spawn

Volume 3: Fractured Worlds

Chapter 4: The First Trial

The chamber pulsed with a heavy, rhythmic energy, each beat echoing through the stone walls like the heartbeat of the rift itself. The group spread out, their eyes scanning the ominous carvings and glowing runes, their breaths slow and shallow.

Eryth tightened his grip on the shards in his pouch. He could feel their energy stirring, responding to the overwhelming power that suffused the air. Nyx stayed close to him, its sleek form bristling with tension, glowing eyes fixed on the central structure.

"What do you think it wants?" Kaidan asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

"To kill us," Tessa replied bluntly, her blade glinting in the faint light. "That's how everything here works."

The runes on the structure flared brighter, and the deep, resonant voice from before echoed again.

"Prove your worth… or perish."

The carvings along the walls began to shift, their intricate patterns rearranging into images of battle, destruction, and rebirth. The floor beneath them trembled, cracks forming in the stone as an otherworldly glow seeped through.

"We're being tested," Eryth murmured, stepping forward.

"Tested how?" Kaidan asked, his tone sharp.

Before Eryth could respond, the ground split open, and dark, shadowy figures emerged from the glowing fissures. They were humanoid in shape but utterly alien, their forms wreathed in writhing black mist.

The Trial Begins

"Here we go again!" Tessa shouted, charging forward without hesitation. Her blade cleaved through one of the figures, its form dissolving into mist before reforming just as quickly.

"Don't let them surround us!" Kaidan barked, rallying the others.

The group formed a defensive circle, their weapons flashing as they fought to keep the shadowy figures at bay. But the creatures were relentless, their movements unnervingly fast and coordinated.

Eryth focused on the shards, summoning a barrier of light to shield the group. The effort sent a spike of pain through his head, but he pushed through it, the barrier holding firm as the creatures slammed against it.

Nyx leapt into the fray, its claws tearing through the shadows with savage precision. The creature fought with an almost unnatural grace, its every movement calculated and lethal.

"They're not just shadows," Kaidan shouted, blocking a blow from one of the figures. "They're learning!"

As if to prove his point, one of the creatures feinted an attack on Tessa before striking from another angle, forcing her to stumble back.

"They're adapting to us," Eryth realized, his voice strained. "We need to change tactics!"

A Desperate Gamble

Kaidan nodded, his expression grim. "Then we hit them hard and fast. No holding back!"

He charged forward, his blade wreathed in fiery energy as he cleaved through two of the creatures. Tessa followed suit, her strikes growing faster and more precise.

Eryth dropped the barrier, focusing instead on channeling energy into the shards. Light erupted from his hands, searing through the shadows and forcing them to retreat.

But the strain was overwhelming. His vision blurred, and his knees threatened to give out. Nyx was at his side in an instant, steadying him with its presence.

"Don't overdo it," Tessa warned, glancing back at him.

"I don't think we have a choice," Eryth replied, forcing himself to stand.

The creatures were regrouping, their forms shifting and merging into a single massive figure. The chamber trembled as the new entity loomed over them, its glowing eyes fixed on the group.

"This just keeps getting better," Tessa muttered, raising her sword.

The Turning Point

The massive shadow swung a clawed hand toward them, the force of the blow sending shockwaves through the chamber. Eryth barely managed to throw up a barrier in time, the impact sending him sprawling.

Nyx roared, launching itself at the creature with feral fury. Its claws raked against the shadow's form, tearing away chunks of darkness that dissipated into mist.

"Focus on its core!" Kaidan shouted, pointing to the glowing center of the creature's chest.

Eryth nodded, his hands trembling as he channeled what little energy he had left. Light surged from the shards, forming a concentrated beam that struck the core.

The creature let out an ear-piercing shriek, its form destabilizing. Tessa and Kaidan seized the opportunity, their combined strikes tearing through the core and shattering it completely.

The shadow dissolved into nothingness, and the chamber fell silent.

The Price of Survival

The group stood in the aftermath, their breaths ragged and their bodies battered. Two of Kaidan's remaining allies lay motionless on the ground, their lifeless eyes staring into the void.

Eryth clenched his fists, the weight of their losses pressing down on him. He had hoped to save them all, but the rift had taken more than he could give.

Tessa wiped blood from her blade, her expression grim. "If this is just the first trial, I don't want to know what's next."

Kaidan nodded, his gaze hard. "We need to keep moving. Whatever's waiting for us, we'll face it together."

Eryth glanced at Nyx, who stood silently beside him. The creature's glowing eyes met his, and for a moment, he felt a strange sense of reassurance.

As they prepared to leave the chamber, the carvings on the walls shifted once more, revealing a new image—a figure standing atop a broken world, their body surrounded by light and shadow.

Eryth couldn't shake the feeling that the image was a warning. Or perhaps… a prophecy.

"Let's go," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his heart.

And so they ventured deeper into the rift, the weight of the trial and its losses heavy on their shoulders.