The evening air felt unusually thick as Kael stood at the edge of the village, the marketplace now empty with only the faint whispers of the wind to fill the silence. His mind buzzed with the events of the day—the strange power, the abyssal energy he had begun to tap into, and the undeniable call from the Scared Realm.
The village elder had stepped aside after completing the ritual, and Kael's heart beat faster as he stared at the darkening sky. It was then that it happened.
A sharp, resonating pulse filled his mind, unlike any noise he had ever heard. It was a sudden weight, a forceful pressure as though something was reaching deep inside him. Kael staggered, feeling his knees nearly buckle under the force of it. His vision blurred for a moment, and then he heard the voice a cold, deep presence in his thoughts.
"Kael. The Scared Realm beckons. The trial begins. Answer its call. Enter, and prove your strength."
The voice was unfamiliar, yet unmistakably commanding. It wasn't a choice it was a summons, a challenge. Kael's hands clenched into fists, his breath quickening. The words sent a thrill of anticipation through his chest. His previous preparation, his earlier doubts all of it vanished in an instant.
Before Kael could react further, the pressure intensified, pulling at his very being. His body felt weightless, and a strange energy began to swirl around him. The world around him distorted as the call reached its peak, and then Kael was no longer standing in the village square.
Instead, he found himself standing alone in an unfamiliar landscape.
The air was thick and oppressive, tinged with the scent of earth and something far more unsettling. He felt the ground beneath him shift and pulse, like the very earth was alive. Dark, ominous clouds loomed overhead, their unnatural blackness swirling like a storm just waiting to strike. In the distance, strange, jagged shapes loomed, twisted trees and structures reaching out like fingers from a nightmare.
Kael took a deep breath, adjusting to the overwhelming atmosphere. This was the Scared Realm the place where only the brave, or perhaps the foolish, dared to venture. His senses heightened as he surveyed his surroundings, but his thoughts were interrupted by a voice once again, this time more distant but still powerful.
"You have entered the Scared Realm. Prepare for what lies ahead. Only those worthy will leave. Will you survive?"
The words echoed in his mind as if they were part of the very air itself. For a moment, Kael hesitated. The weight of the words lingered in the air, pressing down on him, and he knew this was no ordinary trial. It was something far darker, far more dangerous.
But he wasn't about to turn back. Kael steeled himself. He had made his decision, and now there was no going back.
It was then that a familiar voice cut through the silence.
"Kael?"
He whipped around, instinctively reaching for his sword, but the voice was not hostile. Instead, it was warm, comforting. It was Mareth.
Mareth stood a few feet away, his usual cocky demeanor replaced by something else an earnestness, a quiet resolve. His eyes were wide, as if the strange atmosphere of the Scared Realm had affected him too.
"You too, huh?" Mareth said, glancing around at the eerie surroundings. "I thought I was the only one who'd be stupid enough to answer the call."
Kael gave a slight smirk, his nerves easing slightly at the sight of his companion. Despite the treacherous landscape, Mareth's presence reminded him that he wasn't entirely alone.
"Seems we're in this together," Kael said, his voice low and steady. "The Scared Realm doesn't seem to care about that, though."
Mareth nodded, his hands resting on the hilt of the sword at his side. "No kidding. I figured it was a one-man job, but... here we are. Guess the trial really isn't what we expected."
Kael glanced around once more. The trees were twisted, their limbs gnarled and reaching toward the dark sky, as if trying to escape the very land itself. The ground beneath their feet was a strange mix of black stone and decayed earth, almost like the world itself had been twisted into something unnatural.
The silence was oppressive. No birds sang, no wind stirred the trees. It was as though the very realm was holding its breath.
"Do you think we're the only ones here?" Mareth asked quietly, his voice breaking the tense silence.
Kael shook his head. "No. The call was for anyone strong enough to answer it. We're not alone." He wasn't entirely sure how he knew, but it was a feeling deep within him. The Scared Realm was not a place for just two people it was vast, filled with threats, and likely home to more who had answered the call, just as they had.
Mareth's eyes narrowed, his gaze scanning the horizon. "So, what do we do now? Wait around and see if something comes to eat us, or do we go find what's at the center of this damn place?"
Kael didn't answer immediately, the weight of Mareth's words hanging in the air. There was no real answer to the question. The Scared Realm had its rules, its trials, and only those who were resourceful, clever, and strong could hope to survive. And while Kael didn't know the exact challenge ahead, he did know one thing: they couldn't afford to sit idly by.
"We move," Kael said finally, his voice firm. "We stick together, keep our heads, and survive. The trial has begun, and there's no turning back now."
Mareth gave a crooked smile, one that Kael had come to expect from his companion. "Lead the way, then. Just don't expect me to save you if you get eaten by whatever monstrosity comes next."
Kael chuckled despite himself. "I'll keep that in mind."
The two of them set off together, cautiously navigating the bizarre, foreboding landscape. The air was thick, and Kael could feel the pulse of the Scared Realm beneath his feet, as though the very earth itself was alive, watching them. But no matter how uneasy the place made him, one thing was certain: Kael wasn't alone in this trial. Not with Mareth by his side.
As they moved forward, the voice of the system echoed once more in Kael's mind.
"The trial of the Scared Realm has begun. Only the worthy will pass. Survive. Prove your strength."
Kael could feel the pressure building again, a reminder that this was only the beginning. They had entered the Scared Realm now they had to survive it.