Ares's body slammed into the hard ground, red dust billowing into the air. His breath was ragged, his lungs burning as if he had just fallen thousands of meters. He felt his chest, making sure he was still alive—and yes, his heartbeat was pounding erratically.
As his vision cleared, he realized he was no longer in the narrow hallway.
The arena stretched out around him. The pitch-black ground shimmered like cracked glass, and the sky above him was a swirling vortex of red mist. There were no trees, no buildings, not even a sound other than the faint whirring of the vortex. The world felt like a vacuum created for one purpose: a test.
"Ares!"
The voice made him turn quickly. Lyra ran from the other side of the arena, her face full of concern. Orion and Ryn followed behind, both clearly still shaken by their fall.
"Are you all right?" Lyra asked, her breath coming in short gasps.
"I'm still alive, so I guess that's good enough," Ryn replied, grinning despite her bleeding knee. Orion simply nodded curtly, his eyes busy scanning the surroundings.
But before Ares could answer, a deep voice echoed from above, as if coming directly from the swirling mist.
"Welcome, seekers of the exit."
They all straightened, turning their heads skyward. From the red vortex, light fell, forming a black-robed figure—the same one they had seen in the hallway. This time, however, its face was obscured by a dark mist, revealing only a pair of glowing red eyes.
"The first test is over," his voice echoed. "Now it's time for you to face the real deal. There is no enemy more dangerous than your own reflection."
Suddenly, the ground shook. From the surface of the arena, giant mirrors rose. Four of them, facing each player.
Ares swallowed hard as he saw his reflection in the mirrors. His own face stared back, cold and expressionless. But the reflection didn't just stand there. The reflection in the mirrors slowly smiled—a sinister smile he had never shown to anyone else.
"This…" Lyra muttered, her voice trembling.
Crack!
The mirror in front of Ares cracked, then shattered into pieces. From the shards, a figure identical to her stepped out. The face, body, clothes, even the sword were identical. The only difference was the glowing red eyes and the dark aura surrounding her.
The shadow let out a short laugh. "Finally, we meet without the mask, Ares."
Ares's breath caught. "You… me?"
"Not just 'you,'" the shadow replied. "I am everything you hide. Your anger, your revenge, your despair. I am the real you."
Lyra covered her mouth with her hand, shocked. Ryn whistled softly. "Okay, this is a bit crazy."
Orion, though his face remained impassive, gripped his bow tighter. "So this is what it means to face your shadow self."
Ares's shadow stepped forward, the black sword in his hand gleaming sharply. "You can pretend to be a leader, a hero, or whatever you want. But we both know—you're just a loser trying to cover up his failures."
Those words hit Ares harder in the chest than any other attack.
The shadow grinned wider. "Remember? When everyone was slandering you for that scandal? When the name 'Ares the Champion' became a topic of ridicule on the forums? When you were alone, staring at a blank screen, wishing it were all just a bad dream?"
Lyra stepped forward. "Ares, don't listen to him—"
"Silence!" The shadow raised its sword, and the ground beneath Lyra cracked, forcing her back. "This trial is for him alone. No interference."
Ares gritted his teeth, his hand trembling as he gripped the sword. All the memories came back—the sleepless nights, the hateful comments, the disappointed faces of his family.
"I did fall…" he said quietly, his voice trembling.
The shadow laughed coldly. "No. You're broken."
Without warning, he leaped forward, the black sword slashing straight down.
CLANG!
The clash of metal echoed, sparks of light flying. Ares blocked the attack with his sword, but the force felt far heavier than his own. He was pushed back several steps, his feet nearly slipping.
The next attack came relentlessly. Slashes, stabs, spins—all the movements were exactly Ares's fighting style. That made him even more unpredictable.
Ryn shouted from afar. "Get up, Ares! He's using your style; you have to think outside the box!"
Ares blocked another attack, his teeth clenched. He's right. If I just fight like I usually do, I won't win. He knows all my moves.
The shadow continued to press. "You can't win against yourself. You're only delaying the inevitable."
With a loud shout, Ares parried his opponent's slash and leaped back. His breathing was heavy, sweat dripping down his face. But a small fire was beginning to burn in his eyes.
"I did lose once…" he said, his voice firmer. "But I'm not the same person anymore."
The shadow grinned. "Nonsense."
"No," Ares raised his sword, a white light beginning to envelop the blade. "If I were just a shadow, I would have vanished long ago. But I still stand. Because I no longer fight just for myself. I fight for them."
