The instant the colossal doors sealed shut behind him, Evolis felt a shift in the air. It was subtle at first, like a soft hum vibrating beneath his skin, but soon it became a suffocating presence—Etherion saturating the chamber so thickly it felt like wading through an ocean of energy.
A deep, resonant voice echoed through the vast, dimly lit chamber.
[Final Trial Initiated.]
Golden torches flared to life along the cavernous walls, casting flickering shadows across the massive space. The chamber was unlike the others—where the previous trials had been constructed to test skill, endurance, and wit, this one was different. It was designed for judgment.
At the center of the grand chamber, a figure stood waiting.
Evolis's breath hitched as he took in the sight before him.
It was him.
Or rather, The clone he had seen that day in the trial, an echo of his past self. The figure radiated an overwhelming presence, exuding both power and an eerie sense of detachment. He was clad in ancient robes, embroidered with luminous symbols that pulsed in rhythm with the chamber's energy. His golden eyes were cold, unreadable.
The projection lifted its gaze, locking onto Evolis with an expression that was neither welcoming nor hostile, just measuring.
"You have come far," the echo spoke, his voice layered with something ethereal, something beyond time. "But you are not yet worthy."
Evolis tensed, gripping the hilt of his blade. "Not worthy? This inheritance was left for me, wasn't it?"
The echo tilted its head slightly. "And yet, you presume to claim what you have not yet earned. You believe your strength alone is enough? Your talent? Your victories?"
The chamber shook as runes lit up along the floor, forming an intricate circle beneath them both. "Your arrogance blinds you. You wield power, but power without control is a burden, not a gift."
Evolis narrowed his eyes, his pulse quickening. "If you think I'm going to stand here and be lectured by a relic, think again. If there's a final trial, then let's get on with it."
The echo smiled then. It was not a kind smile.
"So be it."
A pulse of Etherion energy exploded outward, and in the next instant, the echo moved.
Evolis barely had time to react before the figure was in front of him. A strike to his ribs sent him skidding back, his vision blurring from the sheer force. He barely had time to right himself before a gravitational pull, his own ability, but stronger, dragged him forward against his will. The echo's fist crashed into his stomach, sending him crashing into the chamber wall.
'Shit—'
Coughing, Evolis rolled away just as a spear of pure Etherion struck where he had been, shattering the stone floor. He had never fought someone who wielded his own power with such precision—not just his power, but a perfected version of it.
'This isn't a test of skill. There's something he wants from me.'
Evolis gritted his teeth, forcing himself to his feet. His body ached, but his resolve hardened. He wasn't about to lose to a past version of himself. He wouldn't be judged by a ghost.
With a deep inhale, he activated his full abilities. Gravity warped around him, pulling the battlefield into his control. His golden eyes gleamed as he read the future, seeing the next ten moves his opponent would make.
And still, the echo was faster.
They clashed, blow for blow, the air cracking with sheer force. The floor beneath them fractured with every impact, their battle shaking the very foundation of the ruin. Evolis pushed himself further, faster, stronger, but for every attack he landed, his echo countered with twice the force.
Then, it happened.
A feint. A slight shift in stance that he didn't account for.
The next strike was brutal—an unseen wave of Etherion crashed into him like a tidal wave, sending him sprawling. He barely registered the pain before the echo was above him, sword raised.
"Submit."
Evolis's mind screamed. His body wanted to give in.
For a moment, Evolis remained still as time slowed, his breathing ragged, his body aching from the relentless onslaught. He clenched his fists, his pride warring against the undeniable truth that had been laid bare before him.
He had thought himself strong. No, he knew he was strong. He had surpassed his limits time and time again, crushed those who underestimated him, carved his own path through sheer will. And yet, when faced with his past self, he had been nothing.
Not because he lacked power. But because he had begun to believe power alone was enough.
A bitter taste settled on his tongue. His arrogance. It had been growing alongside his strength, a silent poison, making him reckless, making him think he was untouchable. 'How many times have I thought I couldn't lose?' The past echo had shown him otherwise, not with words, but with the brutal, overwhelming truth of battle.
He exhaled, slow and controlled, feeling the weight of that revelation settle deep in his chest. Strength isn't just about power. It's about control. Precision. Understanding when to strike and when to wait. When to act and when to adapt.
A deep, resonant *crack* echoed within his soul.
His golden eyes widened slightly as something shifted inside him—one of the seals binding his soul loosening. A surge of Novaris coursed through his veins, sharp yet exhilarating, not the chaotic flood of raw strength he had once desired, but something more… refined.
A new ability awakened, not just a simple extension of his Future Sight, but a deeper clarity—his perception of time no longer just warning him of danger, but allowing him to see, to analyze, to understand the movements of his enemies with precision beyond instinct.
