The golden boat stopped at the edge of a rising island.
It wasn't like any normal island.
The sand was black.The trees had no leaves.And the air… felt like it was whispering.
Astra looked around with a serious face. "This is not a natural place."
Zayn stepped off the boat first. His foot touched the ground—and the wind suddenly stopped.
The entire island went quiet.
Elaine held her sword tightly. "What is this place?"
Selene's voice echoed in Zayn's mind:
"This is the Island of Echoes. It remembers all who died here."
Suddenly, the ground cracked—and white spirits began to rise from the earth.
They were not ghosts.They were echoes—shadows of warriors from the past, stuck in time.
A deep voice echoed:
"To pass… you must face your own past."
The spirits turned into glowing versions of Zayn and the girls. Each one looked just like them—same face, same weapons, same energy.
Zayn faced his own spirit version. It stared at him with a blank face.
Aqua frowned. "Wait, we're fighting ourselves?"
"Not just copies," Astra said. "These are memories. Our fears. Our regrets."
Zayn looked at his mirror self. The echo version slowly raised its hand and summoned a dark star.
The battle had begun.
Zayn vs. His Echo
The spirit version moved fast—too fast. It knew every one of Zayn's moves.
It used time magic, star magic, and even divine power, just like him.
But Zayn wasn't afraid.
He closed his eyes.Took a deep breath.And whispered, "You're not me anymore."
In that moment, Zayn's aura exploded.Golden stars spun around him.He used soul magic—something the echo couldn't copy.
He punched forward.The echo shattered like glass.
Elaine vs. Her Echo
Her spirit showed her failures—times she couldn't protect her people.
It whispered in her ear: "You are weak."
Elaine gritted her teeth. "I'm not that person anymore!"
With a fierce battle cry, she broke through her fear and cut her echo down.
Aqua and Astra's Battles
Aqua's spirit mocked her playful nature. Astra's tested her cold logic.
But both of them stood firm.
They weren't alone anymore.They had Zayn.They had each other.
After all, four echoes were defeated, the island began to glow.
A door rose from the ground—made of shining crystal.
Zayn walked toward it, and the voice of Selene spoke again:
"You have passed the Trial of the Echo.Now, claim the Second Star Key."
Zayn touched the door.
Inside, a small silver key floated, glowing with starlight and space energy.
He picked it up.
A new power flowed into him:Space Lock—the ability to freeze space for a few seconds.
A gift for passing the second trial.
Elaine smiled. "Two keys down."
Zayn nodded, looking ahead.
"There are still more to come… and each one will be harder than the last."