After a long walk, they reached a vast hall illuminated by a soft, source-less glow. At the center stood a massive structure resembling an altar, radiating warmth.
"What is this?" Adelina asked, freezing in place.
"A trial," Simon said curtly, his eyes scanning the altar.
The light was inviting, evoking a strange sense of peace. But Simon knew better—it was an illusion.
"Do you feel it?" Adelina asked, stepping closer.
"Too strong... It's a trap," he warned, stopping her.
Simon stepped forward, extending his hand toward the glow. The moment he touched it, the entire space erupted in blinding light.
As their eyes adjusted, a new entity appeared—a being of pure light, hovering above the altar. Its form was blurred, as though made of raw energy.
"You have passed through darkness, but are you ready to face the light?" it said, its voice both gentle and stern.
"We are ready," Simon replied firmly.
"Light reveals the truth. Are you prepared to see what is hidden?"
"What do you mean?" Adelina asked.
"The truth can shatter. Light does not forgive lies."
The entity extended its hand, filling the hall with images—fragments of the past, present, and possible futures.
Simon froze, seeing a scene from his past. It was the day he first encountered his power. He saw himself, young and terrified, surrounded by fire and screams.
"This is what you hide from yourself," the voice said. "Fear, guilt, regret."
"I do not fear this," he replied firmly, clenching his fists.
"And you?" the entity asked Adelina.
Before her appeared a scene from her childhood, the day she lost her family. She stood still, staring at her younger self, lonely and broken.
"You live with this but do not accept it."
"I know who I am," she said firmly, though her voice trembled.
"You withstood the trial of darkness, but light demands more," the entity continued.
It raised its hands, and the light around them began to condense into something tangible.
"This is your choice: accept the truth or reject it."
Simon stepped forward, his fire burning brighter, merging with the glow around them.
"We accept the truth, no matter what it is."
The light flared, filling the entire space, and Simon felt his strength merging with it, growing even more powerful.
When the light faded, they were back in the hall, but something had changed. The altar was gone, replaced by a staircase leading downward into the Abyss.
"It seems we've passed another stage," Adelina said, breathing heavily.
"This is only the beginning," Simon replied, looking down.
They took the first step, feeling the darkness calling them once more.