The air around them shimmered with a strange energy as the landscape shifted. It was as if they had stepped into another world entirely, one where the laws of nature were suspended. Liora felt the weight of the moment settle upon her as she looked at her companions. The trial had begun.
The figure in the water, now towering above them, spoke again, its voice a low hum that resonated in their bones.
**"This is a place of judgment, where the heart of a traveler is weighed against the trials of the world. Only those who possess the strength of will and the unity of purpose may pass through unscathed. Should you falter, the consequences will be dire."**
Kael, Bryn, Elara, and Liora stood together in the center of the swirling energy, each feeling a tension that was both internal and external. The wind was gone, replaced by an eerie stillness that seemed to swallow any sound. There was no sky above them, just an endless expanse of light and shadow that shifted like a living thing.
