"Why don’t we try interfering in their paths?" I suggested.
Steve turned his head toward me. "Do you think that will work?"
"I’m not sure," I said after a short pause, "but there’s nothing wrong with trying."
He frowned slightly. "What if the chains return?" he asked, already taking a few steps toward Primus’s path.
"Wait." I reached out and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. "No need for both of us to risk it. Let me try first."
He hesitated, then nodded. "Not sure North will like that," he said quietly.
I gave a small shrug. "This isn’t the time to worry about what she’ll like."
Before he could reply, I flashed forward, reappearing near North’s path.
A transparent shield of light covered all the entry points, pulsing faintly with energy. On the other side, I could see North fighting, her body dancing through the curving arrows of the monsters as she tried to close the distance between them.
I looked down into the abyss below. The endless darkness churned and screamed with the cries of the chained monsters. Their roars echoed up the bridge, each one raw and filled with suffering.
It was chaos, pure twisted chaos. And for a moment, I wondered what these beings truly were. How had they ended up here? What kind of force had turned them into this? The questions clawed at my mind, but I knew I wouldn’t find the answers now.
I turned my focus back to the shield. I decided to break through and enter her path. I clenched my fist, ready to punch, Essence already gathering around my arm. But just before I struck, I froze.
Was this the right thing to do?
Wasn’t this another judgment I had to make, whether to interfere in North’s fight when each of us had been given our own paths for a reason?
My fist trembled slightly. The barrier shimmered in front of me, reflecting my face through its pale glow. I could feel its resistance, as if it too was waiting for me to decide.
For a moment, everything went silent. The roars below, the crackling of Essence, even the sound of my own breathing, all faded away.
And I found myself standing there, caught between reason and impulse, wondering if crossing that line would save us or doom us all.
This trial was built on judgment.
Every step we took was measured, every decision watched. I knew that much. But standing there, ready to interfere, I wondered what judgment truly meant. Was it blind obedience to the test, or the courage to act when it mattered?
My instincts screamed that walking away would be safer, wiser even. But reason alone never saved anyone.
I had made too many hard choices to hesitate now. Killing Vaelix, letting go of Anjee to save others, sacrificing my memories, the emotion of fear and I did all that because judgment, to me, was about choosing what I could live with afterward. And I knew I couldn’t live with watching her or anyone else fall while I did nothing.
The moment the thought crossed my mind, my fist shot forward, tearing through the shield as I stepped onto North’s path. The barrier shattered around me with a sharp crack, and I turned my head toward Primus. He was staring at me, surprise clear on his face.
"Finish it fast," I said. He nodded once, understanding, and I vanished from his sight, flashing forward to appear behind the elves.
"Freeze," I muttered.
Frost exploded outward, racing across their bodies in an instant. The five elves froze solid, their movements stopping mid-attack as the ice climbed up to their faces. I lowered my hand and turned toward North, giving her a small nod.
She didn’t hesitate.
In the next second, she flashed forward, her blades cutting through the air in smooth, precise arcs. One swing, then another, and another, five clean strikes. The sound was soft, almost graceful, but final. The frozen elves’ heads separated from their bodies, and cracks spread across the ice before they shattered completely.
The fragments dissolved into Essence particles, scattering in the air before merging with North. Her aura flickered faintly as the Essence settled into her body.
She stood a short distance away, her hands gripping her blade so tightly her knuckles turned pale. Our eyes met. Behind her calm look, I could see anger, grief, and frustration all swirling together. But she buried it, forcing herself to stay composed.
I knew what she was feeling, helplessness. She had lost her mentor and hadn’t been strong enough to stop it. I could already tell this wouldn’t be the last time she felt that way if she stayed beside me. Still, I couldn’t leave her like this.
"I’ll help you," I said quietly.
I didn’t add the rest. I didn’t want to.
She closed her eyes, drew in a slow breath, then nodded.
"Let’s go."
I turned and sprinted ahead, the ground cracking beneath my steps. North followed close behind.
Just as we broke free from her path, a massive explosion sounded. Dust and light burst outward, and from the blast emerged Primus, grinning like a madman, his body covered in scorch marks.
Behind him, the last of the elves screamed as they were consumed by the fire and Essence.
The sound faded, leaving only the screams of the chained monsters below.
We stood at the point where our five paths converged, staring at the three routes ahead, each leading toward a massive door that we assumed marked the exit of this realm.
"What do you think?" I asked.
"Another damned choice, what else?" Primus scoffed. "This place is cursed."
"If it’s a choice, then two people on one path sounds fair enough," Steve said.
"What about all of us on one path?" I suggested.
"But what if the difficulty scales with our numbers?" North asked, her tone cautious.
"Are you afraid?" Primus sneered, a flickering fireball forming in his palm.
"I know no fear." North shot back.
"Alright," I cut in before it could escalate, "since we’re all guessing anyway, let’s just stick together. One path."
Silence followed. Then, one by one, they nodded.
I stepped toward the center path, its entrance unguarded. The others joined beside me, and together we moved forward, crossing the threshold.
For a few breaths, nothing happened.