The air in the Sanctum seemed to shift again, the pulsating energy of the heart still humming around them. Aethren stood before the glowing orb, his mind still reeling from the trial he had just faced. The shadows of his own fear had dissolved, leaving him feeling oddly lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. But something deep within him knew—this was only the beginning.
Seris’s gaze was steady, her expression unreadable. “The trial of the mind was only the first test. Now comes the trial of the spirit. It is far more difficult than the last.”
Aethren swallowed, trying to steady his breath. He had faced his darkest fears, but now… what would the Sanctum ask of him?
“Am I supposed to do something?” he asked, his voice a little shakier than he intended.
Seris nodded. “You will not be alone in this. The trial of the spirit is a test of your resolve, your will to carry on. It will take the form of a choice. You will face a dilemma that will challenge the very essence of who you are. It will ask you to sacrifice something you hold dear.”
Aethren’s heart skipped a beat. “A sacrifice?”
Kaelor stepped forward, his face grim. “Whatever the choice, Aethren, you must be prepared. The trial of the spirit does not simply test your strength. It tests your heart.”
Before Aethren could respond, the orb in the center of the cavern flared with bright, blinding light. The world around them shifted again, and he felt the ground beneath his feet tremble as if it was being ripped apart.
----------------------------------------
When the light faded, Aethren found himself standing in a vast, open plain under a sky that was both impossibly bright and deeply empty. The air was crisp, and the scent of wildflowers filled his lungs. But something about the place felt wrong. It was too quiet. Too still.
“Where are we?” Aethren asked, his voice echoing unnervingly in the emptiness.
Seris, Kaelor, and the glowing orb were nowhere to be seen. He was alone.
For a moment, he wondered if he had somehow entered another illusion—another trick of the Sanctum to test his resolve. But before he could think further, a shadow crossed the sky, and a figure landed in front of him.
It was a woman.
She was tall, her features delicate yet commanding, with long silver hair that flowed like a waterfall of light. Her eyes were familiar—strangely so. They were the same deep blue as Aethren’s own.
“Mother?” Aethren whispered, stepping forward, his pulse quickening.
The woman smiled at him, her expression warm and filled with an undeniable love. “Aethren, my son. It’s been so long.”
Aethren froze, his breath catching in his throat. “What is this? How are you here?”
She took a step toward him, her eyes filled with sorrow. “This is the trial, Aethren. The trial of your spirit. You must choose between what you desire most and the destiny you are meant to fulfill.”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Aethren shook his head, his heart thumping painfully in his chest. “I don’t understand.”
“You never have, have you?” Her voice was gentle, but there was an edge of sadness to it. “I was taken from you when you were young, and you’ve carried the weight of that loss ever since. The pain of it… the longing to see me again. But now, you have the chance to choose, Aethren. I can stay. I can return to you.”
Aethren’s breath caught in his throat. “You… you could come back? I can see you again?” His chest tightened as a surge of hope and longing flooded him. “I’ve missed you so much…”
The woman’s smile deepened, but it was tinged with sadness. “Yes. But there is a price to be paid, my son. If you choose me, the shard will consume you. The power you seek will overwhelm you, and you will lose yourself. The world will fall into darkness, and the path to save it will be sealed.”
Aethren felt the weight of her words settle on him like a heavy cloak. His mind spun, torn between the love he had carried for so many years and the duty that had been thrust upon him.
“Why does it have to be like this?” Aethren whispered. “Why can’t I have both? Why can’t I save the world and be with you?”
The woman’s expression softened. “Because, my son, you cannot have everything. The power you seek is great, but it is corrupting. If you let it consume you, you will lose yourself—your soul, your very spirit. I am not worth that cost.”
Aethren’s chest tightened painfully. The shard, which had been resting quietly at his side, now pulsed fiercely in response to his growing turmoil. It was a constant reminder of what was at stake.
----------------------------------------
A sudden voice cut through the stillness, one that Aethren instantly recognized. “You cannot choose her, Aethren. You know what it would cost. Don’t fall into this illusion.”
Kaelor’s figure appeared from the mist, stepping forward with a resolute look on his face. “The world needs you. Your destiny is not to live in the past, but to shape the future.”
Aethren turned toward him, his heart torn. “But I want her back. I want to fix everything. I want to feel like I’m not alone anymore.”
Kaelor’s voice was steady, but filled with empathy. “I understand. I’ve lost people too. But you can’t undo the past. If you choose her, you lose everything else. You lose yourself. And the world, the people who are counting on you, will fall into chaos.”
Aethren felt his body tremble. His heart ached, and every part of him longed to reach out and embrace the woman before him. She was his mother—his family. And yet… the consequences of choosing her were impossible to ignore.
----------------------------------------
The woman took a step back, her expression sorrowful but resolute. “The choice is yours, Aethren. Do not make it lightly.”
Aethren felt his mind spinning, the conflicting desires and duties twisting inside him. It was a decision that no one should ever have to make. He had spent years grieving her loss, and now that she was here, the possibility of holding her once more seemed like a dream. But that dream came with a cost.
“I… I can’t do it,” Aethren whispered, feeling a tear slide down his cheek. “I can’t let the world fall for my selfishness.”
The woman’s face softened, and for a moment, Aethren thought he saw pride in her eyes. “You’ve made the right choice, my son. You are strong—stronger than I ever was. You will find your way. But you must walk it alone.”
As the words left her lips, her form began to dissolve, fading into the mist like a wisp of smoke. The landscape around Aethren began to warp and twist again, the tranquil plain vanishing into the distance.
----------------------------------------
Suddenly, Aethren was back in the Sanctum. The orb pulsed brightly in front of him, its energy still radiating throughout the cavern. Seris and Kaelor stood at his side, their faces full of quiet understanding.
“Did you pass the trial?” Seris asked, her voice soft.
Aethren nodded slowly, wiping his eyes. “I did.”
“The trial of the spirit is always the hardest,” Kaelor said, his voice grave. “But you did what was necessary. You sacrificed what you held dear for the sake of the world.”
Aethren looked at the shard in his hand, the power still coursing through him, but now tempered with a sense of purpose. He had made his choice. He had chosen to protect the world. And in doing so, he had found a strength he hadn’t known existed within him.
“The next step is to find the key to unlocking the true power of the shard,” Seris said, her voice steady. “But for now… rest. You’ve earned it.”