The chamber was silent when I opened my eyes.
Gone was the harsh stone maze, replaced by darkness so thick it swallowed every sound.
Only the faint glow of the Guardian hovered nearby, its eyes watching, waiting.
"You survived the Path of Endurance," it said quietly. "Now, you face the trials of mind and soul."
I swallowed hard, my breath uneven but steady.
The air here felt heavy, like a weight pressing on my chest.
Before I could think, whispers drifted around me—soft voices teasing, taunting, trying to claw at my resolve.
"You are weak."
"Give up."
"This path is not yours."
My mind spun, panic clawing at my thoughts.
I clenched my fists, forcing my breath to slow.
Breathe in...
Breathe out...
With every measured inhale and exhale, the whispers faded, the darkness thinned, and a strange calm settled over me.
A faint pulse thrummed within my chest, unfamiliar but comforting.
I realized then—I was beginning to sense the flow of something deeper than breath—something like energy.
The Guardian's voice pulled me back.
"Your mind has begun to awaken. But now, the final test awaits."
The chamber shifted again, walls dissolving into countless mirrors, each reflecting endless versions of myself.
I stepped forward hesitantly, heart pounding.
The reflections twisted and warped, showing fears I never voiced—the fear of failure, of loneliness, of never being strong enough.
One mirror glowed brighter than the rest, showing me raw and vulnerable, a boy lost but yearning.
I reached out, voice trembling.
"I accept who I am."
The mirrors shattered like glass, light flooding the space.
The Guardian's voice echoed, proud and steady.
"You have passed the trials of mind and soul. Your spirit has taken its first true step."
A warmth bloomed within me—a seed of power that pulsed in time with my heartbeat.
"You have earned the first legacy."
I reached out instinctively, feeling the presence of something ancient and powerful entering me.
But the Guardian's final words chilled me.
"The other nine legacies remain sealed, bound by conditions you have yet to fulfill. Your journey is only beginning."
I stood alone in the silence, heart racing, the weight of what I had gained—and what was yet to come—settling deep in my bones.