As Vex and Nyx moved deeper into the Nexus, the dimly lit corridors gave way to a larger, open space. It looked like an ancient arena, with cracked stone pillars lining the perimeter and a ceiling high enough to disappear into darkness. The ground beneath them was littered with scorch marks and broken metal—evidence of countless battles fought and lost.
Vex's grip tightened on his blade, his eyes scanning every shadow. "This place feels… off."
Nyx raised an eyebrow, keeping her voice low. "What tipped you off? The lack of friendly welcome?"
He ignored her sarcasm, his instincts flaring up as they moved forward. But something felt wrong. This place was built to observe, to test. The Decider might've been their first trial, but Vex could sense another set of eyes watching their every move, calculating, weighing.
A rumbling echoed through the space, and suddenly, the entrance they'd come through sealed shut. Before they could react, several sections of the floor opened up, and metal crates emerged, unfolding to reveal an assortment of deadly traps—spinning blades, turret-like cannons, and walls lined with spikes.
A voice, low and cold, echoed through the chamber, carrying an unfamiliar, almost taunting tone. "So, you're the ones who think you're worthy of reaching Echelon. How amusing."
Vex's heart skipped a beat. This wasn't the Decider. Whoever this was sounded… human.
Nyx narrowed her eyes, trying to locate the source of the voice. "Who are you?"
The voice chuckled, a sound that seemed to echo from everywhere at once. "A rival. Let's just say I've been in this game far longer than you, and I don't intend to share my prize with rookies who can barely hold their own."
Vex clenched his fists, his senses on high alert. The voice wasn't just taunting them; it was testing their patience, their nerve. And if the challenge ahead was anything like the traps being unleashed around them, then it was going to be brutal.
Without warning, the floor shifted, and a series of turrets sprang to life, each one swiveling to aim directly at them. Vex had only a split second to react.
"Move!" he shouted, diving to the side as a barrage of laser shots sliced through the air where he'd been standing.
Nyx was already a step ahead, darting to the opposite side, her movements precise as she rolled behind a broken pillar for cover. Vex landed in a crouch, his eyes locked onto the first turret. He gripped his blade tightly, calculating the distance.
With a swift burst of speed, he lunged forward, evading another barrage by weaving left, then right, his movements so fluid that the turret struggled to keep up. When he was close enough, he dropped to one knee and slid, feeling the heat of the turret's lasers scorch past him. He slashed upward in one smooth motion, his blade slicing through the turret's core. Sparks erupted, and the turret fell silent.
Nyx smirked, ducking as she took aim at the next turret with her pistol. She fired three precise shots, disabling its power core. The turret sputtered, sparks dancing from the exposed wiring as it went dark.
But the voice wasn't done.
"Impressive for rookies," it mocked. "But if you think that's enough to survive in here, you're sorely mistaken."
More panels on the walls opened up, and from them emerged humanoid droids, each one sleek and agile, their eyes glowing an ominous red. They moved with a lethal grace, their blasters trained on Vex and Nyx, ready to fire at the slightest twitch.
Vex took a deep breath, analyzing the movements of the closest droid. Its blaster hummed to life, a bead of red light aimed right at his chest.
In a blur, Vex sidestepped the blast, lunging forward as the droid recalibrated. It swung a bladed arm at him, forcing him to duck, and he rolled to its left, coming up behind it. Without a second's hesitation, he plunged his blade into its control panel, tearing through wires and circuitry. The droid let out a distorted whine as it collapsed, sparks spraying from its chest.
Nyx was in her element, using the broken pillars as cover as she fired off precise shots at the droids, each shot disabling their critical circuits. But no matter how many they destroyed, more kept appearing, their movements more coordinated and their aim sharper.
"This isn't just a random fight," she panted, ducking behind cover as a droid's blaster nearly grazed her shoulder. "Someone's testing us. And they're not planning to make this easy."
Vex gritted his teeth, his gaze darting between the advancing droids. "Whoever they are, they don't want us getting any closer to Echelon."
And as if to confirm his thoughts, the voice echoed through the chamber once more, colder than before.
"Echelon is for the worthy. The strong. The ones who understand that sacrifice is necessary to win. Do you have it in you to sacrifice your own ally?"
Vex glanced at Nyx, his jaw tightening. It was another mind game, but one designed to unsettle them, to make them question each other's loyalty.
The voice laughed softly, the sound chilling. "You may have made it this far, but many before you have tried… and failed. Some of them were far more powerful than you."
Vex's pulse quickened. If this rival was telling the truth, there were others searching for Echelon, others who might already be far ahead of them in the quest for the final level. And if they were powerful enough to survive this far, they could be their biggest threat yet.
But there was no time to dwell on that. More droids advanced, and Vex braced himself, his mind focused on the battle at hand. He charged forward, weaving between blasts and slashing through metal with precision, each movement calculated to conserve energy and avoid wasted strikes. He'd learned long ago that in fights like these, efficiency was everything.
One droid managed to catch him off guard, swinging a blade toward his side. Vex twisted just in time, feeling the edge of the blade graze his armor. In a swift counterattack, he pivoted and drove his blade into the droid's core, disabling it with a final, decisive blow.
Nyx backed him up, moving in sync as they fought their way through the droids. Despite the odds, they managed to reach the center of the arena, where a small, glowing platform awaited.
"Get on!" Nyx shouted, her voice strained.
Together, they leapt onto the platform just as the remaining droids closed in. The platform hummed to life, lifting them into the air and out of reach. Below, the droids stopped, their red eyes dimming as they powered down.
The voice echoed once more, this time with a sinister satisfaction. "You may have passed… for now. But remember, the path to Echelon is littered with corpses of those who thought they were worthy."
As the platform ascended, Vex couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. Whoever their rival was, they wouldn't stop until they reached Echelon first. And if what they'd just faced was any indication, the real trials were only just beginning.