The door creaked open, revealing a vast chamber beyond. At the center stood a pedestal, upon which rested an ornate mirror.
"This is it," Aragos said, stepping back. "The Trial of the Self."
Alysia stepped forward, her breath catching as the mirror began to glow. The reflection that stared back at her was not her own.
It was a version of herself—broken, twisted, consumed by darkness.
She recoiled in horror. "No…"
"Yes," the reflection whispered, its voice a twisted echo of her own. "This is who you are. This is who you will become."
"No," Alysia repeated, shaking her head. "I won't become this."
"Then you must defeat me," the reflection said, stepping forward.