He glanced at Lyra, Orion, and Ryn. His three companions stared back, each with a different conviction, but all believing him.
Ares' shadow grimaced, his face twisted in ferocity. "Those sweet lies won't save you!"
He leaped again, his sword enveloped in a black aura. The arena shook as the two Areses—real and shadow—clashed once more.
The sound of metal clashing, sparks of light and darkness flying.
Swords clashed, white light and black aura clashed in the center of the arena. Each impact sent a wave of energy that cracked the ground, sending shards of black glass flying. Ares blocked each blow with clenched teeth, but his body was beginning to tire.
Ares's shadow moved like a more perfect mirror. There was no wasted movement, no opening. It knew when Ares would swing, when he would parry, even when his breath would catch.
"See?" the shadow shouted, its sword pushing Ares back. "You can hide from others, but not from me. I am the part of you you cannot destroy."
Ares staggered, his knees nearly touching the ground. His breath faltered. He knew the shadow was right—a part of him was still bound by the past.
Am I really just a failure pretending to be on my feet?
"Ares!" Lyra's voice echoed. She stared at him with teary eyes. "Don't lose! You're not just that past. You're the one who made me believe we could get out of here!"
Orion spoke as well, flat but confident. "You're not perfect. But that only makes you stronger. Use your weaknesses, don't hide them."
Ryn grinned, though her voice was hoarse. "If you lose, who's going to bear all our big talk, huh? So don't die a stupid death in front of us!"
The words pierced Ares' heart, but not as a wound—but as a fire.
He straightened, his eyes staring straight at the shadow before him. "You're right… I failed. I fell. I was broken. But that didn't stop me. It made me rise!"
The shadow grinned sarcastically. "Pretty words. But will they save you?"
They both leaped forward simultaneously. White and black swords clashed again, sparks dazzling the arena. But this time Ares wasn't just defending. He changed the rhythm.
Instead of parrying as usual, he let one of his opponent's slashes miss his shoulder, then twisted to counter-slash at an unexpected angle. The shadow was surprised, though still able to block.
Ares smiled faintly. "You do know all my old moves. But I can change."
He pressed harder, his movements less stiff than before. He exploited every weakness he once hated—overly wide swings, long pauses in breathing, even a slowness in his right foot. They all served as bait, making the shadow misread his rhythm.
Ares' shadow began to shake, his face contorting with rage. "Impossible… you're just me, weak!"
"Yes," Ares shouted, his sword glowing brighter. "I'm weak! But that's why I can't be alone. That's why I have them!"
With a loud shout, Ares channeled all his energy. His sword glowed a blinding white, the light engulfing the black aura around him.
Ares' shadow roared, trying to resist, but the light eroded his body bit by bit. "No… you can't…!"
"This is your end!"
Ares slashed straight forward.
A loud explosion echoed. White light erupted, splitting the arena. Ares' shadow screamed, his body cracking like glass, then shattering into shards that dissolved into the air.
Silence.
Ares stood panting, his sword still glowing faintly. His knees nearly buckled, but he held on.
Lyra ran to him, embracing him, ignoring the sweat and dust. "You did it…" her voice trembled with relief.
Ryn patted his shoulder hard. "That was crazy, man. But damn, I like it."
Orion stared at her with piercing eyes, then nodded curtly. "Now I know. You truly are our leader."
Ares looked down, his smile thin but sincere. "I'm not the leader. We'll all go out together."
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed again from the sky.
"The first test is over. You have defeated your shadow, Ares."
Red light descended from the swirling mist, forming a red crystal that floated before him. The fragment vibrated, emitting the same energy the cloaked figure had held before.
Ares raised his hand. As soon as he touched it, a light enveloped his body, both warm and heavy. He felt as if something locked inside him had been slightly unlocked.
"The first fragment… you have obtained it."
The cloaked figure reappeared, his voice echoing. "But remember. Three more fragments await. And each trial will be more severe than the last."
The arena shook, the black ground began to crumble. Lyra screamed, Ryn cursed, Orion drew his bow to no avail.
"Get ready," the voice said. "Your journey has only just begun."
The ground beneath them cracked, and light enveloped the four of them, dragging them toward another abyss.
Ares gripped the red crystal tightly. Despite his fear, despite his fatigue, there was a fire that could not be extinguished within his chest.
Whatever lay ahead, he would not retreat.