Wanting to leave the mess of the burning town behind, they decided to make their way into the nearby forest. Now that the sun had risen, it gave ample light for them to see inside the thick canopy of trees.

“Why on Earth did they put a temple so deep inside the forest?” Raine muttered in annoyance.

“I’d assume a secluded place is much better for the trials. The Temple of Space was on an isolated mountain peak, and the Temple of Time was underwater. None of these places are fit to be tourist attractions, at the very least, so there wouldn’t be as many people attempting to break in.”

“Well, I’m sure that these gods could make some kind of impervious barrier, anyway. This is just plain unnecessary,” Raine complained, smacking a tree branch out of his way.

Thankfully, they caught a glimpse of stone shortly after. Excited to see a sign of civilisation, Raine ran out into the clearing.

“We finally found it,” Raine exclaimed. “The Temple of Light.”

Nikolay stepped out and joined him, regarding the temple with an unimpressed look.

“It looks… rather plain,” he remarked.

The temple in question looked much more humble than the others of its kind. While both the Temple of Space and Time gave off a regal, untouchable aura, there was no such feeling when they gazed upon the dirty stone of this temple. It was unmistakably the same architecture and towering design, but perhaps it was the simple environment that made the temple look more mundane. After all, the underwater depths and stormy peaks contributed to a dramatic first impression.

“You’re right,” Raine agreed. “But at least it also looks a lot less threatening.”

As usual, Nikolay had to bring in his scepticism. “This is the Temple of Light — visual tricks are its flesh and blood. We should be careful not to judge based on appearance.”

“Sure, sure. I doubt it’ll be hard to tell what’s real or not. Magic leaves a trace, doesn’t it? Like a sorcerer’s aura, for example.”

“It’s difficult to say with ancient magic. Rules don’t apply to the gods.”

Walking into the temple was the same ordeal as always. The strange crystal at the door accepted Raine’s presence, and the entrance opened for them.

As soon as they got a clear view of the interior, it became apparent why this was called the Temple of Light.

“What am I even looking at?” Raine groaned. “It hurts to even try processing what’s going on.”

There was a main hallway in the middle, relatively straightforward in comparison to the perpetually shifting walls and passages on either side of it. It was strange — there was clearly something there, but even by staring directly at it, they couldn’t discern what exactly was there.

“I suppose we have to go in, regardless of what it looks like,” Nikolay sighed. “I only pray that it stops being so nauseating to look at.”

With bated breath, they crossed the boundary into the temple. As soon as they were inside, the doors slammed behind them, sealing them within the shifting colours and lines surrounding everything.

Thankfully, the effect lessened for objects closer to them, making it traversable at a bare minimum. Now that the hallway was slightly clearer, it became obvious that there was only one possible path for them to take.

“I guess… we keep going down this hallway,” Raine remarked dubiously. “The end might reveal itself if we get closer.”

“Logic dictates so, at least.”

They made their way down the highlighted path, trying their best not to stare too hard at the twisting scenery on either side of them. Each step felt as though they weren’t moving at all, the perpetual strangeness around them staying the same no matter how far they walked.

After a long while of continuing without any results, Raine asked, “Nikolay, do you think it’s a better idea to try the weird side corridors instead? It looks like we won’t achieve anything like this.”

Nikolay frowned. “Yes, that’s-”

The clone barely had a chance to react before glowing blue shards tore the illusion into distorted smoke.

“Raine would’ve called me ‘Kolya’,” he quietly said to the empty air in front of him.

But that only left one burning question in his mind.

Where on earth was the real Raine?

—

Meanwhile, Raine had fallen through a hole and landed face-first on soft, padded ground.

“Ugh, the ground looked as solid as it did for the rest of the hallway. Where did that damn hole come from?” Raine grumbled to himself as he stood.

When he finally looked around at the surroundings, it became immediately obvious that he was no longer in the same area.

