eyes briefly, steadying her breath before speaking.
> "The one I love," she said, her voice low but unwavering. "I fear losing them more than anything."
The words hung in the air, absorbed by the mirrors around her. For a moment, silence reigned—until the chime rang again, softer this time, like the tolling of a distant bell.
Then, the mirrors shattered.
Shards of light spun upward, coiling together until they reshaped into vivid visions.
First, a man appeared—tall, with eyes that seemed to see her completely. He smiled at her the way one might smile after waiting a lifetime. His voice, deep and warm, echoed in her mind though his lips did not move.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
In his place stood an old woman, her face lined with years, her eyes filled with sorrow. She cupped Elara's cheek with trembling hands.
> "Don't forget me… my child," the woman whispered, her voice breaking.
Elara's breath caught. The man's smile. The woman's trembling plea.
Who was the one she truly loved?
Her certainty began to splinter.
The mist parted, revealing a long, narrow bridge suspended over a bottomless abyss. The surface shimmered like pale glass, and at its far end stood the Keeper.
He held out a small, white box—its surface smooth, without hinge or clasp.
> "Place within it what you love most," he commanded, "and the bridge will grant you passage to the Second Petal."
Her pulse quickened. She stepped onto the bridge, its surface shifting underfoot as if it might vanish at any wrong move.
Halfway across, she stopped.
The man's voice—gentle, reassuring—echoed in her ears. The old woman's sobs followed close behind. They overlapped, twisted together, until she could no longer tell them apart.
The Keeper waited in silence.
The chime rang again—this time sharper, urgent.
Elara looked down at the box in her hands. Her fingers tightened around it. She knew that if she chose wrong, the bridge would crumble and she would fall into the abyss.
If she chose right… what she loved most would be lost to her forever.
She drew in a slow breath, lifted the box… and made her choice.