The final round of the Legacy Trial had only just begun.

***

Alex's senses were assaulted by a flash of white light. For a second, everything went blank. Then—normalcy.

He landed on solid stone, blinking.

Around him was a large, ruined hall. Cracks ran up the faded pillars, vines curled along broken walls, and scattered debris littered the floor. High above, shattered windows let in rays of faint, unnatural light. The air was cool and still.

The others were here too, slowly rising to their feet, looking around in confusion.

"Where are we?" the Anima asked.

Before anyone could respond, the lamps lining the walls flickered to life one by one. A soft golden glow filled the room, revealing more of the space.

The walls were lined with towering statues—seven in total—each carved in the image of a different figure, their hands pressed together in solemn prayer.

Alex frowned.

There were seven players here.

Seven statues.

A coincidence? Maybe. But it didn't feel like one.

More unsettling, though, was the sensation on his back.

A gaze.

He didn't need to look to know who it was—the demon was staring at him again. Alex kept his attention split, watching both the room and the threat behind him.

Everyone stood in silence for a moment, taking it all in.

Then the ground trembled.

The temple rumbled faintly, stone groaning under some hidden mechanism. Korrum instinctively stepped back.

"What now?" he muttered.

The far wall shifted, grinding as seven new doorways slowly formed—arched entrances carved with unfamiliar runes, glowing faintly in the lamplight.

Alex counted them: seven.

"One for each of us," Adam said aloud.

"Yeah… seven gates," the Anima added.

"So this is where we split," Korrum said.

Then, from nowhere, Adam frowned and asked, "If there are only seven entrances… doesn't that mean only seven were ever supposed to make it here?"

His words hit like a cold gust.

"I doubt this place rearranged itself on the fly," Adam continued. "Those statues—those gates—they were probably made long before we arrived. Maybe the trial was always designed for just seven."

He looked around. "That storm on the bridge? It wasn't just danger—it was the system forcing us to cull someone."

Silence fell.

Alex nodded. He'd called it earlier.

"I can't argue with that," Vayren murmured, rubbing his wooden chin thoughtfully.

"So we could've eliminated someone early," Korrum muttered, "and saved ourselves the whole death run?"

Adam nodded. "Pretty much."

"Goddammit!" Korrum cursed, throwing his hands in the air.

Adam turned to Alex. "Looks like your instincts were right. Someone had to fall."

Alex didn't respond.

He just shrugged.

Vayren approached him, his tall frame swaying like a tree in the wind. His bark-covered face twisted into a strange approximation of a smile.

"So," Vayren said in a sing-song tone, "not only are you strong, you're smart too. That's something my kind respects—and something my deity would value highly."

"Alright, enough with that," Adam interrupted. "This isn't the time to pitch your cult."

"I'm simply seizing the moment, human," Vayren replied, a vine-like finger elongating and poking Adam's chin. "Besides, you're in my personal space."

Adam swatted the vine away. "Touch me again, Groot, and I'll roast you."

"Oy, oy!" Korrum called out, joining the exchange. "You two starting something without me?"

The Anima—Jezumin—shook his head. "Are you guys seriously going to fight here?"

Alex sighed.

The tension, the noise… it was becoming routine with this group.

Then he noticed someone moving.

The monk-like man had broken off from the group and was calmly walking toward one of the entrances.

"Hey, wait!" someone shouted. "You don't know what that does!"

But the monk didn't stop.

He stepped through the arch without hesitation.

The doorway sealed shut behind him, smooth stone sliding into place like it had never opened.

"Well… that answers that," Adam said. "We're not going in as a group."

Korrum laughed: "Ha...Guess there's no point waiting."

He then walked toward a different gate, turning just before stepping through.

"Worms… survive."

Then he vanished through the stone.

Next was Vayren.

"I'll be waiting for your response," he told Alex with a wink, before stepping into his entrance.

Then the Anima stepped forward, gave a brief nod, and introduced himself as Jezumin before disappearing through the next gate.

Just three remained now.

Alex.

Adam.

And the demon.

Adam turned to face the horned figure at the back of the group. His hand hovered near the hilt of his sword.

He hadn't forgotten the moment back on the bridge—the attack the demon had launched at Alex. Adam had been too busy fending off shadow beasts to act then, but he wasn't going to let it slide now.

He glanced at Alex.

"You should go first," Adam said firmly. "I'll deal with him."

Alex shook his head. He appreciated the gesture, but this wasn't Adam's fight.

"No. He's my problem."

Adam frowned.

"Alex, you've got too much potential to throw your life away. Let me—"

"No," Alex cut in. "I think you're misunderstanding something, Adam."

His expression sharpened.

"Whether I live or die, that's my decision. Not yours. You don't get to choose that for me."

Adam's jaw tensed.

"You're not thinking straight..."

Alex cut him off. "I'm not here to be your chosen. Or anyone's. I don't want to be a pawn in someone else's war. So stop treating me like one."

Adam opened his mouth to argue, but Alex's gaze turned cold.

"Any more interruptions, and I'll take it as disrespect."

A heavy silence followed.

Then Adam nodded.

"Alright," he said. "You've made your choice. It'd be wrong of me to stand in your way."

Adam then turned to an exit.

"Don't die, Alex Knight," He said, walking towards it. "Survive. And if it gets too hard, use the exit token. I'll see you on the other side."

With that, he stepped through, and the gate sealed behind him.

Alex let out a small breath.

He liked Adam. The guy was solid. Reliable.

But this was something he had to handle alone.

He turned.

The demon was still there.

Still glaring at him, silent, motionless—but the fire in his eyes had intensified.

Alex rolled his shoulders.

"Alright," he said, voice calm but cold. "Now it's just us."

He raised his hand, fingers snapping.

A shimmer rippled through the air as dozens of ethereal blades blinked into existence, circling him like silent sentinels.

The demon said nothing, slowly reaching for his sword.