The ground trembled.
More statues came to life, their stone bodies shedding centuries of dust as they stepped forward. Their swords gleamed under the dim sky, their eyes burning like embers.
Ochieng wiped the sweat from his brow. His fight had just begun.
With a deep breath, he steadied his stance. There was no retreat. Only forward.
The first guardian lunged, its blade cleaving through the air.
Ochieng dodged, rolling to the side. The sheer force of the attack split the stone path where he had just stood.
Another statue advanced from the right, bringing its weapon down.
He raised his arms instinctively—BOOM!
The impact sent a shockwave through his body. He skidded back, his arms numb from absorbing the strike.
They're stronger than the first one.
The test was getting harder.
---
Ochieng clenched his fists. He needed to end this quickly.
He focused.
Something deep inside him stirred.
A hidden power—a force that had always been there, waiting.
As the statues charged again, Ochieng's body moved on its own.
He weaved between them, his speed almost unnatural. His fists struck faster, harder, stronger.
A punch to the chest—CRACK!
A kick to the leg—BOOM!
One by one, the guardians fell.
But the strongest was yet to come.
At the end of the path, a colossal stone figure stepped forward.
The Titan of Judgment.
Unlike the others, this one held a shield and a massive greatsword. Its presence alone was suffocating.
The final challenge of the trial had arrived.
-
The Titan swung its sword.
Ochieng leaped, barely dodging. The blade sliced through the air, carving deep trenches into the earth.
Before he could counterattack, the Titan raised its shield and charged.
Ochieng braced himself.
BOOM!
He was sent flying.
Pain erupted in his chest as he crashed against the stone path, coughing out blood.
The Titan did not wait.
It lifted its massive foot—ready to crush him.
Ochieng gritted his teeth.
Not yet.
He wasn't done.
---
He forced himself up, his body screaming in pain. His eyes locked onto the Titan's weak points.
The joints.
The core.
With a deep breath, he pushed forward.
The Titan's sword came down.
Ochieng didn't dodge.
He met it head-on.
His fist collided with the blade.
BOOOOOM!
A shockwave tore through the air. The Titan's sword shattered into fragments.
The creature staggered, caught off guard.
Ochieng seized the moment.
He surged forward—faster than ever.
With one final strike, he drove his fist through the Titan's core.
CRACK!
A web of fractures spread across its entire body.
The Titan let out a final, thunderous roar—then crumbled into dust.
The battlefield fell silent.
Ochieng stood tall, his chest rising and falling.
He had won.
The path ahead was now clear.
But he knew…
The real challenges were still to come.
---