The air was thick with tension as the spectral warriors encircled Drakar, Taronis, and Kaelen. Their forms flickered like dying embers, but their eyes burned with cold blue fire. Each warrior's armor was intricately engraved, their blades shimmering with ethereal energy.
Kaelen shifted his stance, his bowstring drawn taut. "You ever get tired of being outnumbered?"
Taronis's sword hummed as he adjusted his grip. "If we weren't, it wouldn't be a proper trial."
Drakar stepped forward, his tattoos faintly glowing along his forearms. The emberlit dagger in his hand pulsed in time with his heartbeat. The Keeper, Selyra, hovered above the platform, her form radiant and unmoving.
"Prove your resolve," she intoned, her voice echoing through the chamber.
The spectral warriors charged as one, their movements swift and deadly. Drakar lunged to meet the first warrior head-on, his dagger intercepting a downward slash. Sparks of emberlight and void energy clashed in midair, lighting up the chamber.
Drakar twisted his wrist and drove his shoulder forward, pushing the spectral blade aside. With a swift follow-through, he slashed upward, carving through the warrior's chest. The spectral form flickered and dissolved into wisps of light.Another warrior lunged at his side. Drakar ducked and spun, bringing his leg around in a low arc. His kick shattered the specter's stance, sending it sprawling before Taronis's blade flashed down, severing it in two.
Kaelen loosed an arrow, the starlight-enchanted tip slicing through the air. The projectile pierced the chest of a distant warrior, exploding in a burst of violet energy. "That's one for me," he called.
"Keep count if it makes you feel better," Taronis replied, deflecting a strike aimed at his head.
Drakar felt the platform pulse beneath his feet—a rhythmic hum that seemed to synchronize with the battle. The carvings beneath them shimmered, glowing with constellations that shifted as they fought.
Two spectral warriors flanked Kaelen, their blades poised to strike. Drakar's eyes narrowed. He won't make it."Kaelen! To your right!" Drakar shouted, surging forward. His voice cut through the chaos like a battle horn.
Kaelen pivoted, his eyes widening as he saw the incoming strike. He ducked just as Drakar's emberlit dagger flew past his head and buried itself into the specter's core. The creature exploded into a shower of embers.
Kaelen turned, panting. "You could've warned me sooner!"
"Then you'd never learn," Drakar smirked, retrieving his dagger as another specter charged.
Taronis swept forward, his blade flashing in an arc of blue fire. He pressed against the warriors with calculated strikes, driving them back like an immovable tide. His voice was calm but commanding. "Stay close. Let them come to us!"
The spectral warriors regrouped, forming a semi-circle, their blades raised in eerie unison.Drakar took a deep breath. The ember light in his tattoos flared as memories of his father's lessons filled his mind. Rage can guide you—but discipline will win the war.
He planted his feet and whispered the words that had become second nature. "Ignis Aegis."
Flames erupted around his arms, forming twin shields of ember light. The heat pulsed outward, causing the nearest specters to waver.
Taronis's eyes flicked toward Drakar with a mix of approval and caution. "You've mastered it."
Kaelen raised his bow again. "Remind me to stay on your good side."
The specters surged again, but this time, Drakar didn't step back. He raised one flaming shield to intercept a strike and slammed the other into the attacker's chest, sending it crashing to the ground. The flame consumed the specter's form until it dissolved into embers.
Selyra's glowing form descended slowly as the last of the spectral warriors dissipated into the air."You have shown skill, resolve, and unity," she said, her voice softer now. The ethereal flames that formed her body pulsed gently, as though considering their worth. "The path forward is open... but the Bastion's trials will test more than your blades."
Drakar met her gaze, unwavering. "We came to face whatever lies beyond."
Selyra's form flickered briefly. "Then step forward, bearers of both flame and burden."
The crystalline ceiling shimmered, and the great doors at the far end of the chamber began to grind open, revealing a passage bathed in pale blue light.
Kaelen let out a long breath. "If that was the first trial, I'm afraid to see what's next."
Taronis sheathed his blade, his expression calm but thoughtful. "Fear only makes us hesitate. Let's move."
Drakar stepped toward the open passage, his dagger still warm in his hand. "This is only the beginning."
As they passed beneath the archway, the hum of the Veil grew louder—a steady, resonant pulse that seemed to echo with promises and warnings alike.