Lyra stepped into silence.
No heat. No echo. No scent.
Just moonlight—silver and soft—filtering through a vaulted hall that seemed suspended in stars.
She drew her blade instinctively, eyes narrowing. The Tower had split them, yes, but this didn't feel like a trial.
It felt like a memory.
[Tower of Pleasure – Floor 2: Lunar Crucible] [Trial Type: Emotional Precision] [Challenge: Accept the Wound You Guard Most Deeply]
Her system interface flickered. The text glitched for a second—letters curling, reshaping.
Then solidified:
[Welcome, Lyra of the Quiet Blade. You cannot hide in this place.]
She advanced, each step a whisper on the polished stone floor. The stars above moved slowly, not in constellations she knew, but in script. Ancient System glyphs. Watching. Judging.
A pedestal stood at the center of the room.
On it: a blade.
Not hers.
This one was curved, obsidian in hue, and bound by thorns of translucent silver. Its edge glistened with memories.
Lyra's breath caught. She knew that weapon.
It had belonged to her sister.
A soft voice spoke behind her.
"Will you take her blade now, like you did her place?"
Lyra turned fast, blade raised——and froze.
There, standing barefoot in the moonlight, was her sister.
Seris.
Dead for years. Murdered during a trial Lyra was meant to complete. A trial Lyra survived... by betrayal.
[Spectral Echo Detected: "Seris, Blade of the Ascending Moon" – Level ???] [Emotion Construct: Guilt, Repressed]
Seris smiled sadly. "You've always been the better killer. But never the stronger sister."
Lyra's hand shook.
"I didn't have a choice."
"You did," Seris replied gently. "And you chose you."
The moonlight deepened. Shadows stretched. The hall expanded into an endless field of silver mirrors. Each reflected not Seris—but Lyra.
Different versions.
One crying.
One stabbing someone in the back.
One standing over Kai, her blade through his chest.
Lyra staggered, the illusions slicing at her mind.
[Mental Integrity: Falling] [System Alert: Repression Collapse Imminent]
"No," she gasped, closing her eyes. "I won't be unmade by ghosts."
But a different Lyra stepped from the nearest mirror—this one radiant, scarless, confident. Dressed in ceremonial garb, not armor.
A princess, not an assassin.
"I was who you were meant to be," the doppelgänger said. "Until you chose blood over duty."
Lyra dropped to a knee, clutching her temples.
All her paths—laid bare.
All her sins—walking.
And above them all, Seris watched with moon-silver eyes.
"Do you regret it?" Seris asked, stepping closer.
Lyra whispered, "Every day."
"Then why haven't you stopped?"
Silence.
The copies surrounded her now—murderer, traitor, coward, survivor, hero.
She looked up, breathing hard.
"Because someone has to protect them."
Her voice rose. "Because I won't let what happened to you happen again. Because I'm not perfect, but I'm here."
The blade on the pedestal pulsed.
Lyra stood.
And walked toward it.
[Challenge Status: Acceptance Threshold Approaching]
Seris stepped between her and the pedestal. "Take it, and you accept what you did."
"I already have."
"Then prove it."
Seris drew her own version of the blade—identical to the one on the pedestal. The duel began in silence. No announcements. No countdown.
Just grief given form.
Lyra parried the first strike, spun, and aimed for the throat—but Seris was faster, cutting her shoulder open.
Pain flared, bright and immediate.
[Damage Taken: -112 HP] [Blood Precision Triggered – Counter Reflex Up]
Lyra didn't hesitate. She breathed with the wound—made it fuel.
Blades clashed again, whistling in the air like birds of prey.
"You always wanted to be me," Seris hissed.
"No," Lyra panted, "I always wanted to save you."
She ducked low and slashed upward, carving through the illusion's stomach. Ethereal blood spilled like moonlight.
[Spectral Integrity: 46%]
But Seris only smiled.
"And now you think saving him will balance the scales?"
Lyra paused.
Seris' eyes narrowed. "You've fallen for him."
Lyra didn't answer. Her silence was enough.
Seris' form twisted, darkened—her smile cruel.
"Then you've already lost."
She launched forward with impossible speed, blade aimed straight for Lyra's heart
—and Lyra let it hit.
Not the heart.
The side.
Enough to bleed.
But not enough to die.
Her blade found Seris' chest in the same moment.
[Critical Hit! Damage Inflicted: 331] [Spectral Echo Integrity: 0%]
Seris gasped—then laughed.
"Still a cheat," she said.
Lyra caught her as she fell. Held her tight. Felt the illusion shudder against her chest.
"I'm sorry," Lyra whispered.
"I know."
The body faded.
Moonlight rose.
[Trial Complete – Emotional Precision Achieved] [New Passive: Lunar Edge – Bonus damage against illusion or soul-based enemies] [New Active Skill: Mirrorstep – Blink between reflections; 3 uses per combat]
The blade on the pedestal shimmered and flew to her hand, fusing into her original weapon.
A soft chiming sound echoed—like wind over crystal.
[Class Upgrade Available – Eligible Title: Blade of the Fallen Sister]
Before she could decide, the Tower trembled again.
She looked up.
A crack had formed in the ceiling.
From it, black ichor leaked.
And from that—a voice whispered:
"Prime Seeker Identified. Interference Authorized."
The mirrors shattered all at once.
A black-armored figure descended, its face a blank silver plate. It held no weapon. Its hands were enough.
[System Warden Alpha Variant: Mirrorbane] [Combat Type: Purge – Eliminate Rogue Host Signatures]
Lyra raised her blade, eyes narrowed.
"Guess we're skipping the flirting phase."
The battle was different than before. No trial. No emotional illusions.
Just steel.
The Warden moved like light reflected in broken glass—always a second behind or ahead. Lyra gritted her teeth, forcing herself to predict rather than react.
[Mirrorstep: 1 charge used] [Combo Achieved – Moonlash: x3 Precision Bonus]
She struck true—once, twice—but the Warden adapted.
Its helm split open vertically, revealing a swirling sphere of corrupted code.
[Error. Host Anomaly Detected: "Lyra" carries bleedover data from Forbidden Prime: Kai Draven.]
"Oh, so that's what this is about," Lyra snarled.
The Warden attacked harder.
Faster.
But she refused to fall. Not when she'd finally reclaimed her sister. Not when Kai was climbing deeper. Not when Nayomi was still burning somewhere above.
[Blood Pressure Critical. Mana Reserves: 12%]
Then—just as the Warden raised its hand to deliver a kill pulse—
A bolt of pink-gold lightning shattered through the wall.
The Warden reeled.
A portal yawned open.
And Kai stepped through, eyes burning with Prime energy, Selis beside him with her hand still glowing.
"Need a hand?" he asked.
Lyra didn't smile.
She leapt.
Onto the Warden.
Driving her blade down—right through the corrupted core.
[Mirrorbane Warden Neutralized] [Joint Kill: Kai + Lyra] [Essence Split: 50/50]
She dropped to the ground, panting.
Kai reached down, helping her up.
Their eyes met.
And something unspoken passed between them.
"You saw her, didn't you?" he asked.
Lyra looked away. "Yes."
"And?"
"I buried her."
Kai nodded. "Then let's burn what's left of this place."
To be continued…