Chains Of Eternity

Chapter Three: The First Trial

Chapter Three — The First Trial

Elyra didn’t sleep that night. Not truly. Every time her eyes closed, she saw the shimmer of chains, the pale gray eyes, and the metallic echo that haunted her. The diner, the alley, the vanished man; none of it felt like a dream. They were warnings, or maybe invitations. She didn’t know which, but one thing was certain; she couldn’t ignore them.

By dawn, the city was stirring, indifferent to the chaos that had visited her the night before. Elyra moved through the streets cautiously, camera swinging at her side, phone tucked deep into her satchel. Every reflection, every shadow seemed alive, following her.

She stopped at a small, forgotten library tucked between two high-rise office buildings. It wasn’t a place she normally visited, but a thought struck her; knowledge might be her only weapon. The librarian, a frail man with wire-rimmed glasses, gave her a curious look.

“Do you have anything… on old urban legends? Haunted sites? Things people see that shouldn’t exist?” she asked, careful to keep her voice steady.

He raised an eyebrow. “Depends on what you mean. You’re not one of those thrill-seekers who chase ghosts into dangerous buildings, are you?”

Elyra’s pulse quickened. “Something like that.”

He gestured to the back of the library. “Try the archives. But be careful. Some things are better left forgotten.”

Hours passed as Elyra sifted through brittle newspapers, faded photographs, and journals yellowed with age. Everything pointed to a series of strange sightings over decades: shadows appearing at midnight, chains rattling without cause, and witnesses describing a silver-eyed figure with fragments of glowing shackles.

Her stomach twisted. It was him. The man from the hotel, the diner, the alley. And now, she understood the message: the “seven chains” weren’t random. They were trials, tests that she had to face, each one tied to a place, a shadow, or a secret lurking in the city.

Her phone buzzed again. Unknown number.

“The first trial begins where the city sleeps. Find it before it finds you.”

Elyra’s camera felt heavier in her hands. She glanced at the windows, at the streets below, and for the first time understood that her curiosity had become a lifeline and a trap.

The city had secrets, and it was drawing her into them.

As night fell once more, she prepared. Her backpack was packed with camera equipment, a flashlight, and a small notebook filled with notes from the library. Her reflection in the window caught her attention. The faintest glimmer of silver traced her wrist where the chains had appeared before. She shivered.

Whatever this trial was, it was coming. And Elyra Voss had no choice but to face it

Night fell like a velvet curtain over the city, and Elyra’s heart raced as she stepped onto the streets, camera strapped tight to her chest. The message still burned in her mind: “The first trial begins where the city sleeps. Find it before it finds you.”

The streets were quieter than usual, the hum of cars and chatter fading into an uneasy stillness. Elyra’s instincts screamed at her that someone, or something, was watching. She raised her camera, scanning the shadows, each flicker of movement making her jump.

Her path took her to an abandoned train yard, a place she had photographed many times before but had never felt this… alive. The metal rails glistened faintly in the moonlight, rusted carts leaning at odd angles, shadows pooling in every corner. And then she heard it: a soft, metallic clink… dragging… closer.

Elyra froze. The sound was familiar. Her stomach tightened as her eyes caught a shimmer at the far end of the yard; a figure standing perfectly still, silver eyes glowing faintly in the dark, chains wrapping around wrists in fragmented glimmers.

“You’ve come,” the figure said, voice low and resonant, echoing through the empty yard. “Good. The first chain awakens for you.”

“What… what is this?” Elyra whispered, gripping her camera.

The man’s gaze shifted to the ground, where the shadows seemed to ripple unnaturally. From the darkness, a pair of hands emerged, not human — elongated, skeletal, bound by faint glowing chains. They stretched toward her, moving faster than any living creature should be able to move.

Elyra’s breath caught. This was no ordinary test. This was a hunt.

Instinct took over. She snapped a photo — the flash illuminating the creature for a split second. It recoiled, letting out a sound like grinding metal. She ran, her boots clanging against the rails, the flashlight cutting swaths through the shadows. Every step brought another metallic echo — the clink of chains, the scrape of claws, the hiss of something alive and hungry.

She ducked behind a rusted cart, heart pounding. The creature paused, sensing her, its glowing eyes scanning the darkness. Elyra raised her camera again, snapping another photo. Each flash made the thing retreat slightly, but it was relentless, never fully gone.

“You see too much,” the silver-eyed man’s voice cut through the night, calm yet chilling. “But seeing is only the beginning. The first chain is about more than survival. It is about understanding.”

Elyra swallowed hard, nodding to herself. She didn’t know what understanding meant yet, but she knew one thing: she could not fail. If she did, the city and whatever forces lurked in its shadows would not let her survive the next trial.

Summoning every ounce of courage, she peeked out from behind the cart, focusing her camera on the creature. Its chains shimmered, and for a brief moment, Elyra understood, the chains were not just bindings. They were markers, lessons, fragments of a story she was only beginning to read.

With a deep breath, she stepped forward into the open, ready to face the first trial.

The hunt had begun.