The tension in the air felt almost tangible as the group advanced cautiously across another flickering bridge of light. Each step was met with a soft hum of energy beneath their feet, like the bridge was alive, monitoring their every movement. Ahead of them, the radiant obelisk pulsed with an eerie rhythm, its light illuminating the vast void in sporadic bursts. While it was their ultimate goal, the journey to it was proving to be anything but straightforward.
Elias was the first to reach the next platform, flames still flickering faintly around his hands. His eyes darted toward the sigils carved into the stone beneath him. "Alright, Martice," he called back. "Another one for you to play with."
Martice muttered something under his breath as he stepped forward, his frustration from earlier still evident in his expression. Kaelen followed close behind, scanning the surrounding platforms as though searching for some unseen threat.
"This one looks more complex than the last," Martice said, crouching down to examine the sigils. His fingers traced the intricate lines, his brow furrowed in concentration. "It's layered… overlapping designs. Whoever made this wasn't just encrypting something—they were hiding it."
Aeryn and Sylra joined the group on the platform, Sylra's soft glow adding a strange warmth to the cold void. Aeryn knelt beside Martice, her head tilted slightly as she tried to make sense of the sigils.
"Anything we can do to help?" Aeryn asked, her voice steady.
Martice didn't look up. "Unless you're secretly an expert in ancient mana coding, probably not."
Elias chuckled, though the sound was tinged with unease. "Good to know he's as approachable as ever."
"Focus," Kaelen said sharply, his gaze fixed on the bridge they'd just crossed. The light beneath it flickered more violently now, and the hum had turned into an unsettling crackle. "That bridge isn't going to hold forever."
"Then we'd better get moving," Kiran added, stepping toward the edge of the platform and peering into the void. The next bridge wasn't visible from their current position, and the platform they stood on seemed to stretch endlessly into the black abyss.
"Elias," Kiran called, his tone lower. "Can you give us some light?"
Elias obliged, raising his hand and conjuring a steady flame that hovered above his palm. The light cast long, dancing shadows across the platform, illuminating the intricate sigils Martice was working on. It also revealed something else—shapes moving in the distance.
"What was that?" Aeryn asked, her voice tight as her eyes locked onto the shifting forms.
Martice froze, his hands hovering over the sigils. "Please tell me you didn't just say 'what was that.'"
"I saw it too," Sylra said softly, her glow dimming as though trying to make herself less noticeable.
"Let's not panic," Kaelen said, though his hand was already raised, fingers poised to manipulate time if needed. "Keep an eye on it, but don't lose focus."
"Easier said than done," Elias muttered, his flames burning brighter as his unease grew.
Martice let out an exasperated sigh and returned his attention to the sigils. "If you want me to figure this out, stop distracting me with ominous void creatures."
Kiran stepped closer to Elias, his sand already beginning to swirl faintly around his feet. "You think they're going to attack?"
"They're moving too slow for that," Elias replied, though he didn't sound convinced. "Maybe they're just watching us."
"Or waiting," Kiran said grimly.
A sharp clicking sound drew everyone's attention back to Martice. The sigils on the platform began to glow faintly, their intricate patterns shifting as though rearranging themselves.
"I think I've got it," Martice said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. He pressed his hand against the center of the design, channeling a small burst of mana into it. The sigils flared brightly, and a section of the platform began to rise, forming a glowing pedestal.
"What does it do?" Aeryn asked, standing.
Martice shook his head. "I don't know yet. Give me a second."
Before anyone could react, the shapes in the distance began to move faster, their forms growing more defined as they drew closer.
"Uh, Martice?" Elias said, his flames flaring. "That second might be all we have."
Kaelen stepped forward, his hand glowing faintly as he reached toward the rising pedestal. "I'll hold them off if they get too close. Just finish whatever you're doing."
The shapes were close enough now that their details were clear. They were humanoid but featureless, their forms shifting like shadows caught in a strong wind. Their movements were unnaturally fluid, as though they were unbound by the laws of physics.
"They don't look friendly," Kiran muttered, his sand coiling around him like a shield.
"Friendly or not," Aeryn said, her voice steady, "we're not letting them get past us."
Sylra floated to her side, her glow intensifying as she prepared to defend her partner. "We've got this," the spirit said softly.
The first of the shadowy figures reached the edge of the platform, its form twisting unnaturally as it stepped onto the solid ground. Elias wasted no time, hurling a stream of fire toward it. The flames engulfed the figure, but instead of recoiling, it seemed to absorb the attack, its shape growing larger and more defined.
"Well, that's not good," Elias said, taking a step back.
"They're feeding off mana," Kaelen observed, his tone calm but urgent. "We need to deal with them without giving them more power."
"Easier said than done," Kiran muttered, his sand shifting into sharp tendrils that lashed out at another approaching figure. The attack slowed the shadow's advance but didn't stop it entirely.
Martice stood abruptly, his expression grim. "I've got it. The pedestal's connected to the next bridge, but we'll have to activate it manually."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Elias said, his flames flaring again.
"Someone needs to stay here to hold them off while the others move," Martice replied.
A tense silence fell over the group as they exchanged glances, the weight of the decision settling over them.
"I'll stay," Kaelen said finally, stepping forward. "I can manipulate time to slow them down. That should buy you enough time to get across."
Sylra floated closer to him, her glow dimming slightly. "Are you sure?"
Kaelen nodded, his expression resolute. "Go. I'll catch up."
Aeryn hesitated but eventually nodded, leading the group toward the newly revealed bridge. As they moved, Elias glanced back at Kaelen, his flames flickering with a mix of admiration and unease.
"Don't die," Elias called over his shoulder.
