Long before time had meaning, there was a House.
Not a house built of wood or stone. Not a place bound by walls or ceilings. This House shifts, breathes, and defies.
It is infinite—stretching beyond space, beyond logic, beyond death itself. It does not obey the laws of any mortal world. Instead, it rewrites them. Reality folds at its will.
To sustain itself, the House reaches beyond its walls. It pulls in people—from distant timelines, forgotten worlds, shattered dimensions... and from the brink of death. Anyone who has lost everything, or is about to lose it, may awaken inside the House.
There is no escape. Only the path forward.
Here, they must fight. They must endure. Each fight pushes the mind and body beyond breaking.
Those who falter are consumed, twisted into shadows of who they were, their sanity claimed by the House.
But those who resist?Those who survive?
They reign.
Niko's eyes snapped open. The world around him was a blur—distorted, fragmented. His head ached, as if a thousand pieces of forgotten memories had just slammed against his skull. He blinked, trying to clear the fog, but nothing made sense. The floor beneath him was cold, rough, as if he had been lying there for hours… or days.
Where was he?
His legs felt unsteady as he pushed himself up, his body sluggish and unfamiliar, like he had forgotten how to move. The walls around him bent in odd angles, stretching and curving in ways that defied logic. There was no ceiling, no floor in sight—just an endless stretch of shifting corridors, each more surreal than the last.
'I don't remember... anything.' Niko thought
Niko's breath hitched as a creeping unease settled in his chest. The fog of his mind only deepened. Who was he? What was he doing here? His heart raced. He could feel a strange power stirring inside him, just beneath the surface. It was familiar—intimately so—but also distant, like a memory locked away behind a wall he couldn't break down.
But what was it? And why couldn't he remember anything else?
The silence around him was deafening. The only sound was the faint echo of his own breathing, mingled with the strange hum of the House. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones. There was a presence—something… watching him? Waiting?
'I need answers.'
But where would he even begin to search for them?
He stepped forward, each movement deliberate, as if the House itself was watching him, testing him. The deeper he went, the more he felt like the walls were closing in. He had to find out who he was, why he was here, and what his power meant… before whatever was lurking in the shadows found him first.
Niko moved cautiously through the ever-changing halls, his footsteps echoing on the stone-like floor. The sense of unease grew with every turn, like the House itself was a living, breathing thing, watching his every move. Every corner he rounded seemed to open into another impossible space—a room with no walls, a hallway that spiraled upwards endlessly, and endless doors that led nowhere. He tried to focus, tried to center himself, but his mind was still fractured. The more he thought, the more distant his memories seemed.
His hand brushed against the wall, cool and smooth like glass, but it rippled under his touch, like water disturbed by a stone. He flinched back, heart pounding. This place was unnatural...
Niko continued to wander through the hallways of the House, the atmosphere growing heavier with every step he took. His mind was clouded, still grappling with the fact that he had no memory of how he ended up here. The place felt wrong—wrong in a way he couldn't quite explain. It was like walking through a dream that twisted and morphed around him, trapping him in its endless maze of cold, empty rooms.
He continued, passing by countless doors and strange hallways until one particular door caught his attention. It was slightly ajar, a dim light spilling through the crack. Curiosity pushed him forward, and he pushed the door open cautiously, peeking inside.
The sight that greeted him made his stomach twist.
A man stood in the center of a large library, surrounded by swords—floating swords. Niko's mind struggled to process what he was seeing. The swords were suspended in mid-air, twirling and shifting in a slow, controlled dance around the man. There was no visible strings, no magic—just the swords moving as if guided by some invisible force.
'What the hell?' Niko thought, his breath catching in his throat. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his feet were frozen in place.
The man didn't seem to notice Niko at first. He was too busy flipping through a book in his hand, as if he were casually ignoring the deadly blades surrounding him. His eyes were focused on the pages, and the swords floated lazily, their tips brushing the air in soft, almost rhythmical swipes.
Niko blinked. 'Is this... real? Are those... really floating?'
Finally, the man looked up, catching sight of Niko at the door. A slow grin spread across his face. "Well, well. Fresh meat," he muttered to himself. His gaze never left Niko as he casually raised one hand. Immediately, several of the swords hovered closer to Niko, their tips pointing in his direction.
