Their footsteps echoed through the dim tunnel, lit only by the faint glow of crystals embedded in the walls. Luma clutched her wounded arm, the blood already starting to dry. Kael walked silently ahead of her, his shoulders tense, his sword still unsheathed. They had just defeated the Shadow Keeper, but none of them expected what lay ahead.
"Wait…" Luma's voice was hoarse. Her eyes widened. From the mist that curled slowly ahead of them emerged a familiar figure — someone who should have been dead — Ereth.
He was barefoot, his clothes torn, and his body covered in wounds. But his eyes still glowed faintly, like candlelight in the dark.
"How are you... still alive?" Kael gripped his sword tighter.
Ereth stopped a few steps away from them, raising both hands slowly in peace. "I don't know how long I've been… dead. But the light… it called me back. I didn't return by choice. I was… summoned."
Luma stared at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "You… Ereth, is it really you?"
He nodded slowly. "During the War of a Thousand Lights, I made a pact with the Guardian of Light. If this world ever fell into Vaeloth's shadow again, my soul would return for one final task. But I'm not truly alive… I'm just a fragment of light, delayed."
Kael glanced at Luma, his doubt evident. "We can't trust this. It could be another trick from Vaeloth."
But then Luma saw something glow in Ereth's palm — a small, heart-shaped crystal, glowing softly. Ereth handed it to her.
"This is the Heart of Light. It only appears when one's intentions are true and pure. You know it can't be faked."
Kael remained wary, but he knew — the artifact was real.
The three of them continued forward, entering a long corridor known as the Path of Reckoning. Its walls were covered in ancient symbols, and the air itself seemed alive, whispering their deepest thoughts.
With the first step, they were separated.
Luma's Trial
She stood in a radiant garden, full of light and life. Before her appeared Selene — not the dark one, but a graceful, confident, and powerful version.
"Why choose to be the girl who saves, when you could be the one who conquers? This world needs a leader, not a weak savior."
Luma nearly wavered, but she clutched her mother's necklace. "Strength isn't about ruling… sometimes, it's choosing love when hatred is easier."
The illusion shattered, and she was wrapped in light.
Kael's Trial
He returned to his past, his hands drenched in blood, a time when no one wanted him alive. Before him stood his former self — cold, merciless.
"You'll never change. You're just a puppet loved only for a while."
Kael stayed silent for a long time, then spoke quietly. "It's true… I was that person. But now, I choose to be more. I won't repeat the same mistakes."
Light enveloped him, and the past faded away.
Ereth's Trial
He walked on the surface of still water. Before him stood his own body — as it had been at the moment of death.
"You're not alive. Just a fading shadow of hope. Why continue?"
Ereth bowed his head. "Because the world isn't safe yet. Because I'm not done."
The shadow smiled faintly, then disappeared. Light filled the space.
They regrouped before the final door — the Tower's Core. The door was cracked, and dark light was beginning to seep through.
Before them stood a figure in a dark robe. His face was hidden in shadow, but his voice rang out clearly:
"When the light shines brightest, the deepest shadow begins to stir. Be ready."
Ereth handed the Heart of Light to Luma. "If I fade again after this… carry on. This final light isn't mine alone. It belongs to all of us."
Luma looked at him, and this time, she didn't cry. She simply nodded.
And the final door opened.