Chapter 6: The Gathering Shadows
The roar of shattering mirrors followed them as Renault, Mara, and Edric sprinted through the newly appeared door. Renault risked a glance over his shoulder and cursed. The shadowy figures from the broken mirrors were emerging fully, their forms fluid and shifting, yet solid enough to wield jagged weapons of glass.
"Move faster!" Renault shouted, his voice tight with panic.
The door slammed shut behind them just as the first shadow lunged. The sudden silence was deafening, but it didn't last. A new sound filled the air: the rhythmic thudding of their own footsteps against the stone floor of the corridor.
This new passage was dimly lit, its walls flickering with faint blue light. Strange sigils glowed and pulsed, as if breathing, and the air felt heavier with every step.
"What were those things?" Renault asked, his voice hoarse.
"Shards," Mara said. "Fragments of the Haus's will. They're its way of punishing those who see what they're not supposed to."
Renault turned to Edric. "And that's your fault! You opened the book!"
Edric didn't respond immediately, his expression unreadable. "The Haus was always going to come for us," he said finally. "I just gave it a reason to hurry."
"Not helping!" Mara snapped.
---
The corridor opened into a new chamber, its design unlike anything Renault had seen before. The floor was a mosaic of black and white tiles, arranged in a spiraling pattern that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles. At the center of the room stood a massive obelisk, its surface carved with glowing blue runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"This doesn't feel like a safe place to stop," Renault muttered.
"It's not," Edric said, stepping cautiously into the room. "But it's where we're meant to be."
The moment he crossed the threshold, the chamber came alive. The runes on the obelisk flared, casting harsh light across the room, and the mosaic beneath their feet began to ripple like water.
Renault stumbled, his hand going to his sword. "What now?"
"The trial," Mara whispered, her voice grim.
---
The obelisk's runes shifted, forming a single, coherent pattern that hung in the air like a living thing. A voice boomed from everywhere and nowhere, deep and resonant.
"Three who bear the mark. Three who seek the truth. What will you sacrifice?"
Renault exchanged a nervous glance with Mara. "Sacrifice? What does it mean by that?"
Mara's expression was tight. "The Haus doesn't give answers freely. It demands something in return."
The voice spoke again, its tone colder this time. "Choose."
Before any of them could react, the floor beneath them shifted, and three glowing circles appeared around their feet. Each was connected to the obelisk by a thread of light. Renault tried to step away, but the circle followed him, binding him in place.
Edric smirked, though his face was pale. "It seems we each have our own little dilemma."
---
The light from Renault's circle intensified, and a vision appeared before him. He saw the faces of his old comrades, the ones he had abandoned in the battle that had branded him a traitor. Their expressions were twisted with pain and betrayal, their voices accusing.
"You left us," one of them said. "You ran while we died."
"No!" Renault shouted. "I didn't have a choice!"
The vision didn't waver. "You did," it said. "And you chose yourself."
---
Mara's circle glowed brighter, and a different vision appeared. She saw a young boy, his face pale and tear-streaked. He looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes.
"You promised," he said, his voice trembling. "You said you'd save me."
Mara's knees buckled, her heart hammering in her chest. "I tried," she whispered. "I tried, but I wasn't strong enough."
The boy's expression hardened, his features twisting into something monstrous. "You didn't try hard enough."
---
Edric's circle was the last to glow. His vision was unlike the others. Instead of faces, he saw shadows—dozens of them, swirling and merging into one vast, writhing mass.
"You betrayed us," the shadows hissed. "You betrayed your own kind to serve the Haus."
Edric's smirk returned, though it was weaker now. "And I'd do it again," he said, his voice steady. "You knew the rules. I just played the game better."
The shadows surged toward him, their whispers rising to a deafening crescendo.
---
The obelisk's voice returned, louder and more commanding. "Choose. Face the truth, or surrender it. What will you offer?"
Renault's hands trembled as he gripped his sword. Mara clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. Edric remained still, his eyes locked on the writhing shadows.
The room grew colder, the light from the obelisk pulsing faster. Time was running out, and the Haus demanded its price.