Chapter 15: The Mark of Choice
The forest around Leon and Kaelina seemed to breathe as they walked, the air thick with an unnatural energy. Each step forward felt heavier, the weight of the System's trial pressing down on Leon's shoulders.
The path led them to a jagged cliffside where an ancient structure loomed—half ruins, half fortress. Its walls glowed faintly with inscriptions, the symbols shifting as if alive. At its center, a colossal gate pulsed with energy, daring them to approach.
"What is this place?" Leon asked, his voice low.
Kaelina's eyes narrowed. "A gate. One of the System's deeper trials. It appears only for those ready to face it."
Leon frowned. "Ready? I barely survived the Sentinel. What if I'm not?"
Kaelina turned to him, her expression firm. "You don't have a choice, Leon. The System doesn't wait for you to feel ready. It's either you rise to the challenge or fall trying."
Her words sent a chill through him. His body ached from the fight with the Sentinel, and doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind