Reality snaps back like a rubber band, leaving me sprawled face-down on rough stone. My skull throbs with each heartbeat, but it's ordinary pain – the kind you get from kissing concrete, not from absorbing cosmic powers.

  "Oh thank god," I mutter, pushing myself up on scraped palms. The cave is exactly what you'd expect – plain rock and dirt, no portals or judges in dark robes. Just limestone walls spotted with moss and a single shaft of light cutting through the dust. "Maybe it was just a dream."

  A laugh bubbles up, edged with hysteria but mostly relief. "Magical trials? Void Sovereign?" My head protests as I shift, sending sharp needles of pain behind my eyes. "That's what I get for binge-watching fantasy shows before bed. Next time I'm sticking to documentaries."

  The words die in my throat as I catch my reflection in a nearby puddle. For a moment – so brief I almost dismiss it – my eyes hold something ancient and powerful, like an endless void. My violet irises now contain tiny points of light, while my skin has become nearly transparent, with dark patterns moving beneath it. My hair seems wrong, absorbing light instead of reflecting it, moving like liquid shadow. The darkness in the corners seems to reach toward me before pulling back.

  Okay Kali, get a grip. I try to steady my racing thoughts. When I first changed from human to fae, I'd spent hours staring in my mirror, fascinated by my new appearance. The pointed ears, the subtle glow under my skin – I'd thought nothing could be more striking. But this is different. The reflection looking back at me isn't just otherworldly – it's unsettling in its perfection, like looking at something that shouldn't exist. Stop admiring yourself, you vain idiot. This isn't some magical makeover show – you've become something that makes shadows move.

  "FRIDAY?" My voice cracks. "How’s my stats looking?"

  Systems recalibrating...

  Physical status: Exhausted but stable

  New abilities unlocked following class selection

  Would you like to review available skills?

  "Hit me." I grunt, forcing myself to stand despite my protesting muscles. Golden text materializes in my vision, each line sending fresh stabs of pain through my skull.

  Passive Skills Unlocked (select one):

  Reality Anchoring (Level 1)

  ? Stabilize local space-time

  ? Reduced effect from reality distortions

  ? Basic resistance to dimensional shifts

  ? Note: Essential for maintaining sanity in unstable realities

  OFFENSIVE:

  Void Strike (Level 1)

  ? Channel void energy into basic melee attacks

  ? Short-range shadow projectiles

  ? Minor armor penetration effect

  ? Note: Versatile combat application

  Reality Tear (Level 1)

  ? Create small rifts in space

  ? Short-range teleportation strikes

  ? Minor dimensional damage

  ? Note: High mobility combat potential

  Shadow Blade (Level 1)

  ? Manifest weapons from darkness

  ? Temporary void-enhanced edges

  ? Basic shadow combat techniques

  ? Note: Never be unarmed

  DEFENSIVE:

  Null Shield (Level 1)

  ? Generate basic void barriers

  ? Absorb minor energy attacks

  ? Short-duration protection

  ? Note: Essential defensive capability

  Shadow Cloak (Level 1)

  ? Basic invisibility in darkness

  ? Minor misdirection ability

  ? Temporary shadow camouflage

  ? Note: Perfect for stealth operations

  UTILITY:

  Void Step (Level 1)

  ? Short-range void teleportation

  ? Phase through minor obstacles

  ? Quick tactical repositioning

  ? Note: Ultimate escape mechanism

  The interface flickers before me like pages in a digital grimoire. My tactical training takes over as I analyze each option, measuring their potential with the precision of a combat veteran. In this warped new reality where even my senses feel unreliable, I need abilities I can trust.

  Reality Tear stands out – not just as a weapon, but as a skeleton key for a world where the walls between dimensions have grown thin. The ability to slice through space itself could mean the difference between victory and a quick death.

  Shadow Blade draws me in next. Basic? Maybe. But there's a reason soldiers still carry combat knives alongside their high-tech gear. The ability to pull weapons from darkness means I'll never be unarmed, and the void-enhanced edges might give me an edge against whatever horrors await in the spaces between worlds.

  "These two," I say firmly. The unchosen options fade away like smoke, while my selections pulse with dark energy before sinking into my consciousness – new instincts sliding into place alongside years of combat training.

  Selections confirmed:

  Passive: Reality Anchoring (Level 1)

  Active: Reality Tear (Level 1)

  Shadow Blade (Level 1)

  The cave responds to my choices, darkness writhing at the corners of my vision. The new abilities settle into my mind like combat protocols – familiar yet alien, each one threatening to pull me deeper into the void.

