“The Trial of Symbols”

She guided beams of light through the air with her hands, illuminating the symbols on the pillars. The four symbols—sword, key, feather, and eye—shimmered in the flickering light, appearing to move as if they were alive. But a solution to the puzzle remained hidden.

Kirah, the silent strategist, observed the pillars carefully.

"Maybe," she said thoughtfully, "we should pay more attention to how the pillars behave. They all rotate, but at different speeds and in different directions. If we understand the order of their rotation, we might be able to manipulate the mechanism."

Ezryel nodded, but the answer was not that simple. "And what if we have to stop the pillars in the correct sequence? Maybe the sword must turn first because it represents attack, and the eye last because it stands for insight?"

At that moment, Nia, who possessed a unique ability through her Aether resonance, stepped forward. She had a completely different perspective.

"What if we simply move the pillars out of alignment? I could teleport them into the correct position if I can recognize the movements."

"You can move the pillars?" Ezryel focused on Nia's hovering hand. "That might actually work, but be careful. I think any wrong move could trigger the trap."

Nia nodded and concentrated on the first pillar. With a smooth motion of her hand, she gently lifted it from its position, and the metal vibrated as she teleported it. The pillar disappeared for a moment and reappeared a few steps away. But to her surprise, the wall still gave no response.

"It's not working," Nia whispered as she moved the pillar back into place.

"Wait." Kirah watched the movement of the pillars closely. "What if we have to use a combination of everything? It's not just about the order but also how fast or slow they move."

Ezryel thought for a moment. He could create rapid movement and disruption with his lightning resonance—but was that enough to stop the pillars?

"I'll try it." His voice was determined. "If I use my lightning power, I can influence the speed of the pillars. If I time it right, we can get them into the correct position."

He closed his eyes and focused on the amulet hanging around his neck. A brief spark flickered in the air, then he glowed in a dazzling light. With a swift movement of his hand, a bolt of lightning shot forward, striking one of the pillars and causing it to halt abruptly. The other pillars followed as Ezryel concentrated his energy to move each one into place.

"Now, Stella!" he called. "Use your light to illuminate the symbols and reveal the order!"

Stella reacted instantly. She positioned her hands and directed the beams of light so that the symbols on the pillars became clearly visible. Sword, key, feather, eye—they had to stop them in this order.

"It's correct!" Stella shouted. "Sword first, then the key, the feather, and last, the eye. This must be it!"

Ezryel, now controlling the speed of the pillars, sent another wave of electricity through the air. The first pillar stopped abruptly.

"We don't have time to waste—we have to get them into the right sequence now." His gaze was sharp and focused.

But just before they could complete the order, a deep mechanical grinding sound echoed through the chamber. Something was wrong. The pillars started moving again, and the wall trembled with a menacing rumble.

"This is not good," Kirah said quietly. "We made a mistake. Something is still missing."

"Wait," Ezryel suddenly said, grasping the amulet. A dark, foreign energy surged through him, and an icy chill spread through his veins. "Maybe… we have to use the power of the amulet to restore balance."

He concentrated, sending a freezing wind sweeping through the room. Ice engulfed the pillars, holding them in place. The cold, combined with the electricity, caused a sudden shift in the resonance of the environment. The pillars froze in place as a faint clicking sound echoed—and finally, the wall slid aside.

"That was it." Ezryel exhaled as the entrance opened before them. But something felt different. A flickering, cold sensation ran through his veins—the amulet had taken more from him than he had expected.

"The relic…," Stella pointed at the artifact. "Over there. But… something feels wrong."

Ezryel looked down at the amulet with a serious expression. "This… is not over yet."