The moment Orion stepped through the shimmering portal, he felt an overwhelming force pulling at his very essence. He landed in a vast void of swirling stars and fractured memories—visions of a past he had never recalled before. Voices whispered in his ears, some familiar, others foreign.
"Orion… you were never meant to remember."
A hooded figure emerged from the darkness, their presence radiating an eerie familiarity. The moment the hood was pulled back, Orion's heart clenched—Seraphina. But her eyes, once warm, were now cold, flickering with an unnatural glow.
"You lied to me," Orion hissed, his hands tightening into fists. "You manipulated my memories."
Seraphina took a slow step forward, her expression unreadable. "I did what had to be done. The truth would have broken you."
Orion shook his head, stepping back. "Then tell me the truth now. All of it."
Seraphina sighed. "You were never just an ordinary Astral Warden. You were created—designed by the Veiled Queen herself, a force of balance between the celestial realms and the abyss. But when you started questioning your purpose, she sealed your memories, fearing what you might become."
A cold shiver ran down Orion's spine. "And you were part of it?"
"Yes," she admitted, pain flashing in her eyes. "But it was never my choice."
Before Orion could respond, the void trembled. A new presence entered—the Unknown Force. It took shape, a being of shifting cosmic energy, neither light nor dark.
"Orion, your trial is not over. To prove your worth, you must face your own fractured soul. The illusion of your past and the reality of your destiny will collide. Only one truth will survive."
Suddenly, the space around him shattered, and Orion found himself in the heart of a battle—a battle against himself. A shadowy figure, mirroring his every move, emerged from the fragments of his mind. It was him, but twisted, his worst fears and darkest thoughts manifesting into a being as powerful as himself.
"Are you ready to fight your own demons?" the Unknown Force whispered.
Orion clenched his fists. "I will face whatever comes next."
The battle had begun.
---
Chapter 58: The Mirror's Edge
The battlefield was a vast expanse of shifting realities—echoes of Orion's past, present, and future flickered like broken reflections around him. His shadowed counterpart, a manifestation of every suppressed fear and doubt, moved with inhuman speed, mirroring his stance.
"You are not worthy of the power you seek," the doppelgänger sneered, his voice a warped version of Orion's own. "You run from your destiny, clinging to false hope."
Orion narrowed his eyes. "I may have been lost before, but I won't let fear control me anymore."
With a roar, he lunged forward, their blades of celestial energy clashing with a force that shattered the illusions surrounding them. Every strike sent ripples through time, exposing forgotten memories. Orion saw glimpses of his childhood—visions of a life he had never known. A family? A lost love? Each revelation chipped away at the lies he had been told.
Then, a voice echoed through the chaos.
"Orion! Fight for the truth!"
It was Lyra.
She stood at the edge of the battlefield, her presence a beacon of hope. In that moment, Orion realized—this battle wasn't about power. It was about acceptance. He needed to embrace his past, his pain, his truth.
Dropping his weapon, he faced his dark reflection. "You are a part of me, but you do not define me. I accept who I am."
The shadow hesitated, its form flickering. Then, with a final agonized scream, it shattered into stardust, vanishing into the void.
Orion collapsed to his knees, breathless. The Unknown Force materialized before him. "You have passed the trial of the self. But greater challenges await. Are you ready to meet your true enemy?"
Orion looked up, determination burning in his eyes. "Let them come."