Opening Scene — The First Step
The stone hallway stretched into the unknown, torches flickering as though their flames were alive. Kael's boots echoed against the floor. Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of the unknown pressing down like a storm.
"This is… not a train anymore," Liora muttered, her amber eyes scanning the walls. "It's… a gate."
Draven grunted. "A gate that's testing us. Watch the walls — every shadow could be a Core Hunter waiting to strike."
Selene, pale as moonlight, didn't answer. Her eyes were fixed on something above the torches — faint scratches in the stone, symbols that pulsed when Kael stepped closer.
---
First Encounter — The Void Spawn
Suddenly, the air shifted. A low growl rumbled beneath their feet. The shadows themselves seemed to stretch, twisting into a creature larger than the carriage — blackened skin covered in glowing red veins, six limbs that moved like fluid steel, and a Core pulsating in its chest.
Kael felt a pull in his pendant. The golden crystal shimmered. His pulse quickened. This is it — the first real trial.
The team moved instinctively:
Liora leapt forward, boots sparking, striking the creature's shoulder with a bolt that exploded in blue lightning.
Draven hurled a shard grenade at its legs, the stone-shattering pulse slowing its movement.
Selene whispered incantations, her hands glowing silver. The light formed protective wards around the team, repelling the first swipe.
Kael focused on the Core — visible now through the beast's dark veins. It wasn't in a fixed spot. It moved, shifting its location as the creature twisted and roared.
---
The Strategy of Survival
Kael realized brute force wouldn't work. The Core required precision, timing, and coordination.
He shouted instructions, and each character's unique skill mattered.
Liora distracted, Draven restrained, Selene protected, Kael attacked.
The first strike failed. The creature's Core pulsed, and a shockwave knocked them all back. Kael's pendant flared violently — for a moment, he saw visions of Tyser itself: mountains floating in blood-red skies, Titans battling monsters, rivers of molten crystal, and… a tower taller than clouds, pulsing at the heart of the kingdom.
The Heartspire.
---
Revealing the Kingdom's Danger
When the creature finally fell, its Core shattered, releasing energy that shook the very walls. Dust rained from the ceiling. The hallway seemed endless, but faint carvings glowed on the walls: history, monsters, warnings, and maps of areas unknown.
Selene studied the carvings. "This kingdom… was alive long before humans existed. Titans built it. And… something corrupted it."
Liora's expression darkened. "Corrupted how?"
Selene didn't answer. Instead, her silver eyes flickered toward a distant shadow that moved unnaturally in the torchlight — something watching them from above.
---
Foreshadowing & Mystery
The Core's shifting behavior hints at future monsters that adapt to Kael's powers.
The carvings reveal glimpses of ancient rulers and lost wars, teasing the deep lore of Tyser.
The shadow above foreshadows the first encounter with a Titan, far larger and more dangerous than the Core Beast.
As the team catches their breath, the corridor ahead splits into two paths:
One leads down a spiral staircase into darkness.
The other opens into a cavern, where air ripples like water, and massive winged shapes circle silently above.
A voice echoes, deep and unyielding, as if coming from the stone itself:
> "Choose wisely… or Tyser will choose for you."
Kael's hand tightened on the spear. The first step into the kingdom wasn't the hardest. The true trial was just beginning.
- To be continued...