Part 1: Waking in the Dark
Iris Esclera awoke on a cold, hard pile of bones. The smell of decay filled her nostrils as she pushed herself up, groggy and disoriented. The dim light of the catacombs offered little comfort as she tried to gather her thoughts. Her sharp senses quickly kicked in—this wasn’t just some ordinary dungeon. Something was off.
Using her Eye of Insight, Iris scanned her surroundings. She immediately sensed movement, shadows lurking in adjacent rooms. Dozens of them, small and large. A closed door stood nearby, and the pile of bones beneath her feet seemed to go far deeper than what she could see.
“Wonderful,” she muttered to herself, dusting off her clothes. “Surrounded by death and shadows. I must be getting popular.”
Without wasting time, Iris moved cautiously toward the door, testing the handle. It wasn’t locked, but as she opened it, the rusty hinges let out a loud, creaking noise that echoed down the hall. She froze, hearing the rhythmic sound of heavy footsteps approaching—Dun dun dun—growing louder and closer.
A massive figure, about six feet tall, appeared from the shadows. Its body was muscular and pale white, covered in scars that were sewn together with black thread. The creature had no eyes, no nose, but it moved its head as if searching, opening and closing its mouth filled with sharp fangs. A long, purple tongue flicked out, tasting the air as it approached.
Iris’ eyes narrowed, and a smirk tugged at her lips. “A fresh little experiment, I see,” she muttered. “Someone’s been busy.”
She focused her magic, activating her Eye of Weakness to assess the creature. A fresh wound on its belly caught her attention, stitched together hastily, a clear vulnerability.
“Now, that’s interesting,” Iris said softly, her mind already calculating how to take advantage of the situation.
With a flick of her wrist, Iris summoned her Rolling Crystal Eyes, sending the marble-sized eyes skittering across the floor. They rolled toward the creature, shattering into sharp crystals as they reached its feet. The creature stepped forward, its legs tearing on the jagged shards. It let out a low growl of pain but continued advancing.
“Persistent, aren’t we?” Iris mused, her smirk widening.
The creature lunged toward her, but Iris was quicker. She unleashed a Beam of Searing Light, aiming directly at the wound on its belly. The searing energy cut through the stitches, and the creature howled in agony, its torso smoking from the magical burn.
The creature thrashed, stumbling backward, but Iris wasn’t done. With one final move, she summoned her Exploding Flying Eyes. Three eyes shot toward the creature, colliding with its body and exploding upon impact. The force of the explosions ripped through its flesh, and the creature collapsed to the ground, defeated.
Iris stepped forward, her eyes glowing as she activated her Eye of Truth, seeking to discern the true nature of the beast. What she saw was unsettling—a trap. The creature was part of a larger plan, a cog in a much more intricate scheme.
“So, someone’s trying to kill me,” she muttered. “How unoriginal.”
Despite her victory, Iris wasn’t cruel. She activated her Eye of Angel, healing the creature just enough so it wouldn’t die, leaving it dazed and confused. “I’m not finished with you yet,” she whispered, her voice icy. “Lead me to whoever made you.”
The creature, clearly afraid, obeyed. It stumbled through the tunnels, leading Iris deeper into the catacombs. They eventually arrived at an entrance to a massive chamber. Pillars, both square and round, stretched from an abyss below to the floor above. The creature pointed inside, revealing the location of whoever orchestrated the trap.
Iris looked at the pillars and used her Eye of Insight once more. The square pillars were sturdy, but the round ones were crumbling, ready to collapse at any moment.
She prepared to advance when a familiar voice echoed through the chamber, followed by the sound of slow clapping.
“Nice. Just as I expected from you, Iris Esclera. But this room will be your doom.”
Her eyes widened as she recognized the voice. Steven Rylet, the soundmancer, her long-time rival.
As his words echoed, the round pillars began to crumble, and the room shook violently. An explosion rattled the chamber, and sand began pouring in from the ceiling. Before Iris could react, a massive worm with a human face—eyeless and noseless—fell from above, slamming into the floor with a thunderous crash.
Iris turned toward Steven, who perched on a high ledge, his cat-like agility keeping him balanced effortlessly.
“I should have known it was you behind this,” Iris spat, her voice filled with frustration. “Why did you trick me into coming to this cursed place with that fake treasure map?”
Steven looked genuinely confused. “What are you talking about? I came here because you sent me a note, telling me you wanted to duel in this place.”
