Carlos hit the ground hard. The impact jarred his bones and knocked the air from his lungs. For a moment, he lay there, gasping, eyes squeezed shut against the blinding light that had swallowed him whole.
When he finally opened them, the breath caught in his
The sky was red.
Not the red of sunset, not the warm glow of firelight—but a deep, endless crimson that stretched across the heavens like a wound. The air shimmered with heat, heavy with the metallic tang of iron. The ground beneath him was cracked and dry, veins of glowing lava pulsing faintly through the stone. Jagged black cliffs rose in the distance, their peaks torn by constant lightning that struck w
A new message appeared before his eyes, glowing stark against the blood
Welcome to Realm Two: The CrimsSurvive the storm. Conquer the Colossi. Only three shall ascend.
Carlos pushed himself up, sweat already prickling his skin from the oppressive heat. His heart thudded as the words burned themselves into his vision.
Only three.
That meant at least one of his new allies would fall here—if not more.
He glanced around. The Expanse stretched in all directions, a wasteland of obsidian spires, rivers of molten rock, and colossal bones half-buried in the cracked earth. Whatever creatures once ruled this place had been monsters beyond comprehension.
And now, he was trapped here.
A low tremor shook the ground. Carlos braced himself, eyes darting toward the horizon. Something was moving.
At first, he thought it was a mountain shifting. But then the mountain stood up.
A figure rose from the far side of the valley—so massive it blotted out the lightning sky. A titan of obsidian and fire, its chest glowing like a forge, its head crowned with horns that scraped the clouds. Its every step sent shockwaves rippling through the Expanse.
The Helm's voice boomed in his mind:
First Trial: The Colossi Awaken. Defeat them or be destroyed.
Carlos's throat tightened. "Colossi," he muttered. "Plural."
As if in answer, another shape stirred. Then another. Across the landscape, more titans were rising, clawing their way free from the molten earth—five in total, their roars shaking the world.
Carlos's instincts screamed at him to run. But where?
"Carlos!" a voice shouted.
He spun, relief flooding him. Lys was there, battered but alive, her chainmail glinting faintly in the bloody light. Behind her came Thalor with his shield, Rina with her daggers, and Maren clutching her staff, her face pale but resolute.
They had made it. All of them.
For now.
Lys jogged to his side, eyes narrowing at the looming titans. "We're not ready for this."
Carlos shook his head, jaw clenched. "We weren't ready for Kael either. But we survived."
Rina laughed dryly. "Barely."
The ground trembled again. One of the Colossi lifted a hand the size of a fortress wall and slammed it into the valley floor. The shockwave tore open fissures, splitting stone like paper. A river of lava surged outward, glowing brighter than the sun.
Carlos shouted, "Move!"
The group scattered as the molten tide roared past, igniting everything it touched. Carlos felt the heat sear his skin even from a distance.
"This is impossible!" Thalor roared, bracing his shield as debris rained from the sky.
Maren's eyes flashed with determination. "Nothing is impossible. The sigils of light weakened Kael. There must be something here—something hidden that can give us a chance."
Carlos's mind raced. The Helm didn't throw them into unwinnable battles. There had to be an objective, a weakness, some way to even the odds.
His gaze swept the battlefield. The Colossi towered above, but beneath them… yes. At the base of each titan's spine glowed a faint blue mark, barely visible against the fire and ash.
A target.
"Those marks!" he shouted, pointing. "That's where we strike. It's the only way."
Rina cursed under her breath. "Great. We just have to climb a walking mountain of death and stab it in the back. Easy."
"Better than waiting here to burn," Lys snapped.
The ground shook again, forcing them to their knees. Carlos gritted his teeth, lifting the Blade of Ascension. The weapon shimmered with white fire, its edge sharper than ever. He felt its energy humming with purpose—as if it too hungered for the challenge.
"Then we climb," Carlos said, voice firm.
The group exchanged grim looks. For all their doubts, for all their fear, they knew there was no other choice.
Together, they ran toward the nearest Colossus.
It saw them coming.
The titan's eyes ignited like furnaces, and it let out a roar that split the sky. With deliberate slowness, it raised its massive foot—big enough to crush them all in a single step—and brought it down.
The world shook. Dust and stone exploded upward. The air turned to fire.
Carlos didn't stop.
For if he did, the Crimson Expanse would be his grave.