Kieran's Trial
The copies of himself did not stop.
They moved in perfect synchronization, mirroring his every instinct. Each time he dodged, they dodged. Each time he attacked, they countered. It was like fighting a thousand versions of himself, each one just as fast, just as deadly.
Kieran gritted his teeth, feeling the pulse of the Abyss within him. He needed to think—no, he needed to break the pattern.
A perfect mirror could only exist if it was predictable.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent out another lash of Abyssal Threads—but this time, he wove them in a random, chaotic pattern. A sudden, jagged movement, an unnatural twitch—
The copies hesitated.
Just for a fraction of a second.
But that was all he needed.
Kieran rushed forward, stepping into the hesitation, his blade cutting through the closest copy's throat. It collapsed into black mist.
The others paused.
Kieran's lips curled. "So, you do make mistakes."
Then they all charged.
---
Selene's Trial
Flames roared. The illusion of her past pressed down on her, suffocating in its false warmth. Her mother stood before her, untouched by the inferno, smiling softly.
Selene's fingers trembled around the hilt of her dagger.
She knew this wasn't real.
She knew.
But the warmth. The scent of burning wood. The distant cries of the villagers—
It was exactly as she remembered.
Her mother's voice was gentle. "Why do you resist, my dear? You don't have to fight anymore. Just stay here. Rest."
A part of Selene wanted to believe it.
To let go.
But deep inside her—
Something screamed.
Selene closed her eyes. Took a slow breath. And then—
She thrust the dagger forward.
Straight into her mother's heart.
The illusion shattered.
A deafening shriek filled the air as the burning village disintegrated, falling away into an endless void. The warmth vanished. The smoke disappeared.
Selene stood alone.
Her mother's corpse was gone.
But the feeling of the dagger sinking into flesh remained.
She exhaled, voice steady.
"I won't be fooled."
A new door appeared before her.
---
Kieran's Battle Escalates
One by one, the copies fell.
But for every one he killed, two more appeared.
Their smiles never wavered. Their expressions never changed.
And then, one of them spoke.
"Do you think this ends with us?"
Kieran stilled.
The copy smirked, tilting its head. "Do you think you're truly the original?"
Something cold crept into Kieran's spine.
"What?"
Another copy laughed. "You've been here before."
A third whispered. "How do you know you're real?"
The words dug deep, clawing into his thoughts, planting seeds of doubt.
He had been feeling strange since entering the Labyrinth.
The void that had spoken to him. The feeling of being watched. The way his body ached in ways it shouldn't.
And now—this.
Copies of himself, asking questions he didn't want to answer.
"Shut up," he growled.
They all smiled. "Why? Afraid?"
Kieran clenched his fists. He didn't have time for this.
He moved.
The fight resumed.
---
Meanwhile: The Watchers Observe
High above, beyond sight, the ones who created the Labyrinth observed.
A hooded figure stood among them, watching the trials with an unreadable expression.
One of the others spoke. "They're progressing faster than expected."
Another nodded. "The boy is adapting. The girl is breaking her chains."
A third chuckled. "Good. Then let's raise the stakes."
They reached out—
And the Labyrinth shifted.
---
Selene's Descent
As Selene stepped through the door, the ground beneath her vanished.
She fell.
Fell for what felt like forever.
Then—
She landed.
Hard.
Selene groaned, pushing herself up. She was in a narrow corridor, walls lined with mirrors stretching infinitely in both directions.
Her reflection stared back at her.
She took a step forward.
So did her reflection.
But then—
It kept moving.
Selene froze.
Her reflection was now a few steps ahead of her, walking forward without her.
Then it stopped. Slowly, ever so slowly, it turned its head—
And smiled.
Selene felt something cold creep up her spine.
Then the reflection raised a dagger.
Selene raised her own—
And the reflection struck first.
A flash of steel—
Pain—
And everything twisted.
---
Kieran's Breaking Point
Kieran was breathing hard.
His copies had stopped attacking.
Now, they simply stood in a circle around him, smiling.
He had killed hundreds. Maybe thousands. But they kept coming.
His arms felt like lead. His mind ached.
Then—
One of the copies stepped forward.
And its face changed.
It wasn't him anymore.
It was someone else.
Someone familiar.
A boy from his past.
One that should have been dead.
"Hey, Kieran," the boy said, smiling. "Long time no see."
Kieran's breath caught.
This wasn't possible.
He had buried this memory years ago.
And yet, here he was.
Alive. Smiling. Mocking.
Kieran clenched his jaw.
"Get out of my head."
The boy tilted his head.
"Are you sure it's your head?"
Something cracked.
The illusion of the city began to warp.
Reality was breaking down.
Kieran had reached his limit.
---
The Awakening
Both trials reached their climax.
Selene and Kieran stood at the edge of their sanity, one battling his own reflection, the other battling the past that refused to stay buried.
And then—
Something changed.
Deep within Kieran, the Abyss stirred.
Deep within Selene, the flames of her past ignited.
And in that moment—
Both of them awakened.
Kieran's shadow erupted, swallowing the entire city in pure darkness.
Selene's body burned, her very presence turning into a blazing inferno.
The trials shattered.
And when they opened their eyes—
They were somewhere new.
Somewhere forbidden.
Somewhere that should not exist.
And the Watchers—
Laughed.