I looked at her for a moment, unsure how to answer. A dozen thoughts crossed my mind, about the being that had spoken through them, about what it had said regarding my class and my parents. But I didn’t want to burden them with that.
"No," I said finally. "I was trying to free all of you from the chains, and I managed to do it. Anyway, nothing else seems to be happening here. If you’re all feeling alright, we should move on and get out of this place."
I dusted off my pants and stood up. Steve and Primus groaned as they got to their feet, still looking a bit unsteady.
I walked over to North and extended a hand. She hesitated for a second, then took it, her grip surprisingly firm for how drained she looked. I pulled her up, and together we began walking toward the door at the end of the path.
The door stood out from everything else we had seen, a square gate, glowing faintly with mixed shades of crimson and blue Essence.
The words of the being echoed in my mind. "Behind this door lies the mirror and the rewards I have left for those who clear the trial."
After everything that had happened, the corruption, the illusions, and the truths I had just learned, I still found myself curious. Maybe I wanted the reward, or maybe I just needed something solid to focus on. Either way, I wanted to see what was beyond that door.
I was the first to cross. The others followed close behind.
The moment I stepped through, everything went dark. All light disappeared, even my perception, stretched to its limit, reached nothing but void. It wasn’t just dark; it was empty .
"Now what?" Steve muttered beside me. His voice echoed strangely, like the air itself was listening.
I snapped my fingers. A dozen small fireballs burst to life around us, their glow pushing the darkness back. Slowly, a room took shape, large, circular, and completely bare.
"Whoa," Primus said, glancing around. "Is this... a law at work? The darkness itself?"
I wasn’t sure. But whatever it was, the shadows weren’t natural. They seemed to swallow light instead of being pushed away by it. Even the fire flickered weakly, as if it was being smothered.
The only thing of note in the entire room was another door, a plain wooden one, oddly simple compared to the crimson gate we’d just passed through which disappeared behind us.
"Let’s see what’s out there," I said, walking forward.
My hand touched the wooden handle. I pushed it open just a crack, and a shaft of golden light spilled into the dark room.
The sudden brightness made all of us squint. I pushed the door fully open, and what we saw left us speechless.
A vast, open grassland stretched out endlessly. The sky above was blue, the sun shining bright, and the wind carried the scent of flowers and earth. The transition from darkness to this light-filled plain was almost overwhelming.
"Wow," Steve muttered, stepping forward. "I never thought I’d be this happy just seeing grass again." He knelt down and ran his hands through it, laughing softly. "Feels real too."
I extended my perception, sweeping across the land and what I sensed left me stunned. This wasn’t an illusion. The entire space was real, vast, and brimming with life.
Lakes shimmered in the distance, but when I focused, I realized they weren’t filled with water, they were pools of pure Essence. Mountains rose far away, filled with living creatures, not abominations, but actual beasts, powerful ones. I could sense their Essence signatures, some at Grandmaster level, others even stronger.
And then there were the structures.
Two Steles stood tall across the plains. One was engraved with the word Domain , the other with Laws . Both radiated ancient, pulsing energy.
Above them, floating gently on a cloud, was a small building, a library, with a sign that read in simple letters: Library for Dummies.
I almost laughed out loud at that. Whoever had built this place had a sense of humor.
But what caught my attention most was something else, a small wooden table placed near a calm stream. On it sat a single book, bound in violet and gold. Next to it was a chair and a sign that said: "Only for the Executor :)"
This place didn’t seem like part of the trial anymore. It felt like... a rest point. A reward, just like he said.
Still, there was one more thing that stood out.
"Look up," I said to the others, pointing at the sky.
Beside the blazing sun was a giant red clock, slowly ticking down.
"Is that... a timer?" North asked softly.
"Yeah." I focused on it, counting the markings. "Two months."
"So we’re here for the next two months?" Primus asked, half disbelieving.
I nodded. "Seems like it. The room behind us is just that, a room. There’s no portal, no teleportation circle. We’re staying here until time runs out."
Primus groaned. "Two months! Doing what?"
I smirked faintly. "Why don’t you explore? This place feels too peaceful to be dangerous. Maybe it’s meant for recovery."
He sighed dramatically. "I hope there’s food at least."
I chuckled and turned toward the stream I’d seen earlier. Its water was clear, glimmering faintly under the light. I could sense it was safe..
North walked quietly beside me as I approached the water. Her voice was calm but thoughtful when she finally spoke. "You didn’t tell us what really happened when we were under the chains, did you?"
I didn’t answer right away. The water rippled gently, reflecting the blue sky above.
"No," I said after a pause. "Not yet."
She didn’t press. She just nodded slightly, crouching beside me and running her fingers through the water.
Behind us, I could hear Primus shouting something about finding the "dumb library" and Steve laughing as he stared at the Stele of Laws. For a moment, it almost felt... normal.
I let my gaze drift over the horizon, the lakes of Essence, the floating library, the vast skies. For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no danger, no screams, no blood. Just silence, warmth, and wind.
But deep inside, I knew peace like this never lasted.
The being’s words echoed again in my mind: "This is not the last trial. You will be pulled into another one when the time comes."
I took a deep breath, letting the Essence in the air flow through me.
I had still not found the Mirror which started it all.