The glow of the crystalline shard pulsed in rhythm with the tremors shaking the hall, its light bathing Kaelin in an eerie, otherworldly glow. The air buzzed with energy, each vibration crawling across his skin like the static charge before a storm. Kaelin tightened his grip on his sword, his knuckles whitening as he stared down the figure emerging from the shadows.
The creature—no, the guardian—was massive, its form a strange blend of jagged crystal and humanoid structure. The crystalline armor that encased its body shimmered with an inner light, refracting the glow of the shard at the center of the pedestal. Its weapon, a hammer forged from the same material, crackled with energy that arced like tiny bolts of lightning. The figure's eyes burned like twin suns, their intensity locking onto Kaelin with an unspoken challenge.
Kaelin's heart pounded, his breath shallow as he steadied himself. The guardian stood between him and the shard—a fragment of the Forge he was bound to, tied to his curse and his survival. He had no choice but to claim it. Yet, the words that echoed moments earlier lingered in his mind: "Prove yourself, Eternal, or perish."
The guardian moved first, faster than its size suggested. Its massive hammer arced through the air, leaving a trail of crackling light in its wake. Kaelin dove to the side, the hammer smashing into the ground where he had stood a moment before. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the hall, the force throwing him off balance as he scrambled to his feet.
The guardian turned with mechanical precision, its glowing eyes fixed on Kaelin. It raised its hammer again, the energy around it intensifying. Kaelin had no time to think. He surged forward, his sword flashing as he aimed for the creature's midsection. The blade connected, the hum of its resonance clashing against the crystalline armor with a sharp, ear-splitting sound.
The strike left a faint crack in the guardian's chest, but it wasn't enough. The creature swung its hammer in retaliation, the movement almost casual, yet the force behind it was immense. Kaelin barely managed to deflect the blow, the impact reverberating through his arms and driving him back several paces.
He gritted his teeth, his mind racing. Brute force wouldn't win this fight. The guardian's crystalline body absorbed his strikes like a mountain weathering a storm. If he was going to survive, he needed to find its weakness.
The guardian advanced, its movements deliberate but unrelenting. Each step it took sent a faint vibration through the ground, its hammer humming with power. Kaelin circled it, his eyes scanning for any vulnerabilities. The crack he had made in its chest glowed faintly, the energy within flickering like a flame in the wind. It wasn't much, but it was something.
The creature lunged, its hammer crashing down with devastating force. Kaelin dodged to the side, rolling across the ground and coming up with his sword ready. He struck again, this time aiming directly for the crack. The blade connected, sinking deeper into the crystalline armor. The guardian roared, its voice a deep, resonant sound that seemed to shake the very air.
The crack widened, glowing brighter as fractures spread across the creature's chest. Kaelin pressed the attack, his movements swift and precise, each strike targeting the growing weakness. The guardian retaliated with brutal swings of its hammer, each one narrowly missing as Kaelin darted around it, his mind focused solely on the task at hand.
The guardian's movements grew more erratic, its attacks slower but no less powerful. Kaelin saw his opportunity. He feinted to the right, drawing the creature's hammer in that direction, then darted to the left, his sword slicing through the air. The blade plunged into the crack, the hum of its resonance reaching a deafening pitch.
Light erupted from the wound, blinding and brilliant, as the guardian let out a final, earth-shaking roar. Its body fractured and crumbled, shards of crystal falling to the ground like fragments of a shattered star. The hammer dissolved into glowing motes of light, fading into the air.
Kaelin staggered back, his chest heaving as he lowered his sword. The hall fell silent, the only sound the faint crackling of residual energy. He turned his gaze to the pedestal, where the shard still pulsed faintly, its light steady and unyielding. The trial was over, but the weight of what came next pressed heavily on him.
He approached the pedestal cautiously, his sword still in hand. The shard's glow intensified as he drew closer, its energy reaching out to him like a living thing. Kaelin hesitated, his fingers hovering over the crystalline surface. The last time he had touched something like this, it had shown him visions of the multiverse—fractured worlds, endless possibilities, and the Forge of Creation in ruins.
He took a deep breath and grasped the shard.
A surge of energy shot through him, burning and freezing at once. His vision blurred, the hall dissolving into a cascade of light and sound. Images flooded his mind—fragmented and chaotic, yet unmistakably real.
He saw a vast desert where the sun hung motionless in the sky, its light unrelenting and merciless. He saw a city of towers that floated above an endless ocean, their bases anchored by chains that shimmered with arcane runes. He saw forests of black trees, their branches twisted and reaching like skeletal hands, and a sky filled with stars that blinked in and out of existence.
And then, he saw the Forge.
It was larger than anything he could comprehend, its structure broken and incomplete, its pieces scattered across the multiverse. The figures surrounding it were clearer now—Eternal, like him, their weapons glowing with the same eerie light. Some fought against shadowy foes, their movements desperate and uncoordinated. Others stood alone, their faces obscured, their purposes unknown.
The visions faded, leaving Kaelin gasping for air as the shard's light dimmed. He staggered, his legs threatening to give out beneath him, but he managed to stay upright. The shard in his hand pulsed faintly before dissolving into a mist of light that flowed into his sword. The blade glowed brighter for a moment, then settled into its usual faint hum.
Kaelin stared at the sword, his mind racing. The shard had merged with it, strengthening the weapon and deepening its connection to the Forge. He could feel its power more clearly now, like a second heartbeat resonating in his chest.
The voice returned, faint and distant, echoing through the hall. "You have taken the first step, Eternal. But the path ahead is long, and the shadows will not rest."
Kaelin straightened, his grip on the sword tightening. The trial had shown him a glimpse of the multiverse's vastness, its beauty and its horrors. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he knew one thing for certain: he couldn't stop. Not until he understood the truth behind the Forge, his curse, and the role he was meant to play.
He turned and walked toward the gates, the hum of his sword guiding him forward.