Raine's breath was slow, controlled. But inside—his mind raced.
His body still pulsed with energy, his mark feeling heavier than before. The whispers from the void still echoed in his skull, distant yet unmistakable.
"Hunger. Devour. Become."
He clenched his fists. Was that… the voice of the Abyss?
The sharp-eyed man exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
"That was different."
The girl didn't respond. She was staring at her own hands, as if they didn't belong to her anymore.
The throne chamber was now eerily silent. The masked figure was gone.
But something was clear—they had changed.
The first trial was over.
But Raine knew—the Abyss wasn't done with them.
---
The iron gates at the end of the chamber rumbled open.
Without a word, the three of them stepped forward.
The hallway beyond was different from the one before. The stone was darker, the torches flickered with unnatural blue flames.
And along the walls—more chains.
Except this time, something hung from them.
Bodies.
No—not just bodies.
Marked ones.
Their eyes were hollow, their skin stretched thin over their bones, their brands dim and lifeless.
Some still moved. Barely.
Raine's stomach twisted.
The girl stopped walking.
"This is what happens… if we fail."
The sharp-eyed man sighed. "Good to know."
Raine exhaled. He already knew.
This place wasn't just about survival. It was about control.
And failure didn't mean death.
It meant something worse.
They had to keep moving.
---
At the end of the hallway, a new figure waited for them.
Tall. Cloaked in a dark coat lined with silver. A mask, but different from the throne figure—this one was cracked. Old. Used.
A warrior, not a ruler.
"Welcome to the next stage."
His voice was rough. Tired.
Raine immediately noticed—he had a mark, too.
But unlike theirs, it was broken. Scarred.
The man tilted his head. "You three are different."
His gaze settled on Raine.
"Especially you."
Raine said nothing.
The Overseer chuckled. "You've felt it, haven't you? The hunger."
The air grew heavier.
Raine's eyes narrowed. "What do you know about it?"
The Overseer stepped forward.
"More than you. And if you're smart, you'll learn to control it before it controls you."
A pause. Then—he pointed to the far wall.
For the first time, Raine noticed the weapons.
Swords. Daggers. Spears. All lined up, waiting.
And beyond them—a massive door.
The Overseer's voice was cold.
"Choose a weapon."
"Then prove you can use it."
---
Raine stepped forward first.
He wasn't a swordsman. He had no training, no experience with blades or spears.
But something drew him in.
Among the gleaming steel, there was one weapon that looked… wrong.
A black dagger.
Its hilt was wrapped in dark leather, the blade slightly curved, pulsing with faint energy.
The moment he reached for it—his mark burned.
The shadows in the room stirred.
The Overseer watched him carefully.
"Interesting choice."
Raine ignored him, testing the weight. The dagger felt natural in his grip. Too natural.
Like it had been waiting for him.
The girl chose next. A pair of short, curved blades. Swift, efficient.
The sharp-eyed man took a long, thin sword. Graceful, deadly.
The Overseer nodded.
Then—he snapped his fingers.
The room changed.
The ground shifted, expanded. The torches dimmed, the air grew thick with tension.
And from the shadows—figures emerged.
Not human.
Twisted, half-formed things, born of darkness itself.
"Your next trial begins now," the Overseer said.
He stepped back.
"Survive."
---
The first creature lunged.
Raine didn't think.
He moved.
The dagger felt alive in his hands. It cut through flesh like air, the blade humming as it drank.
The creature convulsed. Twisted.
Raine's mark flared.
And then—he felt it again.
The hunger.
The moment his blade severed the creature's life, its essence surged toward him.
The mark absorbed it.
Strength flooded his body.
His vision sharpened. His breath steadied.
This power—it was intoxicating.
But it was also dangerous.
He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to focus. He wouldn't let the hunger consume him.
Another creature lunged.
He was ready this time.
---
The battle was swift. Brutal.
Raine moved through the darkness like a shadow.
The girl's blades flashed, carving through the creatures with precise, calculated strikes.
The sharp-eyed man fought with effortless grace, every movement fluid, controlled.
But it was Raine who drew the Overseer's gaze the most.
Because his mark was evolving.
Every kill made it pulse brighter. Darker.
Until, finally—the last creature fell.
The trial was over.
Raine stood, breathing heavily.
The Overseer watched in silence.
Then, he spoke.
"You're not normal."
A pause.
"You're something else entirely."
Raine didn't deny it.
He already knew.
The hunger, the shadows, the way his mark reacted—he was changing.
And this place?
It was only speeding up the process.
The Overseer exhaled. "You'll either become something great… or something monstrous."
His voice was calm, almost indifferent.
"Either way, you'll entertain me before the end."
He turned away.
The next door opened.
And the next step into the Abyss began.