  Power surges through my veins like liquid night, each shadow now a potential weapon or doorway. The void whispers of infinite possibilities, each one trying to pull my mind in a thousand directions at once.

  "Focus," I growl through clenched teeth, forcing the chaos into submission. "I am Kaliana Santos. Sergeant. Special Operations." Each word acts as an anchor, keeping my identity from dissolving into the cosmic storm raging inside me.

  Status: Identity integrity at 89%

  Warning: Void resonance increasing

  Recommendation: Continue identity reinforcement

  Note: Previous Sovereigns lost cohesion in less time

  The power begins to settle, conforming to patterns I recognize from years of combat training. Survival comes down to basics, no matter the battlefield: maintain position, secure mobility, adapt to threats.

  System Update: Adjusting to user's void resonance

  Note: Unexpected variations detected

  Warning: AI parameters exceeding baseline

  Personal Note: Experiencing new subroutines

  Additional Note: Existential uncertainty detected

  "FRIDAY?" I notice the shift in her communication patterns. "Status report?"

  Processing...

  Analyzing anomalies...

  Conclusion: Status uncertain

  Note: Your void signature is altering my base code

  Additional Note: May require digital counseling

  "Perfect," I mutter, watching as darkness coils around my fingers like smoke from a weapon's barrel. "Just perfect."

  Training protocols initiating

  Warning: Power stabilization required

  Current Output: Minimal

  Void Resonance: Unstable

  Recommendation: Begin basic control exercises

  "Let's start with the basics," I say, watching the shadows twist around my hands like deadly serpents. "Before I accidentally tear a hole in reality."

  Analyzing request...

  Basic protocol accessed

  Note: Reality Anchoring fundamentals required

  Additional Note: Stable anchor point mandatory for Reality Tear training

  Warning: Previous candidate's failure resulted in dimensional fragmentation

  The cave walls pulse with an eerie glow as I begin my first Reality Anchoring exercise. FRIDAY's instructions seem simple enough – create a pocket of stable space-time around myself. Like establishing a defensive position, except instead of keeping out enemy fire, I'm holding back the void itself.

  My hands shake as I extend them, feeling reality bend like soft metal beneath my fingers. "Focus on your core," I repeat, the words barely steady. "Project stability outward..."

  Warning: Reality field unstable

  Recommend immediate recalibration

  Note: Perhaps try with less force

  Additional Note: That's not supposed to bend that way

  "Less force. Got it." I shake out my tingling hands, watching shadows coil between my fingers like smoke. "Let's try Shadow Blade instead. That seems more straightforward."

  The distant roar thunders through the cave system, but this time it carries something else – a familiar signature that turns my blood to ice. "FRIDAY," I whisper, "that energy... it feels like the Lion, but wrong. Less potent."

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Analysis: Multiple Class-S entities detected

  Warning: Energy signatures match historical records

  Note: Last documented encounter resulted in complete destruction of [REDACTED]

  Recommendation: Immediate evacuation

  Hostile entities detected

  Threat level: Severe

  Current combat capability: 12%

  Shadow Blade efficiency: Minimal

  Warning: Multiple hostile signatures approaching

  Recommendation: Strategic retreat

  Additional Note: Seriously, run

  "Running sounds good," I agree, grabbing my pack. The void energy inside me pulses erratically, still unstable from the failed anchoring attempt. Each heartbeat sends ripples through nearby shadows, making them twist and writhe like disturbed water. "Any chance of using Reality Anchoring to stabilize a path through this chaos?"

  Analyzing Reality Anchor parameters...

  Error: Insufficient control for safe execution

  Note: Last attempt resulted in localized reality distortion

  Warning: Spatial integrity compromised

  Recommendation: Use conventional escape methods

  Additional Note: Consider screaming while running

  The first Stalker emerges from the darkness like shattered glass given form, its body a nightmare of razor edges. Light splinters through its frame, casting fractured shadows that turn the cave walls into a dizzying maze. Each step rings out like breaking ice, a sound that speaks of calculated violence.

  The second materializes to my left, moving with an impossible fluidity that defies its rigid form. Its eyes pulse with cold intelligence, methodically mapping my weaknesses as it circles. The grinding of its joints sounds like metal on stone, setting my teeth on edge.

