The Collapse of The Dimension

The ground trembled. A roar echoed through the space, shaking the very rock beneath Lunette's feet.

The Nexus Point was erupting. Students, driven by desperation and the promise of immense power, were unleashing everything they had against the obsidian-scaled guardians and, increasingly, against each other.

Lunette watched from her hidden place high above the main area.

Flashes of vibrant Primal Energy collided with the dull purple and sickly green glow of the massive Heart-Moss clusters that dominated the cavern.

Rue was a whirlwind of brutal force. His heavy sword sent a couple of silver arcs in the dim light, each blow capable of killing one of the monstrous beasts. But even his powerful frame was beginning to show signs of strain. His movements became less fluid. His breaths came in ragged gasps. He was drawing heavily on the energy radiating from the nearby Heart-Moss, unknowingly fueling his own demise.

Altair's alliance, though smaller, fought with a exceptional formation. Spells flashed, barriers shimmered, and their attacks were focused.

But their faces were showing signs of extreme tiredness. their movements became sluggish. The initial confidence was no where to be found. It was replaced by panic.

Lunette saw Altair himself unleash a potent fire attack, the flames momentarily pushing back a group of creatures, but the effort left him visibly weakened, swaying on his feet.

Lyra, agile as a shadow, darted through the chaos. Her smaller frame was an advantage in the close combats.

She wasn't directly engaging the largest creatures, instead focusing on striking weakened spots or disrupting their attacks. Lunette noted that Lyra, unlike many others, was not constantly reaching for the Heart-Moss. Perhaps a flicker of caution remained in her strategy.

And then there was Vesper.

He moved through the area with an almost unnerving calm. He wasn't at the heart of the fighting, always positioned near the edges, seemingly observing and reacting only when necessary.

Lunette saw him cast a small ice spell, creating a momentary slick on the ground that sent one of the larger beasts stumbling, directly into the path of Rue's heavy swing.

It looked like he was helping, contributing to the fight. But Lunette's understanding of his true intentions cast an evil light on his every action. He wasn't helping them survive; he was subtly ensuring the chaos continued and the energy drain accelerated.

The more the students fought, the more Heart-Moss was shattered and its alluring energy released more. And as that happened, the ambient light in the dimension changed.

The vibrant blue-grey of the dimension faded, replaced by a deepening twilight.

It wasn't just the exertion of combat that made the students shiver; it was the unbearable chill.

Lunette could feel it herself now, even from her point.

It was a subtle but persistent drain. It was slower for her, due to her immense reserve and her refusal to touch the moss, but it was undeniably there. The dimension was hungry, and the battle below was only intensifying its appetite.

She watched as students began to falter, collapsing mid-swing, their weapons clattering onto the cold stone floor. It wasn't just injuries; it was as if they had no Primal Energy anymore to fight.

Their tokens, Lunette could see faint flickers of red emanating from some, signaling critical levels.

Then, she saw a pattern. It wasn't random. The students who had been most eager to absorb the Heart-Moss were the first to fall.

The very power they sought had become their misery.

Panic began to spread through the remaining fighters. The realization that something was terribly wrong flickered in their exhausted eyes.

The Heart-Moss, once a beacon of hope, now seemed like a cursed object. Its shattered remnants radiated a sickly and dark glow.

"It's a trap!" a student screamed, his voice cracking with fear as he stumbled backwards, clutching his chest. "The moss… it's taking our energy!"

His warning, however, was lost in the sound of battle.

Desperate students continued to lash out, fueled by adrenaline and a unstable reserve of Primal Energy, further accelerating the drain.

Lunette's mind raced. This is bad, this is bad…

The dimming light, the increasing cold, the rapid collapse of those who had used the Heart-Moss… it all clicked into place.

Her earlier suspicion turned into a terrifying certainty. The moss wasn't a source of power; it was a bridge to the dimension. The drained energy is going to the dimension from the students.

And the more they fought, the more they broke the moss, the more their own Primal Energy was being drained.

She scanned the battlefield for Vesper. He was still there, near a particularly large, now-shattered Heart-Moss cluster, seemingly unaffected by the widespread collapse.

He wasn't scared or anything like that. He was as calm as ever. But there was something in his cosmic purple eyes, a deep and unsettling understanding, that sent a shiver down Lunette's spine.

She had to act. She had to warn the few who might still have the strength and clarity to listen. I can't let others fail like this.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her Primal Energy, focusing it into her voice. It was a risky move, drawing attention to herself, but she also couldn't let others to fall into Vesper's scheme like this.

"Stop!" her voice boomed through the area, amplified by her power, cutting through the sounds of battle like a thunderclap. "Everyone, stop! The Heart-Moss is draining you all! This entire dimension… it's using our powers!"

A stunned silence fell over a small section of the battlefield. A few students, their faces pale with exhaustion and confusion, turned towards the sound of her voice, their weapons wavering.

"What's she saying?"

"A drain?"

"Is it true?!"

"I don't know what she is talking about."

"It's a lie!" Rue roared, his face contorted in fury and desperation. He was leaning heavily on his sword, his earlier passion wasn't there. "Don't listen to her! We're almost there! Just a little more power!" He lunged at a nearby Heart-Moss fragment, trying to absorb its fading energy.

"He's right!" Altair yelled, though his voice lacked its earlier conviction. He too looked unsteady, his fire spells sputtering weakly. "We have to keep fighting! We're so close!"

Their desperation was palpable. Lunette knew it was likely too late for most of them. They had too much hope, believed too strongly in the false promise.

But then, she saw Lyra. The nimble scout had frozen mid-movement, her eyes fixed on Lunette. A flicker of understanding was in her eyes. She hadn't rushed to refute the warning. She was clearly considering it.

That small spark of hope was enough.

Lunette focused her voice again, directing it specifically towards Lyra and any others who might be listening. "Look at the light! Feel the cold! Every time you break the moss, every time you use your energy, it gets worse! Don't fight the dimension; survive it!"

Before she could say more, a massive obsidian beast roared and charged towards her point. She had drawn its attention.

With a sigh, Lunette knew her moment of warning was over. She had to move, and fast. The beast's claws tore at the rock where she had been moments before.

She retreated deeper into the shadows, her mind racing. Her warning might have reached a few, but the majority were still trapped in the cycle of drain and desperation.

Vesper's plan was horrifyingly effective.

Below, the mass combat resumed. But now, a subtle shift had occurred. A few students hesitated before reaching for the Heart-Moss. A few looked around with newfound suspicion at the dimming light and the biting cold. The seed of doubt had been planted.

Lunette knew what was happening. The dimension was systematically draining the life force of the students who had sought to get its power and absorb it. But she didn't know why.

As more and more students collapsed, their tokens flashed red, ready for extraction.

The very fabric of the dimension seemed to groan.

The remaining Heart-Moss clusters pulsed weakly, their alluring glow fading. The intense burst of activity had triggered something within the pocket dimension.

A game-changing shift happened.

The cold intensified, becoming almost unbearable. The darkness deepened, pressing in from all sides. The sounds of combat grew weaker, replaced by ragged breaths.

Lunette knew the trial was nearing its end. Not through a grand victory, but through a devastating collapse. And in the oppressive darkness, she could sense Vesper, still there and still watching, waiting for the final act.

At this point, we all are going to fail in the trial.

The survivors would be few. And Lunette was determined to be one of them, not just to pass the trial, but to stop Vesper from winning. She was a genius woman with ego. She couldn't accept lost, not from someone way weaker than herself. The game was far from over. It was only just entering its most dangerous phase.

No matter what happens, I'll never let his plan succeeded.