2. The Test

The first thing Subject 26B noticed was the silence—not the peaceful kind, but the kind that came before something terrible. The air was thick, suffocating, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Cold metal dug into his wrists and ankles, the iron shackles leaving deep indentations in his skin. Around him, ten others stood in similar restraints. Some trembled. Others whispered prayers to gods that weren't listening. Towering floodlights bathed the arena in an eerie artificial glow, their harsh beams revealing the cracked, bloodstained ground. The scent of rust and decay lingered in the air.

Then came the sound. A harsh mechanical click. The chains didn't just unlock—they snapped open all at once. The force made 26B stumble forward, his balance unsteady. Some of the others did the same, rubbing their wrists, too stunned to realize what was happening. Then the gate across the arena rumbled open. A low, guttural growl slithered through the air, followed by the clicking of claws against stone. Something had been waiting. And now, it was free.

"Survive, and you will live to see another day. Fail… and your existence ends here." The announcement came from above, cold and detached, as indifferent as a weather report. No hesitation. No rules. Just survival. Then came the first Rift Creature. It emerged from the darkness a wolf type , bony protrusions jutting from its spine. Its 6 eyes locked onto them. Its mouth unhinged far wider than anything natural. Then another. And another. Three creatures in total. The second was a humanoid , its limbs grotesquely stretched. mandibles. The third was the worst—a Vein Stalker, a twisted, centipede-like horror covered in ridged armor plates, its limbs ending in jagged talons.

The others hesitated. Some backed away. One man—Subject 32F—dropped to his knees, muttering frantically. The first creature lunged. It grabbed 32F before he could scream. A sickening CRACK echoed through the arena as the thing's jaws clamped around his torso, tearing into his ribcage like it was nothing. Blood sprayed outward in an arc. His body convulsed for only a second before it was tossed aside—lifeless, already forgotten. Then all hell broke loose.

26B barely registered the chaos. Someone swung a jagged metal pipe at a lunging beast. The creature didn't even flinch before it sank its claws into the attacker's stomach, disemboweling him in one swift motion. A woman—Subject 14D—grabbed a shard of rusted rebar and drove it into a creature's throat, but it kept moving, even as thick, tar-like blood oozed from the wound. It was a slaughter. His breathing grew erratic. His vision blurred.

Move.

But his body felt heavy. His mind drowned in static. Then something charged at him. A blur of movement—gnarled, clawed limbs, the Vein Stalker rushing toward him. His instincts screamed.

MOVE.

His body didn't listen. The creature's limb lashed forward— A sudden impact. Someone had shoved him aside. Subject 14D. The Vein Stalker's claws tore through her instead. Her scream was short, cut off as blood sprayed from the deep gashes in her torso. She collapsed in front of him, her breath already fading.

26B could only watch.

"I should be dead."

That was the only thought in his mind. It was supposed to be him. Not her. Something inside him snapped. It started as a pulse. A deep, slow vibration inside his bones. Something was waking up. Then came the burning. His veins ignited, his nerves screaming as an unseen force tore through his body. He clenched his hands. Something was changing. Then, the pain stopped. And his arms weren't his anymore.

His fingers had elongated into twisted, exoskeletal claws, their purple surface pulsing like crystals. The jagged segments of the claw shifted unnaturally, as if adjusting to their new existence. Tiny distortions rippled in the air around them, bending light, warping reality itself. They felt wrong. And they didn't obey him.

He barely had time to process before the Vein Stalker lunged again. 26B tried to react. His claws swung—but too late, too slow. The creature's talons ripped through his left arm. A blinding flash of pain. Flesh, bone, and muscle—torn away. He stumbled back, his breath ragged. His arm—gone. Blood poured from the exposed stump, but something was wrong. The blood hit the ground. His vision blurred. His body screamed.

But the Vein Stalker was still moving. And 26B wasn't dead yet. Something in him took over. His body moved on instinct, not skill—raw, unrefined. The Vein Stalker lunged again, its jagged limbs slashing toward his head. 26B barely ducked in time. The talons sliced past his scalp, grazing his skin. Too fast. Too strong. His breath was ragged. His left side felt hollow, pain screaming through every nerve.

The Vein Stalker twisted, readying another strike. 26B moved first. His Rift Claws swung wildly—uncontrolled, reckless—and somehow they connected. The jagged claws sank into the creature's leg. A sharp, wet tearing sound. And with a snarl, he ripped it off. The Vein Stalker screeched—a sound different from before. A sound filled with pain. With fear. It tried to crawl back, its hollow eyes wide, its movements frantic.

26B exhaled slowly.

Then, in one swift motion, he plunged his Rift Claws into its skull. The creature twitched. 26B could feel it struggling. Trying to live. Its body convulsed, its talons scraping weakly against his side. Then—its eyes locked onto his. It was afraid. A hollow monster. A predator. And in its final moment, it was afraid of him.

His voice came out cold. Low.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be strong?"

Then, he ripped his claws upward. The Vein Stalker's skull split apart. blood splattered against his face. The creature twitched one last time. Then, it was still.

For the first time, the arena was silent.

26B didn't move. The adrenaline still surged through his body. His breathing was heavy. His vision blurred, but his mind was still sharp. Then— The pain hit. A white-hot agony tore through his body, ripping through every nerve in his left side. His knees buckled. A scream ripped from his throat—raw, unfiltered pain. His legs gave out. He collapsed against a jagged rock, his breath shallow, sweat and blood mixing on his skin. His vision swam. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

And for the first time since the test began— He felt fragile.

From his elevated position, Commander Ryuji smirked, arms crossed. Not bad.

But one figure watched more intently than the others.

Shiori Asano.

Her sharp eyes studied every movement he had made. The way the Rift energy had reacted to him.

He's different, she thought.