"The Cairn?" Freddie questioned.
Riven stared into this place, his eyes still roaming the whole view.
"It's something I wanted to call this place, just a name. I have heard some fantasy stories about the Cairn when I was a teenager. Our English teacher loves talking about nonfictional and fictional stories. I wasn't really a fan of books, but I took a good ear on some fiction."
Freddie acknowledges his word and kept silent.
They still didn't move at first.
The Cairn had taught them that stillness wasn't safety—it was scrutiny. Every surface felt like it was watching for patterns, cataloging hesitation. Riven let his gaze travel slowly, deliberately, retracing the architecture until something broke the rhythm.
A shape.
Wrong.
Half-hidden beneath the massive staircase.
It looked like a foot.
Not human.
Scaled, thick, ending in a blunt curve that suggested claws too heavy to lift quietly. The stone around it was stained with shadow that didn't behave like shadow should—curling inward instead of stretching away, clinging as if reluctant to let go.
Riven's eyes narrowed.
A dragon's foot.
The aura around it pulsed once, low and slow, like a breath taken by something that hadn't decided whether to wake.
He stepped forward without hesitation, placing himself squarely between the anomaly and Freddie. Light fractured around his forearms as the weapon formed—first a lattice of pale geometry, then solidifying into fist claws, edges humming with restrained force. They didn't gleam; they absorbed the light around them.
"This could be anything, just stay back."
Freddie didn't argue. He trusted Riven's instincts—trusted the way his body shifted when danger wasn't theoretical anymore. Still, curiosity tugged at him, sharp and insistent. The longer he stared, the more the shape felt… off.
As Riven edged closer, Freddie leaned just enough to peer past him, angling his view beneath the staircase.
The scales had some type of marking.
They were burn marks—darkened impressions crawling up fabric, the illusion of a dragon's limb created by shadow and distortion. The aura wavered, flickering like a bad projection, and beneath it—
A bound.
"Huh?"
Riven glanced back, confusion flickering across his face for just a fraction of a second.
"What's wrong?"
"Come take a look."
Riven hesitated, then shifted aside just enough.
Freddie moved in, crouching instinctively. The moment his eyes adjusted, recognition hit him like a physical blow.
"Kasey?!"
The name echoed wrong in the vast hall, swallowed too quickly by the clocks ticking and stalling around them.
Kasey lay slumped against the base of the stairs, wrists bound with thick rope that looked older than the stone itself—fibers rough, uneven, biting into skin. His chest rose and fell shallowly. Unconscious, but alive.
And wrapped around him like a second skin was that same warped aura—shadow curling in the vague outline of something much larger, something draconic that refused to fully manifest.
Riven knelt immediately, claws retracting with a soft hiss of light. He didn't touch the ropes yet. His eyes traced the aura instead.
"This isn't an illusion, it's a mark."
"A mark for what?"
Riven didn't answer right away. He lifted his gaze, scanning the staircase, the elevator, the shifting platforms beyond. The Cairn felt different now.
Finally, he looked back at Kasey.
"This… looks like 'Them', probably."
Freddie's stomach twisted. Kasey was a student—a friend. Someone who had walked the same halls, laughed about the same stupid things. He didn't belong here—none of them did—but seeing proof of that wrongness made it sharper.
"Okay, we can't leave him though."
Riven met his eyes. There was no debate there. Just resolve.
"No, we don't."
The aura around Kasey pulsed again—stronger this time—and somewhere deep within the tower, a mechanism shifted. Stone slid against stone. One of the clocks overhead lurched forward, its hands snapping into alignment.
And it was adjusting accordingly.
Freddie barely had time to register the motion.
As he knelt, fingers brushing the coarse rope, heat surged outward without warning. The bindings ignited in dark blue flame, fire that didn't flicker or roar—just consumed. The rope disintegrated in seconds, ash spiraling upward like it had been summoned rather than burned.
He moved on instinct alone.
Kasey lunged.
The impact was sudden and brutal—Freddie knocked back onto the checkered floor, breath driven from his lungs as weight slammed into him. There was no recognition in Kasey's face, no hesitation. Just raw, misdirected force.
Riven reacted instantly.
