The spiral staircase seemed endless, the climb growing more arduous with every step. Zami's breaths were steady but strained, his body still recovering from the previous trials. The faint glow of the Essence of Life had long since faded, leaving behind only the lingering ache of his wounds.
When he reached the next landing, he found himself before an enormous gate. Its surface was black as obsidian, etched with intricate runes that shimmered faintly in the dim light. At its center was a circular indentation, a hole clearly meant for something specific.
Zami pulled the white shard from his pouch, his fingers tightening around its cold surface. This shard was different—too pristine, too perfect. It lacked the weight and essence of the real shards he had collected from the Bone Monarch and Wailing Dread.
"A fake," Zami muttered to himself. He stared at it for a moment, his silver eyes narrowing.
Karesh's voice broke the silence. "You have no choice, Zami. If the gate requires the shard, you must use it."
Zami nodded grimly and placed the shard into the hole. The moment it clicked into place, the runes on the gate blazed to life, illuminating the chamber in a harsh white glow.
Without warning, the gates creaked open, and an invisible force pulled Zami forward. He stumbled, trying to regain his footing, but the pull was too strong. The world around him twisted, and he was swallowed by darkness.
The air here was suffocating. Zami stood in the middle of a void—pitch black, endless, and silent. His silver eyes strained against the darkness, but there was nothing to see, no point of reference.
"Where am I?" Zami muttered, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his katana.
Then it appeared.
A presence unlike anything he had faced before. The darkness seemed to shift and coalesce, forming a massive, distorted figure in the distance. As it drew closer, Zami froze.
The creature was grotesque and horrifying—a writhing mass of shadow and tendrils, its body shifting and pulsating as if it were alive. Dozens of malevolent red eyes opened and closed across its form, each one locking onto Zami with an unbearable intensity. Its movements were unnatural, jerking and twisting in ways that defied logic.
At its core, a gaping maw stretched impossibly wide, lined with rows of jagged, glistening teeth. The void seemed to scream around it, a soundless wail that reverberated in Zami's mind.
Zami's hand trembled as he reached for his katana, but his body refused to move. His breath quickened, his chest tightening under the crushing weight of the creature's presence.
Karesh's voice rang out, sharp and urgent. "Zami, listen to me! This is an illusion—a manifestation of your worst fears. It is the Eternal Hunger, but not its true form."
"An illusion…" Zami whispered, his voice barely audible.
But it felt real. Too real.
The oppressive aura radiating from the creature was unlike anything he had ever experienced. His heart pounded in his chest, his instincts screaming at him to flee, but his legs wouldn't respond.
The creature loomed closer, its tendrils reaching out, twisting and writhing as they closed in on Zami.
"Move!" Karesh barked. "Draw your blade, Zami!"
But Zami couldn't. The sheer madness emanating from the creature was overwhelming, flooding his mind with a torrent of chaotic images and emotions. Visions of endless death, despair, and destruction assaulted him, threatening to drown him entirely.
His fingers twitched against the hilt of his katana, but they wouldn't close around it.
If this is an illusion…Zami thought, his mind racing. How can I face the real Eternal Hunger?
The question echoed in his mind, a seed of doubt taking root. If he couldn't even stand against this false version, what chance would he have against the actual entity?
The creature's maw opened wider, its countless eyes burning with hunger and malice. The air grew colder, heavier, as if the void itself were crushing Zami's body.
But then, amidst the chaos and despair, a memory surfaced—a voice from his past.
"Strength isn't just about power," his sensei had once said. "It's about will. The will to endure, to push forward, no matter how impossible the odds may seem."
Zami's silver eyes flickered, a faint spark of determination igniting within them.
"It's just an illusion," he muttered, his voice growing steadier. "It's not real."
The creature's tendrils lashed out, aiming to ensnare him, but Zami moved. His hand gripped the hilt of his katana, and he drew it in a single fluid motion.
The blade's white runes glowed faintly in the darkness, a small beacon of light against the overwhelming void. Zami steadied his breathing, his muscles tensing as he prepared to strike.
"I've faced worse than you," he said, his voice low and cold. "And I'm still standing."
The creature lunged, its tendrils and maw closing in from all directions. Zami activated *Adrenaline Surge*, his movements becoming sharper and more precise. He sidestepped the first tendril, parried the second with his blade, and leapt forward, closing the distance between himself and the creature.
He unleashed *Stone Slash*, the force of his attack splitting the ground beneath him and cutting through the creature's form. It recoiled, its distorted body writhing in agony, but it didn't dissipate.
Zami followed up with *Razor Sharp Hands*, slashing at the tendrils that tried to ensnare him. His movements were relentless, each strike aimed with surgical precision.
The creature's form began to waver, its edges flickering and distorting.
"This ends now," Zami growled.
He sheathed his katana momentarily, focusing all his energy into a single point. With a deep breath, he activated *Blood Cell Explosion*, channeling the destructive force into his blade. The pain was immense, his body screaming in protest, but Zami pushed through it.
With one final strike, he unleashed *The Night Sun*, a blinding arc of energy that tore through the illusion. The creature let out a soundless scream as its form shattered into countless fragments, dissolving into the void.
The darkness lifted, and Zami found himself back at the gate. He was on one knee, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. His arm throbbed with pain, the strain of *Blood Cell Explosion* leaving it weakened once again.
Karesh's voice broke the silence. "You did well, Zami. But the question remains… if this was just an illusion, what will happen when you face the real Eternal Hunger?"
Zami didn't respond immediately. He stared at the ground, his silver eyes reflecting a mixture of exhaustion and resolve.
"I don't know," he admitted finally. "But when the time comes, I'll be ready."
The gates shifted once more, revealing a new staircase leading upward. Zami stood, his katana still in hand, and began his ascent.