The voice that had guided Jian's journey echoed one more time, its tone cryptic and commanding.
"Your victory is only the beginning. The true trial lies ahead—beyond survival, beyond the beasts. To conquer the Abyss, you must overcome yourself."
Jian's heart raced as he surveyed the arena, the familiar walls now replaced by an eerie void. The ground beneath him cracked and shifted, as if the very world around him was alive. The creatures that had once stalked him were gone, leaving only the quiet hum of the abyssal energy that permeated the atmosphere.
The words echoed in his mind. "Beyond survival." What did it mean? Was the trial not over?
Before he could contemplate further, the world around him began to distort, and his surroundings blurred into a dense fog. Jian blinked, his senses heightened, trying to catch any signs of danger. The air felt thicker now, heavier, as if it carried the weight of forgotten souls. The abyss was shifting again.
Suddenly, the fog cleared, and Jian found himself standing in what appeared to be a vast, endless cavern. Dark stalactites hung from the ceiling, their jagged edges dripping with a glowing black substance. The ground was slick, like wet stone, yet it seemed to pulse with an unnatural energy. This wasn't the arena he had just fought in—it was something far worse, far more unforgiving.
"Welcome," the voice rang out once more, "to the Abyssal Depths. To survive here, you must face the essence of your own being. Fear, doubt, regret… they will come for you. Are you ready to confront them?"
Jian's breath caught in his throat. He knew this trial was going to be different. The Arena had tested his strength, his ability to fight and survive, but this was something far more insidious. This trial would test his mind, his soul.
The first shadow emerged from the darkened depths, and Jian's eyes widened. It wasn't a creature, but a figure—his figure. His own reflection stood before him, its eyes empty and cold, the face twisted with a cruel smile. It stepped forward, and Jian instinctively took a step back.
"You've fought countless enemies, Jian. But can you fight yourself?"
The words cut through him like a knife, hitting a nerve he didn't want to acknowledge. The reflection raised its hand, and Jian felt a pull, as if invisible chains were dragging him into the depths of his own consciousness. The air grew colder, and his surroundings warped. He was no longer in the cavern. He was standing in a memory, a scene from his past.
A younger Jian stood before him, drenched in the bitter cold, a shadow of hopelessness hanging over him. He could hear the distant sound of voices—whispers, accusations, doubt. It was the day he had failed to protect those he loved. The day he had watched helplessly as everything crumbled around him.
"Is this your greatest regret?" The reflection's voice twisted with mockery. "You couldn't protect them, could you? You were too weak."
Jian's heart clenched. He wanted to run, to escape, but the scene held him in place. The weight of failure bore down on him like an unbearable storm. The voices of his past taunted him, their words ringing in his ears. Weak. Helpless. Useless.
The reflection stepped closer, its features contorting with every accusation. Jian's fists clenched. This wasn't him. He had moved on. He had grown stronger. He wasn't that boy anymore. The feeling of helplessness, of being powerless—it couldn't consume him again.
"No," Jian muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "I'm not that person anymore."
The reflection paused, its cold eyes narrowing. "You think you've changed? That you've moved past it? What are you running from, Jian? The truth?"
Jian's gaze hardened. His past was his past, and though it haunted him, he refused to let it define him. He had learned to endure, to rise above. This was just another trial, another demon he had to slay.
"I'm not afraid of you," Jian said with conviction. "You're just a part of me. And I'm stronger than you."
The reflection smiled, its face twisting into something unrecognizable. It lunged forward, but Jian stood firm. He raised his hand, summoning the Abyssal Shield again, and the ethereal barrier appeared in front of him. The reflection crashed into it, but it faltered, its form distorting. Jian's resolve only strengthened.
With a swift motion, Jian drove his dagger into the shadow's chest, piercing through the essence of his regret. The figure let out a tortured scream, but it was quickly silenced, dissipating into the void like smoke.
For a brief moment, Jian was left standing in the cold silence, his breath steadying. But the Abyssal Depths were far from over.
The ground trembled again, and a new figure emerged from the darkness—a woman, her face veiled by shadows. Her presence felt familiar, yet distant, like a forgotten memory.
She stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling calm. "You thought you had escaped your past, Jian. But have you truly?"
Jian's stomach churned as her voice echoed with a chilling familiarity. It was her. His mother. Her death had been the catalyst for his transformation. The reason he had fought so hard to survive, to grow stronger. But he had never fully confronted the grief, the guilt. He had buried it deep within him.
"You could have saved me, Jian," the apparition said softly, almost tenderly. "But you were too weak, too selfish."
Jian staggered back, his chest tightening. This was a different kind of pain, a deeper wound. It wasn't just about failing in battle—it was about failing in the most intimate, devastating way possible. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest.
"No…" Jian whispered, shaking his head, trying to block out the tormenting words. "I couldn't save you. I tried. I—"
"Then why are you here?" The voice was cold now, devoid of warmth. "If you truly cared, you would have done more."
The world around him cracked and splintered, but Jian gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay grounded. The Abyss was testing him in ways he never expected. His guilt, his fear, his deepest regrets were being thrown at him, one after another. But he would not falter.
"I will never stop trying," Jian said, his voice shaking but determined. "I won't run from my past anymore."
The apparition vanished as the ground beneath him cracked wide open, sending Jian plummeting into the abyss.
End of Chapter 4