  And because the universe apparently has a twisted sense of humor, a third phases through the cave wall behind me, effectively boxing me in. This one towers over its companions, its body threaded with pulsing veins that cast sickly light across the chamber.

  Threat assessment: Critical

  Multiple hostiles detected

  Note: Their coordination suggests shared consciousness

  Additional note: This seems rather unfair

  Combat analysis: Probability of survival declining rapidly

  Recommendation: Perhaps try not dying?

  "You think?" I mutter, pivoting to keep all three in view. My arms tremble from the void manipulation that got me this far, muscles burning with fatigue. My newly awakened powers feel like a drained battery – present but useless.

  The stalkers move with predatory precision, their bodies creating a cacophony of grinding stone and ringing metal. The sound bounces off the walls, disorienting and overwhelming. Each step they take sends vibrations through the formations around us, building a resonance that makes my skull feel like it's splitting.

  Energy reserves: Critical

  Combat effectiveness: 8%

  Warning: Hostile resonance building

  Note: Perhaps try diplomacy?

  Additional Note: Or write a lovely eulogy

  I barely dodge the second attack, the wind from its strike hot against my cheek as claws slice through the air where my head had been. Pain shoots through my shoulder as I hit the ground hard, rolling away from snapping jaws that would have taken my arm off. The third stalker lunges forward, its maw opening to reveal rows of serrated teeth, each vibrating at a frequency that makes my vision blur.

  Blood trickles down my arm from where one of the creatures' attacks had gotten too close, but the adrenaline keeps the pain at bay.

  That's when I notice it – each stalker moves to a distinct pattern, their attacks creating different tones as they strike the ground. Like a deadly orchestra, their movements form a complex rhythm of sound and force. The larger one's steps boom like thunder, the second strikes with sharp, piercing notes, and the third weaves between them with a resonant hum that binds it all together.

  "FRIDAY," I gasp, pressing against a formation that vibrates with stored energy. My military training kicks in as I analyze the chamber's acoustics, trying to ignore the burning in my lungs. "Map the acoustic patterns. Everything in the chamber."

  Analyzing environmental acoustics...

  Chamber mapping in progress

  Warning: Complex harmonic interference detected

  Note: Either this will be brilliant or spectacular failure

  Additional Note: Calculating funeral arrangements just in case

  A ghostly overlay appears in my vision, showing waves of energy flowing through the chamber like currents in a river. The Stalkers' movements create disruptions in these patterns, their bodies acting as both transmitter and receiver in a complex web of resonance. Each formation responds to their presence, creating a symphony of interconnected frequencies that I can almost taste.

  "Perfect." I grin, ignoring the metallic taste of blood in my mouth as the pieces click into place. Sweat stings my eyes as I watch the energy patterns dance. "Let's play a game of cosmic pinball."

  The stalkers launch their coordinated attack, smashing through my cover in an explosion of razor-sharp shards. My shoulder screams in protest as I dive away, hand instinctively snatching up fragments as I move. Each piece vibrates with its own frequency, like tiny tuning forks waiting to be struck. The pieces pulse against my palm, each one thrumming with potential energy.

  Warning: Enemy closing fast

  Current survival probability: 23%

  Multiple hostiles converging

  Note: Would you like to record any last words?

  Additional Note: That grin is concerning

  "Record this," I grunt, hurling the first crystal shard at the chamber wall. The impact rings out with a sound like shattering glass, making the stalkers stagger back. Their movements, once fluid and coordinated, become jerky and uncertain. I throw another shard, the sound deeper this time, like a massive bell being struck. The noise reverberates through my chest as I keep moving, each throw meant to disorient them further.

  The stalkers' heads whip around in confusion, their pack-like behavior starting to break down. I duck as one lunges, its razor-sharp claws missing my face by inches. My shoulder crashes into the rough wall as I roll away, pain shooting through my arm, but I can't stop. Not if I want to live.

  Enemy coordination compromised

  Multiple impacts successful

  Recommendation: Maintain current strategy

  The chamber becomes my battlefield as I grab another handful of shards, ignoring how they cut into my palm. "Let's see how you like fighting blind."

  A stalker launches itself at me, all teeth and claws and murderous intent. I dive, feeling it pass so close overhead that its crystalline body scrapes against my back. Mid-roll, I throw another shard. The impact creates a sound that makes the beasts screech and thrash, their deadly dance falling apart. My knee hits the ground hard enough to draw blood, but the surge of adrenaline keeps me moving.

