Roger stood in silence, his chest heaving from the fight, sweat trailing down the edge of his jaw. Across the shallow cavern, the shattered fragments of Echo-Roger flickered and dimmed into nothingness—just a memory now. His knuckles were raw, bloodied from where his fist had broken through spectral armor. But there was a steel in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
Aria lowered her sword, her breathing shallow. She gave him a quick once-over. "You okay?"
Roger flexed his right hand. "Nothing broken. He hit like a truck, but I've taken worse."
Kai sat hunched nearby, rubbing his nose gingerly, eyes wide. "That... that was you. Like, exactly you. Fighting yourself—literally."
"I noticed," Roger muttered, then walked over and knelt beside him. "Sorry I didn't get to you sooner."
Kai shook his head. "You got to me exactly when I needed you. Thanks."
Roger looked at him for a moment longer, then ruffled his hair gently. "Good. Let's make sure I don't need to again."
Kai blinked, surprised by the gesture—and the faint smile tugging at Roger's face.
The Director remained at the edge of the chamber, fingers still glowing faintly from the barrier he'd raised to trap Echo-Roger. He didn't speak. He simply watched Roger.
There was something different in the way the Director was looking at him now.
---
They moved on through Floor 5, deeper into a winding labyrinth of blackstone corridors and sharp-angled halls. The ceiling was low in places, the walls etched with erratic pulse-runes that shimmered whenever they passed too close. At each turn, the shadows felt thicker. At each step, the weight of what just occurred pressed harder against their shoulders.
"Echoes," Kai muttered under his breath. "I read about them once in the old scrolls. Constructs formed from latent mana—memories given shape."
Aria frowned. "But how did it copy Roger?"
The Director answered without turning. "It doesn't copy. It mirrors. The Pit observes, then reflects. It's not just trying to challenge you. It's trying to understand you."
Roger shook his head. "I didn't like what it saw."
"No," the Director murmured, "but you overcame it. That's the difference."
They passed a long, narrow hallway where the air grew warmer. Stone plates shifted beneath their feet, and a faint hum resonated from deeper within. Roger raised a hand, motioning for the group to stop.
"We rest here," he said.
Kai looked confused. "Why now?"
Roger knelt and traced his fingers over a small crack in the wall. "There's heat venting from this side. If something's alive in there, it's bigger than the Echo. And hungry."
Aria cocked her head. "So you're suggesting—?"
"We don't move forward half-ready. Not again." Roger looked back at the group. "That fight nearly cost us."
They obeyed without protest. Even the Director gave a small nod.
---
Later, by the makeshift camp, Kai sat fiddling with his bracer again. The runes had stabilized, the glow more steady now. Aria sharpened her blade, soft scraping sounds the only rhythm in the room. Roger crouched low beside a cluster of stones, drawing a makeshift map of the Pit floor from memory and what they'd encountered.
He looked up. "We've passed two potential exits—one collapsed, the other a dead-end trap. If this keeps up, we're being funneled."
Kai nodded. "Some of the runes etched into the corners—they're markers. They're guiding us somewhere. Deliberately."
"Or herding us," Aria muttered.
Roger stood slowly. "Either way, we're not walking blind anymore. We play smarter."
He turned toward the Director. "Anything you want to add?"
The boy's amber eyes glinted. "You're learning to lead."
Roger's brows knit. "This isn't about leadership. I just don't want any of you getting killed."
"Intent and action aren't the same. But both matter," the Director said cryptically.
Aria smirked. "Is that your version of a compliment?"
"Something like that," the Director replied.
---
They moved again, deeper into the maze of twisting corridors, where the air grew thicker—warmer—and the shadows more aggressive. Something was wrong.
Roger held up a fist suddenly, and the group halted.
Ahead, the hallway split. On one side, a passage slicked with condensation and slime. The other was lined with murals—faded illustrations of figures in robes, holding spheres of light and shadow. In the center, a single pedestal stood beneath an arched alcove.
"Looks like a test," Kai said, stepping forward.
Roger reached out and held him back. "Or a trap."
"I think it's both," the Director murmured.
Aria stepped to the mural. "These look familiar… The same symbols from the Floor 2 puzzle."
Kai's eyes lit. "Yes! Except here, the balance is reversed. It's not symmetry—they want divergence."
Roger frowned. "Dumb it down for us?"
Kai grinned. "It wants us to choose imbalance. Pick a side."
The Director gestured toward the pedestal. "Then someone must step forward and choose. Alone."
There was a long pause.
Aria glanced at Roger. "Your call."
He took a breath, then stepped forward without hesitation. "I'll do it."
Kai opened his mouth to protest but stopped. Aria didn't move. The Director only watched.
Roger stepped onto the pedestal.
Immediately, the air around him shimmered. Images swirled in the air—memories, echoes of his past. A battle long forgotten. His first failure. A younger brother's laughter. A final mission he hadn't come back from unscathed.
His fists clenched.
He reached out and pressed his palm to the sphere of shadow.
Light exploded from the walls.
Then—silence.
When the light faded, Roger was standing tall, hand still pressed to the artifact. The pedestal cracked… and then sank into the floor.
The path ahead opened.
Roger turned, face unreadable.
Kai stared. "You… chose shadow."
Roger's voice was quiet. "Because it's what I know. But that doesn't mean it's all I am."
The Director watched him for a long moment, then smiled.
---
They moved forward, deeper into the Floor's final chamber. A low ceiling opened into a massive dome lit by dull, floating orbs of green and gold. In the center, a stairway spiraled downward.
Kai let out a breath. "That's the way out, right?"
"Almost," the Director said.
As if on cue, the air trembled. The stone rippled. And from the walls crawled a massive form—four-armed, plated in stone and fungus, eyes glowing with twin green fires.
"Of course," Aria muttered, raising her blade. "One last fight."
Roger stepped forward, cracking his neck. "Let's do this together."
The monster charged.
Aria danced left, slashing low at the creature's ankles, drawing sparks. Kai raised his bracer and launched a flare of disruptive runes, targeting the beast's joints. The creature roared in fury, two of its arms swinging for Roger—
Who leapt forward, dodging one blow, catching another against his shoulder, and using the force to vault upward. He slammed a punch directly into the thing's jaw, runes glowing faintly on his bracers.
The beast staggered.
Aria followed up, blade flashing with precision, while Kai redirected its steps with clever rune placements—slowing it just enough for Roger to land hit after hit.
Then—one last coordinated strike. Roger roared, leapt into the air, and brought both fists down on the creature's skull.
It collapsed.
The chamber went silent.
---
Afterward, panting, Roger stood surrounded by fractured stone and flickering spores. He looked at the others. "We're still here."
Kai nodded. "Barely."
Aria grinned, leaning on her blade. "Not bad, leader."
Roger glanced at the Director. "You think that counts as passing?"
The boy tilted his head. "You were never here to pass. Just to survive. And you're doing better than most."
The stairwell glowed.
They began their descent to Floor 6.
Together.