The air hung heavy with anticipation within the Welling, the ancient cavern carved deep into the heart of the Lockwood property. Its walls, slick with moisture, glimmered faintly in the torchlight held by the gathered Elders. A hush fell over the assembled figures, their expressions etched with a mixture of solemnity and veiled curiosity. Tonight, Eleanor Lockwood would face the second phase of her trial, the Labyrinth of Reflection.
At the center of the cavern, a small pool of water lay tranquil, its surface reflecting the flickering torchlight like a fractured mosaic. This innocuous pool held the key to the trial. It was a conduit, a bridge between consciousness and the deepest recesses of the mind.
