Ava's hand hovered just above the orb, its warmth radiating against her skin. For a moment, the world around her seemed to still. Her heartbeat slowed, her breath evened out, and the weight of the endless shadows seemed to lighten. The glowing orb pulsated like a heartbeat, as if it was alive, waiting for her to make the next move.
She hesitated, the figure's words from earlier still echoing in her mind: *You'll only drag them down with you.* It was a seed of doubt that had taken root deep within her over time, but now, as she stood at the center of this chamber with the orb before her, she felt something different.
A spark of hope.
She clenched her jaw, shoving away the lingering fear, and extended her hand toward the orb. As her fingers made contact with its smooth, glowing surface, the light intensified, spreading through the chamber like wildfire. For a brief second, Ava felt weightless, like she was floating in a sea of golden light. The energy flowed into her, filling every fiber of her being with warmth, and something more—something powerful.
Suddenly, the room vanished.
Ava blinked and found herself standing on the edge of a vast, ethereal landscape. The golden light from the orb still surrounded her, but the space beyond was a chaotic swirl of shifting colors and shapes. The sky above her was a storm of swirling reds, purples, and blues, like a canvas that had been splashed with every emotion imaginable. It felt surreal, like she was inside a dream.
She wasn't alone.
Standing before her, bathed in the same golden glow, was another figure—this time, one she recognized instantly. It was Luke.
His face, always calm and calculating, now bore a look of confusion, his blue eyes wide with uncertainty as he stared at her.
"Ava?" he asked, his voice echoing in the strange, dreamlike space. "Is this real?"
"I—I don't know," she admitted, her heart racing. She moved closer, her hand reaching out toward him, but something stopped her. There was an invisible barrier between them, shimmering faintly in the air like a veil of light. She tried to push against it, but it held firm, keeping them apart.
"Where are we?" Luke asked, glancing around at the swirling chaos around them.
Ava shook her head, still trying to make sense of it all. "I don't know. I touched the orb and… we're here."
Luke frowned, his brow furrowing in deep thought. "The orb is supposed to test us, right? To see if we're worthy of the Tower's secrets?"
"That's what I thought," Ava replied, her hand still pressed against the barrier. "But this… feels different."
As they stood there, trying to grasp the situation, the swirling colors around them began to coalesce, forming vague, distorted shapes. At first, they were indistinct—like shadows flickering at the edges of their vision—but soon they became clearer, more defined.
Figures began to emerge from the chaos. First, they were faceless, mere silhouettes, but slowly they took on form and substance. Ava's breath caught in her throat as she realized who they were.
Luke's parents.
They stood in the distance, their faces solemn and serious, just as Ava had seen in Luke's memories. His mother, tall and regal, with the same piercing blue eyes as Luke's, stared at him with an intensity that made Ava shiver. His father stood beside her, his expression unreadable.
Luke stiffened at the sight of them, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. Ava could see the tension in his posture, the way his entire body seemed to go rigid as if he was preparing for a fight.
"They're not real," Ava said softly, trying to reassure him. "This is just part of the trial. You don't have to face them."
Luke shook his head, his jaw set in a hard line. "I do."
Without another word, he stepped forward, passing through the shimmering barrier with ease. Ava tried to follow, but the barrier held her back, refusing to let her pass.
"Luke!" she called after him, panic rising in her chest. "Don't! It's a trick!"
But he didn't stop. He kept walking toward the figures of his parents, his movements stiff, his face unreadable. Ava watched helplessly as the distance between them grew, the swirling chaos around her intensifying.
The figures of Luke's parents didn't move. They stood there, waiting for him, their expressions cold and unyielding. As Luke approached them, Ava could see the pain etched on his face—the unresolved guilt and anger he carried with him, the burden of their expectations and his failure to meet them.
Luke stopped a few feet away from them, his voice barely audible as he spoke. "Why are you here?"
His mother's gaze softened, just a fraction, but her voice was still cold. "We are always here, Luke. We never left."
"You abandoned me," Luke said, his voice thick with emotion. "You left me to fend for myself. You never cared."
His father's expression remained unchanged. "We gave you everything you needed to succeed, Luke. It was your own choices that led to your downfall."
Ava watched, her heart breaking for him as he faced the ghosts of his past. She could see the anguish in his eyes, the way his shoulders slumped under the weight of their words. He had spent so long trying to live up to their expectations, and now, faced with their judgment, he was crumbling.
"No," Luke said, shaking his head. "I'm not the one who failed. You did."
His mother's eyes narrowed. "You've always blamed us, but the truth is, you were never strong enough. You were never enough."
Luke's fists clenched, and for a moment, Ava thought he might lash out. But instead, he took a deep breath and straightened his posture. When he spoke again, his voice was steady, controlled.
"I don't need your approval anymore," Luke said, his words firm. "I've spent my whole life trying to be what you wanted me to be. But I'm done with that."
Ava's chest tightened as she watched him. This was it—this was the trial, the test of his strength, not just physically but emotionally. And Luke, despite the pain, was rising to the challenge.
The figures of his parents began to fade, their forms dissolving back into the swirling chaos. Luke stood there for a moment, watching them disappear, his expression unreadable.
When the last of the shadows faded, the barrier between Ava and Luke vanished as well. She rushed forward, reaching his side.
"Luke…" she whispered, unsure of what to say. She wanted to comfort him, to tell him how proud she was of him, but the words stuck in her throat.
He turned to her, his eyes softening as he met her gaze. "I'm okay," he said, though his voice was hoarse.
Before Ava could respond, the space around them began to shift again. The swirling chaos stilled, and the ground beneath their feet solidified. The golden light from the orb enveloped them both, lifting them from the dreamlike landscape and returning them to the chamber.
Ava blinked, disoriented as the familiar stone walls of the Tower came back into focus. The orb still hovered above the platform, but its light had dimmed, its purpose fulfilled.
Luke stood beside her, silent but steady. He had faced his trial and emerged stronger for it.
But Ava knew her own trial wasn't over yet.