The world spun around Kate and Brison as they entered the portal. Blinding light gave way to complete darkness, and then suddenly, they were standing in a dense forest. The air was thick and humid, the scent of earth and pine filling their nostrils. It was unnervingly silent, save for the faint rustling of leaves overhead.
"Where are we?" Kate asked, her voice echoing as if the forest extended forever.
Brison glanced around, his muscles tense. "It's not real. It's… some kind of test. The guardian said we had to face our fears."
Before Kate could respond, the voice from the altar returned, reverberating through the forest.
"The Trial of Shadows begins now. To move forward, you must face the darkness within yourselves. Only the truth will set you free."
Kate felt a shiver run down her spine. She tightened her grip on Brison's hand, but before she could speak, the ground beneath them shifted. A cold wind swept through the forest, and the trees around them began to twist and darken, their bark turning black as pitch.
"Kate!" Brison called out, but his voice sounded distant, as if carried away by the wind.
Kate felt herself being pulled backward, her hand slipping from his grasp. "Brison!" she screamed, but the shadows swallowed him whole.
Kate found herself alone in the heart of the darkened forest. The trees loomed over her like silent sentinels, their branches clawing at the sky. Her heart raced as she turned in circles, trying to find any sign of Brison.
"You're nothing without him," a voice whispered, soft and venomous.
Kate froze, her breath catching in her throat. The voice was eerily familiar.
"You think you're strong, but you've always been afraid," it continued, circling her like a predator stalking its prey.
"Who's there?" Kate demanded, her voice shaking.
The shadows in front of her shifted, forming a figure that looked exactly like her. It was her own face staring back at her, but twisted into a cruel sneer.
"I'm you," the shadow said. "The real you. The one who knows the truth."
Kate backed away, her mind racing. "You're not me."
The shadow laughed, the sound cold and hollow. "Oh, but I am. I'm the part of you that you've buried deep down. The part that knows you're not strong enough to save anyone—not your parents, not Brison, and definitely not yourself."
Kate's chest tightened as memories flooded her mind—her parents fighting to protect her from the shadows, their screams echoing as they were taken.
"You've always blamed yourself," the shadow continued, stepping closer. "You think you could have saved them if you'd been stronger. But you weren't. You never were."
Tears filled Kate's eyes as the weight of her guilt threatened to crush her.
"But you're wrong," she said, her voice trembling. "I couldn't save them, but that doesn't mean I'm weak. It means I'm human. And I'm not alone anymore."
The shadow paused, its sneer faltering.
"Brison believes in me," Kate said, her voice growing steadier. "And I believe in myself. You're just a voice—my fear. And you don't control me anymore."
The shadow let out a shriek, its form dissolving into black mist. The forest around Kate brightened slightly, the oppressive darkness lifting.
Meanwhile, Brison found himself in a barren wasteland. The ground was cracked and dry, the sky above a dull gray. A single figure stood in the distance, its back turned to him.
"Hello?" Brison called out, his voice echoing across the emptiness.
The figure turned, revealing the face of a young boy—his younger self.
Brison froze, his stomach twisting.
"You left us," the boy said, his voice filled with anger and hurt.
Brison shook his head. "I didn't have a choice."
"You ran away!" the boy shouted, his voice rising. "You were scared, so you left me and Mom to fend for ourselves!"
Brison's chest tightened as memories he'd tried to bury surfaced. The night his family was attacked by shadows, he'd been overwhelmed by fear. He'd fled, leaving his younger brother and mother behind.
"I thought… I thought I could come back," Brison said, his voice breaking. "But it was too late."
The boy's eyes filled with tears. "You abandoned us. And now you think you can save Kate? You're just a coward."
Brison fell to his knees, the weight of his guilt crushing him.
"I am a coward," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "I was afraid, and I made a terrible mistake. But I can't change the past."
He looked up, his eyes filled with determination. "What I can do is fight for the people I care about now. I won't run again."
The boy's expression softened, his form flickering like a mirage.
"You can't change the past," the boy said, his voice gentler now. "But you can change the future."
With that, the boy dissolved into light, and the wasteland began to transform into a lush meadow.
Kate and Brison found themselves back in the forest, their paths converging as the darkness lifted entirely. When their eyes met, they ran to each other, pulling one another into a tight embrace.
"You okay?" Brison asked, his voice rough with emotion.
Kate nodded, her tears soaking into his shirt. "I faced it. My fear, my guilt. I let it go."
Brison stroked her hair, his own voice trembling. "Me too."
The voice of the guardian returned, softer this time. "You have faced the darkness within and emerged stronger. The bond between you is unbreakable, and with it, you hold the power to defeat the shadows."
The forest faded away, and they found themselves standing before the altar once more. The Tear in the center now pulsed with vibrant light, stronger than ever.
"We're ready," Kate said, her hand finding Brison's.
"Together," Brison replied, his gaze steady.
The path to their final battle lay ahead, and they would face it side by side.