The golden doorway shimmered as Aarya stepped through, her pulse a steady drum against the silence. Veer followed close behind, his presence grounding her, while Rhea moved with quiet certainty, her fiery hair like a flickering flame guiding them forward.
The corridor stretched endlessly, twisting in strange, impossible ways. The air was thick, pressing against Aarya’s skin, whispering things she couldn’t decipher.
Then, without warning, the ground beneath them shifted.
Aarya staggered as the walls melted away, revealing something far more disorienting—a vast labyrinth stretching into infinity.
“What is this place?” Veer muttered, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings.
Rhea’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “The Trial of Echoes. Every choice you make within this labyrinth will lead you deeper into your truth—or trap you in illusions.”
Aarya swallowed hard. The memory of the shattered mirror still clung to her, but this felt different. More dangerous.
A distant murmur filled the air—soft voices that curled like mist around her feet.
She took a careful step forward, and suddenly, the whispers became clear.
Her own voice.
Fragments of old fears and forgotten dreams filled the air, swirling like ghosts.
“I’ll never be enough.”
“She left me behind.”
“I don’t know who I am.”
Aarya clenched her fists. She would not let the voices control her. She had come too far.
Veer stepped beside her, his hand brushing against hers—not holding, just a quiet anchor.
“You choose the path,” he said softly. “Not the echoes.”
Aarya exhaled and took another step forward. The voices grew louder but did not break her.
The labyrinth pulsed, the air shifting, and suddenly, a door appeared before them—black stone, carved with symbols that felt eerily familiar.
Rhea tilted her head. “This is yours to open, Aarya.”
She hesitated. But only for a moment.
With steady hands, she pushed the door open, stepping into whatever waited beyond.
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