Liana stepped through the archway, and the darkness swallowed her whole. Gone was the flickering torchlight of the previous chamber. Gone were the whispers of the runes and the weight of ancient stone. Now, she stood in a vast, empty expanse beneath a black sky scattered with unfamiliar constellations. The air was still, heavy, pressing down on her chest.
Behind her, the Shadow King emerged from the dark, his cloak rippling like living shadow. His silver eyes glimmered faintly beneath the moonless heavens.
"We are close," he said quietly.
"Close to what?" Liana asked, gripping the Blade of the Veil tighter.
He didn't answer. Instead, he gazed ahead where a faint light shimmered in the distance—a lone flame flickering atop a dark platform, surrounded by spiraling tendrils of mist.
As they walked forward, the ground beneath their feet shifted. What had seemed solid stone began to ripple like water. Liana paused, unease coiling in her stomach.
"The path tests not only strength," the Shadow King murmured. "But resolve."
With each step, shapes emerged from the mist—ghostly figures, their forms half-seen, their whispers curling into her ears.
"You are weak," they hissed. "You will fail."
She clenched her jaw. "No."
"You are alone," they whispered.
She looked at the Shadow King beside her. "No. I'm not."
But the whispers grew louder. Faces formed in the mist—faces she recognized. Her parents. Her old friends. Even the faces of those she had watched fall in past battles.
"You couldn't save us," they accused.
She stopped walking, her breath hitching. The weight of guilt pressed against her ribs.
"Liana," the Shadow King said softly. "Keep moving."
"I…" Her voice trembled. "I don't deserve this. I couldn't save them."
He turned to face her, his gaze steady. "None of us save everyone. But you kept going. That is what matters."
She swallowed, forcing her feet forward again. The figures faded, their whispers trailing into silence. The path solidified beneath her boots as they neared the flame.
At the center of the platform stood a figure—a woman draped in shimmering silver, her face hidden beneath a veil, her hair flowing like strands of moonlight.
"Welcome, child," the woman spoke, her voice melodic yet solemn. "You have crossed the threshold. But the final test lies within."
Liana approached cautiously. "Who are you?"
"I am the Guardian of the Flame," the woman replied. "And this is the Trial of Reflection."
The flame at her side shimmered, shifting from pale white to deep crimson, then back again.
"If you wish to claim the heart of the Forge, you must walk through this flame," the Guardian explained. "It will burn away the falsehoods. The lies. The bitterness. Only what is true will remain."
"And if what's left isn't enough?" Liana whispered.
"Then you will not emerge," the Guardian said simply.
Liana stared at the flame, feeling its heat on her skin despite the distance. Her grip tightened on her sword.
Behind her, the Shadow King stepped closer. "You don't have to do this alone."
But the Guardian shook her head. "This path must be walked alone. None may intervene."
The Shadow King's jaw tightened. "Even now…?"
"Even now," the Guardian confirmed.
Liana drew a deep breath. She took a step toward the flame.
A whisper curled in the air. "He failed you. He watched you bleed. He could have saved you—he chose not to."
She froze. The image rose unbidden in her mind: the Shadow King standing in the shadows as she battled alone, as she fell beneath the serpent's strike, as she nearly lost everything.
"I…" Her chest ached. "I hated him for that."
The flame pulsed brighter.
"You blame him," the whisper pressed. "You still do."
"I…" She swallowed hard. "I wanted him to save me."
The flame blazed high, flickering crimson.
"But he didn't," she whispered.
Behind her, the Shadow King lowered his gaze, shadows flickering faintly around him.
"I thought he didn't care," Liana continued softly. "But he does."
She turned, facing him. "Doesn't he?"
His silver eyes lifted to meet hers. "Every moment."
The flame shifted, fading to pale gold.
Liana stepped forward.
The fire enveloped her.
Heat surged around her, but it didn't burn. Instead, it illuminated her thoughts, her memories, her fears. Every wound, every regret, every doubt surfaced beneath the glow.
But at the center of it all, a flicker of light remained—a stubborn, unyielding hope.
When she emerged on the other side, her mark glowed brighter than ever.
The Guardian bowed her head. "You have passed."
But before relief could settle, the ground trembled violently.
A rift tore open across the platform. From its depths rose a figure cloaked in shadows, its face hidden beneath a cracked mask. In its hand gleamed a dark blade, dripping with shadowfire.
"The Harbinger returns," the Shadow King said grimly.
The Harbinger laughed, a hollow sound. "Did you think the trials would end so easily?"
He raised his blade. "Did you think your king could keep you safe?"
Liana raised her sword. "I'll fight you."
The Harbinger tilted his head. "Will you? Even knowing why he grows weaker?"
Liana frowned. "What do you mean?"
The Harbinger's grin widened beneath the mask. "Every time your Shadow King intervened—every time he bent the rules to shield you—the Forge took its toll. His strength is halved. His power drained. His life shortened."
She turned sharply to the Shadow King. "Is it true?"
He didn't speak.
Her chest twisted. "You… you used your power for me? You sacrificed for me?"
"It was worth it," he said quietly.
"No!" she cried. "You should've let me fight alone!"
The Harbinger laughed. "Foolish girl. Now, neither of you will leave alive."
The specters surged forward again.
Liana stepped in front of the Shadow King, her blade raised high. "Then we'll die together."
The mark on her wrist flared brilliantly, radiating light. A barrier formed around them, pulsing with her heartbeat.
"I won't let you hurt him," she vowed.
The Harbinger lunged.
Their blades met in a clash of sparks. The battle raged—specters circling, blades flying, light and shadow colliding in bursts of flame.
For every strike she made, the mark blazed brighter. For every step she took, the darkness recoiled.
And in the shadows behind her, the Shadow King watched—his silver gaze filled with quiet pride, and quiet sorrow.
"You are more than I dared hope," he murmured.
The Harbinger raised his blade high for a final blow.
Liana's eyes burned with resolve.
"No more," she whispered.
And with a cry, she plunged her sword deep into the Harbinger's chest.
Light erupted.
The Harbinger screamed as cracks spread across his form. Shadows unraveled into ash. The specters vanished.
Silence fell.
Liana collapsed to her knees, panting hard.
The Shadow King knelt beside her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.
"You have won," he said softly.
She looked up, tears in her eyes. "We both have."
He smiled faintly. "You carry the heart of the Forge now."
The mark glowed one last time, then settled into a quiet warmth beneath her skin.
Above them, the stars glimmered.
And beneath that eternal sky, Liana whispered an oath.
"I will protect this light. I will protect him."
Hand in hand, they stood.
And together, they walked toward the breaking dawn.