Kaiden ran as fast as he could as soon as he heard Kaila. Arun lunged forward, his blade wreathed in a fire so bright it carved streaks of gold through the suffocating shadows. The darkness recoiled in bursts of light, but only momentarily; the void seemed endless, the tendrils reforming faster than they could be cut down. Arun's team moved with precision, their powers painting the eerie rainforest cityscape in flickers of neon chaos.
"Kaiden, get behind us!" Arun barked, his voice a rare note of panic.
Kaiden staggered into formation, his lungs burning and mind racing. His every thought screamed in discord, unable to reconcile the horror unfolding around him. This was supposed to be a simulation—a controlled test of their skills, not a descent into madness. Fuck, he didn't even want to think about his groupmates. Would they even be alright?
"What the hell is this?" Kaiden gasped, his words nearly drowned by the cacophony of combat.
"They're real!" Kaila snapped, electricity racing from her fingertips as she incinerated an advancing Umbral. Her voice was sharp, edged with terror she didn't bother to hide. "The system's been hijacked - this ain't a simulation anymore."
Real. That one word hit Kaiden like a gut punch. The shadows weren't hollow illusions. They had weight. Purpose. Malice.
"Can we shut it down?!" he shouted, though the question tasted futile even as it left his lips.
Arun was grim, his sword raised to meet another incoming strike. "We can - just not here. The anchor is the key. We destroy it, and this dimension collapses."
Kaiden's chest tightened. The anchor. He remembered the concept from their training—the device that stabilized simulated realms. Destroying it was supposed to be theoretical. A last resort. Now, it was their only hope.
"We need a plan," Arun said through gritted teeth, deflecting a tendril of shadow that screamed as it was sliced apart. "We must gather everyone who could help. There are bound to be others like us."
Kaiden clenched his fists, the weight of the situation threatening to crush him. Arun's words made sense, but time was slipping through their fingers like sand. Every second they delayed, the Umbrals multiplied, the darkness closing in tighter.
"And if we can't find them in time?" Kaiden pressed, his voice strained.
"Then we do this ourselves," Arun said without hesitation. His determination was unyielding, but the faintest flicker of doubt in his eyes betrayed the stakes. "But first, we regroup."
Kaila hurled another bolt of lightning, her usually warm eyes narrowed in concentration, clearing a temporary path through the swarm. "That's a big if, Arun! These things aren't exactly giving us a break to play messenger."
Kaiden scanned the battlefield. The shadows were relentless, yes, but there was a pattern to their movements—like they were herding, not just attacking. He couldn't shake the feeling that the Umbrals were leading them away from something.
"No time for a headcount," Kaiden said suddenly surprising even himself, and yet the thought he had could not be kept in, "We move toward the anchor. Anyone we find on the way can join us. But waiting around for a miracle? That's suicide."
Arun hesitated, weighing the words. His jaw tightened, but he gave a sharp nod. "Fine. Kaila, keep the path clear. Kaiden, you're on point. Let's move."
Kaiden didn't argue. He sprinted ahead, each step feeling like it could be his last. His heart pounded in sync with the pulsing energy of the jungle city around them, an otherworldly rhythm that seemed to mock his desperation. He could hear the others close behind the ragged breaths of their small team as they carved a way forward.
They plunged deeper into the ruins, the air growing heavier, colder. The strange architecture twisted and loomed like a living thing, the glowing veins of the obelisk's energy creeping through the structures as if the entire dimension revolved around it.
Kaiden skidded to a halt as the ground trembled violently. Cracks spiderwebbed beneath them, and from the shadows emerged a new wave of Umbrals, larger and more grotesque than before. Their movements were deliberate, calculated. A low, guttural sound reverberated through the air - a laugh, these shadows were fucking laughing.
"You hear that?" Kaila whispered, her eyes wide, the confidence in her voice faltering for the first time.
"Yeah," Kaiden muttered, notching an arrow that glimmered faintly with his mana. "It's like they're enjoying this."
Arun stepped forward, his fiery blade glowing brighter as he prepared to face the new threat. "They're stalling us."
Kaiden's breath caught. "They know we're heading for the anchor."
"Then we don't stop," Arun said, his voice hard as steel. "Kaiden, lead them back if you have to, but this thing needs to go down. Now."
Before Kaiden could respond, one of the larger Umbrals lunged forward. Arun met it head-on, their clash of fire and shadow sending shockwaves through the area. The rest of the team scrambled into formation, their powers flaring to hold the line.
Kaiden hesitated, torn between helping them and continuing the mission. He looked at Arun, who was locked in battle, and Kaila, whose electricity danced frantically to keep the other Umbrals at bay.
