The Iron Resolve cautiously rolled their mechanized carts into the next room, the massive stone doors groaning open to reveal the awe-inspiring sight of the Astral Nexus. The team slowed their pace, their eyes scanning every inch of the stunning and ominous room.

  The track itself was a smooth, obsidian-like surface, polished to a mirror sheen that reflected the ethereal glow of the room. It spiraled in a perfect circle, encircling a raised plateau at the chamber's center. The plateau was striking—a miniature table mountain with steep, jagged sides that made scaling it impossible, even if someone attempted it on foot. Atop the flat expanse of the plateau were the remnants of what looked like an ancient temple. Broken pillars leaned at precarious angles, some toppled entirely, their massive stones scattered across the surface. The ground was littered with fragments of carved runes, each glowing faintly with a silvery-blue light. It was as if the temple had once been a sacred place but had long since fallen into decay and ruin.

  The air itself felt charged with an unexplainable energy, shimmering faintly with specks of light like stars caught in an unseen current. The faint hum of arcane power thrummed in their ears, a haunting melody that seemed to pulse in time with their racing hearts.

  From somewhere above, an unseen source bathed the room in a dim, celestial glow, illuminating the plateau and casting long, shifting shadows around the chamber. The effect was disorienting, as if the space itself were alive and shifting subtly beneath their gaze.

  “What is this place?” Bell murmured, his voice low, awestruck.

  “It’s incredible,” Phil whispered, his elven eyes tracing the glowing runes atop the plateau. “But… unsettling.”

  The team barely had time to take in their surroundings before a deep, resonant voice echoed through the chamber, silencing their murmurs. The air seemed to still as a figure began to rise from the plateau's center, emerging from a swirl of arcane light.

  Zyrris .

  The spectral figure floated effortlessly above the ruins, his form glowing with the light of distant stars. His flowing robes seemed to ripple with the night sky itself, constellations and galaxies forming and reforming across their surface. His eyes gleamed with the light of twin suns, cold and calculating, as they swept over the adventurers below.

  "Welcome to the Astral Nexus," Zyrris intoned, his voice smooth, calm, and yet dripping with menace. “How quaint, a band of mortals, brave—or perhaps foolish—enough to challenge the sanctity of this place. Have you come seeking glory? Riches? Or perhaps… you simply wish to survive?”

  His words hung in the air, each syllable deliberate, as though he were savoring the tension that his presence created. Zyrris lifted a hand, a single slender finger tracing a pattern in the air that left a trail of stardust. “It is rare to encounter a group with such… tenacity. But do not mistake my curiosity for leniency. I am bound to this place, and as its guardian, I will not allow you to pass without a proper test of your worth.”

  Parker gripped the wheel of his cart tightly, his knuckles white. “Does he ever shut up?” he muttered under his breath.

  “Quiet,” Jake snapped. “Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”

  Zyrris's gaze fell on the adventurers one by one, a faint smirk curling his lips. “Your resolve will be tested. Your will… shattered. And should you fail, you will find your end written in the stars above. Now, let us begin.”

  Without warning, Zyrris raised both hands, and a burst of starlight erupted from his form, sending a ripple of energy cascading through the room. The adventurers instinctively shielded their eyes, and when the light dimmed, Zyrris was gone.

  But his voice remained, now disembodied, echoing from every corner of the room. “You will find no instructions here. Only the answers you are clever enough to discover… before it is too late.”

  “Alright, team,” Jake said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. “Let’s figure this out. Keep moving, stay alert, and don’t let him mess with your heads.”

  The adventurers pushed their pedals, and the carts began to roll forward, picking up speed as they started their journey around the circular track. The polished surface of the track reflected the faint starlight above, creating the illusion that they were racing through the cosmos itself.

  As they rounded the first bend, Phil noticed something peculiar—a glowing structure embedded into the side of the track. It looked like a tall crystal obelisk, pulsing faintly with the same silvery light that illuminated the room. “What’s that?” he called out.

  “Keep your eyes forward!” Sarah yelled as her cart swerved slightly. “We’ll figure it out as we go!”

  Before anyone could answer, the air ahead of them shimmered, and Zyrris reappeared in a flash of light, hovering above the track. “Let us see how well you navigate the stars,” he said, his voice calm but ominous.

  With a wave of his hand, Zyrris unleashed his first ability—Celestial Rift. A swirling vortex of astral energy tore open along the track, its gravitational pull tugging violently at the carts.

  “Brace yourselves!” Jake shouted, gripping the wheel tightly as his cart veered dangerously close to the vortex.

  Mitch, who was less prepared, yelped as his cart was yanked sideways, spinning wildly before he managed to regain control. “I think I’m gonna be sick!” he shouted, steering furiously to escape the pull.

