THE GUARDIAN'S TRIAL

THE SHADOW'S CHALLENGE...

The Guardian didn't speak.

It didn't need to.

The moment Elias stood, the air twisted—and the ground split beneath him. Shadows rose from the cracks, curling like living tendrils, reaching for him.

Elias barely dodged as one lashed toward his throat. Rolling to the side, he summoned magic into his palms. A sharp pulse of blue fire shot forward, striking the Guardian's chest. But the flames vanished upon impact.

Elias's breath caught. "That's… not good."

Seraphina stepped forward, throwing a bolt of light magic. "Let's see if this works!" The golden energy struck the Guardian's head. For a brief moment, the shadows flickered—but then reformed.

The Guardian turned its glowing violet gaze toward her.

Then it vanished.

"Wait, where did it—" Seraphina's words froze as the Guardian reappeared behind her. Its hand plunged into her chest.

Her scream shattered the silence.

A TRIAL OF THE SOUL...

Elias's heart stopped. He lunged forward, but his hands passed through her flickering body, as though she were dissolving into rippling water.

"Seraphina!" Elias shouted, his voice cracking. But Seraphina wasn't looking at him—her terrified gaze was locked onto something invisible.

"What are you doing to her?!" Elias yelled at the Guardian, whose gaze finally turned toward him.

And for the first time, it spoke.

"THIS IS HER TRIAL, ARCANE KING." The voice echoed with the weight of a thousand whispers.

"What does that mean?" Elias demanded, but before he could move, shadows swallowed him whole.

THE TRIAL BEGINS...

Elias plunged into darkness.

A flame flickered to life before him, illuminating a shattered version of his world. He stood in the academy—but its halls were ruined, veins of darkness running along the walls.

And in the distance, the academy burned.

A broken voice whispered beside him. "You did this."

Elias turned sharply—and froze.

Standing before him was a mirror image of himself, except its eyes glowed white, devoid of life.

"You tried to stop it," the doppelgänger murmured. "But in the end, you still became me."

Elias stepped back, his chest tightening. "No. That's not true."

The other Elias smirked, gesturing to the destruction around them. "This is your future, Arcane King. The path you cannot escape."

Elias shook his head, denial burning through him. "I won't let that happen."

But the doppelganger only smiled. Pain exploded through Elias's mind as visions of a future soaked in blood and fire seared into his consciousness. He saw himself ruling from a throne of corpses, his power consuming everything.

For the first time, Elias felt a fear he couldn't fight: fear of himself.

SERAPHINA'S NIGHTMARE...

Meanwhile, Seraphina gasped as the shadows shifted around her. She was no longer in the Hollow. She was home—in the ruins of her family's estate.

"No," she whispered, stepping back. This isn't real. But the metallic scent of blood in the air told her otherwise.

A voice whispered from behind her. "You couldn't save them."

Seraphina spun around—and froze. Her mother stood there, her body broken, her dress torn, and her eyes empty.

"No. This isn't real," Seraphina insisted, her voice trembling.

Her mother tilted her head, her voice cold. "Isn't it?"

The world seemed to close in on her, the weight of her guilt crushing her chest.

THE BREAKING POINT...

Elias dropped to his knees, his breath ragged. The visions wouldn't stop: fire, destruction, and a future where he became the very thing he feared.

"You don't have a choice," the doppelgänger murmured, crouching beside him.

But a flicker of golden light in the distance caught Elias's attention.

Seraphina.

If she was fighting, then so would he.

Elias clenched his fists, determination reigniting his strength. The other Elias frowned. "Interesting."

Suddenly, the world around them cracked apart, shadows splintering like glass.

A TRIAL PASSED… BUT NOT WON...

Elias gasped as reality slammed back into him. He landed hard on the stone floor of the Hollow, his chest heaving.

Beside him, Seraphina struggled to breathe, her hands trembling.

The Guardian stood before them, but its violet eyes were now white.

"YOU HAVE SEEN YOUR TRUTHS," it rumbled, its voice quieter but still reverberating. "AND YET, YOU STILL STAND."

The shadows around it began to recede, and behind the Guardian, a door appeared—an entrance leading deeper into the ruins.

Seraphina exhaled shakily. "Did we… pass?"

Elias pushed himself up, his body shaking from exhaustion. "I think we survived."

But deep down, he knew this was only the beginning. The fear that had gripped him in the trial still lingered, heavy in his chest.

The true challenge was yet to come.

THE SHADOW'S CHALLENGE...

The Guardian didn't speak.

It didn't need to.

The moment Elias stood, the air twisted—and the ground split beneath him. Shadows rose from the cracks, curling like living tendrils, reaching for him.

Elias barely dodged as one lashed toward his throat. Rolling to the side, he summoned magic into his palms. A sharp pulse of blue fire shot forward, striking the Guardian's chest. But the flames vanished upon impact.

Elias's breath caught. "That's… not good."