The first step through the arch was like plunging into ice.Arian's breath caught in his chest, his vision blurring until the forest dissolved into a shifting haze of shadows and pale light.
Shapes began to solidify around him — towering forms, part man, part tiger, their bodies wreathed in faint silver flame. Their eyes locked on him, unblinking.
One stepped forward, its voice low and rasping:"Another heir… another fool."
The others closed in, their growls resonating through his bones. Each face was different — some scarred, some proud, some hollow-eyed — yet all shared the same stripe pattern etched into their skin.
Arian's instincts told him to bare his claws, but the silver light inside him whispered otherwise. This was not a battle of strength — not yet.
"Why are you here?" one demanded."To survive," Arian answered."Wrong," another growled. "You are here to be judged."
The ground beneath his feet shifted, the stone arch gone, replaced by an endless expanse of white sand under a moon that hung impossibly close. The air felt heavy, pressing on his chest.
A figure emerged from the far edge of the circle — human in form, but with golden eyes that gleamed like the White Tiger's. Its presence silenced the others.
"I am the first," it said. "The one who forged the Bond. You carry our blood, but you are untested."
It stepped closer until Arian could see the faint shimmer of claws beneath its hands."To claim the Bond, you must face the shadow of what you will become… should you fail."
The ground split open at Arian's feet, and from the darkness below, something climbed out — a creature with his face, but stripped of humanity. Its eyes were nothing but burning gold, its jaws lined with too many teeth, its stripes writhing like living things.
The spirit of the first heir stepped back."Defeat it… or take its place."
The beast lunged.
The beast moved like lightning — faster than anything Arian had ever faced.Its claws carved the air, missing his chest by inches but leaving streaks of heat in their wake.
Arian rolled aside, sand exploding beneath him. He came up on one knee, breathing hard. The monster's eyes locked onto his, unblinking, hunger burning in their depths.
It grinned. His grin — twisted, predatory."You're not strong enough," it hissed, the voice a distorted echo of his own. "Give in… and I'll show you what power really feels like."
The words slithered into his mind, tempting. For a heartbeat, Arian felt the urge to surrender — to let the rage take over, to stop thinking and just tear.
But then the silver light inside him flared, cutting through the darkness.He remembered the White Tiger's voice: Do not surrender to its full power.
The beast lunged again, claws aiming for his throat.This time, Arian met it head-on. His own claws extended, silver energy sparking at their tips. The impact sent a shockwave through the white sand, throwing the ghostly heirs around them into the shadows.
They traded blows in a blur — claws raking, fangs snapping, sand spraying into the air. Every strike Arian landed, the beast returned with twice the force. And each time they clashed, he could feel it — a pull, like the creature was trying to drag him into itself.
Then he realized: this wasn't just a fight. The beast wasn't trying to kill him.It was trying to become him.
Snarling, Arian shifted his stance. He stopped blocking and started mirroring — matching the beast's moves exactly, step for step, slash for slash. With each mirrored motion, the monster's grin faltered, its form flickering like smoke in the wind.
"You're just a shadow," Arian growled. "And I'm done running from you."
He lunged one final time, driving his claws straight into the creature's chest.The golden fire in its eyes flared, then shattered into sparks that vanished into the air.
The sand, the moon, the spirits — all dissolved into blinding light.
When the world reformed, Arian was back before the stone arch.The White Tiger stood waiting, its eyes brighter than before.
"You faced yourself… and lived," it said. "Now, the true Bond begins."
The White Tiger lowered its massive head until its nose was level with Arian's.Up close, the beast's presence was overwhelming — a storm wrapped in fur and muscle, each breath carrying the scent of wild rain and ancient forests.
Arian felt his pulse sync with the tiger's. Every beat was heavier, louder.
"You have cut your shadow," the White Tiger rumbled. "But shadows return. You must anchor yourself before it grows again."
"Anchor myself?" Arian asked, voice hoarse.
The tiger's golden eyes glinted. "Through the Bond. My essence will flow into you. My strength will be yours. My hunger… will also be yours."
Arian swallowed hard. "And if I can't control it?"
"Then you will become what you saw in the sand."
There was no more time to think. The tiger reared back, letting out a roar that split the air like thunder. Stripes of white flame spiraled from its body, wrapping around Arian. The heat was unbearable, yet it didn't burn — it felt like the fire was inside his veins, replacing his blood.
The tiger's form began to fade, breaking into threads of light that sank into his skin.Arian gasped, clutching his chest as his heartbeat turned into a pounding war drum.
Images flooded his mind — endless jungles, battles under crimson moons, the taste of blood and the thrill of the hunt. His muscles trembled, his senses sharpened. He could smell the salt in the air, hear the shifting of grains of sand miles away.
When the light finally died down, the tiger was gone.But its voice echoed in his head.
"From this day, we are one. Win, and you will be remembered. Fail… and you will be feared."
Arian opened his eyes.The night around him felt different now — sharper, heavier, alive.Somewhere in the distance, the sound of footsteps approached. Not human. Not friendly.
The trial wasn't over.