Alex's breath grew uneven as he stood before the obsidian-black panel hovering in the middle of the chamber, its presence pressing down on his chest like a weight.
But the feeling only worsened as his eyes drifted from the panel, to what stood across from him.
[Alex Rogue/FateBreaker - Nightmare]
And in that moment, he understood the true horror of this trial.
The [Guardian of Nightmares] was a creature bound by rules.
It didn't fight, not directly. That wasn't its purpose.
Instead, it controlled the essence of fear itself and used that mastery to challenge those who dared reach this far.
Each time a brave soul, by skill, luck, or sheer madness, made it to the bottom of this depths, the guardian would offer its final gift.
It would create a perfect replica.
A flawless, living nightmare of the challenger themselves.
And so, standing a few meters ahead of Alex, was another version of him.
It wasn't entirely human in appearance.
