Darkness swallowed everything. For a split second, Raze thought he had blacked out. But no—the room itself had plunged into absolute, suffocating blackness. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, his breathing sharp and uneven. The eerie hum of the facility still vibrated beneath his feet, grounding him in reality. But what was reality anymore?
A sharp whisper sliced through the silence. "Raze." He jerked his head toward the sound, but there was nothing. No flickering projections, no movement—just an empty void. Then, light. A dim, sickly glow seeped in from somewhere above, casting long, shifting shadows across the metallic floor.
The room had changed. The shifting illusions had vanished, replaced by something far more sinister. Mirrors. Raze turned slowly, his breath catching as he found himself surrounded by towering glass panels. They stretched from floor to ceiling, arranged in a twisting maze of reflections. His own image stared back at him from a thousand different angles, each reflection slightly distorted—his eyes too dark, his smirk too sharp, his expression not quite his own.
A figure flickered into view in one of the mirrors. Solana. Or at least, one of them. She stood with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. "You're wasting time. Choose." Another reflection shimmered to life, a second Solana stepping forward. Her eyes were softer, her stance more hesitant. "You have to trust me, Raze. I'm the real one."
His stomach churned. The game wasn't just testing his ability to spot deception—it was twisting the very fabric of his mind, forcing him to confront the one thing he hated most. Doubt. "Enough games." His voice came out hoarse, strained. "Show me the real one."
Laughter rippled through the mirrors. The host's voice slithered into the space, smooth and full of amusement. "Oh, but that's the fun part, isn't it? You already know the answer… or do you?" Raze clenched his jaw. He needed to think. The game thrived on impulse, on rushed decisions. If he played into its hands, he'd lose. And in this place, losing wasn't an option.
He closed his eyes, shutting out the reflections. He forced himself to remember—how Solana moved, how she spoke, the slight hesitations, the way her voice dipped when she was serious. Every detail mattered. Every inconsistency was a clue. A step echoed. One of them was approaching him. "Raze." The second Solana's voice was almost pleading. "I told you before—our first fight, the way we survived together, how we—"
He opened his eyes. "What color were my boots that day?" A flicker of hesitation. A crack in the illusion. The first Solana's gaze didn't waver. "Dark brown. They were new. You stole them two nights before. And you hated them because they made your feet itch." A sharp intake of breath from the second Solana. A tiny, almost imperceptible shift in her posture. That was all he needed.
Raze moved before the illusion could react, lunging forward and driving his fist into the imposter's chest. Instead of flesh and bone, his hand met cold, empty air. The fake Solana let out a piercing shriek before shattering like glass, her image breaking into a thousand fragments that dissolved into nothingness.
The mirrors trembled. The entire space quaked, the maze of reflections distorting, melting away. And then—
The real Solana stood before him, her face pale, her breaths uneven. "You almost picked wrong." Raze exhaled, his muscles untensing just slightly. "No, I didn't." She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head with a small smirk. "Cocky bastard."
Before he could respond, the host's voice returned, now laced with something more sinister. "Congratulations, Raze Veyar. You have proven yourself… for now. But remember, in this game, even the truth can be a lie." The metallic doors hissed open. The trial was over. But the game had only just begun.
As Raze stepped out of the mirrored room, he was greeted by the familiar sight of the facility's corridors. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to hum in sync with the pounding in his head. Solana fell into step beside him, her eyes fixed on the path ahead.
"What now?" Raze asked, his voice low.
"We wait," Solana replied, her tone equally subdued. "The host will announce the next trial soon enough."
Raze's mind was already racing ahead, trying to anticipate what lay in store. He knew the game wouldn't get any easier. If anything, the challenges would become more complex, more sinister.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being the soft hum of the facility's machinery. Raze's thoughts turned to the other players. Who had made it through the trial? Who had been eliminated?
As they approached the central hub, Raze caught sight of the other survivors. Lyrien was leaning against a nearby console, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Kael was pacing back and forth, his movements fluid and calculated. The others were scattered around the room, each lost in their own thoughts.
The host's voice echoed through the hub, drawing everyone's attention. "Welcome, players, to the next stage of the game. You have proven your worth in the Trial of Deception. Now, it's time to face the Trial of Endurance."
A holographic display flickered to life, casting an eerie glow over the room. The image depicted a vast, barren landscape, with towering mountains in the distance.
"In this trial, you will be dropped into a hostile environment with limited resources. Your goal is to survive for as long as possible. The last player standing will earn a crucial advantage in the game."
Raze's eyes locked onto the hologram, his mind already racing with strategies. He knew the Trial of Endurance would be a test of physical and mental strength. He was ready.
But as he glanced around the room, he noticed something odd. The other players seemed... different. Their eyes seemed to hold a newfound intensity, a hunger that hadn't been there before.
Raze's instincts screamed at him, warning him that something was off. But he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
The host's voice cut through his thoughts, "You have one hour to prepare. After that, the trial will begin. Good luck, players."
The room erupted into a flurry of activity as players scrambled to gather their gear and prepare for the trial. Raze watched them, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
What was going on? What had changed?
He turned to Solana, his voice low, "Do you notice anything off about the others?"
Solana's expression turned guarded, "What do you mean?"
Raze hesitated, unsure how to articulate his concerns. But before he could respond, the host's voice cut through the room once more.
"Time's up, players. The Trial of Endurance begins now."
The room fell silent, the only sound being the heavy thud of the doors sealing shut behind them. Raze felt a jolt of adrenaline as the reality of their situation sunk in.
They were on their own now. In a hostile environment. With limited resources.
And something was very, very wrong.