**Sai:** (groggy, muttering)
"Huh... What happened? I remember... I entered those doors, and then... lost consciousness."
---
**Narrator:**
Sai's vision swam as he forced himself up from the cold stone floor, his muscles aching from the magical surge that had knocked him out. A dull throb pulsed through his body as he steadied himself, the weight of the ancient magic still clinging to him like a heavy fog. His eyes locked onto a new door—steel, gleaming under the faint light. Unlike the weathered stone doors from before, this one seemed deliberately crafted, though the same ominous menace lingered in the air, seeping through the cracks.
His pulse quickened. Another trial.
Without hesitation, Sai pressed his palm to the steel, and with a low groan, the door creaked open. A gust of frigid air swept through, biting at his skin. The chamber beyond was vast and shadowy, the dim light making the edges of the room seem as though they were shifting. A primal instinct stirred within him—a whisper from the draconic blood in his veins.
He wasn't alone.
In the center of the chamber stood a figure—towering and cloaked in pitch-black armor, a knight as still as a statue. Its sword was monstrous, wide enough to split a man in two. A dark, oppressive energy clung to it like a shroud, making the air feel thick and suffocating. The knight's eyes flared to life, glowing embers within the helmet, locking onto Sai with an intensity that made the room feel smaller.
---
**Narrator:**
Sai's breath hitched, and before he could react—*CLANG!*—the knight charged. Its massive sword arced through the air, aiming to cleave Sai in half.
---
**Sai:** (gasping, diving aside)
"Shit!"
---
**Narrator:**
The blade slammed into the ground, splitting the stone with a deafening roar, dust and shards of rock exploding upward. Sai felt the wind from the strike whip across his face. He barely had time to process what had just happened as the knight yanked its sword from the crater it created and charged again, each step shaking the floor beneath them.
Instincts kicked in. With a swift motion, Sai drew his own sword, the metal ringing as it cleared its scabbard. The black knight's blade came down in a vertical slash.
*CLANG!*
Sai raised his sword to block, but the sheer force of the blow rattled him to his core. His arms trembled, and his feet slid back, the force driving him down.
---
**Narrator:**
The knight pressed on, its sword moving with unnatural speed and power. Every swing carried the weight of a tempest, aiming to crush Sai beneath its might.
*CLANG!*
*SHHHK!*
*CRACK!*
Steel clashed against steel as Sai parried blow after blow, his bones aching under the relentless assault. His sword felt like a fragile shield, barely holding back the knight's raw power. Sparks danced through the air with each collision, the ground beneath their feet trembling.
---
**Narrator:**
Sai gritted his teeth, ducking beneath a horizontal slash that would have taken his head off. His heart raced, blood pounding in his ears. The knight spun with terrifying precision, its sword cutting the air with a whistle as it brought the blade down once more.
*CLANG!*
Sai barely blocked, but the impact drove him to one knee, his bones screaming in protest. The knight's glowing eyes bore down on him, unrelenting.
---
**Sai:** (snarling, his eyes flashing with a faint draconic light)
"You won't break me that easily!"
---
**Narrator:**
Summoning strength from the well of Zaroth's power, Sai pushed back against the knight's overwhelming strength. His muscles burned with the effort, but he refused to fall. His vision narrowed, the world shrinking to the dark figure in front of him and the deafening sound of their clashing blades.
He had fought powerful enemies before—he carried the blood of dragons. But this knight... It wasn't just a warrior. It felt like a force of nature.
The knight reared back, preparing to strike again, but Sai saw his chance. With a swift move, he sidestepped and struck with precision, driving his blade into a gap in the knight's armor.
*SHRRRK!*
The knight let out a low, guttural growl, but the attack barely slowed it. In a blur of motion, the knight retaliated, its sword catching Sai's shoulder.
---
**Sai:** (gritting his teeth, a sharp breath escaping him)
"Damn it!"
---
**Narrator:**
Pain lanced through him as blood welled from the deep gash. The knight's blade had cut through his armor, flesh, and bone. Sai staggered back, his hand instinctively reaching for the wound, blood seeping between his fingers. His vision blurred, the world tilting dangerously.
The knight, sensing weakness, pressed forward, its glowing eyes merciless. Every step was a countdown to Sai's death.
---
**Narrator:**
Sai's breath came in ragged gasps as he circled the knight, his mind racing. He couldn't keep this up. The knight was faster, stronger. His body screamed for rest, but something deep within him—a fire fueled by Zaroth's blood—roared louder.
The knight raised its sword for a killing blow, and for a split second, time slowed. Sai's draconic senses flared to life. He saw it—the weak point, the faint pulse of dark energy in the knight's chest.
With a roar that shook the chamber, Sai surged forward. The knight's sword came down, but Sai rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding death. He twisted with the momentum, bringing his sword down with everything he had.
*CLANG!*
The knight blocked, but this time, Sai didn't relent. With a savage cry, he drove his blade into the knight's neck, twisting with all his might.
*SHRRK!*
The black armor cracked, and a shadowy mist began to pour from the knight's wounds.
---
**Narrator:**
The knight let out a final, guttural roar as it staggered, its body shuddering violently. Sai watched, chest heaving, as the figure dissolved into shadow, collapsing in a pool of mist that dissipated into the air.
---
**Narrator:**
Sai stood over the fallen knight, his vision swimming, his breath shallow. His body screamed in agony, his blood pooling beneath him. But it was over. The cursed knight was defeated.
With the last of his strength, Sai fell to his knees, the weight of the battle finally crashing down on him. His sword slipped from his grip, clattering onto the stone floor. As darkness closed in around him, his thoughts turned to the curse that still awaited him beyond the next door.