The moment my fingers pressed against the fractured stone of the throne, the world around me collapsed without warning, the clearing, the crater, the forest…..everything folding into silence before dissolving completely. There was no transition or sense of movement, just a sudden shift as the ground beneath my feet hardened into something smooth and cold, the air around me tightening as if sealed within invisible walls.
I stood in a circular chamber.
The space was wide but enclosed, its walls made of dark stone that reflected no light, rising high enough that the ceiling disappeared into shadow.
The floor beneath me was marked with faint lines, almost like an arena, worn and scratched from countless clashes that had taken place long before I arrived. There was no exit anywhere in sight.
Only the center. A ripple formed ahead of me.
The system responded.
[Designation: Defier confirmed]
[Trial Initiated]
[Defeat all opponents]
