The warriors of the Forgotten City led the four deeper into the ruins, through winding corridors and stone halls that pulsed with an unseen power. Each step they took felt heavier, as if the walls themselves were watching, waiting.
At last, they reached a grand chamber, its ceiling lost in shadow. Four colossal doorways stood before them, each carved with different symbols—beasts, warriors, storms, and mountains.
One of the masked warriors stepped forward. "The Trial of Strength awaits. Each of you will face it alone."
The doors creaked open.
One by one, Jaxon, Kade, Elias, and Reed stepped inside—and the doors slammed shut behind them.
---
Jaxon's Trial – The Unbreakable Opponent
The chamber Jaxon entered was unlike anything he had seen before. A massive arena, surrounded by stone walls lined with ancient carvings. The air smelled of dust and old magic.
Then, the statue at the center began to move.
It was colossal, twice the size of any human, its body carved from dark stone, its eyes glowing with molten fire. The weight of it sent cracks through the ground as it moved, shifting with the slow, deliberate power of something that had stood here for centuries.
A voice boomed from the walls.
"Strength is not just power—it is resilience. Endurance. Adaptation. Face your unbreakable foe."
Jaxon's symbiote surged, spreading across his body like a second skin. Two bodies—one human, one shadow—both ready.
The golem charged.
Jaxon's symbiote body was faster. It darted forward, tendrils morphing into razor-sharp lances, striking the golem's chest. Nothing. The stone barely cracked.
His human body leapt in from behind, a blade forming from the symbiote as he aimed for the neck. The blade snapped on impact.
The golem's massive fist swung toward him. Too fast. Jaxon barely had time to shift, his symbiote hardening into armor before the impact hit.
The force sent him flying, smashing into the wall. His human body coughed blood. His symbiote body, still standing, lashed out again, its form shifting into massive, spiked chains. They wrapped around the golem's arm—tightening.
Jaxon pulled. The chains snapped.
The golem was too strong. Too durable. Unbreakable.
Jaxon wiped blood from his lip, breathing hard. This wasn't a battle he could win by brute force.
Then he understood.
The voice had said endurance. Adaptation.
It wasn't about breaking the golem. It was about outlasting it.
A grin spread across his face.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's see who lasts longer."
Jaxon switched tactics. He stayed moving, dodging instead of attacking. His symbiote shifted constantly—wings to dodge aerial strikes, armor to absorb hits, tendrils to trip the golem when it overextended.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
The golem's attacks grew slower. The molten glow in its eyes began to dim.
Jaxon smirked. "Getting tired?"
One last time, the golem swung—but this time, Jaxon didn't dodge. His symbiote body lunged forward, forcing the golem to overcommit—then Jaxon twisted midair, flipping onto its back.
The golem stumbled. Fell.
And then—it stopped moving.
The voice returned. "You have endured. You have adapted. You are worthy."
The golem shattered into dust.
Jaxon stood, breathing hard. He grinned. One trial down.
---
Kade's Trial – The Chains of the Fallen
Kade's chamber was different—a battlefield.
A field of fallen warriors, their bodies scattered across the stone floor. Their armor rusted, broken, weapons clutched in lifeless hands.
Then—they moved.
One by one, the dead rose. Hollow eyes. Silent mouths. Spectral energy flickering where their souls should be.
The voice whispered.
"Strength is not just might—it is the power to stand against overwhelming odds. Face the fallen. Do not falter."
Kade exhaled.
His Oblivion Chains unraveled from his arms, hovering in the air like living serpents.
Then the undead attacked.
The first warrior lunged, blade flashing. Kade's chains snapped forward, wrapping around its neck and pulling tight—soul torn away instantly. The body collapsed.
Two more came from the sides. Kade's chains split, one intercepting each enemy. They phased through armor, grabbing hold of the souls within—ripping them out.
But more kept coming.
Five. Ten. Twenty.
Kade's breath grew heavier. The more he used his chains, the more they drained him, too.
A knight in massive armor swung a warhammer. Kade's chains caught it mid-swing—but the sheer weight of the blow sent him skidding back.
Then he saw it—the fallen weren't just warriors.
They were kings. Heroes. Legends. Each one had fought before—and each had lost.
His eyes narrowed. He understood.
This wasn't about winning.
It was about endurance. Willpower.
He gritted his teeth, adjusting his stance.
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's see how long you last."
Kade's chains moved faster. He dodged, countered, but never stopped.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
The battlefield began to change. The undead slowed. Their bodies faltered.
And then—they stopped.
The voice whispered once more.
"You have withstood the tide. You have proven your will. You are worthy."
The spirits vanished.
Kade stood alone. He exhaled, rolling his shoulders. Two trials down.