The cavern smelled of smoke and shadow, thick and suffocating. Kael's chest burned—the Abyss pulsing violently beneath the mark over his heart. Every beat sent whispers into his mind: "Obey… obey… obey…"
He staggered forward, hands trembling. Lira was beside him, spear at the ready, but even she looked afraid. Fear wasn't just from the monsters—they had learned something about Kael. About the power that now coursed through him.
[Trial 3 Initiated: The Choice of Blood]
Objective: Sacrifice an ally to survive or perish.
Failure = Death.
Kael froze. Sacrifice an ally? The Abyss was testing him—forcing obedience.
Behind him, shadows twisted and pulsed. A massive creature emerged, larger than any he had seen. Its form was jagged, mouth split impossibly wide, eyes glowing like molten red. The Shadow Titan.
Lira's grip tightened on her spear. "Kael… we can fight it together."
The Abyss hissed inside him: "Kill her… or die."
Kael's mind screamed. His heart pounded. He could feel the brand spreading, black veins crawling under his skin as the power surged violently. Every instinct screamed to obey. Every part of him resisted.
The Titan lunged.
Kael reacted before he could think. Tendrils of black shadow erupted from his arms, wrapping around the creature's legs. He yanked, toppling it, but the Abyss pushed harder, tugging at his mind.
"Strike her. Obey. Kill her."
He froze. The words echoed like thunder in his skull. Lira's eyes widened in horror.
"Kael… don't!" she shouted.
The Abyss surged again. The Shadow Titan recovered, swiping at Kael with claws that could tear stone apart. He barely dodged, stumbling backward. Tendrils lashed out, striking the Titan again, ripping into flesh—but the Abyss whispered again: "Strike her… or die."
Kael's chest heaved. Sweat poured down his face. Blood mixed with dirt and shadow as the power surged uncontrollably. He looked at Lira—fear, trust, and something more—reflected in her eyes.
He could feel it—the Abyss testing his limits, seeing if he could obey without hesitation.
Then Kael made a decision.
"No."
The word left his lips with finality. The Abyss screamed inside him, a violent pulse that threatened to shatter his body. But Kael forced control, channeling the power outward.
Tendrils lashed violently, not at Lira, but at the Shadow Titan. Bones shattered, shadow smoke erupted, and the creature fell.
Kael collapsed to the ground, gasping. Black veins crawled across his arms, pulsing violently. The Abyss hissed, furious. "You resist… but at what cost?"
Lira rushed to him, kneeling beside him. "Kael… are you okay?"
He looked at his hands, trembling. "I… I didn't…" His voice faltered. "It almost made me hurt you."
She gripped his hand tightly. "You didn't. That's what matters. You still have control."
Kael closed his eyes. The Abyss pulsed beneath the skin like a living thing, dark, hungry, patient.
He realized the truth: survival wasn't just about killing monsters. It was about resisting the darkness within.
And the Nightmare Realm wasn't finished with him yet.
One choice had been made.
Another trial was already forming.
And the Abyss was far from done testing him.