  “Parker, shoot it!” Bell bellowed, his eyes locked on the vortex.

  “It’s not something you can shoot, you idiot!” Parker shot back, his cart narrowly avoiding another spinout.

  Meanwhile, Carah swerved around the disturbance with impressive precision. “You’ve got to lean into the turn!” she called out, her voice laced with frustration.

  “Easy for you to say!” Mitch grumbled, his cart still wobbling from the effects.

  Zyrris, watching the chaos with a faint smile, vanished again in a burst of light. From somewhere above, his voice echoed, “Ah, such a delight. But this is only the beginning…”

  As the team managed to stabilize their carts and press onward, they caught sight of another glowing crystal structure further along the track. Jake’s eyes narrowed. “That’s got to be part of the puzzle. Everyone, focus—we’ll figure this out.”

  The Iron Resolve sped forward along the astral track, their mechanized carts rumbling over the smooth, shimmering surface. Above them, Zyrris floated, his star-speckled form radiating power. The air was thick with tension, as though the very fabric of reality within the room was under his control.

  “Ah, my dear challengers,” Zyrris intoned, his voice calm yet menacing. “Have you grown weary of this cosmic dance already? Allow me to... reinvigorate you.”

  With a flick of his ethereal hand, a Celestial Rift opened just ahead, its swirling pull immediately distorting the track. The carts veered uncontrollably toward the vortex, the adventurers gripping their wheels and pedals in frantic attempts to avoid being sucked in.

  “Steer clear!” Jake shouted, gritting his teeth as he yanked his wheel to the side. His cart skidded dangerously close to the edge before the rift dissipated.

  “Stars preserve us,” Bell grumbled, his cart tilting as he wrestled to regain control. “This guy’s got it in for us.”

  “Stay sharp, everyone!” Sarah called out. “He’s testing us!”

  Zyrris chuckled, his voice reverberating like distant thunder. “Testing, yes. But also teaching. Let us see if you can grasp the lesson before you’re undone.”

  As if on cue, a shimmering beam of light materialized ahead, its radiance blinding and intense. Jake instinctively turned away, his cart skidding as he avoided it by inches.

  “What the hell was that?” Jake barked, glancing back at the glowing remnant.

  “Maybe another attack?” Mitch offered, his cart swerving to avoid a projection of Zyrris that had appeared ahead of him.

  But as Parker barreled forward, unable to steer clear in time, his cart passed directly through the beam. A burst of energy surrounded him, and a notification flashed before his eyes:

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Celestial Rift - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 1/4

  “What in the—” Parker exclaimed, blinking in surprise.

  “What happened?” Sarah asked, maneuvering her cart closer to him.

  Parker quickly relayed what he saw. “That beam—when I went through it, it gave me some kind of protection. It said ‘Astral Protection’ and something about a Celestial Rift.”

  “So... it’s not an attack?” Carah asked skeptically, her cart weaving through a curve. “It sure looks like one.”

  “Maybe that’s the trick,” Parker said. “We have to hit them. They’re not attacks—they’re the key!”

  “Fantastic,” Phil muttered, narrowly dodging a Stellar Barrage raining down from above. “Run into the glowing death beams. That’s the plan now?”

  Jake frowned but kept his focus on the track. “Parker might be right. If it gave him a buff, maybe that’s how we get through this.”

  As if to mock their realization, Zyrris raised his hands again. Astral Projections of himself appeared around the track, each one mirroring his movements and launching smaller versions of his spells.

  “Ah, I see the gears turning in your little mortal minds,” Zyrris taunted. “But will you act upon your epiphany before the stars align against you?”

  Phil swerved to avoid one of the projections, only for another shimmering beam to materialize directly in his path. He had no time to dodge—it was too sudden, too close. His cart surged through the light, and a notification appeared before him:

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Voidwalk Burst - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 1/4

  Phil blinked at the message, his face a mixture of surprise and understanding. “I got one! Parker’s right—they’re buffs!”

  “Okay, fine,” Jake growled. “Let’s aim for the beams. But keep an eye out for his other tricks!”

  The team’s initial reluctance gave way to cautious determination as they began actively seeking out the glowing beams. Zyrris, of course, was not about to make their task easy. Another Celestial Rift tore open ahead, forcing Carah to slam on her brakes as the gravitational pull yanked her cart sideways.

  “Can you not?!” she shouted, wrestling with the wheel. Her cart wobbled but managed to escape the vortex just as it collapsed.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Such petulance,” Zyrris said, his tone dripping with disdain. “Do try to keep up. The astral plane does not suffer fools lightly.”

