Arthur froze. His sharp eyes darted around the garden, searching for the speaker, but no one appeared.
The voice continued, unhurried.
"You have proven yourself to have talent. Defeating a True Demon at your level is an achievement that very few can claim. Your strength and determination have brought you this far."
Arthur paused, tilting his head as he listened. He stopped scanning the garden and instead let out a short, amused snort. "Right, but are you going to show yourself, or are you planning to stay the creepy disembodied voice? Because I've got to say, the whole mysterious act is getting old."
There was a moment of silence, as though the voice was considering his words—or perhaps just ignoring his quip entirely.
Then the chime sounded again, soft and melodic, seeming to come from every direction at once. The garden shimmered faintly, as if the sunlight filtering through the trees had been infused with life itself.
