The chamber had gone eerily silent.
Kaelen stood motionless, the obsidian medallion in his palm still pulsing with residual energy. The weight of it was undeniable, not just in mass, but in meaning. He could feel something stirring within him, something tethered to the artefact, something that had always been there, waiting to be awakened.
Rina let out a long breath, finally breaking the silence. "You know, for a guy who claims he's not interested in destiny, you sure have a knack for stumbling into it."
Kaelen shot her a glare, but there was no venom in it. His grip tightened around the medallion as he turned back to the figure standing before him, the one who had set this trial into motion.
The skeletal being watched him, the flickering shadowflames around its form casting distorted reflections along the chamber walls. "The path of the Harbinger is no longer bound to the past," it intoned. "But neither is it free of its weight. You have proven yourself in combat, but understanding will not come through battle alone."
Kaelen frowned. "Then what's next?"
The entity raised a bony hand, and the air itself seemed to ripple. The walls of the tomb flickered, shifting like a mirage. Suddenly, the space around them was no longer cold stone but an endless expanse of celestial sky. Stars burned in patterns unfamiliar, their light forming constellations that pulsed in time with Kaelen's heartbeat.
Two paths stretched before him, one bathed in ethereal golden light, the other swirling with an abyssal violet mist.
"You stand between twin paths," the being continued. "One leading toward the radiant flames of absolution, the other into the void of forgotten truths. Each path offers power, but only one will reveal the truth you seek."
Kaelen exhaled, feeling the pull from both directions. The golden path thrummed with warmth, promising clarity, purpose, and control over his growing abilities. The violet path whispered with secrets, with the weight of shadowed knowledge, with answers buried in the dark corners of history.
Rina stepped up beside him, arms crossed. "Well, this is obvious. We take the path that doesn't lead to our immediate corruption and untimely demise."
Eryndor, who had remained silent until now, observed the paths carefully. "That would be the logical choice… if both paths weren't meant to tempt in equal measure."
Kaelen glanced at him. "Meaning?"
Eryndor gestured to the space between the two paths. "These trials are not designed to guide you toward one truth or another. They exist to test whether you are willing to look beyond the obvious. If both choices offer something vital, then the question is, why must you choose only one?"
Kaelen frowned. He had spent his life adapting, surviving by being able to see things others missed. If there was a third option here, then...
He stepped forward, not onto the golden path, nor into the violet mist, but straight ahead, into the space between.
The reaction was instant. The two paths pulsed, their energies clashing violently as tendrils of light and shadow lashed out. The force of it sent dust and embers swirling through the air, and for a moment, Kaelen felt like he was being torn between the two opposing forces.
Then, just as suddenly, everything stilled.
A low, resonant hum filled the space around him. The golden flames and violet mist did not disappear but instead coiled around him, intertwining into something new, something undefined. The constellations above flared brightly, and Kaelen felt a shift within himself, a deeper connection to the power that had always lingered just beyond his reach.
The skeletal figure observed him carefully, its crimson gaze unreadable. "You walk where few have dared. But understanding is not the same as mastery. The path ahead will not be easy."
Kaelen exhaled slowly. "It never is."
The celestial illusion faded, and they were back in the tomb once more. The medallion in Kaelen's grasp no longer pulsed, but the energy within it had settled, as if recognizing him in return.
Eryndor nodded approvingly. "You are learning."
Rina sighed dramatically. "And now we have another reason for every mysterious entity we meet to try and kill us. Fantastic."
Kaelen chuckled, shaking his head. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
The skeletal Harbinger's form flickered, its voice a final whisper before it faded into the ether. "Seek the forgotten echoes. Only then will the cycle break."
The tomb grew quiet once more.
Kaelen turned toward his companions, his expression set with newfound determination. "Looks like we have our next destination."
Eryndor smirked. "Indeed. But first, we must ensure we are ready for what comes next."
Rina grinned, resting her blade on her shoulder. "Then let's get to it. I was getting bored anyway."
With that, they turned toward the exit, stepping away from the remnants of the past and into the unknown future that awaited them beyond the tomb.