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The tomb pulsed like a heart newly awakened. Dust swirled in the air as the glowing sigil beneath their feet expanded into a full circle, ancient markings crawling outward like veins of fire and light.
Yin Shu hesitated, her silver eyes wide as the power hummed against her palm. Her instincts screamed to retreat, but she clenched her jaw, forcing herself forward. Where Mo Yao had a boldness that burned, Yin Shuwas deliberate, cautious—quiet strength wrapped in gentleness. She stepped closer, feeling the weight of the place settle on her bones.
Zhao Lian, gripping a scroll in one hand and his lantern in the other, muttered, "This is more than I expected..."
Mo Yao, with her usual confidence, smirked. "You expected death traps, didn't you?"
He opened his mouth to reply, but the ground split with a hiss. Fire erupted in a ring around them, then vanished, leaving a staircase leading deeper into the earth. The masked guardian's voice echoed once more: "The flame that binds the future must be tested. Enter. Or turn back forever."
Without waiting, Mo Yao descended first. The walls flickered with shifting runes, reacting to her energy, pulsing with a violet glow that matched the flare from earlier.
Yin Shu and Zhao Lian followed. The stairwell led to a massive chamber shaped like a dome. Inside stood three enormous dragon statues—one made of obsidian, one of jade, and the last of silver. Between them was a platform with three slots, glowing faintly.
Yin Shu's voice was soft. "A trial of three.... One for each of us?"
Zhao Lian studied the carvings. "It's possible. The dragons represent different aspects. Flame. Wisdom. Balance."
Mo Yao stepped forward and approached the obsidian dragon. Its eyes lit up in brilliant amethyst. Flames burst from its mouth—but they didn't burn. Instead, they floated around her like living embers, testing her control. She grinned. "Finally, something exciting."
The flames circled her, then spiraled into her palm. A voice echoed in her mind: You are born of passion and storm. Will you wield it... or be consumed by it?
Mo Yao narrowed her eyes. "Watch me."
At the jade statue, Yin Shu's trial had already begun. The floor beneath her shimmered and shifted into glass, revealing reflections—visions of her past, her fears, and her uncertainties. A younger version of herself stared back at her, eyes trembling.
You fear the shadows in your heart, the jade dragon spoke. But without shadow, light is blind.
Yin Shu bit her lip, breathing steadily. She reached out and touched her reflection, which shattered into glowing shards. Her chest felt tight, but her voice was calm. "I'm not fearless... but I won't run."
From behind, Zhao Lian approached the silver dragon. The statue turned its head slowly, its metallic eyes locking onto him.
You are not chosen by flame or fate, it rumbled. Yet you stand here. Why?
Zhao Lian knelt. "Because knowledge matters. Because they matter. And I won't let them face this alone."
The silver dragon paused, then opened its mouth. A glowing orb dropped into Zhao Lian's hands. The chamber shook.
Each dragon released a pulse of light, and the three glows merged at the platform.
The sigil on the pedestal above, in the previous chamber, roared to life again.
The masked guardian reappeared in the shadows. "You have passed the Trial of Flame. But flame is only the beginning. The chain remains... and the darkness watches."
As the light dimmed, the walls whispered with unseen voices. Mo Yao stepped back beside her sister, catching the strain on Yin Shu's face.
She placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "We've got this."
Yin Shu smiled faintly. "We always do."
Zhao Lian, clutching the orb, looked up at the stone ceiling. Somewhere far above, the moon had shifted. And the next trial waited.