Kaelen turned in confusion, his hand glowing brighter as he prepared to face the advancing shadows. "What?"
The bridge of light shimmered as the group stepped onto it, its surface flickering ominously beneath their feet. Ahead, the next platform loomed, its sigils glowing faintly in the distance.
The glowing bridge flickered under their feet as the group advanced toward the next platform. Each step sent a pulse of energy rippling through the bridge, making it feel less like a stable path and more like a delicate thread they were walking across. Behind them, the faint echoes of Kaelen's magic reverberated as he faced the shadowy figures alone, a testament to the trust they had placed in him.
"Focus," Aeryn said, her voice steady as she glanced back at Sylra. The spirit hovered just above her shoulder, casting a soft glow that illuminated the bridge.
Ahead, the next platform came into view, larger than the last and marked by more intricate sigils. It was surrounded by faint, translucent barriers that shimmered like heat waves. The obelisk's glow seemed to grow brighter with every step they took, its pulses more insistent now, like a heartbeat pounding in their ears.
Martice was the first to step onto the platform, his attention immediately drawn to the swirling sigils etched into its surface. "These are… different," he muttered, crouching down. His fingers traced the patterns, and his brow furrowed in concentration. "They're more complex, like they're crisscrossing one another."
Elias stepped onto the platform next, his flames dimmed but still present, flickering like a restless heartbeat. "What's the deal? Another puzzle?"
Martice nodded, his frustration already evident. "It's always a puzzle. This one looks like it's linked to the barriers surrounding the platform. If we don't solve it, we're not going anywhere."
Sylra floated closer, her light reflecting off the barriers as she examined them. "And barriers are tied to the sigils. They're reactive—if we mess up, they'll do more than just block our path."
"Great," Elias said, crossing his arms. "So, not only do we have to figure out the puzzle, but we also have to avoid blowing ourselves up in the process."
Kiran stepped forward, his sand swirling faintly around his feet as he scanned the platform. "Let's not waste time complaining. What do we need to do, Martice?"
The boy didn't respond immediately, his focus entirely on the sigils. After a moment, he stood, his expression grim. "These sigils are a sequence. They need to be activated in the correct order, but the sequence isn't clear. One wrong move, and we'll trigger the barriers."
Aeryn knelt beside him, her eyes narrowing as she studied the swirling patterns. "How do we figure out the order?"
Martice gestured to the sigils. "Each one is slightly different, like a variation on the same theme. It's subtle, but the differences are there. If we can figure out the pattern, we can determine the sequence."
Sylra tilted her head, her glow intensifying. "Can't we test them one at a time?"
"Not unless you want to risk setting off whatever failsafe these barriers are tied to," Martice replied. "We get one shot at this."
"Then let's get it right," Aeryn said firmly.
The group divided their efforts. Martice and Aeryn focused on deciphering the sigils, their heads bent close together as they studied the intricate patterns. Sylra floated nearby, her light shifting in rhythm with their movements. Kiran and Elias stood guard, their gazes scanning the void for any signs of danger. The quiet boy, who had been unusually reserved since the trial began, leisurely paced the edge of the platform, his eyes darting between the barriers and the obelisk in the distance.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours as Martice and Aeryn worked. The sigils glowed faintly under their touch, their patterns shifting like living organisms.
"I think I've got it," Aeryn said finally, her voice tinged with excitement. "The sigils aren't just random—they're tied to the barriers' energy levels. If we activate them in the order of their intensity, we should be able to bypass the failsafe."
Martice nodded, his fingers hovering over the first sigil. "Alright. Let's do this."
"Wait," Sylra said suddenly, her light dimming. "Look at the barriers. They're… pulsing."
The group turned to the shimmering barriers, which now vibrated faintly, their transparency shifting like ripples on water. The obelisk's glow intensified, casting long, distorted shadows across the platform.
"They're reacting to the obelisk," Kiran said, his tone grim. "We don't have much time."
Martice didn't hesitate. He pressed his hand to the first sigil, channeling a small burst of mana into it. The sigil flared brightly, its glow spreading across the platform like veins of light. A low hum resonated through the air, followed by a faint click.
"One down," Martice said, moving to the next sigil. He repeated the process, his movements precise and deliberate. The second sigil activated without issue, its glow merging with the first.
As Martice reached for the third sigil, the barriers around the platform began to shimmer more violently. The air grew heavy, and a deep, resonant sound echoed from the obelisk.
"Faster," Elias urged, his flames flaring in response to the growing tension.
Martice pressed his hand to the third sigil, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a sharp crack, the sigil flared brighter than the others, and the barriers began to dissolve, their shimmering forms breaking apart like shards of glass.
"It's working!" Aeryn exclaimed, her eyes bright with relief.
But the relief was short-lived. The final barrier, larger and more intense than the others, remained intact. Its glow pulsed in time with the obelisk, and a low, menacing rumble filled the air.
"There's one more sigil," Sylra said, her gaze fixed on the barrier. "But where is it?"
The group searched the platform frantically, their movements growing more desperate as the rumbling intensified. It was Kiran who spotted it—a faint, almost invisible sigil etched into the edge of the platform, barely discernible against the void.
"Here!" Kiran called, pointing to the sigil.
Martice rushed to it, his hand trembling slightly as he reached for the faint lines. "This better work," he muttered, channeling mana into the sigil.
The final barrier flared brightly before shattering, its pieces dissolving into the void. The obelisk's glow steadied, its pulses growing slower and more deliberate.
"Let's move," Aeryn said, stepping toward the next bridge of light.
The group advanced, their determination renewed. The trial was far from over, but they had taken another step closer to their goal.