Lex stood alone at the entrance of the Valley of Echoes. The expanse before him stretched like a desolate scar, its jagged cliffs and endless mist giving it an otherworldly, foreboding air. The ground beneath his feet trembled faintly, as if the valley itself were alive, breathing, and waiting.
The Council's words echoed in his mind: "Here lies the ultimate test of your worth, Supreme Deity. Return with the staff, and the heavens are yours to command. Fail, and you will remain but a pretender to divinity."
He took a deep breath, his gaze falling on the faint outline of a narrow, winding path disappearing into the fog.
"Right," he muttered to himself. "Nothing like a good old-fashioned existential trial to keep things interesting."
But there was no humor in his voice this time. The weight of the moment was sinking in. For the first time, Lex was truly alone—no Lyra to banter with, no celestial council to judge him, no mortal ties to anchor him.
The valley welcomed him with silence, a profound, eerie stillness that made his every step echo unnaturally. The path twisted and turned, the mist swallowing it at irregular intervals. Occasionally, faint whispers floated past his ears, too faint to discern but too distinct to ignore.
"Cool. Creepy voices. This is fine," Lex muttered, his usual sarcasm serving as his only shield against the growing unease.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him shifted, and the path split into three. Each route was marked by a faint glow: one red, one blue, and one white.
A voice—neither kind nor cruel, but infinitely ancient—rumbled through the air.
"Choose, young deity. The path of courage, the path of wisdom, or the path of purity. Each will test you. Each will define you."
Lex frowned. No pressure, huh? He inspected the paths.
The Red Path seemed alive, its surface pulsing like veins carrying molten fire. The air around it shimmered with heat. The Blue Path was cold and still, its surface a mirror-like ice reflecting the mist above. The White Path radiated an inviting warmth, but the whispers grew louder here, tugging at his mind with haunting familiarity.
He hesitated, then decided. "When in doubt, go with the path that doesn't look like it wants to roast or freeze you alive." With a shrug, he stepped onto the White Path.
---
The Trial of Memories
As Lex walked, the whispers coalesced into voices—familiar ones. He froze as he recognized them.
"Why do you even think you're worthy of this?" a bitter voice spat. It was his own, from years ago, during one of his lowest moments as a mortal.
"What happens when you mess this up? Everyone's depending on you," another voice chimed, softer but no less biting.
Lex clenched his fists. He hadn't expected this. The path seemed to twist around him, forcing him to relive fragmented memories of his life—times he had failed, times he had hurt others, times he had doubted himself.
"This is pointless," he said aloud, but the voices didn't stop.
And truly, Lex found it pointless. These things didn't actually happen, why would he ever say those damned, warped statements? He was only given this post a few hours ago, so how was he saying that? If they intended to mess with his mind, they had to come much stronger than that.
Finally, he reached a clearing. At its center was a pedestal, and on it lay a glowing shard of crystal. The voices swirled around him as he approached.
---
"Take it, if you dare," the ancient voice from before challenged him. "This is but a fragment of your past. Carry it forward, or let it break you."
Lex hesitated. The shard pulsed with energy, and yet it felt familiar. With a deep breath, he reached out and grasped it.
Pain shot through him as the shard dissolved into light, flooding him with memories he had long buried. Tears streamed down his face, unbidden. He fell to his knees, gasping for air.
It all felt too real, but he knew it...these weren't his memories.
Yes...they weren't his memories, but they belonged to the other deities, and now...he had inherited them. That explained why they felt so real, because they actually happened, to beings whose fragments one way or the other lived inside of him.
But then the light faded, and he stood. Something had changed. The path ahead was clearer, the mist parting as if acknowledging his progress.
As Lex pressed on, the air grew heavier. The whispers became angrier, louder, but he ignored them. He knew this was only the beginning. Somewhere in this valley, the staff awaited him.
But as he walked, he couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching him.
"Great. As if this wasn't already creepy enough," he muttered.
Far ahead, at the edge of his vision, a shadow moved. It didn't look like it belonged to the valley. Lex swallowed hard. Whatever it was, it was waiting for him—and it didn't look friendly.
"Well, bring it on," he said to the empty air. "I'm not stopping now."
With renewed determination, Lex took his next step forward, unaware of the trials—and revelations—awaiting him deeper in the Valley of Echoes.