The second trial stone pulsed like a heartbeat.
"Will," Lyra said, staring at the rune etched into the platform's surface. "This won't be a fight."
Kael tightened his gloves. "Not with claws or fire, at least."
Alden stepped forward, Bloodfang at his side. The first trial had revealed the truth of his bond—but now, something heavier loomed. It wasn't fear. It was doubt.
The moment all three touched the rune—
The world split.
Alden's Trial – The Mirror Cage
He awoke in silence.
Alden stood alone in a world of white mist and endless mirrors. His reflection stared back at him from every direction—thousands of Aldens. But they weren't all the same.
Some looked older. Hardened. Some were bleeding, broken. Others wore armor. A few… had monstrous eyes.
One stepped forward, a warped reflection, smiling coldly.
"You're not ready for any of this."
Alden clenched his fists. "What is this?"
The voice came from everywhere. His own voice. But twisted.
"You think kindness will save you? Trusting beasts like equals? You'll die the moment you hesitate."
Another reflection stepped out, this one covered in blood, dragging a lifeless beast behind him. Bloodfang.
"This is what happens when you care."
"No," Alden growled. "That's not who I am."
A third voice cut through—this one sounded exactly like him. No distortion. No malice.
"Then prove it."
Suddenly, the mist thickened, and a monstrous figure burst through the fog—a beast of impossible size, made of shadows and chains, roaring with fury. And there was no Bloodfang beside him now.
He was truly alone.
The beast lunged.
Alden dodged, barely. No weapons, no allies—only instinct.
The fight was chaos. The shadow beast towered over him, each step cracking the mirrored floor. Alden's breaths came sharp and quick. Panic clawed at him.
Then the whispers started again.
"You're weak."
"They'll all die because of you."
"Even Lyra..."
That voice, using her name—struck deep.
The beast raised a chained claw.
And Alden, in that moment, screamed—not in fear, but in defiance.
"Enough!"
He stood tall, bleeding, breathless.
"I don't care if I'm not perfect. I don't care if I make mistakes. I'll still fight. I'll still protect them. I'll never stop trying."
The sigil on his palm erupted in silver fire.
And the beast paused.
Then shattered like glass.
Lyra's Trial – The Echo of the Past
Far in another vision, Lyra walked the ruins of her childhood—an abandoned village scorched by beastfire. Screams echoed. Shadows clung to broken homes.
She knelt before a crumpled cloak—her father's.
Then came the voice:
"You let them die. You ran."
Lyra didn't flinch. "I survived. And I've fought every day since to make it mean something."
A figure stepped out of the fire—a memory, her younger self, trembling and lost.
"You want to protect him now?" the child asked. "A boy who barely knows what he's doing?"
Lyra stared forward. "Alden has more strength than he sees. And I won't let him fall like I once did."
And as she reached for the child's hand, the trial faded.
Kael's Trial – The Broken Oath
Kael stood in a vast desert, swords buried in the sand.
One by one, the faces of the comrades he'd lost stood before him.
"Couldn't save us."
"Walked away."
"Monster."
Kael didn't argue. He bowed his head. "I remember all of you."
A phantom of his old captain stepped forward. "You'll fail again."
Kael gritted his teeth. "Maybe. But not today."
He drew a blade from the sand.
"Not while I have breath."
The mist cleared.
The trio stood once more in the real world, each breath heavy with what they'd faced.
Kael said nothing. Just adjusted his cloak.
Lyra exhaled, a hand over her chest.
Alden looked at them, then at Bloodfang, who approached slowly—then pressed his snout gently to Alden's side.
No words were needed.
The second rune faded.
Ahead, the third trial stone—Sacrifice—glowed in ominous crimson.
But before they could step forward—
A sudden quake shook the Trial Grounds.
Cracks opened. Wind howled.
And from above, riding a beast of gold and flame—
He descended.
The man with golden eyes.