Chapter 19: A Choice That Defines Fate

The weight of the question pressed down on him.

"Do you seek power? Or do you seek truth?"

The figure stood motionless, veiled in an aura of shifting energy. The ruined city pulsed with an ancient force, as if the very world awaited his answer.

Elya glanced at him. "Tch. I hate questions like this."

He clenched his fists. Power or truth.

He had fought for power. He had chased strength across worlds, through battles and impossible trials. But truth…

Truth was something far more dangerous.

He met the figure's gaze, his voice steady.

"I seek both."

The Awakening of the Lost City

The air rippled.

A deep, resonant hum spread through the ruins. The statues, once lifeless, turned their heads toward him. The sky shifted, the swirling vortex of purple and gold intensifying.

The figure on the throne finally moved, tilting their head as if considering his answer.

"You wish to walk both paths?"

His flames burned brighter. "Power means nothing without understanding. Truth is useless without the strength to carry it."

Silence.

Then—laughter.

Cold, echoing laughter that sent shockwaves through the air. The figure descended, floating just above the ground.

"You are bold. And reckless."

They raised a hand, and the ruins trembled.

Reality itself shifted.

"Very well."

The world shattered

And he fell into endless light.

A Trial Beyond Space and Time

He hit the ground with a force that should have broken bones—but instead, he landed weightlessly, standing atop an endless void of stars.

Elya landed beside him, groaning. "Okay. That's new."

Before them, the figure now stood clearly visible.

Their face was hidden by a veil of pure energy, but their eyes burned like collapsing stars.

"This is the Trial of the Forgotten," they declared. "The path of those who sought both power and truth… and were lost to time."

A ring of celestial flames erupted around them.

"Your test begins now."

The stars themselves ignited