As Zami stepped closer to one of the shadows, its presence intensified. The air grew colder, and the faint flicker of the white flames on the torches and lanterns vanished, plunging the platform into an abyssal blackness. Silence descended, oppressive and all-consuming.
Then, the memories came.
He was no longer in the Withering Spire. Instead, he was transported back to the Forsaken Hollow, standing before the towering form of Silent Agony. The endless screams of the countless souls that fed the vessel reverberated in his mind, an orchestra of despair and torment. The pain of his battle with Silent Agony rushed through him like a wave, each injury, each moment of anguish, each shred of agony he endured—relived in excruciating detail.
His knees buckled, and his hand hovered near his katana. The shadows whispered, their voices carrying the same haunting tone as Silent Agony.
"You carry the scars of failure. You are nothing but a vessel of torment. Relive it. Relive it all."
Karesh's voice echoed faintly in his mind, cutting through the cacophony. "Zami, they are illusions. They bind you through your memories. Sever them, as you sever your enemies."
Zami's hand trembled as he gripped his katana. The weight of the shadows pressed down on him, forcing him to relive the moments of utter hopelessness, but he refused to succumb. His breaths were ragged, but his resolve was unwavering.
Slowly, he drew the blade, its dark metal gleaming faintly even in the oppressive void. With a surge of willpower, he slashed through the air, envisioning the memories as tangible entities.
The darkness cracked. Silent Agony's voice shrieked, but it began to fade. The illusions splintered like glass, the shards dissolving into nothingness. The torment lifted, and with it, the oppressive shadows.
The torches and lanterns reignited, their white flames illuminating the platform once more. Zami stood amidst the silence, his katana still in hand, his body trembling but steady.
He sheathed the blade, letting out a slow, steadying breath. When he looked ahead, another staircase had revealed itself, spiraling upward into the unknown.
With each step, he drew closer to Shattered Dominion. Another trial conquered, but the echoes of Silent Agony's torment lingered in his mind as a reminder of what he had endured.