The Hero Trials Begin

[Opening Scene – Project Earth Academy, Briefing Hall]

The Briefing Hall was massive — a high-ceilinged chamber carved with the faces of legends, stone effigies of heroes long passed watching from above. Light shimmered from the floating orbs lining the pillars, giving the place a reverent glow.

Hundreds of students murmured nervously as the platform in the center rose, and with it — Colton Briggs.

Clad in a sharp black jacket, his silver eyes scanned the crowd. His voice boomed, deep and commanding.

“You’ve completed your first real-world simulations. But to be considered for Project Earth, you must pass the Hero Trials. Survive… and prove your power has purpose.”

A wave of confusion rippled through the students. The Hero Trials…? Classified. No info. No clues. No preparation.

This wasn’t training anymore.

[Private Meeting Room – Zeno’s Hidden Analysis]

Alone in his dorm, Zeno sat with his legs crossed, eyes glued to a flickering holoscreen replaying their mission footage. The Drainer battle looped in slow motion.

He paused it — frame by frame.

His air compression strike: too accurate.

Calen’s side-eye glance.

Briggs, rewinding just his movements.

Zeno narrowed his eyes.

“They’re watching me. I need to tone everything down…”

His fingers danced across a touchpad. He forged a combat log — fake history of an “old wind hero technique” he’d supposedly mastered in secret.

With surgical precision, he hacked into the student database and uploaded the file.

“Let them think they know me. Control the story… before they write it for me.”

[Scene – The Crucible Trial Grounds]

The transport doors opened, revealing a canyon carved into the Earth — black walls scarred with combat, glowing glyphs lining the perimeter. The Crucible.

Zeno’s team was together again: Calen. Mira. Lana. Darian.

No coincidence this time. It was deliberate.

Broadcast drones hovered above, recording every second. This wasn’t just a test — it was live-streamed across the planet. Potential sponsors, heroes, and nations watching.

[Challenge One – “The Collapse”]

A siren blared.

“TRIAL ONE: Navigate the collapsing facility. Rescue 3 AI civilians. Escape in 15 minutes.”

The ground split as they dropped into the underground complex. Metal walls screeched under pressure. A countdown began.

15:00

Mira summoned a globe of water, scanning paths.

Lana’s fire lit the halls, but too much and she risked igniting gas lines.

Darian reinforced the collapsing walls with slabs of earth.

Calen short-circuited control panels to open gates.

Zeno stayed at the back… deliberately hesitating. When a piece of steel lunged toward him, he allowed Calen to knock it away.

A calculated move.

Calen gave him a small nod. Trust, slowly rebuilt.

[Surprise Twist – Crawler Ambush]

They reached the final chamber — and found it infested.

Crawlers — grotesque, four-limbed monsters fused with circuitry and flesh — surrounded the AI civilians.

Zeno assessed the room with cold logic.

“Can’t go all out. Can’t be the leader. Must guide from behind the curtain.”

He approached Calen calmly.

“Current’s strongest here. You call it. I’ll back you.”

Calen blinked, then nodded. “Alright, squad—listen up!”

The plan was Zeno’s. The voice was Calen’s.

Mira sealed off exits with ice.

Lana’s fire drove enemies toward Darian’s terrain traps.

Calen, energized by leadership, electrified Mira’s water, shocking every frozen Crawler.

One after another, they fell.

[Final Move – A Glimpse of the Truth]

Then — disaster.

One Crawler darted toward a civilian. Too fast.

Zeno’s instincts flared.

His pupils contracted. The air thickened. Time… slowed.

In that moment, the world moved like molasses. Zeno surged forward, gently pushing the AI civilian out of harm’s way. The Crawler’s claw passed harmlessly through air.

He snapped time back into motion.

No one noticed…

Except Mira.

She turned to him, wide-eyed. “Zeno… what was that?”

He just smiled. “Airwave distortion.”

[Victory – But With Eyes Watching]

9:42. Fastest completion time of the day.

Cheers erupted from the Crucible stands. Instructors clapped. Students whispered.

Zeno smiled under the lights.

But his mind wasn’t celebrating.

“They’re cheering for a lie. I need to be ten steps ahead… or I won’t make it out of this alive.”

[Final Scene – Colton’s Office]

Inside the command chamber, Colton stood over the hologram feed, hands behind his back. A team of instructors flanked him, reviewing the moment of the rescue.

Frame by frame.

A blur. A flash. Then stillness.

One instructor furrowed his brow. “Did time… blink?”

Another shrugged. “Could’ve been a drone glitch.”

Colton narrowed his eyes. “Or something else.”

[Final Bracket – Zeno’s Dorm Room]

Back in his room, Zeno soldered a data chip into his personal surveillance system, rewiring his trail.

“Time to plant the idea that I’m just gifted. Not dangerous.”

He looked into his own reflection — the human side of it, at least.

The lie was getting heavier.

TO BE CONTINUED…

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***