Kael stood in the center of a vast underground chamber, the air thick with the scent of burning incense and ancient stone. Around him, masked figures of the Obsidian Veil watched in silence from the shadows.
At the far end of the room, the Keeper of Secrets sat on a raised platform, his silver eyes gleaming.
"Your body carries the mark of the Eclipsed Bloodline," the elder said. "But power without control is a weapon against its wielder. To stand among us, you must prove your mastery over the darkness."
Kael's jaw tightened. "How?"
The elder gestured to the floor beneath him. A massive circle of runes began to glow, and the ground shifted beneath Kael's feet.
The masked warriors stepped back as the stone floor collapsed downward, revealing a deep abyss.
"You will enter the Labyrinth of Shadows," the elder said. "If you emerge… you will be one step closer to unlocking your true potential."
Kael glanced at the abyss. No hesitation. No fear.
He stepped forward and dropped into the darkness.
The Labyrinth of Shadows
Kael landed in a low crouch, the cold stone beneath him humming with an unnatural energy. Total darkness surrounded him.
Then, without warning—movement.
The walls twisted, reshaping into endless corridors. A maze.
A whisper drifted through the air.
"You do not belong here."
Kael's instincts flared. He turned just as a shadowy figure lunged at him—a faceless assassin, its body made of swirling black mist.
Kael sidestepped, daggers flashing. He struck—but his blade passed through the creature as if cutting smoke.
"Tch. Shadows."
More figures emerged from the walls, their eyeless faces locked onto him. Dozens.
Kael's heart pounded, but something inside him… awakened. The shadows reacted to his presence.
He clenched his fists and focused. "If they're made of darkness… then I will command the dark."
The whispers grew louder. The walls of the maze shifted. And Kael… disappeared into the void.