Their footsteps echoed within the silent Cracked Tower. Every wall was cloaked in shifting shadows that seemed almost alive, and the air they breathed felt heavier—as though filled with memories and uninvited whispers.
Luma stared at the staircase ahead. Step by step, they ascended. Ereth led the way, Kael brought up the rear, and she walked between them—trapped not only physically, but also between warring convictions and doubts within herself.
They stopped on the third level.
The room was vast and filled with towering mirrors that stretched from floor to ceiling. But it wasn't their reflections that appeared. Each mirror showed something else—the past, hidden fears, and buried truths.
"Be careful," Ereth warned. "These aren't ordinary mirrors. They show more than what you're ready to face."
Luma stepped forward. Her mirror revealed a woman—her eyes glowed just like Luma's, but her face was far more mature. The woman called to her, gently but with a trembling force.
"My daughter… you've finally come."
Luma's heart pounded. She clutched her chest. "Who are you…?"
The woman smiled. "I am who you will become… and who you've been running from."
Suddenly, Ereth's mirror lit up. Inside, Ereth stood beside Vaeloth—his attire like that of a high commander, ruling over shadow and flame. Kael turned toward him, his face filled with questions.
"Is this true?" Kael asked, his voice tense.
Ereth lowered his head. "Yes. I once stood with him. I believed in him… until I learned what he truly wanted: a world without light. I left it all behind. But I never escaped the guilt."
Luma looked at Ereth. "And now you're helping us because…?"
"Because this is the only path left to make things right."
Luma nodded slowly. "We all have our shadows. What matters is we no longer bow to them."
Then, one by one, the mirrors began to crack. As if acknowledging their honesty, the chamber opened a path upward.
They continued climbing.
On the fifth level, they were met by a tall man dressed in dim silver. His eyes were vacant, but his voice was deep and resolute.
"To proceed, one soul must remain. One among you. Choose, or turn back."
Kael immediately stepped forward. "Take me. I hold no light like Luma or Ereth. I'm just a sword."
Luma grabbed his arm. "No! There must be another way. No one gets left behind."
Ereth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "This is a test of intent. We don't need to sacrifice anyone… if we're true."
He took both Luma and Kael's hands. Together, the three stepped forward to face the guardian.
A brilliant light engulfed them. The guardian smiled faintly, then vanished, and the path opened.
"We passed the test," Kael whispered.
But before they could breathe a sigh of relief, tremors shook the tower. Stones crumbled, and a dark voice echoed through the halls:
"Selene… you are nearly here. But are you prepared to lose everything?"
Shadows crawled from cracks in the walls, forming glowing red eyes in the distance.
Luma clenched her fists. "I didn't come to lose. I came to end this."
The tower trembled again, but they pressed forward—because the light within them had begun to shine… brighter than ever before.
To Be Continued...