The world beyond the portal was unlike anything Solstice had imagined.
The moment he stepped through, his senses were overwhelmed. The air was thick with the scent of iron and ash, and the faint hum of magic crackled around him. He found himself standing on a battlefield frozen in time. Soldiers lay scattered across the scarred ground, their bodies locked in mid-motion as though caught in a spell. Some were lunging forward with weapons raised, others screaming in agony, their faces contorted in pain. It was as if the entire scene had been paused in the middle of a catastrophic clash.
Solstice tightened his grip on his sword. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional whisper of the wind. The sky above was an eerie swirl of black and crimson, casting a dim light over the haunting tableau.
"Where am I?" he muttered, his voice barely audible in the oppressive stillness.
A voice answered him, low and rumbling, as though the very earth were speaking. "You stand within the Echo of a Forgotten War."
Solstice spun around, his blade drawn. Behind him stood a man clad in ancient armor, the metal tarnished and scarred from countless battles. His face was hidden beneath a helmet adorned with jagged horns, and in his hand, he held a massive axe that radiated a dark, ominous energy.
"You must be Solstice," the warrior said, his tone cold and measured. "The Riftwalker said you would come."
"And you are?" Solstice asked, not lowering his weapon.
The man tilted his head slightly. "I am Kaelen, the last Warden of the Rift. Or at least… I was." He gestured to the frozen battlefield around them. "This is all that remains of my era. A war that ended in failure, a world that was consumed."
Solstice's eyes narrowed. "You're one of the allies I'm supposed to find?"
Kaelen gave a dry chuckle, the sound bitter and hollow. "Ally? That depends. Are you here to prove yourself, or are you just another fool chasing dreams of salvation?"
Solstice bristled at the remark. "I'm here because I was told the cycles can be broken. If you're not interested in helping, I'll find someone else."
Kaelen's grip on his axe tightened. "Bold words. But breaking the cycles requires strength, resolve, and sacrifice. Words alone won't carry you through what lies ahead."
He raised his axe, the dark energy around it flaring to life. "Show me you have what it takes."
Before Solstice could react, Kaelen lunged at him, the ground trembling beneath his charge. Solstice barely managed to raise his sword in time to block the strike, the force of the blow sending him skidding backward. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, the sound reverberating through the frozen battlefield.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Solstice shouted, his arms straining against the weight of Kaelen's attack.
"Testing you," Kaelen replied, his voice calm despite the ferocity of his assault. "If you can't survive me, you won't last a second against the forces that guard the cycles."
Solstice growled in frustration, pushing back with all his strength. Kaelen stepped back, his stance unwavering as he prepared for another attack. Solstice took the opportunity to steady himself, his mind racing.
This wasn't just a fight—it was a test, a challenge to prove his worth. But Kaelen wasn't holding back. Every swing of his axe was precise, calculated, designed to exploit any weakness in Solstice's defense.
The next attack came faster than Solstice anticipated. Kaelen feinted to the left before swinging his axe in a wide arc. Solstice dodged just in time, the blade slicing through the air inches from his face. He countered with a swift strike, aiming for Kaelen's exposed flank, but the warden was quicker than he looked. He parried the attack with ease, the force of the block nearly disarming Solstice.
"Is this all you've got?" Kaelen taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "I expected more from the Watcher's successor."
Solstice gritted his teeth, frustration boiling over. "You want more? Fine."
He focused inward, calling on the power he had only recently begun to understand. The air around him grew colder, frost creeping along the blade of his sword. With a shout, he lunged at Kaelen, his strikes faster and more aggressive than before. This time, it was Kaelen who was forced to retreat, his axe barely keeping up with the flurry of attacks.
"That's more like it," Kaelen said, a hint of approval in his tone. He spun his axe in a defensive arc, creating a barrier of dark energy that pushed Solstice back.
The two warriors faced off, their breaths heavy, their eyes locked. The battlefield around them seemed to pulse with anticipation, as though it were alive and watching their every move.
"You've got potential," Kaelen admitted, lowering his axe slightly. "But potential alone isn't enough. If you want to break the cycles, you'll need to master your power. And you'll need allies who won't hesitate to call you out on your weaknesses."
Solstice relaxed his stance but kept his sword at the ready. "So, does that mean you're with me?"
Kaelen regarded him silently for a moment before nodding. "For now. But make no mistake—this isn't loyalty. This is necessity. If you falter, I won't hesitate to leave you behind."
"I'll take what I can get," Solstice replied, sheathing his sword.
Kaelen gestured to the edge of the battlefield, where another rift had begun to form, its edges crackling with unstable energy. "Our next destination lies through there. But be warned—this journey will only get harder from here."
Solstice nodded, his resolve firm. Together, they stepped into the rift, leaving the Echo of a Forgotten War behind. But as the frozen battlefield faded from view, Solstice couldn't shake the feeling that the challenges ahead would make this trial seem trivial by comparison.