Orion landed on solid ground—if it could be called that. The world around him shifted like liquid glass, flickering between past and present. Shadows moved in the distance, whispering voices that sent chills down his spine.
A figure emerged before him—his younger self, standing in a field of stars, eyes filled with both hope and sorrow.
"You do not belong here," the phantom said. "Yet, here you are. Trying to change fate once more."
Orion gritted his teeth. "I'm not here to relive old regrets. I have a mission."
The phantom smiled, a reflection of his own doubts. "Then prove it."
A sword materialized in his hands, glowing with celestial energy. Orion barely had time to react before his younger self lunged at him, forcing him into a duel against his own past.
Meanwhile, Lyra found herself in a garden of silver roses, each petal carrying echoes of forgotten love. A voice whispered in her ear, "You cannot protect him forever."
And Seraphina? She was lost in a frozen wasteland, facing a figure draped in gold—the first Astral Guardian, the one she had sworn to succeed.
The Phantom Trials had begun, and only the worthy would escape.
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To Be Continued…