The door to the shack creaked open with an eerie groan, as though reluctant to reveal whatever was waiting inside. Eryx hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward, the cool air of the clearing wrapping around him. Behind him, Rona and Bastian followed, their footsteps muffled by the soft earth beneath their feet. As they entered, the door slammed shut behind them with a sudden force, leaving them in a dim, shadowy interior lit only by the faint glow of glowing runes etched into the walls.
The shack was small and sparse, the wooden beams low overhead, and a stone circle at the center of the room stood on the dirt floor. The air inside felt different—more oppressive, as if the very space was charged with an unseen energy, pulsing faintly.
"What is this place?" Bastian murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Eryx surveyed the room carefully, his eyes narrowing as he studied the markings on the walls. The runes were unfamiliar to him, but there was a subtle magic about them. He could feel it, vibrating just beneath the surface.
Rona stepped toward the stone circle, her curiosity piqued. "Should we touch it?" she asked, glancing back at Eryx.
Before Eryx could respond, the air shifted. A deep, rumbling sound echoed through the room, like the distant growl of thunder, though the sky outside remained clear. The runes on the walls flared brighter, casting long, eerie shadows that seemed to dance around them.
And then, without warning, the stone circle began to pulse with a bright, blue light. A faint hum filled the room, the energy in the space growing more intense, and a voice—deep, rich, and ancient—boomed through the air.
"Welcome, challengers."
Eryx's eyes snapped around the room, searching for the source of the voice. There was no one else here, no figure to confront them, but the voice felt… omnipresent, coming from everywhere at once.
"You stand at the threshold of your first trial," the voice continued. "This test will not be about strength alone. It will test your minds, your creativity, and your ability to adapt under pressure. You will each face a trial designed to expose your deepest fears and weaknesses."
The voice paused, letting its words sink in.
"The trial begins now."
Suddenly, the stone circle erupted in a burst of blue light, and the floor beneath their feet trembled. Eryx instinctively took a step back, his heart pounding in his chest. He reached out for Rona and Bastian, trying to pull them away from the circle, but before he could react, the light enveloped them entirely.
Everything went white.
When Eryx's vision returned, the first thing he noticed was the oppressive heat. The once cool air of the shack had been replaced by the sweltering warmth of an open desert. The ground beneath his feet was hot, cracked, and dry, stretching out endlessly in all directions. A fierce wind blew across the landscape, sending sand flying in every direction.
Rona was already standing, brushing sand off her clothes, a look of confusion crossing her face. Bastian, on the other hand, looked disoriented, his hands still raised in defense as if expecting another attack.
"What… what just happened?" Rona asked, her voice strained as she squinted against the harsh sunlight.
Eryx's mind raced. The shack, the runes, the strange voice—it had all been a test, but this? What kind of test was this?
Before he could respond, the voice returned, echoing through the empty desert.
"This is your first trial," it said. "You will each be tested individually. Your goal is simple: find the hidden artifact within this desert. You have until the sun sets to do so. Fail, and you will be eliminated. Succeed, and you will pass to the next stage of your training."
The voice faded away, leaving only the sounds of the desert wind.
Eryx turned to Rona and Bastian, meeting their eyes. Rona's brow was furrowed in thought, and Bastian looked ready to argue with the invisible voice, but Eryx didn't have time for that. The trial had begun, and they had no choice but to face it.
"Stay close," Eryx said, his voice calm, even though his thoughts were racing. "We need to move quickly."
But as he looked around the vast expanse of sand, a new realization settled on him. The desert stretched on for miles, and there was no obvious direction to go in. The only thing they could do was search—search for clues, for the artifact, for anything that might give them an edge.
Rona nodded, and Bastian, although reluctant, agreed. "Got it. But if we're supposed to do this on our own, maybe we should split up?"
Eryx considered it for a moment, but something in his gut told him that splitting up was a mistake. "No," he said firmly. "We stick together. We'll cover more ground that way."
The trio began to move, their feet sinking into the hot sand with every step. The sun beat down on them mercilessly, the heat almost unbearable, but Eryx kept his focus sharp. He scanned the desert, his mind already analyzing the environment, searching for any signs of the hidden artifact. He could feel the pressure building, the weight of the challenge pressing down on him, but he didn't let it show.
This test was just the beginning. And he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way.
The sun climbed higher in the sky as they ventured deeper into the desert. Hours passed, but it felt like they had made little progress. The terrain remained unchanged, and the heat seemed to only intensify with every step.
Rona's voice broke the silence. "Eryx, do you think we're even going in the right direction?"
"I don't know," Eryx admitted. "But we can't stop now. We'll have to keep searching. It's out here somewhere."
Bastian paused, wiping sweat from his brow. "This doesn't feel right. It's like we're walking in circles."
Eryx's gaze flicked around, analyzing the endless landscape once more. The vast emptiness of the desert made it difficult to track their progress, and the sinking feeling in his gut only grew stronger with each passing minute.
Then, in the distance, something caught his eye—a flash of something glinting beneath the sun, something that stood out against the stark desert. Without a word, Eryx started walking toward it, his pace quickening. Whatever it was, it was their best chance.
The others followed closely behind, their steps quickening as well. Whatever challenge the desert had in store, they were determined to face it together.
As they neared the glinting object, Eryx's heart raced. Was this the artifact? Or was it another trick, another test to see if they would fall for it?
He was about to find out.