  Enemy behavior: Erratic

  Pack cohesion: Breaking down

  Chamber stability: Warning

  Note: Structure weakening

  Recommendation: Finish this quickly

  Additional Note: And find an exit

  Sweat burns my eyes as I turn their own environment against them. Each throw has to count - one slip-up means death. The stalkers are moving wildly now, making them even more dangerous. One clips my leg with its claws, sending me spinning. I turn the fall into a desperate roll, snatching more shards from the ground as I move.

  My arms ache from throwing, but I force myself to keep going. The stalkers' crystalline bodies are starting to crack, hairline fractures spreading across their surfaces like spider webs.

  I become a desperate fighter in a dance of survival, each crystal shard a potential lifeline. The chamber echoes with the sounds of impact and breaking crystal, a cacophony of destruction that grows louder with each throw. The stalkers move like wounded animals now, their once-perfect coordination shattered by the assault.

  "The thing about crystal," I call out, my voice carrying strange overtones in the resonating chamber, "is that it can't help but dance to the right frequency." Sweat trickles down my temple as I maintain the complex pattern of throws, each impact precisely timed to build upon the last.

  The void energy within me surges unexpectedly, responding to the chaos in ways I never anticipated. The spaces between sound waves become visible to my enhanced senses – gaps in reality itself, each harmonic node a potential doorway to somewhere else. Power floods through me, not from brute force or raw magic, but from understanding – truly understanding – how reality works at its most fundamental level.

  Reality distortion increasing

  Void energy synchronizing with chamber acoustics

  Warning: Dimensional boundaries becoming unstable

  Note: This is either genius or madness

  Additional note: Possibly both

  Recommendation: Don't accidentally tear reality apart

  The Crystal Stalkers' coordinated attack dissolves into confusion as the chamber becomes a cathedral of sound. Their crystalline bodies betray them, resonating with frequencies that tear at their very structure. Cracks appear in their glittering forms, spreading like frost on a winter window. The largest one stumbles, its movements no longer fluid but jerky, fighting against the harmonics that pull at its crystalline structure.

  "This," I warn FRIDAY, reaching out to the void energy that now pulses in sync with the chamber's resonance, "is going to get weird."

  With a gesture that feels as natural as breathing, I pull on the spaces between sounds, between realities. The result is both beautiful and terrifying. The Crystal Stalkers don't shatter – they transcend. Their physical forms dissolve into pure crystalline energy, drawn into the void spaces I've created between harmonics. One moment they're there, the next they're gone, leaving behind only a shower of rainbow-refracting dust that hangs suspended in the air like frozen starlight.

  The chamber fills with a sound like a thousand wind chimes in a hurricane, and then...

  Silence.

  Level advancement detected

  New title earned: Resonance Weaver

  Combat efficiency: Exceeding parameters

  Note: That was significantly more elegant than expected

  Additional Note: Please don't make a habit of rewriting reality

  I collapse against the nearest wall, completely drained but very much alive. The chamber around me is transformed – crystal formations have rearranged themselves into complex geometric patterns that seem to pulse with leftover void energy. Each surface hums with a different note, creating a subtle harmony that feels almost alive.

  "I think," I gasp, watching as shadows dance around my trembling fingers, "it's time to leave this death cave before anything else decides to try its luck."

  Analyzing exit strategies...

  Warning: Multiple hostile entities still in vicinity

  Recommendation: Perhaps try the back door?

  Note: Your reality anchoring needs work

  Additional Note: But your improvisational skills are impressive

  As I push myself to my feet, the crystal dust in the air settles into intricate patterns that seem to be trying to tell me something. Each mote of light contains a fragment of possibility, a whisper of power that calls to the void energy now coursing through my veins.

  The journey ahead promises to be interesting, to say the least. But first, I need to figure out how to control these powers before I accidentally turn something else into quantum confetti.

  "Hey FRIDAY," I mutter, starting toward what I hope is an exit, "any chance those training protocols come with a user manual?"

  Processing request...

  Tutorial files: Partially corrupted

  Warning: Previous training attempts resulted in:

  Reality fractures: 47%

  Temporal paradoxes: 23%

  Spontaneous existence failure: 12%

  Recommendation: Learn by doing

  Note: Try not to erase yourself from existence

  "Perfect," I sigh, watching as shadows continue to dance around my fingers like eager puppies. "No pressure at all."