The Puzzle of the Glass Lake

After narrowly escaping the wrath of the Forgotten World's bizarre inhabitants, the group stumbled upon a new wonder: a pristine, crystal-clear lake that shimmered like liquid glass under the pale green sky. The water reflected everything perfectly, almost unnervingly so.

Kael was the first to approach, leaning down to peer into the water. His reflection stared back, but something was… off. His reflection smirked at him.

"Okay," Kael muttered, stepping back. "That's creepy."

"What's creepy?" Eryn asked, dropping to his knees beside him. "Whoa, look at this! I'm handsome even in reverse!"

Kael rolled his eyes. "Your reflection's probably just as annoying as you are."

"Reflections are reflections," Finn said, kneeling by the water. He poked at it with a stick, causing ripples to distort their mirrored images. But as the ripples faded, their reflections didn't settle back into place. Instead, they shifted, standing upright and walking away from the "water" as though it were solid ground.

"Uh, guys," Finn said, his voice trembling. "Tell me you see that."

"Oh, we see it," Eryn replied, his eyes wide.

Their reflections moved with eerie grace, now standing above the surface of the lake like ghosts made of glass. Each one was identical to its counterpart, except for a faint, silvery glow that pulsed around them.

"What kind of sorcery is this?" Lyria muttered, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger.

Before anyone could respond, the reflections spoke in unison. Their voices echoed, layered and distorted. "To pass, you must prove your worth."

"Great. More riddles," Kael grumbled.

"What's next? A test of humility?" Eryn quipped. "Because if so, I'm doomed."

The reflections stepped closer, their movements smooth and deliberate. "The lake holds the key to your next path. But beware—only one of you speaks the truth."

Kael blinked. "Wait, are we solving riddles or playing 'guess the liar' now?"

"Probably both," Lyria said, scanning the reflections.

"Why can't they just give us a bridge and be done with it?" Finn added.

The reflection of Kael stepped forward, tilting its head with a smirk identical to Kael's. "The answer lies within the lake, but to find it, you must make a sacrifice."

Eryn's reflection chimed in, its voice smoother and more confident than the real Eryn's. "No, that's a trick. You need only say the lake's true name to unlock the path."

Lyria's reflection was calm and collected. "Both are wrong. The truth lies not in action, but in understanding. Ask the lake itself."

"Ask the lake?" Kael repeated, confused. "How do you 'ask' a lake?"

Eryn crossed his arms. "I think we should go with my reflection. He seems smart."

"Of course you'd say that," Finn said, rolling his eyes. "But I vote for mine—wait, why isn't my reflection talking?"

Everyone turned to look at Finn's reflection, which was staring blankly into space.

"Wow," Kael said. "Even your reflection thinks you're irrelevant."

Finn glared at him. "Real mature, Kael."

After a heated argument (mostly between Eryn and Finn), Kael decided to follow Lyria's advice: ask the lake itself.

He knelt by the water's edge and took a deep breath. "Okay, uh… lake? What's your deal?"

The water rippled in response, and a melodic voice emerged, soft and echoing. "To move forward, you must leave behind the weight you carry."

"What weight?" Eryn asked, frowning. "I'm not carrying anything heavy."

"Not physically," Lyria said, her eyes narrowing. "It's a metaphor."

Kael groaned. "Why is everything always a metaphor? Can't we just fight something for once?"

The lake shimmered, and the reflections began to fade, dissolving into the water. A path of glowing stones appeared, leading across the surface.

"That's it?" Finn asked, his voice dripping with disbelief. "We just had to listen to the lake?"

"I guess sometimes the answer really is as simple as asking," Lyria said, though even she looked surprised.

As they crossed the glowing path, Kael couldn't resist cracking a grin. "So, Eryn, what were you saying about your reflection being smart?"

Eryn huffed. "At least mine was helpful. Finn's was basically a mannequin."

"You're just jealous because even the lake knew I'm the most logical one here," Finn said, grinning.

"Logical? You poked it with a stick!"