The path to the ruins wound through dense, ancient forests. The trees loomed like sentinels, their gnarled branches forming a canopy that choked the sunlight. Kael led the way, his steps deliberate and silent, his gaze sweeping the terrain. Behind him, Lila followed, her sharp eyes flitting between the shadows and Kael's back.
"It's too quiet," she said, breaking the oppressive silence.
Kael didn't turn around. "The kind of quiet that hides teeth."
Lila tightened her grip on her blade. The unease wasn't just from the eerie stillness of the forest; it was from the man leading her. Kael had a way of making the most innocuous of gestures feel like the first move in a game she couldn't see.
---
They arrived at Morath just before dusk. The ruins sprawled at the base of a jagged cliff, a maze of crumbled stone and ancient carvings. Time had weathered the structures, but an unmistakable aura of power lingered in the air.
"Stay close," Kael said, stepping into the labyrinthine corridors.
"Not like I have a choice," Lila muttered under her breath.
The ruins were a graveyard of forgotten ambition. Narrow corridors twisted unpredictably, their walls etched with runes that pulsed faintly in the fading light. Kael moved with an unsettling confidence, as if he knew exactly where to go.
"What exactly are we looking for?" Lila asked, her voice bouncing off the cold stone.
"A mirror," Kael replied. "The Samsara Mirror."
Lila frowned. "And you think it's real?"
Kael stopped, turning to face her. "Do you?"
Lila hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I think you believe it's real. That's enough for now."
Kael smirked, the expression cold and unreadable. "Smart answer."
---
As they delved deeper, the air grew heavy, and the runes' glow intensified. A low hum filled the corridors, reverberating like a heartbeat. Finally, they entered a cavernous chamber.
At its center stood a pedestal, upon which rested a cracked mirror. Its surface rippled like water, reflecting not the chamber but a swirling void of stars and shadows.
"The Samsara Mirror," Kael whispered, his gaze sharpening.
Before Lila could respond, the chamber trembled. The runes on the walls flared with blinding light, and the hum became a deafening roar.
"It's a trap!" Lila shouted, drawing her weapon.
Kael didn't flinch. "No," he said calmly. "It's a test."
From the shadows emerged three figures, their forms flickering and distorted. They were humanoid but faceless, their movements unnervingly fluid.
"What are they?" Lila asked, her voice tight.
"Echoes," Kael said. "Fragments of those who failed before us."
The figures lunged without warning. Lila met them head-on, her blade slicing clean through one. It dissolved into mist, but another rose in its place.
"They keep coming!" Lila shouted, her voice edged with panic.
Kael watched, unmoving, his eyes analyzing the creatures' movements. When one turned toward him, he sidestepped its attack with clinical precision and struck its core with a single, calculated blow. The creature shattered like glass.
"They're not infinite," he said.
"What does that even mean?" Lila demanded, cutting down another attacker.
Kael didn't answer. Instead, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small vial of shimmering liquid. With a flick of his wrist, he poured it onto the ground. The liquid spread in an unnatural pattern, forming a glowing sigil.
The figures froze, their forms flickering violently before dissolving into nothingness.
"What the hell was that?" Lila asked, her chest heaving.
Kael's expression was unreadable. "A fragment of the labyrinth's rules. You just need to know how to rewrite them."
Lila stared at him, her suspicion deepening. "How do you know so much about this place?"
Kael turned toward the mirror, his gaze distant. "Let's just say I've been here before."
---
Kael approached the pedestal, his reflection distorted by the mirror's rippling surface. As he reached out, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Do you seek power, or do you seek freedom?"
Kael hesitated, his expression tightening for the first time. The voice was familiar, like an old memory clawing its way to the surface.
"Both," he said finally.
The mirror pulsed, and Kael's vision blurred. Images flashed before his eyes: a labyrinth spiraling into infinity, alliances forged and broken, a cycle of reincarnation that stretched across countless lives.
When the vision ended, the mirror was gone. In its place was a small, glowing shard—the Samsara Key.
Kael picked it up, feeling its cold weight in his hand.
"What is that?" Lila asked, her voice wary.
Kael slid the key into his pocket, his expression unreadable. "A way forward."
He turned, his steps steady as he left the chamber. Lila hesitated before following, her mind racing with questions.
As they walked, Kael allowed himself a small smile. The first piece was in place.
---