In a dark space, Sage stood alone and confused. "Did we fail?"
"Am I dead?"
The questions echoed in the void around him. Had the ritual gone wrong? Was this death? Or something worse?
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his back. He spun around quickly, nothing there. Another touch behind him, nothing. Something brushed his legs, still nothing visible.
He closed his eyes, trying to center himself, when suddenly he felt multiple hands touching him, and this time they didn't fade away.
He opened his eyes and gasped.
Women surrounded him. Every conceivable type, tall, short, curvy, slender. Skin of every shade from porcelain white to deep ebony, emerald green to ruby red.
Some were generously endowed, others more modest. Some had wide hips and full figures, others were lithe and athletic. All of them were reaching for him with hungry eyes and grasping hands.
"Stay with us," they whispered in unison as they pressed closer.
He pushed away the one directly in front of him, her hands sliding off his chest reluctantly.
"Don't leave us," she pleaded, her voice like honey.
He shoved the next one back, then another. But for every woman he pushed away, two more seemed to take her place. They grabbed at his arms, his face, his torso. Their touches were soft but insistent, promising comfort, pleasure, an end to loneliness.
"Don't leave us... don't leave us..." The chant grew louder as more hands reached for him.
He kept pushing, fighting through the crowd of grasping figures. Some tried to press their bodies against him, others attempted to pull him down into their embrace. The temptation was overwhelming, to just stop fighting, to accept their offered comfort.
"Don't you want love?" A sultry voice whispered in his ear. "To feel loved? To love? Intimacy... connection... you've been so alone..."
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the aching loneliness in his chest that the voice had awakened. Yes, he had been alone. Yes, he craved connection.
Gradually, he felt the presence fade. The grasping hands disappeared, and the weight of desperate longing in his heart lessened. The darkness around him became complete once more.
Suddenly, he saw something glinting ahead, a faint golden light.
He walked toward it, following what appeared to be a trail of gold coins scattered across the dark ground. As he picked up the first coin, more appeared. Then more. Soon there were piles of gold, jewels, precious metals gleaming in the darkness.
His hands moved automatically, grabbing handful after handful. The more he collected, the more appeared. Coins, gems, artifacts of incredible value, all his for the taking.
But as he grabbed more, a hunger grew inside him. Not enough. Never enough. He needed more power, more wealth, more control. The gold in his hands felt light, worthless. He needed something greater.
Images flashed through his mind, himself ruling kingdoms, commanding armies, having power over life and death. The ability to take whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it. No one could stop him. No one could deny him anything ever again.
His breathing became ragged as he clutched the treasures to his chest. "More," he whispered. "I need more."
The gold began to multiply faster, forming mountains around him. But still it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. The craving was a bottomless pit, consuming everything he fed it and demanding more.
"Yes," hissed a voice from the darkness. "Take it all. You deserve everything. You've suffered enough, now it's time to take what's yours. Power over others, wealth beyond measure, the ability to bend the world to your will..."
Sage's hands shook as he reached for more treasure, but something in the back of his mind rebelled.
The mountains of treasure began to crumble and fade. The avarice that had been consuming him gradually released its grip.
Again, the darkness became complete.
Then, a new sensation hit him, the most incredible aroma he'd ever experienced. His stomach clenched with sudden, overwhelming hunger. He hadn't realized how empty he felt until that moment.
A table materialized before him, laden with every food he'd ever dreamed of. Roasted meats that fell off the bone, fresh bread still warm from the oven, rich stews, delicate pastries, exotic fruits that burst with flavor. His mouth watered uncontrollably.
He approached slowly, then grabbed a piece of meat and bit into it. The taste was indescribable, better than anything he'd ever experienced. But as soon as he swallowed, the hunger returned twice as strong.
He grabbed more food, shoving it into his mouth. Bread, cheese, fruit, anything he could reach. But no matter how much he ate, the emptiness inside him only grew larger. The food lost its taste, becoming nothing but texture and bulk as he continued to consume.
Soon he wasn't even tasting what he ate. He was just feeding the void, trying desperately to fill something that couldn't be filled. His hands moved mechanically, grabbing and shoving food into his mouth in an endless cycle.
But it wasn't just physical food anymore. He felt hungry for experiences, for sensations, for anything that might fill the aching emptiness inside him. He wanted to consume everything, every pleasure, every feeling, every moment of satisfaction he'd been denied.
"Yes," whispered another voice. "Take it all. You've been starved for so long, starved of food, of pleasure, of everything good in life. Consume everything you can. You deserve to be satisfied..."
Sage's jaw ached from chewing, his stomach was painfully full, but still the hunger raged. He realized with growing horror that no amount of consumption would ever be enough. The hunger would just keep growing, demanding more and more until it consumed not just food, but his very soul.
"No," he gasped, forcing himself to step back from the table.
The feast began to rot and decay before his eyes, the wonderful aromas turning putrid. The table collapsed, leaving him alone in the darkness once more.
Three times now, he'd been offered what seemed like fulfillment, and three times he'd recognized the trap. But each rejection left him feeling more hollow, more aware of what he was lacking.
The darkness pressed in around him, and he wondered if this trial would ever end.