Iris froze for a moment, realization dawning on her. “Wait… we were both lured here?”
Before they could continue their argument, the doors to the chamber slammed shut, and the worm began to writhe, its massive body shifting through the sand.
Iris glanced at Steven. “Truce?”
Steven smirked, clearly enjoying the irony of the situation. “Truce. But don’t think this changes anything between us.”
Together, they turned their attention to the worm.
Part 2: The Battle Against the Worm
Despite their exhaustion, both Iris and Steven knew they had to fight with everything they had left.
Iris made the first move, summoning another Beam of Searing Light and aiming for the worm. But her energy was waning, and the beam barely scratched its rubbery skin. She cursed under her breath, frustration mounting as her spell faltered.
Steven leaped into action, using his Disturbing Shatter to send a pulse of sound at the worm, hoping to disorient it. The sound hit the creature hard, causing it to rear back in pain, but Steven’s attack drained him further. He stumbled, his legs wobbling as the sand continued to rise around them.
Iris, not one to give up, tried again, this time using her Exploding Flying Eyes. But her aim was off, and the eyes exploded harmlessly in the sand, far from the worm.
“Come on!” she shouted in frustration, her pride wounded. She could feel the weight of her previous battle dragging her down.
Steven, panting heavily, tried to capitalize on the worm’s brief disorientation. He leaped forward, claws slashing at the creature’s side. His agility allowed him to land a solid hit, tearing a gash in the worm’s flesh. But as the creature thrashed in pain, its tail whipped around, slamming into Steven and sending him flying into the wall.
The worm lunged at Iris, its massive jaws snapping inches from her. She barely dodged, rolling to the side as the sand continued to fill the room. She could feel her strength fading, her spells weakening with each failed attempt.
Steven groaned as he pulled himself to his feet, clutching his side where the worm had struck him. Despite his injuries, he wasn’t done yet. He clicked his tongue, sending a Sonic Boom Click toward the worm, but the attack didn’t have the desired effect. The worm thrashed, its rage growing as the room filled with the sound of shifting sand and crumbling stone.
Iris tried one last spell, summoning a weak Rolling Crystal Eye to distract the worm, but it barely made an impact. The worm’s massive form loomed over her, its human face twisted in a grotesque expression.
Then, with a final surge of energy, Steven leaped forward, slashing at the worm’s side once more. His claws tore through its rubbery skin, and the creature let out a horrific screech, thrashing violently as it collapsed into the sand, defeated.
But as the worm fell, Iris’ strength finally gave out. She collapsed onto the sand, unconscious from exhaustion.
Part 3: The Aftermath
Steven, panting and battered, looked down at Iris, her small form lying motionless in the rising sand. For a moment, he considered leaving her—after all, they were rivals, and she had always been a thorn in his side.
But then, with a resigned sigh, he limped over to her and hoisted her onto his shoulders. “You owe me for this,” he muttered as he struggled to climb one of the ledges.
Using the last of his strength, Steven managed to find an opening high in the wall. With Iris in tow, he pulled them both through the exit, just as the room below filled with sand.
They collapsed onto the stone floor of the tunnel outside, both utterly spent.
When Iris finally awoke, she found herself lying next to Steven, the memory of the battle flooding back.
“You saved me,” she said, her voice hoarse with exhaustion.
Steven shrugged, his usual smirk creeping back onto his face. “Well, I wouldn’t let you die before I finally defeat you in a fair duel. Don’t get any ideas—this doesn’t change anything between us.”
Iris chuckled softly. “Understood. But at least take this as a token of my gratitude.” She reached into her pouch and handed him half the rubies she had collected from the Medusa’s lair.
Steven accepted the rubies with a nod. “Fair enough.”
Without any further words, they made their way back to town. Once they arrived, they parted ways without another mention of the events in the dungeon. It was clear that their rivalry remained intact, but there was an unspoken understanding between them now—one forged in the heat of battle and survival.
As Iris watched Steven disappear into the shadows, her mind returned to the dungeon. Someone had gone to great lengths to lure both of them there, setting traps and orchestrating the entire ordeal.
"Whoever they are," she whispered to herself, her eyes narrowing with determination, "they’ve made a very dangerous enemy."
With that, Iris set off to find answers, her curiosity driving her to uncover the truth behind the deadly game she had just survived.