He crossed the distance in a blur, bare hands striking with precision meant to disable, not kill. His claws flared briefly—sharp enough to tear, restrained enough to hold back. The blow sent Kasey skidding across the floor, stone cracking beneath him as he hit the base of a pillar.
Riven didn't wait.
He hauled Freddie upright, one arm locking around his shoulders as he repositioned them toward the center of the entrance hall—open ground, fewer blind spots.
"Stay with me."
Freddie nodded, chest tight, eyes already tracking Kasey.
Slowly, unnaturally, Kasey pushed himself to his feet.
His eyes were closed at first.
Then they opened.
Dark blue. Solid. No pupils. No reflection.
Freddie's throat tightened, horrified by the way Kasey looked.
"Kasey… It's me. Freddie."
No response.
Not a flicker. Not a breath of recognition.
Kasey stood there like a puppet waiting for its strings to be pulled.
"No use, looks like our only option is to—"
Riven stopped.
Because Kasey's head jerked sharply to the side, as if something had grabbed it from inside. His hands clawed at his temples, fingers digging in hard enough to draw blood.
"No—Let… go… I don't… want to accept—"
The air behind him thickened.
Shadow spilled outward, peeling itself off the floor and walls, rising until it stood upright—him, but wrong. Larger. Broader. Its edges blurred like smoke caught in a current, wings unfurling behind it—draconic, jagged, too sharp to be symbolic.
A mirror warped into accusation.
"You can't accept your past…?" the shadow spoke.
Its voice was Kasey's—twisted, layered, venomous. Like several versions of him speaking at once, none of them kind.
"You HIDE yourself behind that happy smug," it continued, circling slowly. "Thinking no one would notice…"
This wasn't a monster that fed on flesh. It fed on memory.
"Your trust issues," the shadow hissed, leaning closer to Kasey's ear. "The ones that break you. The ones that hurt you. The ones that deceive you."
Kasey shook his head violently.
"Stop—"
"You never knew anything, you never knew what you wanted. You made bad choices and pretended everything would be fine—"
Its wings flared wide, casting the hall in warped blue-black light.
"—when in reality, it isn't."
The clocks around them rattled. Some spun faster. Others cracked entirely, glass raining down without sound.
"You've bottled me up for so long…" the shadow whispered, voice lowering, almost intimate.
"And now…"
It loomed directly behind Kasey, merging closer, its form overlapping his like a second skin.
"…here I am."
Freddie felt cold crawl up his spine.
This wasn't possession.
This was confrontation.
"No— NO!"
Everything stopped.
The clocks froze mid-tick. The drifting platforms locked in place. Even the air itself felt like it had been seized mid-breath.
"I'LL NEVER EVER ACCEPT THIS! I HATED MYSELF—I HATED EVERYONE! I HATED EVERYTHING! "
For a long moment, the shadow didn't move.
Then it smiled.
Slow, indulgent curl of satisfaction, its tail lashing once behind it like a verdict being passed.
"Yes," it purred.
"Yes—feed it. Feed your denial. Feed me."
Power surged.
The aura around Kasey detonated outward in a violent pulse, knocking dust from the walls and sending a pressure wave through the hall. Freddie staggered, barely keeping his footing. Riven didn't move—he simply braced, eyes sharp, reading the shift the way a soldier reads the opening move of a war.
The shadow surged forward and swallowed Kasey whole, as if it claimed him.
Darkness crawled over skin, bone, memory—thickening, solidifying. The translucent edges hardened into mass. Wings tore free from the shadow's back, fully formed now, scales locking into place with a grinding sound like stone dragged across steel.
When the light settled, Kasey was gone.
What stood in his place wore his shape the way a mockery wears a crown.
Taller height. Bigger frame.
Wrong in every detail.
His face was sharper, stretched just enough to be unsettling. His eyes burned a solid, abyssal blue, glowing from within like furnaces starved of mercy. The wings behind him were vast and draconic, membranes veined with pulsing light. His shadow no longer trailed beneath him—
It answered to him.
"This is going to be a good one."
Riven rolled his shoulders once, servos and muscle syncing as his stance lowered. Power hummed through him, familiar and steady. He didn't look afraid.
He looked ready.
Freddie slid to the side, heart hammering, and focused. Light pixelated into existence at his palm—blocks of sharp geometry snapping together until they resolved into a one-handed sword. The blade wasn't sharp, but it was dense, resilient. Built to endure rather than cut.