  Mitch, spotting a beam on the far side of the track, pushed his cart to its limit. The glowing light shimmered enticingly as he sped toward it, but just as he was about to reach it, Zyrris unleashed Temporal Stasis. Mitch’s cart froze mid-motion, the bard himself encased in a shimmering field.

  “Mitch!” Sarah cried, swerving to avoid his immobilized cart.

  Mitch, fully aware but unable to move, groaned internally. When the stasis field finally dissipated, his cart jolted forward, and he groaned aloud. “That was... unpleasant.”

  “Get it together, Mitch!” Jake barked, his cart narrowly avoiding another Astral Projection.

  As the team continued, Parker hit another beam. His screen flashed:

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Astral Projection Damage - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 2/4

  “Two down!” Parker shouted, his confidence growing.

  “Let’s hope these buffs stack for the whole team,” Sarah muttered as she veered toward a beam herself.

  She wasn’t disappointed.

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Voidwalk Burst - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 1/4

  Zyrris hovered above them, his glowing eyes narrowing as he observed their progress. “Impressive,” he murmured, almost to himself. “But let us see how far your resilience carries you.”

  Continuing their desperate race through the Astral Nexus, the team now actively sought the glowing beams of light that provided crucial immunities. Despite the progress made, Zyrris hovered above them, an unyielding force of power and menace.

  “Ah, you’ve grasped the game,” he said, his tone still calm but with an edge of amusement. “But the stars are fickle. Will fortune favor you all, or only one?”

  As if to punctuate his words, Zyrris raised both arms, summoning another Celestial Rift. This time, the gravitational pull surged across the track, stronger and more chaotic than before. Mitch and Carah, who had been neck and neck in their carts, screamed as their vehicles were yanked off course.

  “Hold on!” Mitch shouted, white-knuckling the wheel.

  “Where’s it taking us?!” Carah yelled, her voice rising in panic.

  The vortex abruptly shifted, dragging both of their carts into its core before spitting them out on a different section of the track. Disoriented and off-balance, Mitch’s cart slammed into the side of Carah’s with a loud metallic clang , both spinning out of control before crashing into a nearby wall.

  “Ugh, my head!” Mitch groaned, fumbling with the wheel as his cart shuddered to a stop. “Is the track spinning, or is it just me?”

  “It’s just you,” Carah snapped, her voice sharp with frustration as she struggled to right her cart. “Move it, bard! We’re losing time!”

  Zyrris’ laughter echoed through the chamber, rich and mocking. “So easily unseated. Are you certain you’re fit to challenge the astral plane?”

  Jake, steering his cart past the crash site, winced. “You two okay back there?”

  “We’re fine,” Carah grumbled as she slammed her foot on the pedal, her cart jerking back into motion.

  “Define ‘fine,’” Mitch muttered, his cart trailing hers.

  Zyrris, evidently pleased with the chaos, wasted no time unleashing more attacks. His Astral Projections multiplied, surrounding the track with spectral copies of himself. Each one fired weaker versions of his spells, forcing the team to dodge and weave frantically.

  “Phil, behind you!” Parker called out, narrowly avoiding a projection’s Stellar Barrage.

  Phil twisted his cart hard to the left, barely escaping the barrage. As he regained control, a shimmering beam appeared ahead. Without hesitation, he drove through it, hoping for progress.

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Celestial Rift - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 2/4

  “Damn it,” Phil muttered. “Already had that one!”

  “You’re kidding,” Jake said, steering his cart toward another beam.

  “It’s probably random,” Parker called to them, swerving past a Voidwalk Burst that stunned the air where his cart had been. “Just keep trying!”

  Jake’s cart surged through the next beam, a rush of energy enveloping him as a notification appeared:

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Temporal Stasis - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 1/4

  “One down,” Jake muttered, his focus intensifying.

  Meanwhile, Zyrris floated higher, his celestial form glowing more brightly. He gestured dramatically, summoning another Celestial Rift, this time directly in the middle of the track.

  “Ah, a centerpiece for my cosmic art,” Zyrris said, his tone dripping with mockery. “Do try to avoid it—unless, of course, you enjoy collisions.”

  The rift’s pull was immediate and overwhelming. Sarah, caught too close to its influence, screamed as her cart veered uncontrollably toward the vortex. Jake, seeing her struggle, shouted, “Turn into it, not away! Fight it!”

  Sarah managed to correct her steering just enough to avoid the rift’s core, but her cart skidded across the track, barely missing a projection. As she righted herself, a beam of light materialized in her path. With no time to react, she passed through it, and a notification appeared:

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Astral Projection Damage - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 2/4

  “Got another one!” Sarah called out, relief flooding her voice.

