The cold mountain air bit into Arian's skin as he climbed higher, the sand giving way to jagged rock. Each step echoed in the silence, yet he could feel the unseen footsteps closing in from behind.
The obsidian token in his pocket pulsed like a heartbeat, growing warmer the closer he got to the ridge. It felt as if the mountain itself was alive, calling him toward something ancient… and dangerous.
A faint rustle made him freeze.
From the shadows of the cliff, a figure emerged — cloaked in black, face hidden behind a silver mask shaped like a snarling wolf. In the figure's hands, twin blades glinted under the moonlight.
"You've run far enough, White Tiger," the masked hunter's voice was cold, yet almost… respectful. "Hand over the token, and I may let you live."
Arian's fists clenched. "You know I can't do that."
The hunter tilted his head. "Then die with it."
In an instant, the blades flashed. Arian barely dodged, feeling the sting of steel slice across his arm. Blood dripped onto the stone, and the moment it touched the ground, the token in his pocket flared with blinding light.
The mountain shook.
From the cracks in the rock, a low growl rumbled — deep, ancient, and powerful. The air thickened with the scent of wild earth and something far older than man.
The hunter paused, glancing around in sudden unease. "What have you done?"
Arian's eyes glowed faintly amber. His voice was low, almost animalistic. "I didn't do anything… it's waking up on its own."
The ground beneath them split, and from the darkness below, something massive began to rise.
The thing that emerged from the fissure was neither entirely tiger nor entirely human. Its fur was snow-white, yet streaked with faint silver markings that shifted like smoke under the moonlight. Four burning golden eyes fixed on Arian, their weight pressing into his soul.
The masked hunter stumbled back a step. "That… that's impossible. The Guardian was supposed to be dead!"
The creature's gaze snapped toward him, and the air around them thickened like a storm before lightning. Its voice rumbled directly in their minds:
"One bears the blood… the other bears the blade of betrayal."
Arian's breath caught in his throat. He could feel the White Tiger's presence pulling at the beast inside him, coaxing it to awaken. His fingers twitched as claws threatened to form.
The hunter lunged first, his twin blades crackling with dark energy. "If I kill it before it bonds, the prize will still be mine!"
The guardian roared, the sound like thunder rolling through stone. With one swipe of its paw, the hunter was hurled into the cliffside, rock shattering from the impact.
Arian staggered forward, unsure if he was in control of his body anymore. His vision blurred, his senses sharpening until he could hear the heartbeat of every living thing within a hundred meters.
The guardian lowered its head until its golden eyes were level with his.
"Your blood carries the last breath of my kin," it said. "But power without discipline is a curse. Prove yourself… or be devoured by it."
The ground trembled again, but this time it wasn't from the guardian — it was from something far larger moving beneath the mountain.
And then, from the darkness beyond the ridge, another roar answered.
The answering roar was deeper, older — it carried the weight of centuries. The guardian's fur bristled, and for the first time, Arian saw uncertainty in its golden eyes.
"Another one?" Arian whispered, his voice trembling.
"Not another," the guardian replied. "The first."
The ground split open as a massive claw — black as obsidian, veined with molten red — broke through the stone. The heat from it scorched the air, forcing Arian to shield his face.
From the fissure rose a colossal beast, its shape constantly shifting between a tiger and a shadowy, horned monster. Its eyes burned like two suns sinking into a sea of blood.
The masked hunter, battered but still alive, laughed through a mouthful of blood. "You think I was your greatest danger, boy? That thing has hunted the White Tigers since the dawn of time."
The guardian positioned itself between Arian and the newcomer, muscles tense. "You are not ready for this," it growled to Arian without turning its gaze.
But Arian felt it — the pull of something ancient in his blood, surging stronger with each heartbeat. His nails had already become claws, his pupils narrowing into slits.
"No," he said, surprising himself with the strength in his voice. "Maybe I'm not ready… but it's in my blood to fight."
The shadow-beast let out a roar that shattered the nearest cliff into rubble. The guardian lunged first, meeting it in a clash that sent shockwaves tearing through the valley.
Arian didn't hesitate. He stepped forward — straight into the chaos — knowing that the next choice he made would decide whether he remained human… or became the very monster he feared.