Chapter 161"The Echo of Truths"

Fred stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by mirrors that reflected not just his face but the essence of his past, the failures, the triumphs, and the choices that had led him to this moment. The weight of it pressed down on him like a thousand chains. His reflection shifted, changing with every thought, every flicker of memory.

Elise was at his side, her hand gripping his arm, but her eyes were locked on the mirrors, watching as they began to distort and warp. "Fred... this isn't just a trial, is it?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "This is more than just your past. This is your soul."

Fred's breath hitched, but he didn't answer. His gaze was fixed on the mirror in front of him, where his reflection began to change once again. It no longer showed the boy who had grown up in the shadows, the one who had been abandoned and cast aside. Instead, it showed a version of him that was darker, colder, filled with an unyielding hunger for power.

"You have become something more, Fred," Oris's voice echoed through the chamber, rich and deep, reverberating in the very air around them. "But before you can become what you were always meant to be, you must face the truth of who you are."

The mirror before him cracked, splitting down the center as a figure stepped out from the shattered glass. It was him, but not him. The man that stepped forward was tall, his eyes cold and calculating, his expression unreadable. He was dressed in dark armor, his presence radiating a quiet, terrifying power.

"I am what you will become," the figure said, his voice like the whisper of death. "But only if you embrace the darkness within you. Only if you accept the price that must be paid."

Fred's heart thudded painfully in his chest. This version of him was everything he feared — ruthless, unstoppable, consumed by his own ambition. "I'm not like that," Fred said, his voice hoarse, though he couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt gnawing at him. "I'm not like you."

The man's smile was a cruel thing, one that twisted the features of his face. "You think you're different? You think you can remain pure when power is within your grasp? You are no better than the rest of us, Fred. You are driven by the same desires, the same hunger. You will become me, and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

Fred's knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, his breath coming in shallow gasps. The weight of the words hung heavy in the air, suffocating him. Elise knelt beside him, her hand brushing his cheek. "Fred, listen to me. You are not him. You are not the reflection in that mirror. You've already chosen to stay, to fight for something greater. That darkness... it can't define you."

Fred's eyes flickered between Elise and the figure in the mirror. He could feel the pull of the power within him, the gnawing temptation to embrace it, to let it consume him. But he also felt something else — the warmth of Elise's touch, the love and trust that had anchored him in his darkest moments.

"Elise is right," Fred said, his voice steadying as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. "I am not defined by this power, by this darkness. I've fought too long, sacrificed too much, to let it take over now."

The figure in the mirror sneered, but Fred didn't flinch. "You may resist now, but sooner or later, you'll realize that you can't keep running from it. The power inside you is a part of you, Fred. Embrace it, and you will have the strength to bend the world to your will."

Fred shook his head. "I don't need to bend the world to my will. I need to change it. I need to fight for something better."

With those words, the mirror shattered completely, and the figure disappeared into the shards. The hall seemed to breathe, the oppressive atmosphere lifting slightly, but Fred knew this was only the beginning. The darkness had not been defeated — it had merely been delayed.

As the echoes of the shattered mirror faded, Oris appeared once again, his presence filling the room with a palpable weight. "Well done, Fred," he said, his tone acknowledging the strength Fred had shown. "But this was only the first test. The darkness you face is not just within you — it exists in the world around you. And only by confronting it head-on will you find the answers you seek."

Fred stood tall now, his fists clenched, the fire of resolve burning in his chest. "I will face it. I will face whatever comes. But I will not become what I fear."

Oris nodded. "Good. But remember this, Fred — power is a double-edged sword. It can be a great ally or your greatest enemy. The choices you make here will decide your fate."

Elise looked at Fred, her expression filled with pride and concern. "Are you ready for this?"

Fred didn't hesitate. "I have to be."

And with that, the hall around them began to shift once more, the air growing colder as they were drawn forward. They had passed the first trial, but they both knew the hardest tests were yet to come.

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