"Go!" Arun roared, flames erupting in a violent arc as he shoved back his opponent. "You know what needs to be done!"
Kaiden's jaw tightened. He turned on his heel and bolted toward the obelisk, leaving the chaos behind. As he ran, the shadows seemed to shift, closing in tighter with every step.
In the distance, the anchor loomed like a beacon of malice, its pulse now deafening. Kaiden's every instinct screamed at him to turn back, but he pressed on. For Arun. For Kaila. For every person trapped in this nightmare.
The obelisk grew closer, its glow casting twisted shadows that seemed to writhe with anticipation. Kaiden drew his bow, preparing himself for whatever monstrosity awaited him at its base.
He had to slow down as the obelisk's oppressive energy pressed against him like a living force. He turned to check if anyone had managed to catch up, but it seemed like he was alone in the suffocating silence. Then he heard hurried footsteps, and relief flooded him.
"Kaiden, wait!" Ryo's voice rang out. The wind-user skidded to a stop beside him, his chest heaving. "What the hell, man? You just took off!"
Kai gave him a sharp look. "Arun said to go. I wasn't going to stand around arguing while they're risking their lives."
Ryo glanced back toward the fading sounds of battle, his expression grim. "You could've said something! We're not letting you charge into this mess alone."
A rustling behind them made both turn, their stances tensing, but it was Nia and Lana. Nia's face was pale, her hands glowing faintly with a protective spell. Lana's jaw was set, her earth magic already coiling defensively around her.
"We're with you," Nia said, her voice steady despite the trembling in her hands. "Don't even think about trying to ditch us."
Kaiden nodded, some of the tension in his shoulders easing. "Fine. But if we're doing this, no hesitation. The obelisk is heavily guarded, and Arun was right—they're stalling us. We need to move fast."
Lana stepped forward, her hands gripping chunks of rock she'd conjured. "Then let's stop talking and do something about it."
As if summoned by her words, a low growl rumbled through the ruins. Dark tendrils slithered from the obelisk's base, forming into hulking figures with glowing eyes. The air grew colder, the oppressive energy thickening.
"Here we go again," Ryo muttered, summoning a whirlwind around himself. "Can we ever catch a break?"
"Not today," Kaiden said, drawing his bow. "Nia, keep us patched up. Lana, break through the defences. Ryo, keep them off balance. I'll cover you from a distance."
"Love being bait," Ryo quipped, but he was already moving, the wind howling as he launched toward the shadowy figures. His gale sent two smaller Umbrals crashing into the ruins, their forms dissolving into vapour.
Lana wasted no time. She slammed her fists into the ground, and jagged spikes of earth erupted, impaling the larger Umbrals as they advanced. "Kaiden! Watch the left!"
Kaiden spun, losing an arrow that sliced through a tendril reaching for Nia. He yelled, "Stay focused, Nia! If we go down, there's no one to heal us."
"I know!" Nia shot back, her voice edged with panic as she threw up a glowing shield to block a swipe from an Umbral. "You think I don't realize that?"
"Save the bickering for later," Lana growled, summoning a massive boulder and hurling it at the obelisk. The impact sent a shockwave through the ruins, and for a moment, the obelisk's light flickered.
Kaiden's heart leaped. "That's it! Keep hitting it!"
The Umbrals responded viciously, their numbers surging as though the obelisk was summoning reinforcements. One of them lunged for Ryo, who barely twisted out of the way.
"Little help here!" Ryo shouted, the strain in his voice obvious.
Kaiden loosed a volley of arrows, each one glowing brighter as he poured mana into them. The arrows struck true, pinning the Umbral long enough for Ryo to counter with a gust of wind that shattered it.
"Don't let up!" Kaiden barked, his gaze fixed on the obelisk. The flickering had stopped, its light stabilizing. "Lana, hit it again! Harder this time!"
Lana growled in frustration but obeyed, slamming the ground again. This time, massive cracks spiderwebbed across the obelisk's surface, and a shrill, otherworldly scream pierced the air.
"It's working!" Nia yelled, her shield glowing brighter as she deflected another attack.
Kaiden could feel the air shift, the dimension itself starting to destabilize. But they weren't done yet. A massive Umbral, its form nearly solid and radiating power, stepped forward, its glowing eyes fixed on the group.
"Of course, there's a boss," Ryo muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
The Umbral roared, and the ground shook beneath them. Kaiden's grip on his bow tightened. "We take this thing down, and it's over. Focus everything on that monster!"
"No pressure, huh?" Lana said, her voice dry as she summoned another boulder.
