The sensation of falling wasn't what Elena had expected. It wasn't the terrifying plunge she'd felt when she once leaped off a cliff as a child into a lake. No, this was different. The air seemed to cradle her, slowing her descent as if the realm itself was embracing her. Light surrounded her, swirling in colors she couldn't quite name—colors that seemed to shift with each breath, with each heartbeat.And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the falling stopped.She landed on her feet gently, as though placed there by invisible hands. The ground beneath her was cool, soft like moss, but when she looked down, it wasn't moss at all. The ground shimmered like glass, reflecting the sky above, which had turned into a sea of stars. Around her, the air was thick with magic, humming like a living thing.Aidan wasn't there. She was alone.Elena turned in a slow circle, trying to make sense of the strange place she'd landed in. This wasn't the temple, nor was it the fields of the First Realm. It was somewhere else entirely—somewhere that felt eerily familiar and entirely foreign all at once. The distant echoes of a soft melody, faint but recognizable, tugged at her heart.The words of the Guardian echoed in her mind: "You shall be tested, not by me, but by the realm itself."The realm's trial. But what kind of trial would this be?Elena began walking, her steps tentative as the glowing ground beneath her pulsed softly with each footfall. She reached for the pendant around her neck, clutching it like a talisman. It had always felt warm to the touch before, as if it held its own secret energy. Now, though, it was pulsing in time with the ground. She could feel it—like the pendant was alive, responding to the magic in the air around her.A whisper, soft and barely audible, drifted past her ear."Elena…"Her heart jumped. She turned sharply, scanning the shimmering landscape. But there was no one there.The whisper came again, this time clearer, more insistent. "Elena… remember.""Who's there?" Elena called out, her voice shaky but firm. Her pulse quickened as the air thickened with magic, the whispers growing louder.And then, the world shifted.Suddenly, Elena wasn't standing in the strange realm anymore. She was somewhere else entirely—somewhere familiar. She stood in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by towering trees, their branches swaying in the warm summer breeze. The sound of water rushing nearby filled the air, and in the distance, the faint smell of wildflowers reached her nose.This was a memory.Her heart clenched as she recognized the place—it was the meadow behind her childhood home, the one she used to escape to when life felt too overwhelming. She hadn't been here in years.But something was different. A figure stood at the edge of the clearing, just beyond the treeline. The figure was faint, barely more than a shadow, but it was undeniably familiar.Elena's breath caught in her throat as she took a step forward. "Mom?" she whispered.The shadowy figure didn't respond. It hovered there, watching her, silent.Elena's chest tightened, the ache of grief threatening to overwhelm her. Her mother had passed when she was young, leaving behind little more than fragmented memories and unanswered questions. The pain of her loss had dulled over the years, but it had never disappeared. And now, here she was—standing in a memory she thought she'd long since buried."Mom," Elena called again, louder this time, her voice cracking. "Is it really you?"The figure stepped forward, but as it did, it began to fade, dissolving into the air like mist in the morning sun. Elena reached out desperately, her hand trembling."No, wait! Don't go—"But it was too late. The figure vanished, leaving behind only the familiar ache in Elena's heart. She dropped her hand to her side, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.She didn't understand. Why was the realm showing her this? What was it trying to tell her?As if in response to her thoughts, the scene shifted again. The meadow faded, replaced by a new memory—this one sharp and vivid. She was no longer in the forest of her childhood. Instead, she found herself standing in front of an ancient stone archway, its surface worn smooth by time. Beyond the archway was a swirling vortex of light and shadow, a portal that led to the First Realm.She had been here before.Elena's breath hitched as she recognized the moment. This was the night she had crossed over into the First Realm for the first time—the night she had met Aidan. But there was something wrong with the memory. It felt different, as if it were being stretched, manipulated by unseen forces.In the memory, Elena stood at the edge of the archway, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the portal. She could feel the pull of the magic, the undeniable force drawing her in. But there was hesitation in her posture, a flicker of doubt in her eyes that Elena hadn't remembered feeling at the time.And then, out of the shadows, a figure appeared—Aidan.He moved with the same fluid grace that Elena had come to recognize, his eyes locked onto her as he approached. But there was something off about him, something in his expression that made Elena's skin crawl. It wasn't the Aidan she knew.In the memory, Aidan reached out a hand to her, his voice low and commanding. "Come with me."Elena frowned. This wasn't how it had happened. The real Aidan had never demanded anything of her. He had given her a choice. But in the memory, the way he spoke—the way he looked at her—it felt wrong.Suddenly, the memory Aidan's eyes flickered, and for the briefest moment, they glowed with an eerie red light.Elena gasped, stumbling back. "No… that's not right. This isn't real."The ground beneath her began to tremble, and the memory wavered, like a mirage about to disappear. The false Aidan reached for her again, his voice twisting into something darker, more sinister. "You cannot escape your fate."Elena clutched the pendant around her neck, willing the memory to fade. "This isn't real," she repeated, her voice growing stronger. "You're not real."The vortex of light beyond the archway roared to life, and the memory Aidan's form began to distort, his figure melting into the shadows.And then, just as quickly as it had begun, the memory shattered.Elena was thrown back into the strange, star-filled realm, her body trembling from the intensity of the visions. She gasped for breath, her heart racing as the echo of the false memory faded.The trial. The realm was testing her. It was trying to confuse her, to make her question everything she knew.But it wouldn't work.Elena straightened, her grip on the pendant tightening. She didn't know what the realm wanted her to find in her memories, but she wasn't going to let it break her.Somehow, she would uncover the truth. And when she did, she would be ready for whatever came next.