UNIFIED W

Chapter 26: The Maze Of Truth, part 5

Colt's teammates, Bjorn and Jason, were closing in on the final arena at the top of the maze as it continued to rotate.

Their dynamic was seamless. Both possessed exceptional offensive and defensive abilities, and when they fought together, communication wasn't necessary.

One would defend, the other would attack, switching roles without a word.

They were smart, fast, and ruthless, never giving opponents time to react. Both had learned how to survive on Perigo Island from a very young age.

When a child is born into the Lightning Clan, they're immediately forged into weapons for both the island and the clan leader.

As soon as their powers awaken, they're thrown into a brutal program designed to turn them into killers.

From that point on, they serve their clan leader until their last breath.

Bjorn and Jason rose through the program quickly. Despite their youth, their kill counts surpassed many adult warriors in the clan.

A Lightning Clan member grows stronger through a terrifying truth.

Each life they take makes them more powerful, and with every kill, their strength and speed increase.

No one knows the source of this dark power, which is why even the king keeps a close eye on them.

Colt, Bjorn, and Tox were the only three to survive long enough to be handpicked by Arthur for the test.

Tox was slightly stronger than both. He was infamous for surviving in the uncharted regions of Perigo Island, where the most savage, bloodthirsty creatures roamed.

He didn't just visit those places. He lived there. Slept there. Hunted there. Some said he wasn't even human anymore.

His black hair reached his lower back, hiding most of his face. He wasn't short or tall. His sharp teeth and yellow-black pupils gave him a wild look.

People called him a beast in human form because of how he smelled, how he moved, and how he spoke.

Every time he fought, he slipped into a wild rage, like a predator sensing its prey.

His only weakness was losing control. Unlike Bjorn and Jason, who stayed calm and thought ahead, Tox gets caught in a rush of a fight.

***

Zeru and Tox moved toward the next room.

Just before the doors shut, Zeru glanced back, catching one last glimpse of the creatures, slashed apart with their blood smeared across the floor and walls.

Tox's odor was unbearable to Zeru. He hadn't bathed or showered in weeks.

His long black hair was smeared with dirt and blood, and his clothes were ripped and ruined.

Zeru glanced at Tox but stayed quiet. The two walked on, their footsteps echoing through the corridor.

As they approached the next room, shadows thickened around them and their footsteps grew softer until silence surrounded them.

When the door closed behind them, it felt like they had stepped into a vacuum.

Zeru tried to speak but couldn't hear his own voice.

He grew cautious, gripping Inferno tightly and stepping back to keep his distance.

As he stepped back, he noticed the ground beneath his feet felt like rocky mountain terrain.

They had been in darkness for a while when suddenly a large screen on the wall flickered to life, displaying instructions on how to win in the room.

The rules were simple, a duel between Tox and Zeru where each attack counted as one point, and the person with the most points when the timer hit zero would win.

Killing was forbidden, but anything else to gain an advantage was allowed.

As the screen went black, the timer began its countdown to 7 minutes.

06:59...58...57...56...

The darkness thickened. Zeru couldn't see, but he didn't need to. He could feel Tox nearby, still and waiting.

'Where was he? To his left or right?'

Something slammed into Zeru's chest. He staggered back, struggling to draw a breath.

Panic flared in his eyes as he clutched his chest, gasping for air.

'AAAAGH, this is not good. I can't breathe.'