The creature started to inhale.
Then it roared.
The sound ripped through the hall, shattering several clocks at once, glass exploding outward in frozen arcs that only fell once the echo died. The fight had begun.
"I am the Awakened," it declared, wings flaring wide.
"The corrupted self."
It took a step forward, each footfall cracking the floor.
"Those who refuse to face their past—who bury their mistakes and call it strength—will always be hunted by them."
Its gaze locked onto Freddie first, then Riven.
"Trust is not demanded," it snarled.
"It is earned."
The Cairn shifted around them, walls subtly rearranging, the arena adjusting to accommodate what it had just allowed into existence.
This wasn't just a battle.
It was a lesson made violent.
And somewhere beneath the monster's voice, buried deep under rage and denial, a part of Kasey was still screaming to be heard.
For a heartbeat, the world narrowed.
Freddie's grip tightened around the dull blade—and then everything fell inward.
He stood somewhere else.
Not the Cairn.
A shallow sea of blue-black glass stretched beneath his feet, reflecting nothing but fractured light. Above him loomed a shape—familiar, unsettling, impossibly close.
Treddie.
Just… him. What was it doing here?
Listen carefully, Treddie said, voice calm, deliberate.
You're not here to figure this out by luck. This is a fight of mechanics, timing, and observation. I'll guide you.
Freddie didn't speak. He just watched as Treddie starts to dialogue with important information:
———
First: physical attacks. Everything you and Riven do outside elemental abilities has a property. There are four you need to know:
Blunt: Clubs, fists (weaponized), hammer strikes. Good against armored foes, can stagger most enemies with repeated hits.
Pierce: Spears, spikes, pointed weapons. Effective against lightly armored targets, precise strikes can stagger.
Slash: Swords, blades, claws. Standard physical attacks, balanced but rarely cause staggering alone.
Strike: Raw open-hand attacks, kicks, and punches. Useful to finish stagger combos.
———
Next: elemental attacks. There are nine-to-ten primary elements, and each enemy may respond differently. Pay attention to their aura and reaction:
Fire: Heat-based. Effective and applies burn by chance. Weak if blocked by fire-resistant barriers.
Ice: Cold-based. Can slow movement. Effective and applies freeze by chance.
Wind: Air-based. Can push enemies back or stagger if hit in certain weak points.
Electric: Shock-based. Effective on water, machinery, or electronic defenses. It can also apply the shock ailment by chance.
Earth: Stone, soil, or seismic strikes. Can knock down or stagger large enemies if technical.
Water: Liquid or frost hybrid. Can apply the droop/wet effect by chance, and can par with electric skills.
Psychic: Mental attacks, confuses weaker minds. Less effective on creatures with shadow dominance.
Nuclear: Radiation or corrosive energy. Slow damage, occasionally ignores resistances.
Light / Dark: Spiritual energy. Light hurts shadow beings; dark pierces holy or light-aligned enemies.
———
Hidden elements exist. They are rare but deadly:
Almighty: Bypasses resistances, ignores elemental affinity. Damage levels can be moderate, heavy, severe, or deadly. You can dodge them but most are guaranteed if it hits.
Instant Death: Can end a battle instantly if it connects. Low probability, high risk.
Ailments: Like I've mentioned in some skills, there are status effects—poison, burn, freeze, wet, shock, sleep, fear, confusion, and charm. It can disrupt fights but rarely do direct damage.
———
Weakness vs. Resistance:
Weakness: Exploiting it staggers the enemy, leaving them open for follow-up attacks.
Resistances: Can be:
Resist: Takes less damage.
Block: Halts the attack entirely.
Repel: Sends the attack back toward the caster.
Absorb: Converts damage into HP for the enemy.
Thorn: Resists and deals a portion of damage back to the attacker, but the thorn effects both the attacked and the attacker.
———
Treddie pointed at the corrupted Kasey.
"Watch. Look at his wings—they pulse blue. That's a dark elemental property and fire. Light attacks will stagger—you have light attacks. Do note that looking at your enemies 'looks' can give you an indicator of what they're weak to. Don't rely on that all the time because sometimes that doesn't work."
He flicked a hand at his own shadow, floating behind Freddie.
