Kaiden fell to one knee, breathing hard. The forest was quiet again — except for his pounding heart.
He stared at the fallen creature, smoke and dust fading around its cracked shell.
"…I actually did it."
But before the relief could settle in, the ground started to tremble.
The vibration deepened, rumbling through his feet, echoing like the growl of a sleeping giant.
Branches shook, dust fell from the treetops — then came the sound.
Heavy, uneven stomps. Dozens of them.
Kaiden looked up — his breath catching.
From the dark mist ahead, pairs of red eyes began to flicker into view.
One. Two. Five. Ten.
Dozens.
All of them glowing.
All of them locked on him.
"…You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered, tightening his grip on his dagger.
The clock was still ticking.
Three hours.
And this was just the beginning.
---
The first stone beast lunged.
Kaiden barely dodged, rolling under its claw as it smashed a crater into the earth.
The impact sent chunks of rock flying — one scraped across his arm, cutting his sleeve open.
"Alright… no breaks, huh?" he said, forcing a grin despite the sting.
He dashed forward — his movements sloppy but fueled by adrenaline.
The wind began to twist around his blade again, faint green lines glowing along the steel.
"Zephyr Flow — Piercing Gust!"
He thrust forward — a burst of compressed wind exploded from the tip, blowing a hole through the beast's chest.
The shockwave echoed through the trees, scattering leaves like feathers.
Boom.
But before Kaiden could recover, another one came from the left.
He twisted away — too late.
The creature's claw slammed into his side, sending him flying against a boulder.
"Ghh—!"
Pain flared across his ribs. He hit the ground hard, coughing up dirt.
Get up. Get up. GET UP.
He forced himself to stand, knees shaking. "Alright, fine. You want round two? Come get it!"
The beasts didn't hesitate.
Two charged at once — their glowing eyes reflecting the light of his sword.
He exhaled sharply. His eyes narrowed.
The air went still.
"Zephyr Flow — Silent Sever."
Shhhhkkk—
The blade cut through the air in one clean motion.
No sound, no flash — just a pulse.
A faint green shockwave burst outward, slicing the nearest beast clean in half.
The other staggered, cracks webbing across its rocky armor before it shattered completely.
For a second, Kaiden almost smiled.
Then three more came bursting from the treeline.
"Oh, come on—!"
He jumped back, barely avoiding a swipe that would've taken his head off. His boots slid through the dirt as he tried to regain footing. His breathing was getting heavier. His mana—whatever this world called it—was draining faster than he expected.
He struck again.
And again.
The air around him shimmered with green arcs, each attack cutting through another monster—but each one slower than the last.
Piercing Gust!
Silent Sever!
Piercing Gust—!
He stumbled. His vision started to blur.
"Damn it… I can't keep this up—"
A loud roar silenced his thought.
One of the beasts—larger than the rest—charged straight through the trees, shattering trunks like twigs.
Its body was engraved with glowing runes, pulsing violently.
Kaiden raised his dagger. "You're not—"
CRASH!
He didn't even finish the sentence before it slammed into him, throwing him through the air. His dagger flew from his hand, clattering meters away.
He hit the ground, rolled, and gasped as pain shot through his back.
"Damn it… that one's different…"
He reached for his dagger—but before he could move, another beast stomped down beside him, pinning him with its shadow. Its molten eyes glared down as its claw raised.
Kaiden's breath froze.
This is it.
But then—
A howl of cold air ripped through the forest.
The temperature dropped instantly. Frost spread across the grass, crawling up the monster's leg before it could strike.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The beast froze solid mid-motion, its entire body turning to white-blue ice.
Then— BOOM!
A blast of energy shattered it into pieces.
Kaiden shielded his face from the shards. When he looked up, he saw him.
A guy stood a few meters away — tall, silver-haired, a calm expression on his face despite the chaos. His right arm glowed with frost energy, ice crystals forming up to his elbow.
"Yo," the stranger said casually. "You look like you're about to die."
Kaiden blinked, still catching his breath. "Yeah, thanks for noticing."
The guy smirked. "Gray. Frost Flow user. You?"
"Kaiden. Currently… dying," Kaiden said, grabbing his sword and forcing himself up.
"Then don't die yet. We still got company."
Gray's eyes narrowed. Around them, more beasts were circling, their red eyes glowing brighter in the fog.
Kaiden cracked a grin. "Guess we're partners now, huh?"
"Guess so. Try to keep up."
---
They moved.
