🌷"Some battles are not meant to win… but to show we will never leave each other , no matter how worst the situation is."🌷
They both crossed the glowing portal. As soon as they entered, the screen went dark. Slowly, the light came back, and they both reached a floating arena. A simple battlefield where the sky was open and there was no place to hide.
Like every other time, this time they did not get a chance to choose the character. Their characters were picked automatically.
Shakti was completely shocked. What happened? This is completely unfair, why?
Sophia typed:
"You are right, why did we not get the option to select the characters?"
Sophia started thinking about what would happen if they lost in this final stage. All their hard work would go in vain.
Shakti said:
"It's okay, now let's take a breath. Don't worry, we will win this somehow like the other floors, because we have good teamwork, and we are strong enough."
"As long as your wise brain is with us, then no one can defeat us."
Shakti was confused, but this time his heart was calm.
Their characters touched the floating land… the environment was
Cold.
Heavy.
Endless.
All around, there was only sky. They were standing in a white endless sky filled with a small amount of floating stone fragments. There was no ceiling. No walls. Only an infinite void below. Thick wind touched them, like hidden hands trying to pull them into the abyss.
Shakti typed:
"So this is the real structure of the final floor…"
A smile came on Sophia's face. She said:
"Wahhh it's worthy, the view is amazing, I liked ittttttt!"
Shakti replied:
"Shheshh, are you for real? How could you care about the view?"
Sophia typed:
She laughed. "It's okay even if we lose here, it's really worth it to come here."
Shakti:
"Whatever, but it's true."
Suddenly, glowing letters formed in the air:
FLOOR 3 — TRIAL OF RESOLVE
From the ground, they saw something rise. A tall white armored figure pulled itself into the arena, stone cracking, ground shaking, dust falling from its body. Veins of dim golden light shone through the fractures in its armor. A massive blade hung from its back, attached by thick, dragging chains.
Where a face should have been… there was only darkness.
But a voice came directly inside their minds.
"Strength without purpose… is hollow."
Both of them were fully prepared.
The battle began with "Oathbreaker Warden."
The Warden moved faster than something that large had any right to. Its chained blade whipped across the air, smashing into the ground where Shakti had stood a second ago.
"Watch your footing!" she shouted.
They ran in opposite directions and started attacking from both sides. Sparks flew as weapons struck against the stone giant's armor. But every hit felt like striking a huge mountain.
Then the chains moved. Not the blade — the chains themselves. They shot forward like snakes and wrapped around her character's arm and waist. Instantly, her movements slowed down. The chain was bound so tightly she could feel it — like her breath stopped.
Sophia typed:
"Sorry, I didn't notice when this chain came, it was so sudden!"
Shakti:
"Sophia, calm down!" he yelled at her, moving and striking the chains. "Don't move, you are going to make it worse!"
She was forcing herself to be free from the chains. The moment she panicked, the chains tightened again.
The Warden was silent the whole time. Only they were talking to each other.
Suddenly, **the arena began to fall apart.**
A deep breaking sound echoed across the void.
"Look out!" he typed in the chat section.
A part of the battlefield broke off, falling into the void. The shockwave almost knocked her character off balance. When the platform fell, somehow she got free…
They were running now — fighting and moving at the same time, while dodging the chain attacks. There was no safe place. No time to rest. Only forward. Only together.
After a long while, a core showed up in its faceless forehead. A loud fracture split through the Warden's head. The shining cracks widened. Light burst from within. A pulsing core shone in the center of its head — bright, golden, and white.
The Warden awakened into another form. Its body became covered in harder armor. It became more aggressive. The chains were thrown out wildly.
They both were astonished… The awakened form was so scary…
Shakti typed:
"We can't keep playing safe!"
Sophia told him:
"Yeah, we have to hit the core even if we have to take risks!"
Another piece of ground fell behind them. There was no place to retreat.
Judgment of the Hollow
Suddenly, chains exploded outward. Before Shakti could react, they bound her legs again and slammed her to the ground. The Warden raised its huge blade, aiming straight at her character.
Sophia typed:
"Nowwwwwwww goooo!" struggling against the bindings. "Forget me, its core is showing, just finish it!"
For him, time slowed.
Shakti looked straight at the shining core.
The chains digging into her character.
The void below.
Fear told his mind:
"If you go in now, you will get hit.
You might fall.
You might lose."
Then something inside him burned hotter than fear.
"I am not leaving her!"
He ran toward her — not away from danger, but straight into it. He struck the chains first, breaking them with a strong blow. She was free now.
Together, side by side, they charged.
The Warden's attack fired. Shakti stepped in front, taking part of the blast, forcing his character to move even as his vision blurred.
With a final hit, they both struck the shining core.
Silence.
The Warden stood without moving. A final crack split across its body… and it shattered into floating fragments of stone and fading golden light.
The wind calmed. The air felt smoother. The floating platforms slowly drifted still.
Shakti dropped his phone, breathing hard. He didn't feel stronger. He felt…
"My god… phew."
A warm light surrounded them as rewards appeared.
ACHIEVEMENT ACQUIRED: A Head That Does Not Break
ITEM OBTAINED: Soulbound Emblem
Then one more message appeared, softer than the others.
"Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy, thank you so much Shakti, we wonnnnn!"
Shakti looked at his screen and offered a tired smile. No words were needed. They had not won because their characters were stronger. They had won because neither of them gave up and decided to stand by each other's side.
And the final battle became a great memory for both of them…
Sophia clicked the exit button and they both left the floor.
When they came out, Sophia said:
"I have never enjoyed this much before ever… again, thank you sooooo much!"
"Shakti… what's next??"