"There are several stages to the Games of Raz. First, you and the five other Earthlings will be given a proving ground to help you catch up with your newfound powers. You will be given thirty days. The other competitors have had their powers for generations—you all have some serious work cut out for you."

  Jason’s mind raced. “Thirty days? And you expect me to be able to catch up to generations of knowledge and training?”

  Nexus remained unflinching. "To be blunt, no. No, I do not. While I’m being blunt, you should be grateful for any chance at all. Other planets are not always so fortunate.” Nexus paused, eyes drifting upward. “It appears we are low on time. Your first task is to clear as much of the proving ground as possible. You may work with the others, or you may kill each other. The decision is yours. Make the Emperor proud!"

  “Wait, you can't just dump all this on me and just go ‘Make the Emperor proud.’” Jason said, words spilling from his mouth. “What happens if we lose? How will I find the others? You still haven't explained what you mean by control of my planet!”

  “Survive the Proving grounds and I will answer your remaining questions.”

  Nexus outstretched his arms.

  “No—you will answer now.”

  A golden prompt appeared in front of Jason.

  Pyraxis, the Flame Sovereign: A living inferno bound in obsidian chains, whose breath melts steel and memory alike.

  Frostmaw, the Eternal Warden: A slumbering giant of ancient ice, cursed to guard eternity with frozen judgment.

  Umbraxis, the Shrouded Betrayer: Once a trusted champion, now a shadow-wrapped traitor who strikes from unseen corners of the soul.

  New tab available: Quests.

  Jason barely had time to process the words before the world collapsed.

  The landscape fell apart, piece by piece, replaced by a vast twilight realm, a stark contrast to the radiant beauty of the crystalline forest. The light bent and twisted, creating disorienting illusions. He stood amidst faint mist, on uneven ground covered in creeping black vines pulsing with a dim, ghostly glow. Jagged spires of obsidian rose around him, their reflective surfaces casting warped reflections. Shadowy figures flickered at the edges of his vision, making it impossible to tell what was real and what was imagined.

  “This is where you send me? Really?” Jason yelled, before muttering. “That stupid freaking, mother loving, piece of crystalline garbage.”

  “At least he gave me a direction.” Jason said as he noticed the cobblestone path under his feet.

  Fog twisted around him, forming vague shapes that blurred the path.

  A silhouette stood in front of him.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Hello?” Jason shouted, as the silhouette began to dissolve into mist.

  A memory clawed up from where he had buried it—one he wished had stayed forgotten.

  With a grunt he swatted it away. The silhouette appeared closer to him. It was a young girl standing nearly close enough to make out her features. She dissolved into mist once again, like memory refusing to hold shape.

  I’m seeing things, I need to keep my mind busy. Just focus on your new skills. “Ink bound Resonance, pretty cool. It was more like a snowball effect though, it wouldn’t do much now…”

  Unbidden it resurfaced, a pesky fly buzzing for his attention. He shook his head and scowled.

  “What the hell is with this place?” He growled.

  An aura pressed down on his mind. The air thickened with malevolence. Whispers in his own voice echoed from the darkness, hissing accusations.

  Jason flinched. Was the fog causing him to hallucinate?

  "It was your fault... You could have saved her. Should have saved her. But you were weak, afraid... cowardly. You abandoned her to save yourself."

  "No... that's not true," Jason muttered, his voice trembling.

  "Oh, but it is," the ghostly voice hissed, growing louder, more sinister. "You know it in your heart. Why do you deserve to live... when she deserved to die?"

  Jason dropped to his knees as shadows around him swirled into haunting shapes. A young girl, no older than twelve, ran ahead, glancing back at him with a wide, innocent smile. His heart clenched.

  "No!" Jason screamed. "Turn back! I can't... I can't see this again!" Tears welled in his eyes as he choked on the memories. "I... I didn't mean to…"

  Thump. Thump.

  The vision shattered. The shadows dispersed like smoke. Jason’s heart pounded in his chest, the oppressive weight replaced by something colder.

  Jason shook his head as the horror of that night still tried to pull him under.

  Standing just five feet in front of him was a figure so terrifying, the air twisted and darkened around it.

  It loomed over him, cloaked in tattered, shadowy robes that fluttered in an unseen wind. Beneath the hood, two faintly glowing eyes stared, cold and pitiless. Long, skeletal hands emerged from its sleeves, eager to grasp.

  Thump. Thump.

  With a guttural hiss, the creature recoiled as the illusion Jason had been trapped in collapsed. He activated Identify.

  Harrower: Once a human broken by the curse of this land. It roams the land looking for what it once had. It breaks the will of its victims by forcing them to relive their worst memories repeatedly until their will shatters. Once broken, the Harrower harvests their soul.

  Race: Drauger

  Level: 1

  Grade: F

  Jason’s breathing was ragged. But the fear gave way to something deeper—anger. This thing had tried to break him with her. Fueled by a surge of rage, he refused to run.

  He swung his fist.

  It connected with the Harrower’s fractured skull, cracks widening.

  The Harrower howled, throwing itself at Jason. Its icy fingertips coiled around Jason’s arm.

  Jason yanked back the arm the Harrower had grabbed, pulling it off balance. Jason used the momentum and threw an uppercut, shattering the broken skull.

  Level Up! Level 1 to 2

  Jason stood, breathing heavily, eyes locked on the spot where the Harrower had fallen. The rage that had fueled him began to simmer, but the intensity of the moment remained.

  "This is what you call entertainment?" Jason screamed into the sky.

  Nexus watched from the crystalline forests in silence. His crystalline eyes shimmered with curiosity.

  “Terrifying,” Nexus whispered almost reverently. “Truly terrifying. If he survives... he may be just what we’ve waited for, Master.”