The shadows had tested him, had sought to break him with the weight of his past, but he had emerged stronger, his resolve forged anew in the crucible of memory and truth.
The Gatekeeper raised its arms, the runes on its armor flaring brighter, the void around them pulsing with anticipation. Kael steadied his stance, Abyssal Fang gleaming in his grip, its edge a reflection of his unbowed spirit.
The shadows of Kael's past dissolved into the mist, their accusing voices fading into a haunting silence that lingered like a held breath.
The wind returned, a soft, chilling whisper that curled around the narrow stone bridge, stirring the grey clouds of the void into restless motion.
Kael stood at the bridge's end, his chest heaving, his silver eyes burning with a quiet, unyielding resolve. The weight of Phase Two had tested his heart, but he had emerged unbroken, his spirit forged anew in the crucible of memory and truth.