Kaiden dashed forward, slicing through one of the smaller beasts, while Gray raised his arm.
"Frost Flow — Ice Wall!"
A massive barrier of solid ice erupted from the ground, blocking two charging monsters. They crashed against it — and instantly froze upon contact.
Kaiden stared, impressed. "Okay, that's actually sick."
Gray shrugged. "Just basic stuff."
Kaiden spun his blade again, air swirling like a cyclone.
"Zephyr Flow — Piercing Gust!"
He thrust forward, sending another shockwave that blasted through two beasts in one go.
Debris scattered everywhere.
"Not bad," Gray said. "You're raw, though. You're wasting too much energy."
Kaiden smirked. "Sorry, didn't bring a tutorial."
"Then watch closely."
Gray slammed his hand into the ground.
"Frost Flow — Freezing Pulse!"
The frost spread outward in a massive circle, freezing the ground beneath every creature's feet.
Kaiden didn't hesitate. He jumped into the air — blade glowing bright green.
"Second Form: Silent Sever!"
Shhhkk—!
The shockwave ripped through the air, slicing the frozen beasts clean apart.
The sound came after, like thunder chasing lightning.
The explosion of wind and frost collided — shards of ice and glowing dust filling the air like a blizzard.
It was chaos — but beautiful.
When the last creature fell, the forest finally went quiet again.
Kaiden landed, panting heavily, his knees nearly buckling. "Holy… hell…"
Gray lowered his hand, frost fading from his arm. "You're reckless. But you've got guts."
Kaiden laughed weakly. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Gray looked at him curiously. "You don't seem like the others."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You fight like someone who's never trained in Flow — but your strikes… they carry weight. You don't hesitate."
Kaiden shrugged. "Maybe because I've had worse days."
Gray smirked. "Then you'll survive here."
They both stood in silence for a moment — surrounded by the shattered remains of the beasts, the forest now glowing faintly with scattered fragments of rune energy.
Kaiden sheathed his sword, exhaling deeply. "How much time do we have?"
Gray checked the small glowing device on his wrist. "An hour and forty."
Kaiden groaned. "Seriously? That felt like a lifetime."
Gray pointed toward the mountains in the distance. "That's where the finish line is. We make it there, we pass."
Kaiden stared at the horizon, wiping sweat off his forehead. "So what happens if we don't?"
Gray glanced at him, his tone flat. "We go home."
Kaiden looked down for a second, then smirked. "Then we're not going home."
Gray chuckled quietly. "Good answer."
---
The two walked side by side, the wind brushing against their faces as they made their way through the broken forest. The sun began to lower, painting the sky orange.
Kaiden's body ached all over. His clothes were torn, his arm was bleeding, but his heart was pounding with something he hadn't felt in a long time — excitement. Real, terrifying excitement.
Maybe this world isn't trying to kill me, he thought. Maybe it's just trying to test me.
Gray glanced at him. "What's your Flow called again?"
"Zephyr,"Kaiden said. "Still getting used to it."
"Zephyr, huh? Wind type. No wonder your attacks so offensive."
Kaiden laughed. "Yeah, I'm still working on it tho."
Gray smirked. "I see, You'll fit right in."
The two kept walking, the mountain peak looming closer. But as they reached the clearing ahead — the ground trembled again.
Both of them froze.
Gray's expression darkened. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Kaiden raised his dagger. "Don't tell me there's more—"
From the shadows, a massive shape emerged — towering over the trees. A beast unlike the rest.
Its entire body was engraved with deep, glowing runes. Its chest pulsed with red light, and its roar shook the forest.
Kaiden's eyes widened. "…That's not the same type."
Gray clenched his fists. "That's a Rune Core Guardian. The final test."
Kaiden's stomach dropped. "Final—? We're not even at the finish line yet!"
"Guess the examiners decided to make it interesting."
The giant beast's eyes glowed brighter. Its steps shook the ground as it moved toward them.
Kaiden swallowed hard. "We can't beat that thing."
Gray smirked. "No. But maybe we can survive it."
Kaiden sighed, raising his blade. "You're insane."
"Welcome to Flow Arts,"Gray said.
The creature roared, red energy crackling through its body. The sound shook the entire island.
Kaiden's pulse matched the tremor. His fingers tightened around his sword.
Wind swirled. Frost rose.
Both of them stepped forward at the same time.
"Zephyr Flow—"
"Frost Flow—"
The screen of dust exploded between them as they charged.
And then—everything went white.