The world around them was crumbling. Again. For the fourth time in the last five chapters, something was falling apart. The cosmic ground cracked beneath Kaion, Raya, and Grin as they found themselves face-to-face with an entity they could barely comprehend. It was a massive, glowing, multi-faced figure, a shifting mass of energy that seemed to be constantly changing its form and expression. Some of its faces were laughing, some were crying, and one of them had what appeared to be a very disappointed look, like someone who had just found out their pizza was cold.
Grin squinted at it. "Okay, what's this supposed to be? Some kind of cosmic nightmare mashed up with a bad 90s cartoon?"
The figure paused, its many faces blinking in unison. Then it spoke with a voice that sounded like it was coming from both a high-pitched helium balloon and a deep, booming thunderstorm. "I am the Guardian of the Final Test, and you have come far, but now you must face the ultimate challenge!"
Raya raised an eyebrow. "Oh, great. Another dramatic speech. This is getting old fast."
The figure's face shifted to one that looked particularly smug, like it had just won an argument it didn't even understand. "Ah, the mortal! So quick to judge. But you must understand, this challenge will push you to your limits! You will face your greatest fears, your deepest desires, and—"
"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Kaion interrupted, throwing his hands up in exaggerated annoyance. "The usual villain speech. You want us to be scared, but we're good. You want us to cry, we'll probably cry a little, but it won't be for you. You want us to fight for our lives, blah blah blah—save it for the next big bad guy."
The figure blinked multiple times, as if Kaion had just said the equivalent of "I hate puppies" in front of a crowd of puppy lovers.
"Wait... you're not intimidated?" the entity asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Kaion shrugged. "Intimidation? Nah. I'm more concerned about finding a decent meal after all this. You know how long it's been since I had a proper burger? I'm starting to lose track of time. At this point, I'd settle for a sandwich. Maybe a fruit salad. Just... something with flavor."
Raya put her hand over her face. "Not again. Can we focus? We're in a life-or-death situation here!"
The Guardian's many faces merged into one, a wide grin stretching across it. "Ah, so you refuse to be afraid? Very well. I will test you with what you cannot escape—your own flaws!"
A giant wall of mirrors suddenly appeared around them, reflecting versions of themselves in every direction. Each reflection was distorted in weird ways—Raya's was a fiery, over-the-top version of herself, with a super-size ego. Grin's reflection had giant ears that were comically large, and Kaion... well, Kaion's reflection was just wearing a ridiculously oversized crown that was clearly too heavy for his head.
Kaion stared at his reflection, his eyes widening. "Okay, that's... definitely not how I look. I mean, I'm handsome, sure, but I don't look like a walking throne room. What is this, a joke?"
Raya crossed her arms. "Oh, this is rich. Is this supposed to be some psychological thing? Am I supposed to suddenly become afraid of... my fiery temper and competitive streak? Yeah, good luck with that."
Grin slapped his own reflection, which seemed to be laughing at him. "I'm not sure whether to be offended or impressed. What's with the extra-large ears, though? Is this a size thing? I don't need these, okay?"
The Guardian's face appeared, superimposed above the mirrors, wearing a massive grin. "Oh, I see! You're trying to escape the test. But can you escape yourselves?"
Kaion stared at the figure, then turned back to his reflection. He gave a dramatic bow. "You know, I was starting to get bored, but this? This is exactly what I needed. A little vanity is fine, but it's the oversized crown that makes me feel like a king. You should all bow before my greatness!"
Raya groaned. "You're really going to make this all about you, aren't you?"
"I mean, look at me!" Kaion said, twirling around in front of the mirror. "Clearly, I'm the king of this whole scenario. Someone get me a throne, some royal jelly, and maybe a nice, sparkly cloak. Let's make this official."
Grin sighed. "Okay, okay, we get it. You look great, you're the king, we're all your humble subjects. Now what? Is this it? We just stand here and admire your royal fashion choices?"
Raya laughed. "Honestly, this is almost too easy. I've faced worse in the last five chapters. You think a couple of funny reflections are gonna throw me off track?"
The Guardian's voice rang out again, but now with a note of frustration. "You dare mock the challenge of self-reflection? You are supposed to be reflecting on your fears, your weaknesses, your potential for failure!"
Kaion, unbothered, dramatically shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. Like I said, I'm basically a legend, and that's not changing anytime soon. Fears? Weaknesses? Sure, I have 'em... but let's be real, I'm still the best looking guy here."
The mirrors around them started to crack, breaking apart into dust and smoke, as the Guardian's image faltered.
"This is impossible!" the Guardian exclaimed. "You cannot defeat yourself!"
Kaion grinned. "I told you, I'm like a walking party. And when the party's over, I'll probably be the one to clean up the mess. But until then, we're good."
Raya stepped forward, giving the Guardian a deadpan stare. "You honestly thought you could confuse us with a few mirrors and exaggerated flaws? This is honestly kind of embarrassing."
The Guardian, now visibly flustered, faded from view. "Fine. You win... this round."
Kaion raised a fist into the air in victory. "That's what I'm talking about! You see, what you don't understand, Guardian, is that we already passed the ultimate test: We're just too cool for your drama. Good try, though!"
Grin rolled his eyes. "I swear, Kaion, if you get us out of every single challenge with one of your ridiculous jokes, I'm going to lose it."
The ground beneath them began to stabilize, and the world around them slowly returned to normal. The platform they stood on seemed to solidify, and a soft wind blew through the air, carrying a sense of calm.
Raya sighed with relief. "Okay, that was a little more fun than I expected. But can we get back to, you know, saving the universe now?"
Kaion grinned, wiping his hands together. "Saving the universe? Eh, no big deal. I'll add it to my to-do list... right after I finish this burger I'm going to get."