The doors of the Obsidian Spire closed behind them.
The sound was slow.
Final.
Darkness swallowed the entrance hall. The air inside felt different from the world outside—denser, colder, almost sentient.
Souro stood still, senses sharpened.
Selene remained close behind him.
Albert stood several steps ahead, posture relaxed, eyes observant.
No one spoke.
The floor beneath them suddenly ignited with light.
Symbols carved into the stone began to glow, spreading outward in intricate patterns.
Selene's breath caught.
The tower vibrated once.
A notification appeared.
[Floor 1 Initiated]
[Trial Type: Separation]
Souro's heart tightened.
Separation?
The glowing circle beneath them divided into three distinct sections.
Albert glanced down briefly. No fear. Only quiet understanding.
"Of course," he said softly.
The ground disappeared.
—
Souro felt himself falling through white light.
Then—
Impact.
Cold stone slammed into his shoulder. He rolled and forced himself up immediately.
He was alone.
The chamber was small. Square. The ceiling low. No doors. No visible exit.
A faint grinding noise echoed.
The walls were moving.
Slowly.
Closing in.
A new notification flickered before his eyes.
[Objective: Survive]
[Time Remaining: 10 Minutes]
The walls pressed inward with deliberate patience.
Shadows gathered in the corners of the room.
They peeled away from the stone like living ink.
Three figures formed.
Unlike the unstable creatures outside, these were solid. Defined. Their eyes glowed white with empty intent.
Souro formed his crescent blade.
The first creature lunged.
He slashed through it cleanly.
It split—
—and reformed instantly.
The second struck him across the ribs, sending him crashing into the tightening wall. Pain flared through his side.
They weren't meant to be killed.
They were meant to stall him.
The walls crept closer.
His breathing slowed.
Think.
The objective was survival.
Not elimination.
He glanced upward.
There.
A thin fracture in the ceiling stone.
Barely visible.
The crescent mark on his wrist pulsed harder.
[Eclipse Veil — Partial Activation]
Darkness spread along his arm.
Instead of fighting, he ran forward.
The creatures attacked, delaying him, striking him, slowing him—
But he ignored them.
At the last second, he leapt.
His blade embedded into the crack above.
Stone split slightly.
With a strained breath, he pulled himself upward into the narrow gap.
Below him—
The walls slammed together.
The creatures were crushed in an instant.
The chamber sealed completely.
Silence followed.
Souro dropped down into a narrow corridor beyond.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
[Floor 1 — Phase 1 Cleared]
He looked ahead.
The tower wasn't testing strength.
It was testing judgment.
—
Elsewhere—
Selene landed on her knees.
Light faded.
She stood upon a thin stone platform suspended in endless darkness.
There were no walls.
No ceiling.
Only void.
Her fracture mark flared painfully.
A notification appeared.
[Objective: Maintain Stability]
A crack formed beneath her feet.
Then another.
The platform began to fracture.
Her breathing grew uneven.
The void below whispered softly.
You will fall.
The cracks spread faster with each flicker of fear.
Tears burned at the edges of her eyes.
"No…"
She pressed her hand against her shoulder.
The fracture mark pulsed violently.
The air around her warped.
The platform trembled.
The trial wasn't physical.
It was emotional.
Every spike of panic worsened the cracks.
Every steady breath slowed them.
She closed her eyes.
Forced herself to breathe slowly.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The whispers faded slightly.
The fractures slowed.
The void grew quieter.
[Stability Level Increasing]
Her shoulders trembled—but she did not break.
The cracks stopped spreading.
The platform stabilized.
Silence returned.
[Floor 1 — Phase 1 Cleared]
Selene remained kneeling, breathing softly.
She had not defeated an enemy.
She had defeated herself.
—
In another chamber—
Albert landed gracefully.
He did not stumble.
He did not roll.
The room around him was lined with mirrors from floor to ceiling.
Hundreds of reflections stared back.
Each version of him was different.
Afraid.
Broken.
Bleeding.
Begging.
One reflection showed him kneeling in defeat.
Another showed him reaching for someone unseen.
Another showed him alone.
The reflections began stepping out of the mirrors.
Imperfect copies.
Weaker.
Distorted.
They rushed him simultaneously.
Albert adjusted his sleeve calmly.
"Projection-based psychological stress test," he murmured.
Gold light spread faintly beneath his skin.
Not explosive.
Not wild.
Precise.
Refined.
When the copies reached him—
The gold light flashed once.
Every reflection shattered at the same time.
The mirrors cracked from the inside.
Glass rained silently across the floor.
Albert lowered his hand.
"Predictable."
[Floor 1 — Phase 1 Cleared]
He looked upward slightly.
He could feel it.
The other two were still active.
Still alive.
Interesting.
—
High above the tower—
Nova observed three signals glowing within the structure.
Silver.
Fractured.
Gold.
All stable.
His star-shaped mark pulsed faintly.
"They adapt quickly," he murmured.
The broken moon shifted slightly in the sky.
Closer still.
"Good," Nova whispered.
"The real trial begins when isolation ends."
And deep within the tower—
The next phase prepared itself.