Chapter 54: The Trial of the Forgotten One

The air crackled with ancient energy. Orion barely had time to catch his breath before the Forgotten One raised a hand.

"You have been broken, betrayed, and left to die," the entity said, its voice echoing across the void. "But destiny is not given—it is earned. If you wish to reclaim your fate… survive."

The world shattered.

Orion plummeted into darkness, his body spinning through endless void. His lungs burned as if he were drowning in time itself.

And then—

He hit the ground. Hard.

Gasping, he pushed himself up and found himself standing in the middle of a desolate wasteland. The sky above him swirled with constellations, shifting like a living puzzle. The air smelled of forgotten storms and old magic.

A deep rumble shook the earth.

Orion turned—just in time to see the first trial manifest before him.

A creature of pure paradox stood in his path.

It had no singular shape—it was shifting between a colossal serpent, a winged beast, and a towering knight. Its body bent reality, warping the space around it.

A voice boomed in Orion's mind.

"Trial One: The Beast of Infinite Forms."

The creature lunged.

Orion rolled to the side, barely dodging its claws. He reached for his sword—only to realize he had no weapon.

His heart pounded. "Of course. That would be too easy."

The Forgotten One's voice echoed in the void.

"Face it, Orion. Not with strength, but with understanding."

The beast struck again. Orion dodged—but slower this time. The wasteland around him warped each time the beast shifted, as if time itself was unraveling.

And then it hit him—

This creature wasn't just strong. It was impossible.

It was every possible version of itself at once.

Orion gritted his teeth. If he wanted to win…

He had to break its paradox.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.

He didn't need to fight the beast. He needed to find the one version of it that was vulnerable.

The creature roared and lunged—

Orion's eyes snapped open. He reached into the shifting chaos and grabbed a single thread of time.

And then—

Everything froze.

The beast collapsed, shifting wildly between forms before settling on one—

A small, fragile serpent.

Orion exhaled and stepped forward. With a single movement, he pressed his hand to its forehead.

A pulse of energy surged from his palm. The creature shattered into light.

Silence.

Then, the Forgotten One's voice returned.

"The first trial is passed. But the next will test more than just your mind."

The wasteland around Orion shifted.

And suddenly—

He was no longer alone.

Standing before him was Seraphina.

Her eyes were cold. "Hello, Orion."

But something was wrong.

Because this Seraphina…

Was not human.

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