Rhys stepped forward anyway, every instinct screaming, yet his voice steady. "If you're not our enemy, then what is this?"
The Warden's gaze fell upon him.
"A reckoning."
With a single step, the Warden struck the ground.
The arena fractured into floating platforms, separating the team—but not fully. Threads of golden light connected them, pulsing in rhythm with their hearts.
Aria gasped. "It's testing our bond again—but under pressure!"
"Not a test," the Warden corrected.
"A consequence."
The constellations above ignited.
Scenes played out in the sky—visions of futures yet to come.
Cities burning. Kingdoms falling. Gates opening. Beasts pouring through fractured skies. And at the center of many of those futures—
Rhys.
Standing. Fighting. Failing. Winning.
Dying.
Caria's breath caught. "Those are… possibilities."
"Yes," the Warden said. "Paths born from your choices."
Its gaze sharpened.
