the final trial—where truth, destiny, and the weight of her mother’s legacy collide.

The final door loomed before Aarya, dark and imposing. It pulsed faintly, like it was alive, waiting for her to take the last step forward.

Veer stood beside her, silent but unwavering. Rhea lingered near the edges of the chamber, watching with sharp, knowing eyes.

“This trial is unlike the others,” Rhea finally spoke, her voice carrying an undeniable gravity. “It will demand everything from you.”

Aarya nodded, fingers tightening into fists. She had come too far to falter now.

She stepped forward.

The door creaked open, and a rush of energy swept through her body, cold and sharp. The moment she crossed the threshold, the world shifted.

She wasn’t in the chamber anymore.

She was standing in front of her mother’s masterpiece—the final painting, the one that had remained incomplete, haunting her for years.

But now, it was whole.

Colors swirled within the canvas, moving as if alive. Aarya reached out, heart pounding, and the moment her fingertips brushed the surface—

She was pulled in.

The world dissolved into streaks of ink and shadows, twisting until she landed in a space that defied reality.

A vast room stretched infinitely, lined with paintings that told the story of every artist who had ever taken these trials. And in the center stood her mother.

Not a vision. Not a memory.

Her mother.

Aarya gasped, emotions crashing into her all at once.

“You’re here,” she whispered.

Her mother turned, studying her carefully, and then—she smiled.

“I knew you would find me,” she murmured. “I’ve been waiting.”

Aarya’s breath hitched, her hands shaking. “Why did you leave?”

Her mother stepped closer, reaching out, fingers tracing Aarya’s cheek like she was memorizing her all over again. “Because I had to protect the art—the legacy.”

Aarya’s eyes burned, confusion mixing with the ache of longing. “Protect it from what?”

Her mother sighed, gaze heavy with meaning. “From the ones who would erase it. Who would strip it of its truth.”

Aarya swallowed hard. “And now?”

Her mother smiled, the kind of smile that carried both sorrow and pride.

“Now, it’s yours to protect.”

The chamber pulsed, and suddenly, everything—Veer, Rhea, the trials—rushed back into her senses.

She was standing before the final painting, its colors brighter than before, its story now complete.

Rhea watched her carefully. “You understand now, don’t you?”

Aarya exhaled, her heart steady.

Yes.

She understood everything.

And now, she was ready to step into the world her mother had protected—to claim the legacy that had always been meant for her.

Aarya has uncovered the truth behind the trials, faced her mother, and embraced her destiny.

~TO BE CONTINUED...