Elara's steps carried her across the path of light, each one feeling heavier than the last. The blinding glow ahead seemed both tantalizingly close and impossibly distant, its radiance pulsing like a heartbeat. The Codex in her hand grew warm, as if responding to the energy around her, and the symbols on its cover shifted again, forming words she couldn't yet decipher.
The chasm on either side of the path was alive, swirling with shadow and faint whispers that rose and fell like the tide. They clawed at her mind, murmuring doubts, regrets, and fears she thought she had buried long ago.
*"You're not strong enough."*
*"This path will destroy you."*
*"Turn back before it's too late."*
Elara gritted her teeth, willing herself to focus. She had made her choice, and she would see it through.
