The air in the Garden of Eternal Twilight felt heavier than before. The golden-purple light shimmered like it was alive, and streams flowed in impossible directions, twisting reality itself. Kael's muscles were tense, every sense alert. The palace had recognized him—not just as a visitor, but as a challenger.
Ravik Drane moved silently at his side. "The palace… it's testing more than combat now. It's testing our perception. Watch every shadow, every reflection."
Kael nodded, Oath-Render resting across his back. "I know. One false step, and this place could trap us forever."
The guardians—the phoenix, the echo-wolf, and the pride-dragon—circled him. Their presence was a reminder: he wasn't alone, but the fight was his to answer.
THE FLOOR SHIFTS
As they stepped forward, the ground beneath them began to move. Tiles rose and fell like living creatures, rearranging themselves as Kael and Ravik walked. The streams bent unnaturally, creating invisible currents that tried to pull their feet off the ground.
Kael's eyes narrowed. "The palace doesn't want us to fight—it wants us to fail because we trust the world too much."
Ravik frowned. "So every step could be a trap?"
"Yes," Kael said, testing a step forward. A tile shifted violently under his foot, forcing him to leap just in time. "We must move with intention. Observe, anticipate, act."
The palace seemed to pulse in response, as if acknowledging Kael's awareness. It wanted to challenge him, but he was no longer naïve.
THE WALLS SPEAK
The walls shimmered, revealing glowing runes that formed shapes of warriors and beasts from the past—images of those who had failed the palace before. Each shadow whispered warnings, murmuring fears: You cannot survive. You are unworthy. You are alone.
Kael closed his eyes for a moment, letting the whispers wash over him. He thought of the mountain, of the forge, and of Vryllos Belyx hovering somewhere beyond the palace.
"I am not alone," he said, opening his eyes. "And I answer."
The shadows twisted violently, but his words seemed to anchor reality. For the first time, Kael felt the palace hesitate.
THE FIRST TRUE TRAP
A sudden roar echoed through the garden. Tiles shifted violently beneath Kael's feet, and walls seemed to bend inward. From the shadows, massive crystal spikes erupted from the ground, forming a cage around him and Ravik.
"The palace does not forgive mistakes," Ravik shouted. "We are trapped!"
Kael scanned the trap. Each crystal shimmered with threads of probability, moving almost as if it could anticipate his every move. The palace had calculated the most likely way they could fail, and built it around them.
He gripped Oath-Render, feeling the familiar hum of the forge within him. "It is not just a trap," Kael said. "It's a question. The palace asks: can we act beyond expectation?"
THE GUARDIANS' ASSISTANCE
The phoenix dived from above, scorching the crystal spikes with golden fire. The echo-wolf howled, sending vibrations that made the spikes quiver. The pride-dragon lowered, focusing a golden shield around Kael and Ravik.
But Kael knew this was only a small help. The palace was alive—it could reshape the trap faster than the guardians could react.
He moved deliberately, testing each tile, each shadow. "Every step must be ours, not forced," he whispered. He leapt, ducked, and rolled, Oath-Render slicing threads of probability woven into the crystals.
One misstep, one misjudged move, and he would be trapped forever.
KLYN THRAXXIS RETURNS
A chilling laugh echoed. Klyn Thraxxis appeared atop a spire of black stone, shadows swirling around him. His eyes gleamed gold, calculating.
"Kael Varros," he said. "Do you see now? The palace itself bends to my will. Even the guardians cannot protect you here."
Kael met his gaze steadily. "Then I will bend it to my will. This is my choice, and I will answer."
Klyn's attack came not as a physical strike, but as a wave of probability, trying to force Kael into failure before he even moved. Kael felt the threads twist, pulling him toward the crystal cage.
He jumped. The palace shivered. He spun midair, letting Oath-Render slice through the probability threads. Sparks of gold and black energy erupted around him.
The guardians reinforced him. The phoenix's fire clashed with the palace's shadow threads. The echo-wolf's sound waves disrupted Klyn's calculations. The pride-dragon's golden light formed a protective dome.
Kael's feet landed firmly. He grinned. "I act. I choose. I exist."
THE BREAKING OF THE TRAP
With deliberate strikes, Kael used Oath-Render to cut through the remaining crystal threads. Probability threads snapped, rearranging themselves harmlessly. The trap shattered, tiles fell into place, and the shadows recoiled.
Klyn Thraxxis landed lightly on the ground, shadows wrapping around him like smoke. "You… survived," he said. "No one has ever answered the palace like this."
Kael raised Oath-Render. "Then you will learn—fate answers those who answer it back."
The palace seemed to sigh, the golden-purple light softening as if acknowledging Kael's victory. But Kael knew this was only the beginning. Klyn had plans, and the palace had far more tests waiting.