Sunday passed like every other Sunday.
Empty, tedious tasks.
By late afternoon, the flat felt stagnant, despite the open window. Gabriel glanced at the time more often than necessary, eagerly waiting 18:00:00.
17:50:12
He sat back on the sofa and opened WeTube. The front page was filled with speculation and analysis videos. A live stream of two American commentators debated over the best strategy for trial 15, unable to come to an agreement.
"You can't take a maul into Trial Fifteen—are you out of your mind?" one commentator spat. "Ten of them, coordinated, flanking from all sides. You don't win that with brute force."
His co-host scoffed. "If you're fully surrounded, the weapon doesn't matter. You've already lost." He paused, "Although I don't want it to be, the maul is the best choice left! That or a battle axe! Steel Longswords get caught. One bad thrust and the blade sticks in muscle or bone."
"Oh come on! A maul and now a battle axe? Really? the first shot back, his eyes rolling.
"Maul's have the highest success rate out of all the weapons," the co-host replied. "You swing, you break something, and you're free again. Trial Fifteen isn't about killing cleanly—it's about not getting locked in place or losing your weapon."
"Fine, let's see what Han Jae-Sung chooses hmm?"
Gabriel noticed the clock in the back of the stream, 17:59:56.
Gabriel straightened.
"Three," he said quietly.
"Two."
"One."
The familiar presence spoke, its voice as un-emotional as the last time.
Would you like to watch the Trials?
"Yes."
The see-through, blue screen unfolded in front of him.
Trial Fifteen scrolled through the bottom.
Two profiles remained.
Gabriel selected the first without hesitation.
Han Jae-Sung.
The arena loaded.
No sand. No imposing sandstone walls.
Dense jungle filled the screen, humidity visible in the air. Thick foliage pressed in on all sides, towering trees blotting out the sky. The gate opened, and Han Jae-Sung stepped through already moving, sprinting forward the instant his feet hit the soil.
Hmm… this tactic is new. Gabriel thought.
Jae-Sung ran hard, cutting diagonally across the clearing before diving into cover just as the opposite gate began to rise. He disappeared into a thicket, his black longsword held low, breathing quiet and controlled.
The gate opened fully.
Ten shapes emerged.
Lean. Fast. Low to the ground. They moved together, spreading out with unsettling coordination, slipping through the undergrowth without sound.
Jae-Sung waited, as the closest monster quickly approached.
He burst from cover in a sudden charge, blade flashing with superhuman speed. The first creature died instantly, split from shoulder to hip. Jae-Sung twisted with the motion, driving the sword into the second… and then the blade stopped.
Caught in its ribs.
The creature shrieked and writhed as Jae-Sung tried to wrench the weapon free. Han Jae-Sung desperately used all of his strength.
The sword snapped in two.
The others hit him at once.
Gabriel didn't flinch as the screen filled with motion and blood. The remaining part of the sword was abandoned. Jae-Sung fought with fists and desperation for seconds more before they dragged him down.
The feed cut.
The final trialist fared better, but died quickly all the same.
Gabriel sat back, the screen dimming in front of him.
The interface vanished.
For half a second, the flat was silent.
Then—
Congratulations.
The voice was closer this time. Not louder. Closer.
You have been randomly selected as one of the thousand contestants in this batch.
A smile flashed across Gabriel's face as his vision grew darker…
An unknown amount of time had passed before Gabriel woke up.
Rubbing his temples, he yawned. Trying to remember what had led up to him falling asleep.
Gabriel's black eyes fluttered open.
"Where am I?" Gabriel muttered as his eyes scanned the surroundings.
A pristine room, not the slightest speck of dirt marred the surfaces.
He was still wearing the same clothes, his hoodie hugging his massive frame.
Everything about his environment was futuristic. A king-sized bed dominated one side of the room. On the other, sleek surfaces hinted at a kitchen, though nothing was immediately identifiable. Soft, diffused light came from panels embedded in the roof, illuminating everything evenly, without harsh shadows. There was also a sitting area, but seemingly no TV accompanying it.
Gabriel sat up slowly, taking it in. The air smelled faintly of cleaning fluid. He flexed his fingers and tested the floor beneath his feet. As he put pressure on the floor panels, they lit up.
The floor was smooth, solid and heated.
The room, seldom Gabriel's breathing, was completely silent, as if sound itself had been swallowed. He rose, muscles still completely recovered from yesterday's training, and began to explore.
The panels below him lit up as he walked.
Until another panel, a grey one on the wall beside him lit up. Touching it, a holographic display sprung to life. Icons floated in neat rows, impossible to miss. Seemingly showing temperature, lights and other functions of the room. There were a few other icons he couldn't decipher, and one of them, which had an image of a man speaking, was pulsing with a red hue. So he tapped on it.
A soft voice, different from the one in his head before the Trials, spoke aloud.
"Gabriel Lucien. Welcome. Please prepare for induction."
His brow furrowed. Induction?
He waited a few seconds, but nothing happened.
Gabriel tapped on another icon, curious, and a 3D projection appeared. The landscape rotated slowly. A stone ruin, shifting shadows, moss and piles of rubble littered the area. It was the first trial's arena. A single creature stood in the center, unmoving. Gabriel recognised it immediately as the monster from the first trial.
Below the rotating hologram was a line of writing, 'This feature is temporary, and will cease upon completion of Trial 10.'
The voice suddenly continued.
"Observation time is complete. Preparations commence immediately."
I'm really here…
Gabriel's heart rate quickened, he forced himself to remain calm but couldn't prevent a grin creeping up his face. Four years of watching, analysing and practice, all of it might pay off.
He wandered the room, hands brushing over the surfaces, noticing small details: a recessed panel with thin black gloves, a glass cabinet with vials of unknown liquid, a cupboard full of clothes and shoes. They were clothes from his own home.
Then, the room shifted. The bed sunk into the floor, panels slid aside, and at the same time a doorway opened behind were the bed was—a corridor leading forward. Blue light came from the walls themselves, and the floor was seamless, smooth like inside the bedroom.
The voice spoke again.
"Proceed when ready."
Gabriel without hesitation marched in.
The corridor felt endless but he continued. The door at the far end shimmered more and more as he approached, the anticipation building with every step. He flexed his fingers, feeling his heartbeat echo in his chest. As he got closer to the door, pressure surged, trying to prevent him from reaching the end. Yet it wasn't enough to stop him for even a second.