You and Riven can summon shadows—like me—you can summon me to reinforce attacks. Every strike, every spell, every skill gets stronger if your shadow manifests. Think of it as leveling up; getting stronger with each victory. And remember: Riven is a Defensive DPS. That's what it looks like from my perspective atleast. He can hit hard, block some damage, control the battle, and reacts strategically towards enemies. However, he isn't a tank. You are a hybrid—you can adapt. My power—our power—is flexible, you'll learn more soon as time goes on. For now, you're an Offensive Support. Keep him alive, boost him, stagger enemies, and finish when the opening appears.
Another diagram appeared, glowing faintly. Circles indicated attack ranges. Lines showed stagger windows.
Your active skills at this level:
Pulse Blade: Low damage, can stagger enemies if timed correctly. Physical, Slash property.
Darakaju: Increases an ally's (singular) damage for certain periods.
Vita: Heals minor wounds to one ally.
Lux: Elemental light attack (light damage, medium damage if hit with weakness).
———
Strategy:
Stagger the enemy by hitting its weakness.
Use Reinforce to empower Riven or yourself during stagger windows.
Watch attacks carefully—enemy shadows telegraph elemental and physical moves.
Avoid overcommitting. Timing is everything.
———
Freddie absorbed it silently. Treddie's voice softened.
You don't have to talk. You just need to act when it's right. That's all.
The world snapped back into place. Treddie disappeared within Freddie.
The corrupted Kasey's abyssal eyes glowed. Shadow spiraled behind him, wings unfurling like jagged sails. Every movement sent echoes through the Cairn, warping the drifting platforms.
Riven stepped forward, shadow coalescing, voice sharp:
"NIVER!"
Dark crimson energy flared behind him—angular, predatory, mirroring every muscle. Every step he took felt heavier, calculated, like the shadow itself was weighing the air.
Freddie followed, sword in hand. Treddie emerged silently, amplifying his stance.
"Remember. Stagger, reinforce, exploit weakness. Timing is everything. You don't need to speak in battle."
The corrupted self lunged, wings slicing through the hall.
Riven's shadow struck first, claws raking the floor [Sleek Claw] property swing. The monster resisted, but its arm staggered. Blue energy sparks flashed along the claws.
Treddie: "Claws are physical. Hit stagger window now."
Freddie stepped in. [Pulse Blade] slashed the wing membrane—stagger exploited. The corrupted self stumbled, trying to regain footing.
Riven followed, shouting again:
"NIVER!"
His shadow's [Bash - Light Strike Damage] strike connected with the chest, staggering the monster again. The corrupted self lashed back, wings flaring, [Nox - Light Dark Damage] slamming toward Freddie. He dodged, Treddie guiding him:
"Light attacks stagger. Wait for opening."
He aimed [Lux], piercing the wings. The monster staggered fully, thrashing violently, tail whipping.
Riven struck again, Strike + Slash combo, Niver's shadow flaring in perfect synchronicity. The monster staggered backward, losing momentum.
It recovered quickly, roaring, and lashed out with a physical + dark elemental sweep, claws and wings in one coordinated strike. Riven blocked some damage; Niver absorbed minor backlash. Freddie jumped back, Treddie whispering:
"Wait for the stagger. Timing is everything. Don't overcommit."
Freddie activated Darakaju, shimmering light wrapping Riven, empowering the next strike. Niver surged, striking the monster's chest. It staggered violently, tail slamming against the floor, knocking loose debris.
The monster spun, tail sweeping again. Riven countered with Strike property, shadow slamming down to stagger the tail. The corrupted self hissed, pulsing blue energy along its wings.
Treddie: "Core is open. Hit hard now."
Freddie slashed [Pulse Blade] into the chest, shadow amplifying. Riven followed, Slash + Strike, Niver tearing into the staggered enemy. The corrupted self staggered, wings flaring violently, shadow peeling slightly.
But it wasn't done.
The corrupted self rose slowly, wings snapping forward. Blue-black spikes emerged from its back. Physical attacks now partially blocked, dark elemental fully resisted.
Freddie retreated, activating [Vita] to heal Riven.
"Thanks, bub." Riven smiled.
Riven now called out again:
"NIVER!"
Niver's shadow surged, swinging with blunt and strike combos, staggering the spikes themselves. The monster flinched, momentarily unbalanced.
