The forest gave way to high cliffs.
Beyond the treeline, perched on a jagged rock face wrapped in storm-cloud mist, stood a crumbling shrine — half-swallowed by vines, half-suspended above a rushing river. Ancient glyphs shimmered along its walls, pulsing softly with dormant magic.
Kael felt it before he saw it.
A presence.
Ashhorn growled low.
"I know," Kael whispered. "We're not alone."
From the edge of the shrine, a figure stepped forward — cloaked in raven feathers and grey robes lined with shimmering thread. Her hair was silver, though her face was young. Eyes sharp as blades.
"You reek of Echoes and something fouler," she said. "Why have you come?"
Kael hesitated. "I'm looking for someone who can help me… control it."
"'It' has many forms," she replied. "Power. Memory. Madness. Which one are you?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe all of them."
The woman watched him for a long moment.
Then turned.
"If you wish to stay, pass the Thorn Trial. Fail… and you die."
Kael blinked. "Wait, what? That's the—"
But the shrine rippled.
The ground shattered beneath his feet.
He fell.
---
Darkness.
Then light.
Kael landed in a space made of nothing but roots and mirrors. The ground was cracked glass. His reflection stared up at him — only the eyes were pitch black.
A voice echoed in the chamber: "To earn guidance, you must face what you carry."
Suddenly, three reflections stepped from the mirrors, forming solid versions of himself.
Each twisted. Each worse than the last.
The first—Cowardice—ran whenever Kael struck, whispering every failure.
The second—Rage—attacked him wildly, channeling that same dark power from Grythvault.
The third—Doubt—stood still, asking quietly, "What if you're not meant to be saved?"
Kael fought.
And lost.
Over and over.
The Rage version of himself slammed him into a wall, silver magic writhing across his skin. Cowardice laughed. Doubt sat in silence.
He couldn't win. He knew it.
Until…
Kael stopped fighting.
He stood still.
Breathing ragged.
"I'm all of you," he said quietly. "But I'm still here."
The three reflections paused.
Then shattered.
---
Kael woke at the shrine's edge.
Soaked in sweat. Bleeding. But alive.
The woman stood over him. Silent.
"You didn't win," she said. "You accepted. That's rarer."
Kael groaned, pushing himself up. "So… do I pass?"
She gave a rare smile. "For now."
He exhaled.
Ashhorn barked once from nearby.
"I'm Serida," the woman said at last. "I train Echoes too dangerous to be left alone. But I only train those who survive their own minds."
Kael met her gaze. "Then I guess I'm your student."