A large domed chamber replaced the hallway from before. Across the room, there were multiple tables and chairs, each seat with its own plate and silverware. White stone pillars held the high ceiling in place, while glass panes functioned as the walls. These windows provided a pleasant view of the lush forest outside.

And the most important part — everything was clear as day. Nothing moved when it shouldn’t, the chairs looked like chairs, and the light stayed consistent. If he didn’t know any better, this simply looked like a regular dining area for a function.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Before he could explore this new room, a familiar voice called out to him.

“Raine! You fell through too,” Nikolay said, striding out from behind a pillar. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. There was something that cushioned my fall,” he replied.

At that moment, Raine suddenly remembered Nikolay’s words prior to entering the Temple of Light. ‘Visual tricks are its flesh and blood’. If this really was Nikolay, wouldn’t he have fallen next to him?

“Wait, Kolya,” he quickly added. “I don’t want to be rude or anything, but could you… touch my hand or something? Just so I know that you’re not an illusion or a trick of the light.”

“That’s more than understandable. I’m proud that you have the foresight for these things. Here.”

Nikolay reached his hand out, gently touching Raine’s outstretched palm. His skin was soft as it ran over Raine’s hand, like the delicate silk of the robes they’d worn a night prior.

Hold on. That wasn’t right. Nikolay’s hands were calloused — he did too much physical work at Tabitha’s bar to have such unmarred hands.

Immediately, Raine jerked his hand away as though he’d touched poison.

“You’re not Nikolay,” he accused. “His hands don’t feel like that.”

The illusion of Nikolay flickered, then melted away to reveal a little girl with a porcelain mask. Red paint streaks ran from the closed-over eyes, mimicking tears. Her uncovered lips stained an artificial cherry red, a brighter shade than the blood-red paint on her mask.

“Oh, you’re joking!” she said, frustration practically bursting out of her voice. “I constructed a perfect replica of that sorcerer, only for you to nitpick the skin on his hands? What sort of person memorises the texture of someone’s hands?!”

“I- I-” Raine flailed his hands in an attempt to defend himself. “Who are you, anyway? Why are you trying to frame me for being a creep?”

“You’re even more dense than you are weird! Think for a second, who else could manipulate the illusions in here? Who else would be in this temple, when the doors are locked behind you?”

It didn’t take long for Raine to piece the puzzle together. Though, the guardians of the previous temples definitely didn’t have this much… personality.

“You’re the Guardian of Light?”

“Finally,” she groaned. “So now we’re on the same page. I didn’t realise the new Chosen One would be so dense. Alright, let’s get a little change of scenery in here.”

The little girl claps her hands for dramatic effect, and the windows in the room change to display another section of the temple. The area resembled the initial hallway that he’d seen, along with the garbled mess of visual confusion lurking along the periphery.

However, Raine’s attention wasn’t directed towards the architecture or the strange Light magic. At the centre of the screen, Nikolay — the real one, not the girl’s masquerade — stood on a raised platform.

“Let’s play a game, Raine. I am in full control of everything that your dear Nikolay sees. It would be as easy as breathing for me to conjure an illusion that causes him to meet a rather ‘untimely’ fate. If you answer my riddle correctly, I will hand over the Artifact of Light and you two can leave safe and sound. If not… well, I would hate to see such a tragic sight unfold.”

The little girl adjusted her mask, a proud tone in her voice. “Here’s the riddle. It’s short, so listen close: I only have value when you give me one.”

Something that didn’t have an inherent value? And it only gained value if somebody gave it one. It could, quite literally, be anything non-materialistic. Secrets, promises, thoughts, love — ugh, the last one was a little sappy. He blamed it on the fact that Nikolay was the current hot topic at the moment.

It was too vague and too simple. There was no possible answer to this so-called riddle.

Unless the test wasn’t in the riddle itself.

“You wouldn’t kill him.”

“Raine, you’re giving me too much credit. I don’t care an inch about your feelings, and I care even less about your ‘friend’s’ life. He’s not the Chosen One, is he? I can do whatever I please. He’s just collateral.”

