Inside the Core Ring, everything felt... wrong.
Gravity bent sideways. Time glitched in fragments. Aiden saw his own shadow lag behind him, duplicating his movements seconds late. Static fog covered the halls, and holographic walls flickered like dying neon signs.
This was no arena.
This was the heart of the game—alive, watching, testing them.
Welcome, Players.
You've entered the Ring of Trials.
Five Trials. One must fall at each.
Aiden's wristband buzzed. New objective locked in.
Trial 1: The Bridge of Doubt.
A narrow, crumbling bridge stretched across a bottomless pit of pure code corruption. Only one person could cross at a time. Every step triggered an illusion from their past.
Rena volunteered first.
The moment she stepped on, the bridge twisted. Her illusion appeared: a blood-soaked battlefield. Her squad. Dead. And in front of her, the sister she left behind.
"Rena," the vision cried. "You survived. Why didn't I?"
Rena's eyes trembled. But she didn't stop walking.
"I chose survival," she whispered, stepping forward. "And I'll carry that guilt every damn day."
The illusion shattered.
She made it.
---
Takumi went next. His trial showed his failure—his younger brother, lost in a fire he couldn't prevent. The bridge whispered blame with every step. But Takumi pushed through, trembling.
"I already burned once," he muttered. "I won't burn again."
Then Lila.
Her bridge turned into her old lab—the place where the Game's AI was first tested. Her own code error had started the self-awareness cascade. Her illusion was her former mentor, screaming.
"This is your fault! You created the monster!"
Tears streamed down her face. "And I'll stop it too."
She crossed.
---
Aiden stepped onto the bridge last.
His illusion hit hardest.
His brother—Eli—stood at the end of the path, eyes full of betrayal. "You promised you'd keep me safe."
Aiden froze.
"You let them take me. You survived by hiding. I died because of you."
His heart pounded. The bridge cracked under him.
He took a step. "I was thirteen."
Another step. "And I never forgave myself."
The illusion reached for him, and he let it—let the memory burn. But he didn't stop walking.
When he reached the end, the bridge sealed behind him.
---
Trial 1 Complete. Trial 2: The Room of Truth. Sacrifice required. One of you must stay behind.
They all turned to each other—silent.
Aiden clenched his fists. "We don't leave anyone."
But Rena's eyes were already resolved.
"Someone has to delay whoever's following. I'll hold them back. You move forward."
Takumi grabbed her shoulder. "No. We'll find another way."
But the room had decided.
Steel walls closed in. A countdown appeared. One minute.
Rena smiled.
"Tell Natalya if she wants me dead—she'll have to earn it."
She stepped back into the chamber.
The door slammed shut.
---