"W-what are you doing?" Niko stammered, his voice betraying the confusion racing through his mind. "What is this place? Who are you?"
The man didn't answer right away. Instead, he seemed to enjoy the surprise in Niko's eyes, watching as the younger figure struggled to process the situation. Finally, with a cold chuckle, he spoke.
"Name's Vex," he said, his voice detached. "This is the House. And you?"
Niko backed away slightly, his heart pounding in his chest. "The House? What do you mean? I—"
Before he could finish, the swords shot forward, slicing through the air with blinding speed. Niko barely managed to dodge one, his body moving on reflex as he scrambled to the side. He hit the floor hard but pushed himself up again, his eyes wide with panic.
Vex, still holding his book with one hand, flicked his wrist and the swords froze in midair for a moment. Niko's heart raced—he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"W-wait!" Niko shouted, breathless. "What the hell is going on? Why are you trying to kill me?"
Vex didn't answer. He let out a low, amused chuckle as he waved his hand again. The swords began moving once more, this time with more intent. They spun around Niko, cutting the air so close that he could feel the pressure from their speed.
"I'm not trying to kill you," Vex said flatly. "I will kill you. This place isn't for weaklings. The House takes care of that quickly."
Niko barely had time to react as another sword shot toward him. He dodged, but only just, the blade slicing through the sleeve of his shirt. His pulse thundered in his ears. "Why are you doing this?" he gasped, trying to keep his voice steady. "I don't even know where I am! I don't even know who I am!"
Vex raised an eyebrow as he flicked his wrist again, sending the swords in for another attack. "You're in the House now," he said, almost disinterested. "It's simple. You survive, or you die. Doesn't really matter to me which."
Niko scrambled back, his mind spinning. 'I can't—how is he doing this? Why are the swords just floating around him like that?'
"You don't have to understand," Vex said, almost like he was reading Niko's mind. "In the House, you either figure it out, or you don't. And you? You're not going to figure it out in time. You'll be dead soon enough."
Niko's legs burned from the effort of dodging, and his mind was racing in confusion. 'What do I do? How do I fight this guy? I don't even know what's going on...'
He barely managed to avoid another sword as it whizzed by his ear, slicing off a lock of his hair. The cold metal grazed his skin, leaving a shallow cut that stung painfully.
"I don't have time to explain everything to you," Vex continued, his tone as casual as before, like he was simply passing the time. "But here's the short version: You're not going to make it. The House doesn't let anyone survive who's this weak. Not for long, anyway."
Niko's chest tigh6tened as he frantically looked for an escape route. But the swords circled him, cutting off any possibility of retreat. Every time he moved, another blade was there, waiting to slice him open.
"Please," Niko gasped, his voice shaking with frustration. "I just need to know... what is happening? Why... why are you even here?"
Vex gave him a cold, almost pitying look. "I'm here because I can be. And soon, you'll be gone. Another body for the House to consume. That's all any of us are here. Just a game."
Another sword lunged at him, and Niko barely dodged it, stumbling back toward a shelf. His heart was racing, his thoughts scattered. He didn't know what this was—didn't know why he was here—but he knew one thing: if he didn't find a way out, he was going to die here.
The air was thick with tension, each breath Niko took feeling heavier than the last. He was running out of space, running out of time. Vex's swords danced around him like vultures closing in on their prey. Every movement Niko made only seemed to bring him closer to death. He was on the edge—one misstep away from being impaled by one of those sharp blades.
Vex's mocking laughter echoed through the library. "Impressive," he said, watching Niko dodge and weave. "I didn't think you'd last this long. You're not half bad... for someone who's about to die."
Niko's heart pounded against his ribcage, and his limbs were starting to feel heavy. His breath came in short gasps, his shirt torn and his skin grazed by the deadly blades that circled him. But even in the chaos, a strange calm began to settle over him. He couldn't explain it, but he didn't feel like he was going to die. Not yet.
Vex raised his hand again, and the swords froze in mid-air, all of them pointing directly at Niko. "This is it," Vex said with a wicked grin. "You've fought well, but your luck's run out."
Niko's body was tense, every fiber of his being screaming for him to move, to escape. But his legs were locked in place. There was nowhere to go. 'Why can't I move?' Niko thought, his mind a whirl of confusion. 'Why... can't I—?'
