Secluded Realm – Afternoon
By midday, Serena's arms ached, and her wound throbbed with dull pain. She'd fought twice more—once against a beast, once against a desperate pair of disciples who tried to ambush her. Both had failed, but she was bleeding and tired.
She tore a strip of cloth from her sleeve to bind her arm. Her ration pack was half-empty. She forced herself to chew a dried fruit strip as she walked, ignoring the sour taste.
A faint boom echoed from far away. She turned her head—through gaps in the canopy, distant plumes of light flared skyward. Qi clashes.
Others are fighting, she thought. A lot of them.
She moved toward the sound carefully, until she reached a ridge overlooking a clearing.
Below, half a dozen disciples fought amid shattered trees and torn earth. Lightning crackled between two warriors from the Silver Sparrow Sect. Flames blazed from another's hands. The air shimmered with raw energy.
Serena ducked low, watching. She couldn't risk joining that mess.
One fighter fell—a woman engulfed by flame. Another followed, throat slashed. The mana-screens above the arena shimmered faintly as their symbols vanished from the list of active participants.
Coliseum – Observation Deck
"Three more down!" Annalise's voice carried excitement. "Ah, what a display—fire and lightning clashing in the heart of the realm! It seems the forest has become a battlefield in its own right!"
In the crowd, people stood, shouting names, waving banners.
"Silver Sparrow! Silver Sparrow!"
"Obsidian Drake! I put my money on your disciples!"
Even from miles away, the elders could feel the energy radiating from the realm projection. A few frowned.
On the far right, Elder Morthen of the Silver Sparrow Sect scowled deeply as one of his disciples was thrown back on-screen, crashing into a boulder. His jaw tightened.
A moment later, the boy's light vanished—eliminated.
The elder's fingers dug into the armrest of his seat, cracking the wood. He said nothing, but the air around him seemed to grow colder.
No one commented. They didn't need to.
Secluded Realm – Evening
The sun—if the pale orb above could be called that—began to sink behind the treetops. Shadows stretched long.
Serena finally stopped moving when she found a small, hollowed-out grove beside a stream. The roots of an old tree formed a partial shelter. It wasn't much—but it was quiet.
She sat heavily, exhaustion flooding her limbs.
Her hands trembled as she dug into her pack, pulling out a ration biscuit. Hard, dry, tasteless. Still, she chewed slowly, forcing each bite down.
The wound on her arm had stopped bleeding, but it burned. She dabbed some salve over it from her kit, wincing as it stung.
The forest hummed softly. Crickets. Distant roars. The occasional snap of a twig somewhere far off. She leaned back against the roots, letting her eyes drift shut for a moment.
"Delia," she murmured, voice faint. "Please be safe."
A cool breeze brushed her hair. She imagined her friend's laugh—bright, nervous, full of hope. It gave her just enough strength to open her eyes again.
Tomorrow, I'll find you, she thought. Somehow.
She looked up. Through gaps in the leaves, she saw faint streaks of light moving across the sky—other contestants, far away, their Qi flaring like tiny stars.
Coliseum – Night Falls Over Starfall
The mana-screens shimmered, dimming slightly as the realm entered night. The audience murmured in awe—shadows deepened, fires glowed brighter, fog crept along the valleys of the Realm. Beasts prowled.
Annalise leaned forward, her staff resting across her lap. "The sun sets in the Secluded Realm, but the first round is far from over. Those who rest now gamble with their lives. Those who push on risk exhaustion. The balance of courage and caution—this is where the true cultivators are forged."
The scholar beside her nodded. "It's not always strength that determines survival. It's who can endure."
High above, banners fluttered, their sigils gleaming faintly in moonlight. The elders of every sect sat in silence, eyes fixed on the screens.
Here and there, some disciples had grouped together. Three from the Divine Lion moved as one, their formation tight, their Qi synchronized. A clear advantage.
"Not fair," murmured a spectator. "How did they manage to stay together after the teleport?"
A noble behind him shrugged. "There are artifacts that allow linked positioning. Costly, yes—but well within the rules."
Annalise's voice confirmed it moments later. "Astute observation! It seems some of our elite disciples used Talismans—rare treasures allowing synchronized teleportation! A risky choice, but clever. Unity is a weapon too."
The crowd buzzed in excitement.
Secluded Realm – Deep Forest
In another part of the forest, a group of four disciples—each from a different minor sect—had stumbled upon one another by chance.
"Truce," said one, panting. "Just until dawn."
Another scoffed. "And let you stab me when I sleep?"
"Then keep your eyes open."
They eyed each other warily, too tired to fight, too afraid to relax.
Nearby, a distant explosion shattered the uneasy peace. A blast of golden light burst through the treeline, followed by the echo of shouting.
"Someone's fighting."
The youngest of them—a boy barely sixteen—peered toward the glow. "We should—"
He never finished. A bolt of lightning arced from the darkness, striking him square in the chest.
The others scattered.
From the shadows emerged two figures wearing the crests of the Eclipsed Moon Sect. Their eyes glowed faintly with moonlit Qi.
"Unfortunate," one said coldly. "Wrong place."
The other nodded. "Let's clean up."
Coliseum – VIP Box
Elder Fyn of the Verdant Blade Sect clenched his jaw as three of his disciples vanished from the screens one after another. "They're cutting through us like wheat."
"Your boys relied too much on teamwork," said another elder, not unkindly. "This is not a team trial."
Fyn said nothing, but his eyes burned with quiet fury.
Annalise's voice broke through the tension: "And thus the night claims more souls! Each clash sends ripples through the Realm—and through the stands! The tally stands at two thousand eliminated by nightfall!"
The crowd roared again, half in awe, half in bloodlust.
Secluded Realm – Serena's Camp
Serena sat quietly, feeding a small, smokeless flame under a cup of water she'd conjured using Qi heat. Her face was pale, her eyes heavy, but her hands steady.
The night air was cold. The stars above the canopy shimmered faintly—foreign, distant. She sipped the warm water slowly.
Every sound kept her tense: an owl's cry, rustling leaves, the far-off echo of a scream.
When she finally let herself rest, it wasn't full sleep—just half-conscious alertness, blade across her lap.
Before her eyes closed fully, she whispered into the darkness:"Tomorrow… I find her."
The flame flickered once, then died.
Coliseum – Final Hour of the First Day
Annalise rose once more, voice strong as it carried over the city. "And so ends the first day within the Secluded Realm! Already the weak have fallen, the strong endure, and the clever survive in silence."
The crowd cheered, banners waving under the night.
"Tomorrow," she said, smiling into the glow of the screens, "the true storm begins."