Evolis inhaled deeply, feeling the rush of energy settle within him.
'This is power,' he thought, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 'But this time, I'll wield it with more than just arrogance.'
This was only the beginning.
With a final surge of energy, he reached within himself, deeper than ever before. Not just his strength. Not just his power. Something else.
A flicker of something unfamiliar yet known.
The runes on the walls shuddered as the very Etherion in the chamber reacted.
And in that moment, Evolis moved.
With a burst of raw, unchecked power, he twisted free of the echo's strike and countered with a strike fueled not by arrogance, but by purpose.
His blade clashed against the echo's form, and for the first time—it faltered.
Golden light erupted between them, and the projection's expression shifted, not in anger, not in disappointment, but in acknowledgment.
Then, the echo smiled.
The final strike connected, and the spectral projection shattered into radiant Etherion.
A deep rumble resonated through the chamber as the trial ended.
Evolis fell to one knee, chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. He had won—but this was no simple victory. This was a revelation.
As the energy in the chamber settled, something materialized in the center, a golden sigil, hovering above a pedestal.
The inheritance.
Evolis rose slowly, stepping toward it. His hand reached forward, and as his fingers brushed the sigil, knowledge flooded his mind.
---
The moment Evolis' fingers brushed against the golden sigil, a surge of light consumed his vision. His consciousness felt as if it was being pulled backward, away from the ruin, away from the present and into the depths of a forgotten past.
Then, silence.
When his vision cleared, he was no longer in the ruin. The oppressive air of the trial chamber was gone. Instead, he stood beneath an endless, golden sky where the sun shone not with heat, but with warmth that seeped into his very soul. Towering, celestial spires stretched across the horizon, their ethereal glow cascading like waterfalls of light. The ground beneath him wasn't stone but something softer, richer and woven from the very essence of the world itself.
It was a place that exuded divinity. A place he knew, yet could not name.
And standing before him, was them.
Figures bathed in golden radiance, their forms shimmering like gods of old. Their features were hazy, as if hidden behind layers of time itself, but their presence was unmistakable. He felt them. His family.
A voice, deep and powerful yet filled with an undeniable warmth, broke through the stillness.
"Evolis, you're late again."
The words struck him like thunder, not in force, but in familiarity. His breath hitched, his throat dry. That voice... he knew it.
A tall figure approached him, draped in flowing robes embroidered with intricate cosmic sigils. Eyes like twin stars gazed down at him, filled with amusement, but beneath that lay something deeper, something infinitely proud.
Evolis' heart pounded. He knew this man. He didn't need memories to recognize him. His soul, his very existence... remembered.
His father.
"Come now, son," the man continued, folding his arms. "I expected you to be the first here. Even your sister arrived before you."
A laugh, playful and teasing, rang from nearby. Evolis turned, his golden eyes widening as a young woman with radiant silver hair stepped forward, smirking.
"And yet he walks around as if he's already the strongest among us," she mused, nudging him in the ribs. "You need to stop letting your talent get to your head, brother."
Evolis' lips parted, but no words came out. The warmth of their presence, the casualness of their interactions, it was suffocating.
Not in fear. Not in pain.
But because it felt so right.
Like a piece of himself that had been missing was suddenly back in place.
The man, his father, placed a firm hand on Evolis' shoulder. There was strength in his touch, yet also something impossibly gentle. A guiding force.
"Power means nothing without control, my son," he said, his voice quieter now, almost as if he were sharing a secret. "You are strong. Stronger than most. But you have a habit of believing that strength alone is the answer."
Evolis swallowed, his throat tight.
His father's grip remained steady. "There will come a day when your arrogance will blind you. When the weight of your power will feel less like a gift and more like a curse. And when that day comes…"
His father leaned in slightly, his celestial gaze locking onto Evolis'.
"Remember this: Strength isn't about proving your worth. It's about knowing when you don't need to."
The words rang through Evolis' very soul, sinking deep into the fabric of his being.
And then—
The memory shattered.
Suddenly, the divine sky flickered. The golden spires crumbled into mist. The warmth faded. Reality crashed down like a collapsing star.
Evolis gasped, staggering backward as his consciousness snapped back to the present. He was back in the ruin. The golden sigil still hovered before him, pulsing with energy, as if acknowledging the memory he had just witnessed.
But Evolis… Evolis was changed.
His heart pounded violently in his chest, his breathing ragged. His father's words still echoed in his mind, resonating with something deep inside him.
Strength isn't about proving your worth. It's about knowing when you don't need to.
---
Outside, the elves stood in silence, the princess watching the sealed doors with crossed arms.
Then, suddenly—the air trembled.
The colossal doors groaned as light seeped through the cracks.
Something was happening inside.
And they had no idea what would emerge when the doors finally reopened.