The Citadel felt different that night, colder somehow. Liora moved through the corridors, guided by the whisper and Kael's steady presence. But even as they approached the outer halls, she sensed it: a distortion in the glass, a ripple that shouldn't exist.
Before she could react, a figure stepped from the shadows — a familiar face from her childhood, someone she thought lost forever. But it was not them. Their eyes were black, hollow, reflecting shards of her memories.
"You shouldn't have come back," the figure said, voice layered with echoes of the past. "The Glassless don't forgive."
The whisper inside her screamed: He's lying…
Kael tensed. "Liora… be careful. This is not who you think they are."
But the figure moved too quickly. With a wave of a hand, the corridor bent into shards of mirror, trapping her in a maze of impossible reflections. Liora's heart pounded as she realized the truth — this was not an ally. It was one of the Glassless, using her memories against her.
"I trusted you," she shouted, trying to reach Kael, but the mirrors shifted, blocking her path.
The whisper murmured softly: Trust yourself. Not them.
Liora closed her eyes and reached inward, feeling the pulse of the Glassless within the maze. She focused, visualizing the real Kael, the safe path. Light erupted from her chest, shattering the mirrored walls. The Glassless screeched and dissolved, leaving only fragments behind.
Breathless, she looked around. Kael appeared at her side. "You've done well," he said. "But this was only a test. The real danger… is yet to come."