The silence in the hall was deafening. Ryuji set his foot on the cold ground, his eyes scanning the vast space. The ceiling rose dozens of meters above him, and the faint light filtering through the cracks revealed skeletons. Everywhere. Piled against the walls, some shattered, others half-swallowed by the stone. He understood immediately: these bodies were the remains of the slaves sent here before him. Victims who had not survived the unthinkable. A shiver ran down his spine. His fist tightened around the handle of his improvised sword, a piece of scavenged metal that suddenly seemed pathetically fragile.
— "So this is… what they call hell."
He drew a deep breath, trying to chase away the fear knotting his stomach. Will I end up like them? Will my name be added to this mountain of silence? Each step brought him closer to the massive creature, motionless at the center of the hall. The golem. Ryuji felt it before he even saw it move: the power. A dense, crushing energy radiated from the luminous sphere lodged in its stone chest. That core… it's the key. But how do I reach it? He took a second to observe, to plan, to breathe… but the golem did not grant him that luxury.
A deep rumble rose from its entrails, a sound that made the cavern walls vibrate. The first attack was slow but terrifying: a stone fist crashed down, pulverizing the floor where Ryuji had stood a moment before. He leapt back, rolling across the ground to avoid the sharp shards flying like arrows.
— "Alright… it begins."
The battle truly started. Every movement of Ryuji became a precarious dance between survival and death. The golem did not tire. It struck with the regularity of an implacable clock, each blow capable of turning him into bloody pulp. Ryuji dodged, rolled, jumped. His arms already trembled from adrenaline, his legs screamed, but he kept going. I can't win with strength. I have to think. Observe. Find a weakness. Yet no offensive strategy seemed viable: his strikes slid against the granite surface, bouncing off without leaving a mark, sending painful shocks back into his wrists. He moved only to stay alive. Each dodge was a precise calculation: distance, speed, timing. One centimeter too far and I'm crushed. One breath too short and I collapse.
The ground shook with every impact. Dust riddled the walls. Ryuji tasted blood in his mouth — a cut on his lip, a scrape on his forehead from debris. He tried to ignore them. But the golem did not slow. On the contrary, its movements grew more fluid. It's learning. It's adapting. As if it reads my gestures before I make them. Sometimes he ran, sometimes he slid sideways, sometimes he ducked just in time to feel the wind of the fist pass above his head. Each breath was a titanic effort.
— "Breathe… analyze… move…" he muttered, throat dry.
His muscles were heavy, his joints aching. Sticky blood ran down his hands. The sword he held felt lighter and lighter, almost useless, incapable of biting into stone. Why do I cling to this scrap of metal? Because it's all I have. Because letting go would mean accepting death. He watched the glowing cracks on the golem's body. With each movement, they pulsed, shining brighter. Is that a weakness? Or a trap?
— "Damn… this isn't normal."
It was true. The golem wasn't just strong: it was predictable, but cruelly effective. Each successful dodge placed Ryuji in a more precarious position for the next strike, slowly cornering him toward the piles of bones. As if the hall itself wanted to push me to the end. A burst of stones crashed beside him. Ryuji rolled, his back brushing against the bleached ribs of a long-dead slave. The shards tore his clothes and cut his skin raw. A sharp pain shot through his left leg, a cramp or a tear, but he refused to stop. Pain is a lie. If I listen to it, I die. Each passing second was a pitiful victory. His legs weakened, his breath grew short and ragged. Dizziness rose, clouding his vision. I need to find an opening. Just one. But where?
Minutes stretched into hours. Fatigue became a physical weight, a leaden shroud on his shoulders. Ryuji tried a feint to the right to slip behind the giant, but the golem pivoted with startling agility, sweeping the air with its massive arm. Ryuji had to throw himself to the ground, feeling the pressure of the air nearly pin him to the floor. He rose with difficulty, knees bloodied, chest burning. He saw the luminous core of the golem shining like a distant sun, unreachable. That's it. I know it. But how do I reach it without dying?
A misstep. Too slow. A hesitation born of exhaustion. The golem's fist struck with a speed he hadn't anticipated, changing trajectory mid-swing. Ryuji felt the air violently expelled from his lungs. A sharp crack echoed in his chest. He was hurled several meters, his body bouncing across the floor before slamming into the wall of the great hall. His head hit the hard stone with a dull thud. For an instant, he thought his skull would shatter. Blood flowed immediately from his nose, mixing with dust and acrid sweat on his face. Stars danced before his eyes, a black veil threatening to consume him. His chest burned, his ribs screamed with every breath, but he had not yet lost consciousness. Not now. Not like this.
He barely managed to rise, leaning against the cold wall, breath short and wheezing. The golem stood still for a moment, as if savoring its dominance. Then its stone eyes lit with new intensity. The creature moved again, but this time, its steps were different. Faster. More determined. Ryuji frowned, clenching his jaw so hard he risked breaking his teeth. Rage boiled deep within him. A burning, visceral anger that consumed his pain. The Basilisk. The betrayal. The death of my companions. It's all here, in this fire. I cannot fall. Not here. Not now.
— "So this is it… this is how it's going to be…" he murmured through bloodied teeth.
His gaze flared with fierce, almost savage determination. He pushed himself off the wall, sword trembling but firmly held. He knew his bones were cracked, his muscles at their limit. But he felt something else, a spark of pure will refusing to die. I am not just a survivor. I am the one who refuses to be erased. The golem charged, its steps cracking the floor beneath its colossal weight. Ryuji did not retreat this time. He tightened his grip on his makeshift weapon, eyes locked on the luminous core pulsing in rhythm with his own fury. That's it. That's my target. And I will reach it. He knew… this was not the end. This was only the true beginning of the Trial of Stone.