Seren took a slow breath, steadying herself as the ghostly figure stepped forward. The air inside the Eldertide Ruins was thick with power, the walls pulsing faintly with ancient magic. The Core Thread floated in the center of the chamber, its silver light stretching into the void beyond.
The apparition, its form shifting like mist, raised a hand. "Only those who understand the Web may claim its heart. Are you prepared to be tested?"
Seren clenched her fists. "If that's what it takes to restore the Magic Web, then yes."
The figure's eyes glowed like burning embers. "Then step forward, Weaver of Fate, and face the Trial of the Thread."
A surge of power filled the chamber.
The ground beneath Seren's feet shifted, and suddenly, the ruins vanished—replaced by an endless expanse of swirling energy, a vast nothingness where magic itself pulsed like a living thing.
She was no longer in the physical world. This was a realm of pure magic.
The First Trial: The Weaver's Burden
A deep voice echoed around her. "What is the purpose of the Web?"
Before Seren could answer, the scene before her changed. She found herself standing in a great city, its towers gleaming with golden light. People walked the streets, their hands raised as magic flowed freely between them.
It was a world of harmony, where magic thrived.
Then, in an instant—darkness fell.
The towers crumbled. Magic twisted into jagged, chaotic bursts. The people screamed as the ground cracked apart, swallowing them into the abyss.
Seren gasped. This was no illusion. It was a memory of the past.
She recognized it now—this was the fall of the First Weavers.
She saw the mages in their golden robes, desperately trying to contain the destruction, weaving the first strands of the Magic Web to prevent total annihilation. But the Web had been incomplete… fragile… imperfect.
She saw herself, or rather—a past life.
A woman with the same silver eyes, standing among the First Weavers, hands trembling as she cast the spell that would seal the Void away.
Seren's breath hitched. She had been here before.
The voice spoke again. "What is the purpose of the Web?"
Seren closed her eyes, understanding now.
"To protect balance," she whispered. "Magic is not meant to be controlled—it is meant to be guided. The Web exists to ensure that magic flows freely, without being consumed by greed or chaos."
The ruins around her flickered. The city restored itself for a brief moment, golden towers standing tall once more.
First trial—passed.
The Second Trial: The Weight of Sacrifice
The scene shifted again.
Seren was no longer in the golden city. Now, she stood at the edge of a battlefield.
Ashen lay before her, wounded, his blood staining the earth. Around them, dark figures approached—mages corrupted by the Void, their bodies twisted by its influence.
A single choice lay before her.
The Core Thread hovered in the distance, barely within reach.
She could claim it now, restore the Web… but Ashen would not survive.
Or she could save him, but in doing so, the Void's corruption would spread, unchecked.
The voice echoed once more. "What will you sacrifice for the Web?"
Seren's heart pounded.
She knew this wasn't real. Ashen wasn't truly here. And yet, the pain in his eyes, the slow rise and fall of his breath—it all felt too real.
Tears burned in her eyes. "This… this isn't fair."
The figures drew closer, shadows reaching toward them.
Seren gritted her teeth.
She would not choose between duty and love.
She refused.
Magic flared within her, a deep, untapped power she had never known before.
"The Web is meant to preserve life, not demand sacrifice!" she cried. "I reject this choice!"
The darkness halted.
The figures faded, dissolving into mist.
The battlefield shimmered and broke apart.
Seren gasped as she was returned to the ruins, standing once more before the Core Thread.
The apparition of the ancient Weaver studied her, his expression unreadable. Then, after a long pause—
He smiled.
"You understand now."
The Core Thread descended, floating toward her like a star fallen from the heavens.
Seren reached out—and the moment her fingers brushed the glowing strand of light, a surge of raw, untamed power rushed through her veins.
The Web recognized her.
The Web's Awakening
A blinding light filled the ruins as the Core Thread merged with Seren's very soul.
Ashen, Rin, Oris, and Dain—all of them, scattered by the storm—felt the shift.
Across the land, ley lines hummed with renewed energy. The Web, long fractured, had begun to mend itself.
Seren collapsed to her knees, panting as the power settled within her.
The apparition's voice echoed one final time.
"You are ready, Weaver of Fate."
As the last remnants of the test faded, Seren opened her eyes—
And felt the entire Magic Web pulsing within her.
The final battle against the Void's influence was near.
And this time, she would not fail.