Freddie stepped in, Lux, hitting the wings again—staggered fully. The creature screamed, claws thrashing, wings crashing against the hall. The battle was back and forth, each attack creating a rhythm of stagger, resist, reinforce, repeat.
The monster lunged, tail whipping to knock them both down. Riven jumped, shadow striking the floor to counterbalance. Freddie's shadow moved with him, Pulse Blade hitting weak points along the legs, staggering the tail.
The monster roared, staggering from the coordinated assault. Blue-black energy flickered along the body—its shadow peeling, wings faltering.
One final coordinated strike approached:
Freddie reinforced Riven with Darakaju.
Riven, "NIVER!", struck downward with a Strike + Slash combo, shadow amplifying fully.
Freddie's Pulse Blade + Lux hit the chest and wings at the same time.
The corrupted self screamed, staggering violently. Blue-black fragments exploded outward. Wings folded. Shadow dissipated in defeat.
Finally, the corrupted collapsed inward. The Cairn's clocks resumed ticking, drifting platforms moved, and the hall settled.
Kasey lay on the floor, unconscious but anthro.
Riven lowered his stance, scanning cautiously.
"…We won,"
A faint presence stirred: Treddie's voice, soft and final:
"Good… very good. You've got this. No more guidance needed."
Treddie disappeared completely. Freddie stood calm, steady.
They felt their own awakenings getting stronger, stagger windows exploited, shadows reinforced, hybrid teamwork perfected. Freddie didn't need reassurance—he already knew he could handle the next fight.
Kasey stirred, blinking against the shifting light of the Cairn. His body ached from the battle—his wings ruffled, feathers bent, muscles sore. He flexed them, trying to straighten them as best he could, and let out a low groan.
"…Ugh… feels like I got beaten up by a hurricane in lettuce wrap."
Riven quickly covered his mouth like it was the funniest, dumbest shit he has ever heard.
Riven recovered for a moment then stepped forward, his dark fur patterned with white tufts on his chest glowing faintly in the Cairn's light. His posture was calm, imposing, and he extended a hand toward Kasey.
"Here. Let me help."
Kasey froze, eyes widening at the anthro wolf before him. Slowly, hesitantly, he placed his clawed hand against Riven's paw.
And that's when the impossible hit him.
The subtle seams in Riven's fur, the faint mechanical hum beneath the tufts, the glint of joints that didn't flex like real muscles—like something engineered.
Kasey staggered back, disbelief painted across his face.
"W-what the hell… you're… not real?"
Riven didn't flinch.
"We are, and not… what did you expect?"
Freddie stood beside him, golden fur glinting faintly, round ears tilted forward. Shadow energy flickered behind him as Treddie faded from sight. His paw rested quietly at his side, expression calm, observing.
Kasey's wings twitched nervously.
"…You… you're—robots? Animatronics? You're anthros… but—"
His voice cracked. "…how—how is this even possible?"
Riven's white tufts shimmered faintly as he trims his claws.
"We were built for this…and survive places like this. I know this doesn't make sense."
Freddie stepped closer, silent, shadow lingering like a pulse at his back. His amber eyes met Kasey's.
"…It doesn't matter what we are. What matters is now."
Kasey's wings slumped slightly, torn between awe, fear, and exhaustion.
"…I… I can't even—look at you… you looked real. You moved like real anthros… you fought like real anthros… but you're… machines?"
Riven's hand stayed extended, calm. "…You don't need to understand. Just… trust us."
Kasey hesitated, trembling, then slowly reached out again—half for support, half to steady himself. He brushed against Riven's fur. It felt soft, real, yet impossible—engineered perfection beneath the surface.
The Cairn's shadows shifted in the corners of the hall, silent and watching, as if it had registered his disbelief.
And for the first time, Kasey realized:
The world he thought he knew—his friends, these battles, the tower itself—was far stranger than he'd ever imagined.
The Cairn wasn't just a tower. It wasn't just a place of trials.
It was alive.
And Freddie and Riven… they were something more.
Something built to endure the Cairn.
Something he didn't yet know he could ever fully comprehend—let alone trust.
Kasey exhaled slowly, wings drooping as the tension slowly eased. He looked up at the golden bear and the dark wolf anthros—still mechanical, still impossible—but… they were on his side.
