Chapter 96: Trials of the Chamber

Chapter 96: Trials of the Chamber

Silvia's POV

The heavy doors of the Chamber of Echoes groaned as they swung inward, revealing a vast void of swirling mist. The magic in the air was suffocating, thick with the weight of something ancient. Silvia took a steadying breath, ignoring the uneasy churning in her stomach. She had faced death and monsters before—this was just another challenge.

She turned to Dragon, who was glaring at Kael with barely contained fury. "You send her in alone, and if she doesn't return, what? You shrug and call it fate?"

Kael's expression remained unreadable. "The chamber is not death—it is revelation. Whether she returns depends on her strength."

Dragon growled, but Silvia reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. "I'll come back."

His grip tightened, his golden eyes searching hers. "Just be careful."

With a final nod, she stepped forward. The mist curled around her as the doors slammed shut behind her, cutting off the outside world.

The silence was immediate. Overpowering.

The First Illusion: A Life Left Behind

The mist cleared, revealing a world that was painfully familiar. Silvia stood in her childhood home, the scent of fresh bread and lavender filling the air. The walls were warm, the hearth flickering with golden firelight.

Her heart pounded. This wasn't real.

"Silvia?" A soft voice echoed from behind her.

She turned slowly, her breath catching. Rose stood there, her twin's brown eyes wide with joy. "You're home! You finally came back!"

Silvia's chest constricted. "This isn't real."

Rose's smile faltered. "What do you mean? Of course, it's real. Mother and Father are waiting for you. They regret everything. They want you back."

A lump formed in Silvia's throat. How many times had she dreamed of hearing those words? But it was a lie. A trick.

"You don't get to play with my memories." She clenched her fists, flames sparking around her fingers. "I left because they never wanted me. And I won't let illusions change that."

The warmth in the room turned cold in an instant. Rose's expression twisted, and suddenly, her face began to crack like porcelain. The house crumbled around them, and the image shattered.

Silvia gasped, staggering as she found herself back in the misty void. The trial was trying to break her.

She straightened, her resolve hardening. "You'll have to try harder than that."

The Second Illusion: The Monster Within

The mist shifted again, morphing into a battlefield. Silvia was surrounded by bodies—fallen warriors, their armor scorched, their faces familiar.

Her stomach dropped. They were her people. The soldiers who had fought for her city.

And at the center of the carnage stood Dragon.

His monstrous form was soaked in blood, his golden eyes filled with something dark. He turned to her, a twisted smile on his lips. "I told you, Silvia. I'm not human. And this is what I am."

"No." She stepped forward, shaking her head. "This isn't real."

He cocked his head, amused. "Isn't it? This is what they see when they look at me. A monster. You know it's true."

Silvia's hands trembled, but she didn't look away. "You've saved me more times than I can count. You fight for me, not against me. I don't care what you are—I trust you. I love you."

The illusion wavered. Dragon's eyes softened just before the entire scene dissolved into darkness.

The mist curled again, shifting into something new. Something final.

The Final Trial: Truth

A single figure stood before her, cloaked in shadow. Unlike the others, it did not speak, did not take the form of something familiar. It simply waited.

Silvia narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

A deep voice echoed through the void. I am the part of you that you fear the most.

The shadow moved, and suddenly, Silvia was looking at herself. An older, colder version of herself, draped in a dark cloak, her eyes void of warmth.

The other Silvia smiled. "You think you can change the world. But do you know what it will cost?"

Silvia lifted her chin. "I'll fight for peace. I'll make sure both humans and monsters have a future."

Her shadow-self took a step closer. "And how many will you kill to make it happen? How many will suffer because of your choices?"

Silvia's breath caught. The weight of leadership pressed against her like an iron chain. She had already made choices that cost lives. And she would have to make more.

"You will become what they fear," her reflection whispered. "You will become me."

Silvia clenched her fists. "Maybe. But if I stop now, if I give up because I'm afraid of what I might become—then I've already lost."

The shadow hesitated. Then, slowly, it smiled. "Then you are ready."

The mist shattered, and Silvia stumbled forward, gasping as she landed back on solid ground.

The chamber doors burst open.

Dragon was there, his eyes blazing with relief as he caught her in his arms. "You did it."

She let out a shaky breath, gripping his arms. "Yeah. But the real fight is just beginning."

Kael stepped forward, nodding in approval. "You have passed. Now, let us teach you what you came here to learn."

Silvia straightened, meeting his gaze. "Then let's get started."

Kael gestured toward the massive library behind him. "Before we begin, there is something you must see. Follow me."

The group followed the High Mage through the towering halls, the walls lined with books older than any kingdom Silvia had known. The air hummed with ancient power, and as they walked, Silvia couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them.

Kael stopped before an immense mural depicting a war Silvia had never seen. The painted figures resembled the underground creatures she had been fighting. Opposing them were humans—but also beings with glowing eyes, wielding magic unlike any she had seen before.

"This," Kael said, "is the truth that has been hidden. The war you fight now is not the first of its kind. It is a cycle, one that has repeated countless times throughout history. And unless you break it, it will happen again."

Silvia took a step closer, her heart pounding. "Then tell me how we stop it."

Kael turned to her, his blue eyes sharp. "To stop a cycle, you must first understand its beginning. And that knowledge lies within the deepest vaults of Skyreach."