The air within the cave was dense, alive with the echoes of primal terror. Shade crouched low, his eyes fixed on the dark pit before him. The master's voice, calm yet dripping with malice, came from the shadows.
"You've survived blades. You've endured fire and cold. Let's see how you fare against nature's purest predators."
Without warning, Shade was shoved into the pit. The world spun, his descent ending with a sickening thud. Darkness engulfed him, but the cave walls carried the sound of movement- hisses and growls that made the air vibrate with menace.
The first strike came swiftly. A serpent lashed out, its fangs sinking deep into Shade's calf. He felt the venom seeping into his bloodstream, burning like liquid fire, but his face remained expressionless. His hand shot out, gripping the snake's body. With one swift motion, he crushed its skull against the rock.
Blood pooled beneath him, his own mixing with the creature's. Another hiss. Another attack.
Shade moved with calculated precision, ignoring the sharp pain as another snake bit into his arm. His eyes glinted in the faint light, void of fear or anger. He ripped the creature away, snapping its body with an eerie calmness.The growl came next-low, guttural, primal. Out of the darkness emerged the tiger, its eyes glowing like embers. The beast lunged, its claws raking across Shade's chest, tearing flesh and muscle.
He staggered but didn't fall. The tiger circled, its mouth curling into a snarl as it prepared to strike again.
When it leapt, Shade didn't move. The beast's jaws closed around his shoulder, teeth sinking deep, shredding sinew and bone. Blood poured freely, staining the cave floor, but Shade's gaze never wavered.
The master watched from above, his lips curling into a grin. Surely this would be the breaking point. No one could withstand such agony and live.But Shade's hands rose slowly, gripping the tiger's jaw. With a sudden burst of strength, he wrenched it apart. The beast let out a final, agonized roar before collapsing, lifeless, at his feet.
Shade stood amidst the carnage, his body a tapestry of wounds. Blood dripped from his lips as he turned his gaze upward, locking eyes with the master.
Not a word was spoken. Not a sound escaped him. His silence was more unsettling than any scream could have been.
When he finally climbed out, covered in blood-his own and that of his enemies -the master stared, for once, without a word. Frustrated by Shade's unshakable calm, the master devised increasingly grotesque trials.When he finally climbed out, covered in blood-his own and that of his enemies -the master stared, for once, without a word. Frustrated by Shade's unshakable calm, the master devised increasingly grotesque trials.
In one, Shade was suspended upside down for hours, his head dunked repeatedly into freezing water, only to be hoisted up and whipped when he didn't struggle. The cave echoed with the sound of the lash tearing into flesh, but no cries followed.
In another, he was forced to traverse a narrow bridge of jagged rocks barefoot, his feet shredded with every step. At the end, there was no reprieve-only another task.
And yet, Shade continued. His eyes grew colder and darker.The master's frustration turned into obsession.
"How can you not feel pain?" he snarled, his hands trembling as he prepared another trap. "What are you?!"
Shade said nothing. His silence was a mirror, reflecting the master's insanity back at him.
The master began to speak to himself during the training, his voice manic, as if justifying his cruelty to an unseen audience. "Pain is the essence of life," he muttered, pacing the cave. "He must break. Everyone breaks. Everyone should break."
But Shade didn't. And that terrified the master more than anything.