As the massive Umbral charged, the team braced for the final showdown. The obelisk loomed behind it, pulsing wildly as if aware its destruction was imminent. Kaiden drew an arrow, his mana surging. This was it - the moment everything hinged on. They had one shot to end this.
The massive Umbral towered over them, its hulking form radiating malice. Every step it took seemed to drain the air, its glowing eyes locked on Kaiden's team like a predator cornering its prey.
"Spread out!" Kaiden yelled, leaping to the side as a shadowy fist slammed into the ground where he'd stood. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the ruins, debris flying everywhere.
Ryo darted in with a gust of wind, his speed keeping him just out of reach of the Umbral's strikes. "I'll distract it! Just tell me someone's got a plan!"
"I'm working on it!" Kaiden replied, loosing an arrow aimed at the creature's chest. The shot connected, exploding in a burst of light, but the Umbral barely flinched.
"That's not gonna cut it!" Lana shouted, her hands glowing as she hurled a series of jagged rocks at the monster. The projectiles shattered against its shadowy armor, leaving only faint cracks.
"It's drawing strength from the obelisk!" Nia cried out, her voice shaky as she threw up another shield to block a barrage of smaller Umbrals swarming toward her. "We have to take out the anchor now, or this thing won't go down!"
Kaiden's mind raced. The obelisk was already cracked, but it wasn't enough. They needed to hit it with everything they had—but the massive Umbral was guarding it, and its reinforcements weren't letting up.
"Ryo, keep it distracted! Lana, can you clear the smaller ones? Nia, stay close and cover us!" Kaiden barked, notching another arrow and aiming for the obelisk.
"What about you?" Lana asked, slamming the ground to send a shockwave through a wave of Umbrals.
Kai's gaze narrowed. "I'll take the shot that ends this." Fuck it.
Without waiting for a response, he sprinted toward the obelisk, weaving through the chaos. The massive Umbral roared, shifting its attention to him.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Ryo yelled, summoning a whirlwind that enveloped the creature. "Eyes on me, big guy!"
The Umbral turned, swiping at Ryo with a shadowy claw. Ryo ducked and retaliated with a blast of wind that knocked the creature back a step.
Kaiden reached the base of the obelisk, his heart pounding. The cracks glowed faintly, pulsing like a dying heartbeat.
"Lana, now!" he shouted.
Lana roared in effort, summoning a massive pillar of earth that slammed into the obelisk. The cracks widened, the light inside growing erratic.
"It's destabilizing!" Nia called out, her voice tinged with both hope and fear.
Kaiden drew his final arrow, pouring every ounce of his mana into it. The shaft glowed brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding. "This has to work," he muttered under his breath.
The massive Umbral broke free of Ryo's whirlwind with a deafening roar, charging toward Kaiden.
"Not today!" Ryo yelled, unleashing a focused blast of wind that collided with the creature's legs, slowing it just enough.
Kaiden took aim, his focus razor-sharp. He loosed the arrow, and time seemed to freeze as it streaked toward the obelisk, leaving a trail of golden light.
The arrow struck true, sinking into the core of the obelisk. For a split second, there was silence—then the obelisk exploded in a brilliant burst of energy. The shockwave rippled outward, obliterating the smaller Umbrals and sending the massive one staggering.
The dimension began to collapse, the fabric of the simulated world unravelling like threads being pulled from a tapestry.
"Run!" Kaiden screamed, turning and bolting toward his team.
They sprinted together, dodging as the ground cracked and the sky warped above them. The massive Umbral let out one final, guttural roar before it was swallowed by the collapsing dimension.
Ahead of them, a glowing portal flickered into existence, its edges unstable.
"Don't stop!" Kaiden urged, his lungs burning as they raced toward their only escape.
One by one, they leapt through the portal, the collapsing world snapping shut behind them.
Kaiden hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him. The cool air of the training centre was a stark contrast to the oppressive heat of the simulation.
They were back.
Kaiden rolled onto his back, staring at the sky - the real sky! - as relief and exhaustion washed over him. Around him, his teammates were similarly sprawled out, catching their breath.
"We're alive," Ryo said, his voice weak but tinged with disbelief. "Holy crap, we made it."
"Barely," Lana muttered, sitting up and rubbing her temples.
Nia let out a shaky laugh, tears streaming down her face. "I thought we were done for."
Kaiden sat up, his gaze meeting Arun's as the leader of the group approached. Arun's face was bruised, his clothes singed, but he gave Kaiden a nod of approval.
"You did good, you all did," Arun said, his voice steady despite the chaos they'd just endured.
Kaiden nodded, but the weight of what had happened lingered. This was no ordinary test. Something—or someone—had turned their training into a deadly trap.
And Kaiden had a sinking feeling that this was only the beginning.