Marina stepped forward as the gate of glowing coral sealed shut behind her with a low, resonant hum. The water thickened around her instantly—dense, charged, and somehow ancient. She floated now in a vast, hollowed chamber shaped like a submerged coliseum. The walls pulsed with veins of living coral, glowing softly in alternating hues of deep crimson and ocean blue.
This wasn't just a test.
It was history.
It was Mirion.
A voice, deep and layered with centuries of presence, echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once.
"First Trial: Blood of the Brave."
"To walk the path of Mirion's Heart, the challenger must prove their courage with steel and instinct. One who cannot face death has no place among the Heartborn."
The stillness shattered as a monstrous form broke through the upper dome of water like a meteor falling from the heavens.
The Death Stinger.