For now, that had to be enough.
However, there was one thing missing.
"You got a shadow right behind ya, 'Dragoon'."
Kasey's ears twitched. Slowly, hesitantly, he turned. There it was—his shadow. Taller than him, looming, the same blue-and-black scales but darker, the edges of its form flickering with shadow. Its posture was still, almost silent, only its glowing eyes watching him.
"Oh…"
Kasey's claws dug slightly into the floor. The memory of their previous encounters rose unbidden—the denial, the ego taking control, the fear of facing himself. His face flushed, wings twitching with nervous tension.
"…I… I've been running," he muttered, voice rough.
"…Hiding. Pretending like… none of it mattered. Pretending like I was… fine."
The shadow's form rippled slightly but it said nothing. Just a faint hiss, almost like a breath, like it was waiting for him to continue.
"…I pushed everything down. My fear, my anger, my mistakes… all of it. I shoved it away and pretended I was strong, happy, untouchable. But I… I wasn't."
Kasey exhaled shakily. "…I see now. I can't run from myself anymore. I accept… all of it. Everything I tried to hide, everything I denied—I accept it. I… I am me, and I… am you."
The shadow paused then nodded with acceptance, edges flickering, then slowly began to merge with him. Energy pulsed along Kasey's blue-and-black scales, flowing through him like liquid night. His claws and wings trembled.
Pain hit first. Sharp, like every scale, muscle, and bone was being rewritten. The glow beneath his scales intensified, seams forming along joints and wing membranes. Metallic threads wove subtly beneath his body, and faint mechanical whirring echoed with each breath.
Kasey staggered, eyes squeezing shut."…Grrrugggh!"
Riven stepped forward, dark fur patterned with white tufts glowing faintly, paw extended. "Take it slow. Don't fight it—let it become part of you."
Freddie stayed at his side, golden fur glinting softly, shadow lingering faintly as a pulse, watching.
Kasey exhaled, wings flexing, claws stretching, scales adjusting to their new, reinforced form. Blue-and-black now blended with faint metallic sheens along the edges, joints moving with mechanical precision—but still him. Shadow and self were one, energy coiling into his chest like a heartbeat.
"…I'm… me, and something more."
He looked down at his claws, then up at his reflection in the Cairn's drifting shards. The shadow lingered behind him for a moment, silent, observing. Then it slowly dissipated, leaving him standing—whole, painfully transformed, but complete.
Freddie and Riven stepped back, giving him space. Kasey flexed wings, tested claws. The pain lingered, the change was obvious, but he was alive—and ready.
Kasey inhaled sharply. "…I… why is this so painful?"
And for the first time, he truly believed it.
Kasey stood there for a long moment, breathing slowly, wings flexing with careful, unfamiliar precision. The pain hadn't vanished—it lingered in every joint, every reinforced scale—but it was bearable now. Manageable. His blue-and-black scales caught the Cairn's light, faint metallic seams tracing along his limbs and wing joints like something newly forged.
He took a step.
Then another.
The soft hum beneath his movements startled him at first, but he didn't recoil. He adjusted, shoulders settling, wings folding in closer to his back. It still felt strange.
"…Guess this is me now,"
Before the silence could swallow him, he felt warmth at his side.
Freddie moved first, padding closer, his golden fur brushing lightly against Kasey's arm. He didn't say anything—just stayed there, steady, present. A quiet reassurance without words.
Riven followed, stepping in on the other side. The dark-furred wolf's white chest tufts caught the light as he folded one arm over Kasey's shoulder, firm but careful, grounding him.
"You did good,"
There was no judgement. Just truth.
Kasey's wings twitched, then slowly relaxed. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"…Thanks," he muttered, voice rough but sincere.
Freddie gave a small nod, amber eyes soft. It wasn't flashy. It wasn't dramatic.
It was acceptance.
For a moment, the three of them stood there together—golden bear, dark wolf, and blue-and-black dragon—machines and shadows and selves aligned.
The Cairn shifted subtly around them, platforms drifting, clocks ticking once more in uneven rhythms, as if recording the moment and filing it away.
A new bond formed within the team: Kasey Draven
That wasn't all however, there was something waiting along the stairs. Waiting to be explored.