Suddenly, a crackle ran through the air.
Niko's eyes widened. It was coming from his hand—his right hand, held out in front of him in a natural defensive stance. His fingers twitched involuntarily, as if his body was reacting before his mind could catch up. There was a strange energy there—a force that seemed to hum with power, but it wasn't like anything he'd ever felt before. It felt... alive.
The crackle intensified, sparking from his palm, and Niko instinctively pushed his hand forward. As if on cue, a burst of energy erupted from his fingertips—blinding, raw, and full of unrefined power.
"No!" Vex shouted in surprise, his eyes widening. The swords surrounding him faltered for a moment as the energy wave shot forward, tearing through the air like a shockwave. The blades veered off course, clattering against the shelves and walls with a loud, jarring crash.
Niko stumbled back, his chest heaving as the power from his hand dissipated, leaving only the faintest echo of the blast. He stood there, breathless and stunned, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened.
'What... was that?' he thought, staring at his hand. 'I... I did that?'
His heart was still racing, but this time, it wasn't from fear. It was something else—something deep within him had awakened. But he didn't know what it was. Didn't know how he'd done it.
Vex was silent for a moment. His grin faltered as he looked at Niko, his expression unreadable.
Niko's chest tightened with uncertainty. The calm that had settled over him was quickly replaced by a growing tension in his gut. Was that power his? Was it something he could control?
"Interesting," Vex muttered, taking a step back. "I wasn't expecting that."
Niko's eyes flickered between the floating swords now scattered around the library, his hand still pulsing with an unfamiliar energy. 'What the hell is happening to me?' he thought. 'What is this power?'
Vex's voice broke through his thoughts, his tone darker now. "It's nothing to be proud of," he said, his smirk returning. "You've only just scratched the surface of what this House has to offer. But don't get too comfortable. You're not getting out of here alive."
Niko's body was still trembling from the residual power in his hand, but his mind was clearer now. This wasn't over. He couldn't let it be over. Not yet.
"Why are you doing this?" Niko found himself asking again, his voice calm but intense. "What's your purpose? Why are you attacking me?"
Vex paused, and for a moment, Niko thought he might actually answer. But instead, Vex gave a low chuckle, his eyes narrowing. "You'll understand soon enough. The House... it's a place where only the strong survive. And you? You're weak. You always will be."
With that, the swords swarmed back around him, their tips glinting in the dim light. But Niko didn't flinch this time. He wasn't going to let Vex push him around anymore.
His hand clenched, the strange power still simmering beneath his skin. 'I can do this,' Niko thought, his eyes narrowing. 'I don't know what this is... but I'm going to figure it out. I'm not just some pawn for him to play with.'
Vex's eyes gleamed with cruel amusement as the swords began their dance once more. But Niko wasn't going to be caught off guard again. Not this time.
Niko's body was burning — not with pain, but power. Faint threads of energy coiled beneath his fur like veins of lightning. He didn't know what it was. Didn't understand it.
But it was real. It was his.
He wasn't just defending anymore.
He was fighting back.
Niko broke into a sprint, dodging the last few blades. He leapt over fallen shelves, skidding across the floor as Vex raised a hand — another sword lifted from the ground.
Too slow.
Niko's fist reeled back.
As he swung, the energy surged again — this time not from panic, but purpose. It roared through his arm, spiraling through every nerve, every bone, igniting his blood with power.
'Move!'
His punch connected.
A loud crack echoed through the library as his knuckles slammed into Vex's jaw. A burst of light followed the hit, rippling outward in a shockwave that shattered the nearest glass.
Vex's eyes rolled back. His body flew across the room and crashed into a bookcase with enough force to level it, sending a thunderous rumble through the floor.
The blades dropped, all of them — lifeless, just metal again.
Niko stood frozen, his fist still clenched, chest heaving. The energy flickered along his forearm, then faded.
He stared down at his hand. It was shaking, slightly glowing, still warm.
'I don't know what this is... but I'm not helpless anymore.'
Dust settled slowly across the room as silence returned. Vex lay unconscious in the rubble.
And Niko took his first step toward understanding the power that had just awakened inside him.