Darkness receded.

Before I even opened my eyes, I felt the chill beneath my fingers. A stone floor—hard, rough, real. My body trembled, but not from the cold. I was exhausted, as if I’d been fighting for weeks without pause, even though not even a moment had passed.

I opened my eyelids. Above me, I saw the familiar vaulted ceiling pulsing with lines of energy. I was back. The Trial was over.

[System: Trial completed. Failure.]

I rose cautiously, feeling stiffness in my muscles. Every part of my body remembered the nightmare of all the Trials—the illusions that nearly consumed me. I reached deep into my consciousness, into the place where, during each Trial, I had been subjected to extreme experiences—pain, solitude, the illusion of power. I found nothing there but an echo of those sensations. I felt traces of suffering in my body, suffering that was never real, yet had left its mark on my mind.

[System: Opportunity for full completion of the Trial lost.] [System: Title "Unyielding Will – Fourth Degree" acquired.]

I bit my lip, letting the words roll through my consciousness. The final moments of the Trial, that illusion of power—they were all meant to break me. Had I chosen a different path, perhaps I wouldn’t have even noticed that I had fallen into a trap.

I didn’t view it as a failure. It was my choice—a conscious decision. My mind remained clear, and if I had to face it again, I would do the same without a shadow of doubt.

"You're back faster than I thought."

I looked up. Eldric was standing a few steps away, leaning nonchalantly against one of the stone columns. He looked pleased, but there was something else in his gaze—something I couldn’t quite decipher.

"Is something wrong?" I asked cautiously.

"On the contrary." He smiled slightly, though there was something hard to read in his eyes. "The Betrayal Trial isn’t a simple test of strength. It’s a choice that defines who you become. Most choose power, discarding everything else. Others cannot make a decision and eventually lose themselves."

I clenched my hands, feeling the weight of his words.

"And what about me?"

Eldric studied me intently.

"You rejected the illusion of power, but that doesn’t mean loyalty comes without a price. Lords act according to their own interests, but their strength doesn’t derive solely from individual might—it comes from their alliances, their trust, and shared goals. Betrayal isn’t merely an act against an individual—it undermines the entire structure upon which their existence is built."

"Everyone who becomes a Lord must understand this. It’s not about fear or duty, but the awareness that true power is more than just the strength of an individual. It’s the ability to sustain relationships that withstand the test of time."

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He paused, looking at me intently.

"Lords who betray perish—not because they are weaker, but because they stand alone. Power that no one supports is an illusion, and you have just understood that."

I clenched my hands again. For a moment, I wondered how many Lords had faced the same choice, how many had made the decision consciously and how many had bowed under pressure. It wasn’t about who failed, but who truly understood what it meant to be a Lord.

"So what now?" I asked, gazing at him.

Eldric stepped away from the column and moved toward me.

"The Trial was only a test," he said slowly. "But its reward isn’t merely symbolic. It has given you a title and allowed you to better understand what true power is."

"Loyalty and betrayal are two sides of the same coin," he continued. "Only the strong can decide which side they stand on. If you are weak, others will decide for you. Power requires not only strength but also control over your own fate."

Eldric smiled mysteriously.

"This is only the beginning. Your choice has shown that you’re driven by more than mere ambition. But loyalty without strength is an empty word. If you aren’t strong enough, your decisions will lose their meaning because others will make them for you."

He looked at me carefully, as if weighing my potential.

"You must understand that power isn’t just about making decisions—it’s about the consequences that follow. Are you ready for what your choice means?"

I froze.

He meant our agreement—the resurrection of him through the Chaos Tower. Now that the illusion had ended and reality had taken on clear contours once more, what once seemed like a mere theoretical possibility had become a real decision.

I smiled slightly, looking up at Eldric.

"Of course I know the decision I’ve made," I replied calmly. "And I’m ready to face its consequences."

Eldric smiled lightly, as if he had expected that answer.

"Very well," he said, though his gaze grew penetrating. "You know my opinion about those who once ruled the Chaos Tower. History has shown what they were capable of—how their lust for power and foolishness led to destruction. I will not allow that to happen again."

He paused, his gaze fixed on me with a disquieting intensity.

"Aren't you afraid that if you continue down the same path, I will be forced to stop you? That I might decide it’s better to destroy you before you share their fate?"

For a moment, his expression grew somber.

I smiled lightly, keeping my eyes on him.

"I'm not afraid," I replied calmly. "These Trials have shown me much, and above all, they have allowed me to better understand who you are. I know that you won't kill me simply because I possess an object that once, in the wrong hands, led to destruction. It is not power that makes someone a monster, but the way it is wielded."

I smiled again, looking him straight in the eyes.

"And even if one day you deem me a threat, remember that to kill me, you must be stronger."

Eldric raised an eyebrow, and a trace of amusement flickered across his face—as if my words both amused and intrigued him.

He burst into laughter, his voice echoing off the stone walls. Shaking his head, amusement sparkled in his eyes.

"A little girl has earned a title and thinks she can throw down challenges," he said sarcastically, though there was more to his tone than mere mockery. "I've seen many who believed that sheer self-confidence could change the world. Most of them didn't make it to the end of their story."

He fell silent for a moment, then looked at me intently.

"Well, I suppose this marks the end of our little chat," he sighed with a hint of amusement.

His body began to fade, as if he were slowly losing substance, and a strange stone pulsing with a pale light appeared in his hand. He handed it to me without a word, and when I touched it, I felt an odd warmth spreading across my skin.

"The energy that sustained me here is fading. I have transferred the data of my existence into this stone," he explained calmly. "See you in the Chaos Tower."