Darkness surrounded Kai.
He couldn't see Vex.
Couldn't see Mei, Luca, Mateo, or Freya.
Only silence.
Then—
A faint blue light appeared beneath his feet.
Kai looked down.
A symbol was glowing on the floor.
The same symbol from the wall.
THE FIRST HAS AWAKENED.
Kai stepped backward.
"What does that mean?"
A voice answered.
"Nothing good."
Kai spun around.
Vex stood behind him.
"You scared me," Kai muttered.
Vex gave him a tired look.
"You think I'm enjoying this?"
Before Kai could respond, the others began appearing from the darkness.
Mei.
Luca.
Mateo.
Freya.
All alive.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Kai allowed himself to breathe.
"We're all here."
"Not for long," a voice whispered.
Everyone froze.
The walls began changing.
Five enormous doors appeared around the room.
Each door carried a different symbol.
The first looked like a flame.
The second resembled an eye.
The third looked like a broken crown.
The fourth looked like a tree with black roots.
The fifth was completely blank.
Kai approached the doors carefully.
"What are these?"
A mechanical voice answered.
"GUARDIAN TRIALS."
Vex frowned.
"Guardian trials?"
The voice continued.
"FOUR GUARDIANS REMAIN."
Kai remembered the First Guardian's final words.
Find the other Guardians.
He looked at the doors.
"Then these must lead to them."
The Game suddenly laughed.
Not the cold mechanical sound they were used to.
This laugh sounded almost human.
"IF YOU CAN SURVIVE."
The flame symbol suddenly lit up.
The entire room shook.
A wave of heat rushed through the chamber.
Luca jumped backward.
"Okay! I officially hate that door."
Kai stepped toward it.
"Wait."
He noticed something strange.
The flame wasn't moving randomly.
It was pointing toward the blank door.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
"It's showing us something."
Mei walked closer.
"Maybe it's a clue."
The flame flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then three times.
Kai looked at the others.
"Three."
Vex understood.
"Three what?"
Kai looked around the room.
Three cracks in the floor.
Three broken pillars.
Three symbols carved into the ceiling.
"Three steps."
He walked toward the flame door.
One step.
Nothing happened.
Two steps.
The room became hotter.
Three steps—
The door opened.
A massive wave of fire rushed toward them.
Everyone screamed.
Kai raised his arms instinctively.
But the fire stopped inches away.
It wasn't real fire.
It was an illusion.
Inside the flames, Kai saw a figure.
A woman wearing a long dark cloak.
Her face was hidden.
She stood before an enormous gate.
Then she turned toward Kai.
"You seek the Guardians."
Kai stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The figure didn't answer.
Instead, she raised her hand.
The image changed.
Kai saw the First Guardian.
Then another figure.
Then another.
Four figures stood around a massive black structure.
And in the center...
Something was chained.
Something enormous.
Something that made even the Guardians look small.
Kai's breathing stopped.
"What is that?"
The woman finally answered.
"The reason the Death Game exists."
The vision disappeared.
The fire vanished.
The door slammed shut.
Everyone stood silently.
Vex looked at Kai.
"Did you see that?"
Kai nodded.
"Yeah."
Luca swallowed.
"I really wish I hadn't."
A deep rumble echoed beneath them.
The blank door opened by itself.
Behind it was a staircase descending into darkness.
No symbols.
No instructions.
No warning.
Kai stared down the stairs.
The Game's voice returned.
"THE NEXT STAGE AWAITS."
Kai stepped forward.
Then he stopped.
On the wall beside the staircase, five words slowly appeared.
DON'T TRUST THE FOURTH.
Freya's face went pale.
"Fourth... what?"
Kai looked at the others.
Nobody answered.
Then—
The blank door slammed shut behind them.
They were trapped.
And somewhere deep beneath the staircase...
four slow knocks echoed through the darkness.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Kai tightened his grip around the badge.
Whatever was waiting below...
it already knew they were coming.
To Be Continued...