The corridors stretched endlessly before Vero and Levin, dimly lit by the shard's faint glow. The air was suffocating, heavy with the weight of the collapsing chamber they had barely escaped. The distant rumble of falling stones was a reminder of how close they had come to being buried alive.
Levin broke the silence as they pressed onward. "Vero, we need to stop. You're not looking good."
Vero shook his head, his face pale and drawn. The power coursing through him wasn't just overwhelming—it was corrosive. He could feel it gnawing at the edges of his mind, whispering promises of untold strength while threatening to consume him entirely. "I can't stop, Levin. If I do, this… this thing inside me might win."
Levin grabbed Vero's arm, forcing him to halt. "Listen to me. Whatever's going on with you, you're no use to anyone if you drop dead. Take a second to breathe, for both our sakes."
For a moment, Vero considered arguing, but he knew Levin was right. His body was trembling, his breaths shallow. He leaned against the cold, uneven wall and closed his eyes, trying to block out the chaotic energy swirling inside him.
The silence between them was broken by Levin's voice, quieter this time. "That voice back there… it wasn't lying, was it? About the shards, I mean."
Vero opened his eyes and met Levin's gaze. There was no point in sugarcoating the truth. "No. I think it was right. The shards were never meant to be reunited. They're dangerous, Levin—more dangerous than we ever imagined."
Levin's expression hardened. "Then why did we come this far? Why risk everything if the power is just going to destroy you?"
Vero hesitated, his fingers tightening around the shard in his hand. "Because I didn't know. I thought… I thought this power would help me protect everything. But now…" His voice faltered as he looked down at the shard, its light flickering weakly. "Now I don't know what to do."
Levin crossed his arms, his usual lighthearted demeanor replaced by something far more serious. "You can't carry this alone, Vero. Whatever this is, whatever's coming, you need to let someone help you."
Vero wanted to believe that was possible, but the voice's warning still echoed in his mind. The power of the shards was tied to something ancient, something malevolent. He couldn't risk dragging anyone else into this—not even Levin.
---
As they continued deeper into the labyrinth, the air grew colder, and the oppressive energy seemed to thicken. The walls around them were etched with strange symbols that pulsed faintly, as if alive. Vero could feel the shard reacting to the environment, its glow intensifying with each step they took.
Levin glanced around uneasily. "This place feels… wrong. Like we're walking straight into a trap."
Vero nodded, his senses on high alert. "We probably are."
Levin sighed. "Great. I love a good deathtrap. Really gets the blood pumping."
Despite the tension, Vero managed a small smile. Levin's humor was a lifeline in the suffocating darkness, a reminder that he wasn't entirely alone in this. But even Levin's wit couldn't dispel the unease that clung to them like a shadow.
---
They entered a vast chamber that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The floor was smooth and reflective, like black glass, and the walls were adorned with towering pillars that pulsed with an eerie light. At the center of the chamber stood a massive, ornate mirror, its surface swirling with dark energy.
Vero stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing. The shard in his hand pulsed violently, as if warning him of the danger ahead. "This is it," he murmured.
Levin frowned. "What is it? Another trial?"
Vero shook his head. "No. This… this is something else."
As they approached the mirror, the swirling energy within it began to shift. Shapes and figures emerged from the darkness, their forms indistinct but unmistakably human. Vero's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the faces in the mirror—they were people he had known, people he had lost.
"Vero," Levin said cautiously, his hand resting on his dagger. "What's going on?"
Before Vero could answer, the figures in the mirror began to move. They reached out, their ghostly hands pressing against the glass as though trying to escape. The air grew colder, and Vero could feel the shard in his hand vibrating uncontrollably.
The voice returned, low and mocking. "Do you see now? The power you seek comes at a cost. These are the echoes of your past, the fragments of what you have lost. They are the price you must pay."
Vero's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the faces in the mirror. They were familiar—too familiar. Friends, family, mentors—all of them were there, their expressions twisted with pain and despair. "No," he whispered. "This can't be real."
The voice laughed. "Oh, but it is. The shards have connected you to something far greater than yourself. The power you hold is not yours alone—it is bound to the lives you have touched, the souls you have left behind. And now, they are coming for you."
The figures in the mirror began to emerge, their forms solidifying as they stepped out of the glass. Their eyes were hollow, their movements jerky and unnatural. Vero took a step back, his heart pounding.
"Levin, get back!" he shouted.
Levin didn't need to be told twice. He drew his dagger, his eyes darting between the approaching figures and the mirror. "What the hell are these things?"
"Echoes," Vero said, his voice trembling. "They're echoes of the people I've lost. And they're here because of me."
The echoes moved closer, their hollow eyes fixed on Vero. He could feel their pain, their anger, their desperation. It was overwhelming, suffocating, and he could feel the shard feeding on it, amplifying it.
"You cannot fight them," the voice said. "They are bound to you, just as the shards are. They are your burden to bear."
Vero clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "I don't accept that. I won't let this power destroy me—or them."
The shard in his hand flared with light, and the echoes recoiled, their forms flickering. Vero could feel the power within him, raw and untamed, but he knew he couldn't let it control him. He had to master it—had to find a way to turn it into something that wouldn't destroy everything he held dear.
Levin stood at his side, his dagger at the ready. "Whatever you're planning, Vero, make it quick. I don't think they're going to wait much longer."
Vero nodded, his grip on the shard tightening. He closed his eyes, focusing on the energy within him, on the connection he felt to the echoes. He didn't know if it would work, but he had to try.
As the echoes closed in, Vero raised the shard high, its light blazing brighter than ever before. "I won't let you take me," he said, his voice firm. "I won't let this power control me. I choose to fight—for myself and for all of you."
The light from the shard erupted, filling the chamber with a blinding radiance. The echoes screamed, their forms dissolving into the light, and the oppressive energy in the air began to dissipate.
When the light faded, the chamber was silent once more. The mirror was gone, and the shard in Vero's hand was calm, its glow steady.
Levin let out a shaky breath. "Well, that was… something. Are you okay?"
Vero nodded slowly, though his body felt like it had been through a war. "I think so. But this isn't over. Whatever this power is, it's still inside me. And I need to figure out what it really means."
Levin smirked, though his eyes were still filled with concern. "Guess that means we're not done yet, huh?"
Vero managed a small smile. "Not even close."