Raine grit his teeth in frustration. He felt completely helpless in the face of this omnipotent being, who was forcing him to participate in her sick game purely out of boredom.

“Your riddle is impossible! There are so many potential answers!” he shouted.

Unfazed by his outburst, the girl coolly replied, “It’s your choice to answer, of course. If you asked me, though, even a blundering fool would know that an infinitesimal chance is still better than none.”

He wanted nothing more than to wipe that calm, almost smug expression off her face. It was painfully obvious that she held complete control in her domain, and she knew it.

As he stood there, wracking his brain for another way, something finally came to him.

There was just one thing that the guardian miscalculated in her tricks. If he gave up as easily as she thought, he would’ve died a thousand time over already.

Raine let out an exaggerated yawn. “This game is boring, don’t you think? Even I, a mere mortal — and a non-sorcerer at that — can think of a better game.”

Steam could’ve come out of the girl’s ears from how mad she seemed. That taunting grin had disappeared without a trace.

“What did you say?!” she stomped the floor angrily. “I wait thousands of years, concocting the perfect scenario, and you think it’s BORING? Have you forgotten who’s about to die in that other room?”

“The potential of losing him sounds like a good premise on paper, but it’s honestly too cliché. Plus, it’s too obvious that I won’t be able to get the riddle. Doesn’t it diminish the excitement if the outcome is already apparent?”

The Raine a few months ago wouldn’t have even dreamed of making such a bold claim. To be honest, even now, he still acutely felt the anxiety creeping up. Although he had to keep his demeanour calm and disinterested, his heart was beating faster than it had ever been.

“Ohh, I get it. You just want me to take Nikolay’s life off the line. Sorry, but there’s no chance I’m doing that.”

“Please, I’m not that obvious. If we’re going to play a game, why not make it a two-way street? Let’s make a bet, guardian. I’m going to wager that Nikolay is completely safe, and the thing you’re killing is just an illusion. Of course, if it is him… you win, and you get what you want. Much more interesting, don’t you think?”

“Hmph. Whatever makes you sleep at night,” the girl crossed her arms. “Well? It’s time to call your bluff. See the consequences of your action, Chosen One.”

A flick of her wrist, and a realistic replica of Raine’s screaming — how did she get that? — began playing. The Nikolay in the image immediately sprung to action, leaping across the chasm of spikes in a blazing flurry of blue flames. Familiar wings beat powerfully in the air, signalling that Nikolay had activated his true form.

The view from their screen widened, showing the entire structure of the chamber. Raine stumbled backwards in disbelief, mouth agape.

Every chamber, every hallway — everything led back to the same platform he’d started on. There was no escape in this convoluted maze.

Raine was helpless to watch the glowing blue streak of Nikolay futilely crash into dead end after dead end, circling back into the same platform, attempt after attempt. But no matter how many times he failed, the bright meteor never paused, never hesitated.

The same audio of Raine’s screams kept playing from an undecipherable location, a sickeningly fitting soundtrack to a horrifying sight.

Slowly, insidiously, like inevitable corrosion, the once powerful flames lost their strength. The universe was collecting its debt, taking what was borrowed in a spur of haste.

Even while burning up from his own flames, even while the intensity of his dedication was eating itself alive, Nikolay continued to search endlessly for the Raine that was never in trouble.

After a long, agonising watch, all that remained was the empty maze.

Even if it turned out to be just a clone, the death seemed all too real and confronting.

Anxiety clamped down on Raine’s pounding heart, the consequences of his actions now irreversible. He was barely holding himself together by convincing himself it was all just a fake illusion.

The only thing he could do, though, was stand there and wait for the results of their bet. As much as he hated to admit it, the power was still in the guardian’s hands.

“You’re waiting for me to tell you whether I just killed your beloved, aren’t you? Well, listen closely. Nikolay is…”