[Final edit chapter. The novel will return to normal.]
The next chamber of Trial Two greeted them with an eerie calm. Unlike the chaotic battlefield of the last room, this one was unnervingly pristine—an endless, white expanse stretching far into the horizon, like they'd stepped into a minimalist's fever dream. No doors. No monsters. Just... space.
"Well, this is either a trap or someone's sad attempt at interior design," Verena muttered, tapping her foot.
Suddenly, a chime echoed from above, followed by a glowing sigil forming in the sky. Words began to shimmer into existence like subtitles for a divine prank.
[TRIAL TWO – STAGE TWO: RECOGNITION]
Face what you deny. Unmask what you fear. Only through honesty may the door appear.
"Oh no," Verena groaned. "It's the therapy session."
Isolde groaned louder. "Can't we go back to slaying monsters?"
Vivienne tilted her head. "Maybe we just have to tell the truth?"
