Chapter 4: The Trial of Strength
Kael's breath was still ragged, his chest rising and falling with each labored inhale. His eyes flickered toward the towering figure of the warrior, its golden gaze fixed on him, unblinking. The creature's hulking form stood motionless for a moment, as if it was judging Kael, measuring his worth. The faint hum of ancient power reverberated through the stone beneath Kael's feet, and his hand instinctively moved to the sword still clenched in his grip.
A distant sound echoed from somewhere deep within the chamber—a rumble, low and ominous, as if the very earth was waking. Kael could feel the ancient energy pulse in the air, thick with the weight of time. The walls, the floor, even the very air seemed alive, watching him. The warrior's silence was more threatening than any words.
The trial is not over, Kael realized with growing certainty.
The warrior moved again, slower this time, its massive footfalls resounding in the silence. The halberd swung in a wide arc, the deadly blade gleaming with a faint blue light. The air around the weapon hummed, thick with intent. Kael's heart pounded in his chest as he tensed, preparing for the attack.
He barely had time to react.
With the speed of a striking serpent, the halberd descended.
Kael's instincts screamed. Move.
His body obeyed without hesitation. He dove to the side, the blade skimming dangerously close to his skin, its force sending a gust of air that tugged at his clothes. His hands scraped against the rough stone floor as he rolled to regain his stance, the sword in his grip now a familiar weight.
He had narrowly escaped death.
His pulse thundered in his ears, but his mind was sharp, clearer than ever before. The world seemed to slow around him, the faintest detail of the room—every flicker of light, every crack in the stone—burned into his senses. His body was not just reacting. It was calculating, moving with purpose, guided by something deep within him. The chain of events unfolding was not random; it was his trial, and he was ready to face it.
He was not the same person.
Kael's grip tightened on the ruined blade. His eyes locked onto the warrior, watching as it reset its stance, halberd raised once again. The golden light in its eyes flickered, almost like a challenge.
The room grew colder.
The energy crackling around the warrior seemed to bleed into the surroundings. The walls vibrated with power, the air thick and oppressive, as if every living thing in the chamber was holding its breath. This was no simple trial. This was a test of Kael's very being.
He exhaled, a slow, steady breath that cleared the fog in his mind.
I will survive. He was not just fighting for his life anymore. He was fighting for something greater.
The warrior swung once more, faster this time, a brutal arc meant to cleave him in two. Kael's body moved without thinking. He ducked under the strike, barely feeling the heat of the blade as it sliced through the air above him. Then, with a powerful thrust, he leapt forward, sword aimed at the warrior's exposed side.
But the warrior was prepared.
It twisted, halberd rising to block Kael's strike with inhuman precision. The impact sent a jolt of pain through Kael's arms, his muscles straining against the force. The warrior's golden eyes glinted with a cold, calculating light.
Kael gritted his teeth, unwilling to yield. He pushed against the halberd, using the force of the clash to propel himself into another attack. This time, he feinted—his sword twisting in his grip before he slashed upward, aiming for the warrior's throat.
It was a gamble.
The warrior recoiled just enough for the blade to graze its armored neck, but the hit was not enough to cause real damage. Still, Kael saw something shift in its eyes. There was a flicker of hesitation, the briefest acknowledgment of his strength.
A surge of power flared inside him. The symbols on the walls pulsed again, brighter now, as though reacting to the energy Kael was unleashing. It was a strange sensation—an unfamiliar connection to the room, the trial, and even to the warrior itself. The air seemed to hum with an unspoken promise, as if something was awakening within him.
For the first time, Kael felt like the battle was his to control.
He wasn't just surviving anymore. He was fighting to win.