Time in the forest seemed to blur together. Days passed in a slow, grinding rhythm, each one bleeding into the next, marked only by the rising and falling of the sun. Kael had settled into a routine of sorts—surviving, hunting, and hiding. The small cave behind the waterfall had become his sanctuary, a place where he could catch his breath and regroup after each exhausting day.
For the most part, the forest had been kinder to him than on his first day. He had managed to hunt some smaller creatures, like that horned rabbit he had seen before, and added to his meager food supply. Though the meat was still crude and barely satisfying, it kept him alive, and that was enough. His wound from the beast attack had healed, leaving a scar across his arm that was stiff but functional.
The next three days had been spent much the same way. Kael would wake at dawn, eat whatever he had left from the previous day, and then venture out into the forest, staying close to the lake to avoid wandering too far. He had come to respect the forest—its dangers, its hidden predators—but he had also started to feel a small sense of mastery over his surroundings. He was learning how to survive. He was learning how to move quietly, how to listen for the sounds that didn't belong, how to hunt prey and avoid becoming prey himself.
Of course, there were still close calls. More than once, he had stumbled upon beasts lurking in the shadows, but none were as terrifying or deadly as the demonic creatures he had faced in those first frantic days. He had come to believe that, perhaps, the worst was behind him.
But that was before the dawn of the seventh day.
That morning had started like any other. Kael had eaten a portion of the meat he'd stored and spent a few hours by the lake, organizing his supplies and drinking his fill of water. The sense of urgency that had driven him in the beginning had faded somewhat, replaced by a quiet determination to simply survive, day by day.
He didn't know how long the trial would last. For all intents and purposes, it felt as if he had been trapped in the forest for weeks, but his internal sense of time was beginning to warp. Seven days had passed—or so he thought—but the Tower had given him no indication of how long this would go on. It was maddening, not knowing whether tomorrow would bring his freedom or another day of struggle.
That day, like the others, he decided to hunt. His supplies were running low again, and he needed fresh meat. He had seen a few signs of prey in the area—small tracks leading deeper into the forest, the faint rustling of movement in the underbrush—and so, he ventured out once more.
He didn't intend to stray far, but as he followed the tracks of a rabbit-like creature, Kael found himself moving deeper into the forest than he had before. The air grew heavier, the trees thicker, their twisted branches casting long, creeping shadows across the forest floor. He was getting dangerously close to territory he hadn't explored.
"Just a bit further" he thought, his grip tightening on the spear he carried.
"Just one more kill and I'll head back."
There was a strange sense of anticipation in the air, as if something was watching him, something he couldn't quite see. But he pressed on, driven by the thought of bringing back enough meat to last him through another few days.
The rabbit was just ahead, its horned head twitching as it grazed in the clearing. Kael crouched low, silently raising his spear, lining up the shot. He could already picture it—the clean throw, the reward, another day of survival secured. But just as he was about to release the spear, the air shifted.
The rabbit's ears flicked up in alarm. It bolted.
Before Kael could react, a deafening crash shattered the silence. Something massive tore through the trees, the ground trembling beneath its weight. Kael's blood turned to ice as a familiar hulking shape emerged from the shadows.
The abomination.
Its massive form was even more terrifying than he remembered, its four muscular arms ending in scythe-like claws, its fangs bared in a feral snarl. Its eyes, glowing with a deep, primal fury, locked onto Kael, and with a blood-curdling roar, it charged.
Kael's heart leapt into his throat.
"Not again."
He turned and ran, his feet pounding against the forest floor as the bear barreled after him. The ground shook with every step the abomination took, its breath hot on his heels as it closed the distance between them. Kael's mind raced, panic rising in his chest.
He could feel the weight of it bearing down on him, its growls echoing in his ears. He darted between trees, zigzagging as fast as he could, trying to throw off the abomination's pursuit, but it was relentless, tearing through the underbrush like it was paper.
Kael didn't stand a chance.
He barely saw the claw coming. The abomination slashed at him, its massive arm swinging with deadly precision. Kael twisted, trying to dodge, but the scythe-like claw caught him across the side of his abdomen, ripping through his clothes and flesh. He let out a strangled cry of pain as blood spilled from the wound, but he didn't stop running.
"Keep moving. Just keep moving."
The adrenaline coursing through his veins numbed the pain, but he could feel the warm blood soaking his side, feel the sting of the injury with every step. He didn't know how long he could keep going. He didn't know how long he had before the bear caught him again.
Instinctively, Kael's mind snapped to the only place he knew—the cave.
He pushed himself harder, his legs burning as he sprinted through the forest, the trees blurring around him as he raced for the lake. The abomination roared behind him, still in pursuit, its rage palpable. Kael didn't dare look back. He couldn't. If he slowed down, even for a second, it would be the end of him.
He could see the lake ahead, the familiar sight of the waterfall just beyond it. His heart pounded in his chest, the pain in his side growing worse with every step, but he forced himself onward, his mind fixated on one thing—survival.
He reached the lake just as the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the water. Kael staggered toward the waterfall, his vision blurring from the pain and exhaustion, his body barely holding together. The abomination was still behind him, roaring in fury as it tore through the forest.
Kael stumbled into the waterfall, the cool water splashing over him as he scrambled into the cave. He collapsed against the wall, his breath ragged, blood pouring from his wound. The abomination's snarls grew louder as it crashed toward the waterfall, its massive body slamming into the stone with a bone-rattling force.
For a brief, fleeting moment, Kael thought he had done it. The abomination couldn't fit through the narrow opening of the cave. He was safe.
But then he saw it's massive snout pushing through the opening, its jaws snapping hungrily, inches away from him. Its fangs gleamed in the fading light as it tried to force its way inside, saliva dripping from its maw.
Kael's heart raced, panic clawing at his mind. He grabbed his sword, summoning it with shaking hands, and slashed at the abomination's snout. The blade cut deep, drawing blood, but it was little more than a scratch to it.
The abomination snarled in fury, its snout slamming into Kael, knocking him back against the wall of the cave. The impact drove the wind from his lungs, his vision going black for a moment. He gasped for air, the taste of blood filling his mouth as he struggled to stay conscious.
The abomination's jaws loomed closer, its hot breath filling the cave as it prepared to tear him apart.
Kael could barely move, barely think. His body was broken, bloodied, his mind swimming in a haze of pain and exhaustion. He could see the abomination's fangs, could feel the heat of its breath on his skin.
This is it.
Kael closed his eyes, a bitter laugh escaping his lips as he cursed everything—his existence, his past, the Tower, Seer, and the gods themselves. The Tower had brought him here, to this cursed place, and now it was going to kill him. He had survived so much, endured so many near-deaths, and now it was all for nothing.
He could almost hear Seer's voice in his head, mocking him with that infuriating smile.
"The Tower gives and the Tower takes."
"Figures," Kael muttered weakly, a dark, humorless grin tugging at his lips.
"It would end like this."
And then, everything went black.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then, a voice, deep and resonant, filled the air around him.
[Congratulations, Challenger Kael]
Kael's mind stirred, barely conscious, the voice echoing in the darkness.
[You have completed your first trial]