  The adventurers pushed their carts harder, zigzagging through the room’s chaotic landscape. Zyrris intensified his assault, chaining spells together to create a relentless barrage. A Voidwalk Burst sent Bell spinning as Zyrris reappeared directly in front of him, unleashing a burst of arcane energy that stunned him.

  “Come on, big guy, shake it off!” Mitch shouted, his own cart narrowly avoiding a Temporal Stasis field.

  “I’m trying!” Bell growled, slamming his foot on the pedal as his cart regained momentum.

  Jake, meanwhile, passed through a third beam, the notification flashing before his eyes:

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Voidwalk Burst - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 3/4

  “One more!” he yelled, his determination spurring the others on.

  Phil, racing alongside Carah, grinned as he lined up his cart with another beam. “This one’s mine!”

  The beam enveloped him, but his grin quickly faded as the notification appeared:

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Voidwalk Burst - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 2/4

  “Are you serious?!” Phil shouted. “I already had that one!”

  Zyrris’ laughter boomed again, his amusement clear. “Oh, the frustration! The futility! Do you feel it, adventurers? The cosmos delights in your struggle.”

  Jake ignored the taunts, focusing on the track ahead. Another beam appeared, and he veered toward it. His cart passed through the light, and the final notification appeared:

  Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Celestial Rift - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 4/4 - All Buffs Collected - Exit Unlocked: Proceed to the Door

  “The door’s open!” Jake shouted, relief and triumph in his voice.

  The shimmering exit appeared ahead, a glowing archway signaling their victory. One by one, the adventurers drove their carts through, their hearts pounding with adrenaline. As the last cart crossed the threshold, Zyrris’ voice followed them, calm yet laced with menace.

  “Well done, mortals. But remember, the stars are eternal... and they are always watching.”

  As the team’s carts surged through the glowing portal that had opened, they were momentarily blinded by a flash of brilliant white light. The jarring transition left them disoriented as the world around them re-formed. The hum of the carts’ engines returned, and the stone floor beneath them smoothed out once again.

  When their vision cleared, they found themselves in a long, narrow tunnel. At the far end, bathed in a warm, golden glow, was the finish line—a magnificent archway etched with intricate runes that sparkled like stars in the night sky. The air felt lighter, almost celebratory, as though the dungeon itself acknowledged their perseverance.

  “There it is!” Jake shouted, his voice breaking with relief. “The finish line!”

  Phil leaned forward in his cart, his normally calm expression breaking into a rare smile. “Finally. I thought this trial was never going to end.”

  Parker laughed, though his grip on the steering wheel was still white-knuckled. “I don’t know what’s shining brighter—that finish line or the sweat on my face.”

  “Less talking, more driving!” Bell grumbled, though the corners of his mouth twitched upward in a grin. His cart wobbled slightly as he corrected course, pushing forward with renewed determination.

  Carah gave her sister a look, her eyes gleaming with exhaustion and triumph. “We actually did it, Sarah. We’re going to make it.”

  Sarah, still catching her breath, managed a tired smile. “Let’s just get there before something else decides to kill us.”

  “Guys, this was just lap one,” Jake said, his voice tinged with both pride and reluctant realism. The words brought an abrupt halt to the celebratory energy buzzing among the team.

  “You have GOT to be kidding me?!” Mitch groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration as the reality of the race’s length sank in. “We barely survived this one, and now we’ve got to do it again ?”

  “We know what to expect now,” Jake said, his tone firm but encouraging as he looked around at the weary faces of his teammates. “The rest of the laps should be much easier. Just use what we’ve learned to do better. It’s like when we face a new monster for the first time. The second round is always easier.”

  Bell nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. “He’s right. We’ve got the lay of the land now. We know the traps, the turns, and what those damn beams do. We can use that to our advantage.”

  “Yeah, sure, easy for you to say,” Mitch grumbled. “I’ll just pretend we didn’t crash into every wall in that last room like we were trying to knock them down for a new floor plan.”

  Jake smirked, the hint of a laugh breaking through his otherwise serious expression. “Think of it as practice. We’ve all improved since the starting line. Let’s keep that momentum going.”

  Sarah chimed in, her voice soft but steady. “Jake’s right. We’re a team. We’ve faced worse odds than this and made it through. We’ll handle this, too.”

  Carah cracked a small, mischievous grin. “Fine. But I call dibs on driving circles around all of you this time. Consider it motivation to keep up.”

  The group chuckled, the shared moment lightening the weight of the challenge ahead. Despite their exhaustion, they could see the truth in Jake’s words. They’d conquered the unknown, and now it was time to prove they could master the course.