Jason's heart pounded as he stood before the glowing stone. Its light pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat, and the shifting symbols seemed to beckon him closer. The voice in his mind had fallen silent, leaving him alone with the weight of its cryptic words.
The forest beyond the clearing was still, yet Jason could feel the creatures lingering in the shadows, waiting. His options were grim: step back into the unknown and face them again, or take a leap of faith and trust whatever this stone represented.
Gritting his teeth, he placed his hand on the stone's cool, smooth surface.
A blinding light erupted from it, enveloping him entirely. He felt a surge of energy course through his body, an overwhelming mix of pain and exhilaration. His knees buckled, but he couldn't pull his hand away.
The voice returned, louder and more commanding than before: "You have chosen to begin. The path will test your resolve, your mind, and your very soul. Are you prepared to sacrifice everything?"
Jason struggled to speak, his throat dry. "I don't even know what I'm agreeing to!"
"Ignorance is no excuse. The choice remains yours."
The symbols on the stone shifted faster, their glow becoming almost blinding. Jason clenched his jaw, his mind racing. He had nothing left on Earth—no job, no family, no purpose. If this path led to something more, he had to take it.
"I'm ready," he whispered, though uncertainty gripped him.
The moment the words left his lips, the light intensified, and the stone seemed to shatter beneath his touch. The energy that had been surging through him exploded outward, throwing him to the ground.
When the light faded, Jason found himself lying in an entirely different place.
He was no longer in the eerie forest but in the middle of a vast, barren wasteland. The ground was cracked and dry, the sky a sickly orange. Jagged rocks jutted out from the earth, and a scorching wind whipped around him.
Jason rose shakily to his feet, his body aching from the fall. "What now?" he muttered, scanning the horizon. There was no sign of life, no indication of where to go.
Then he noticed something strange. His hands felt different. Looking down, he saw faint lines etched into his skin, glowing faintly with the same energy as the stone. They formed intricate patterns that seemed to shift and move as he flexed his fingers.
Before he could fully process this, a distant sound caught his attention—a deep, guttural roar that seemed to shake the very ground.
Jason turned toward the noise, dread settling in his chest. On the horizon, a massive shadow loomed, growing larger with every passing second. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, a monstrous form that defied logic, its many limbs twisting unnaturally.
His instincts screamed at him to run, but there was nowhere to hide. As the creature approached, the symbols on his hands flared brighter, and a strange sensation coursed through him.
The voice echoed in his mind once more: "Your first test begins. Survive, and you may yet earn your place here."
Jason clenched his fists, the glowing marks pulsating in time with his racing heartbeat. He had no idea what he was supposed to do, but one thing was clear—there was no escape from this fight.