Aeris woke with the first light of dawn breaking through the trees, the shadows of the night still lingering around the edges of his consciousness. The events of the previous night had left him with a feeling of accomplishment, but also a nagging uncertainty. The flame inside him was not yet fully under control, and Lirael's words haunted him: "The second trial will test your resolve."
His mind was consumed with questions. What was the second trial? How would it differ from the fire that had nearly consumed him? The flame had been a manifestation of his inner power, but what would the next trial demand from him?
Orla had sensed his unease and, ever since his return, had been unusually quiet, as though she understood the weight of what he was going through. She had been waiting for him when he returned, offering support in her own way, but the trial ahead was one Aeris would face alone. Lirael had made that clear.
He rose from the mat where he had slept, stretching the tension from his limbs. The cold morning air bit at his skin as he stepped outside, but it was refreshing. The air here in Olyn was always clean and crisp, unlike the dense, humid atmosphere of larger cities. It was the perfect place to center oneself before facing a challenge, or so it seemed.
Aeris stepped down from the stone steps that led to the cottage, and he could already feel the change in the air. The wind had shifted, and with it, the energy of the world felt more charged, more alive. The morning sun was barely above the horizon, casting long shadows across the earth.
And then, he saw her.
Lirael stood at the base of the hill, her figure framed by the rising sun. The light of the dawn clung to her like a halo, making her seem almost otherworldly. Her presence alone seemed to command the very elements around her.
"You're early," Aeris remarked, walking toward her, his voice strained from the weight of his thoughts.
Lirael turned toward him, her eyes glowing with a light that made it impossible for Aeris to look away. She gave him a faint smile, but there was an intensity to it.
"You must be ready, Aeris," she said, her voice soft but firm. "The second trial is not something that can be faced with just strength alone. This trial is of the mind."
Aeris's heart skipped a beat. "The mind? What do you mean?"
Lirael's gaze softened, though her eyes remained as intense as ever. "The flame you faced was a test of your inner strength, but the mind... the mind is where your true challenge lies. To control the flame, you must first control your thoughts, your doubts, your fears. The trial will be a mirror, Aeris. It will show you not just what you are, but what you could be."
Aeris swallowed, feeling the weight of her words. He had always thought of himself as a man of action, someone who could solve problems with his fists or his will. But this was different. The mind was a battlefield of its own, a place where unseen enemies lurked in the shadows. Could he conquer that as easily as he had controlled the flame?
Lirael stepped forward, her presence becoming even more commanding. "We will begin at the base of the mountain," she said. "Your trial will unfold there, but I warn you, Aeris, the mind is a treacherous thing. The greatest enemy you will face is yourself."
The journey up the mountain felt different than the days before. Aeris found himself growing increasingly restless, as though the closer he got to the summit, the more the world itself seemed to close in on him. The path was narrow and winding, with steep drops on either side, but it wasn't the physical danger that concerned him.
It was his thoughts.
His mind began to race, spiraling with doubts he hadn't considered in years. What if he wasn't strong enough? What if he failed? What if Lirael had been wrong about him? He had always been good enough to get by, but now he was on the verge of something far greater. Could he really control the flame? Could he control the potential that Kaelion had entrusted him with?
The doubts crept in, like the shadows at the edges of his vision. Aeris clenched his fists, trying to push them aside, but they only seemed to grow stronger, louder, until they were all he could hear. He had always believed that his strength came from his will, from his ability to push forward no matter the odds. But this... this was different.
Lirael walked beside him, her expression unreadable as she watched him struggle. She could see the turmoil brewing within him, but she said nothing, knowing that the trial would unfold in its own time.
As they reached the summit, Aeris felt a sense of unease in the air. The mountain top was a wide plateau, the ground covered in ancient stone carvings and symbols that seemed to pulse with energy. There was an eerie stillness here, as if the world itself was waiting for something to happen.
Lirael stopped and turned to face him. "This is where your trial begins. I cannot guide you further. The mind must be your own to conquer."
With a final, piercing look, Lirael stepped back, her presence fading into the shadows. Aeris was alone now, standing at the center of the plateau, the wind howling around him. The silence felt oppressive, suffocating, as though the mountain itself were holding its breath.
And then it happened.
The ground trembled beneath his feet, and a blinding light exploded around him. Aeris shielded his eyes, but the light was all-encompassing, and soon he found himself in a new place — a dark, endless void.
His breath caught in his throat. This was not real. This could not be real. And yet, he was standing there, suspended in the darkness, surrounded by nothing but the void. There was no sense of time, no sense of space. It was just him, alone with his thoughts.
A voice echoed from nowhere, distant yet close. It was his voice.
"Do you believe in yourself, Aeris?" the voice asked. "Do you think you are worthy of this power? Or are you just a boy who got lucky?"
Aeris's heart raced as the voice continued. "You are not Kaelion's chosen. You are not the one who will change the world. You're weak. You're nothing."
He wanted to scream, to shout back at the voice, but the words caught in his throat. His chest tightened, his breathing becoming shallow. The doubt that had been creeping at the edges of his mind now consumed him, flooding his thoughts.
He sank to his knees, his hands trembling as he gripped the stone floor. The flame within him felt distant, flickering weakly as if it were about to extinguish. Was it true? Was he really not worthy? Was this power just a mistake?
The voice came again, this time louder. "You'll never be good enough, Aeris. You'll fail. You always have. And you always will."
The ground beneath him cracked, and a shadow rose from the fissures. It was his shadow, his darkest self, standing tall and imposing before him. The figure loomed over him, its eyes glowing with malice, a twisted version of himself that reflected all his insecurities and doubts.
Aeris recoiled, but the shadow reached out, grasping his wrist with a cold, unyielding grip. "You think you are strong enough to face the world? To carry the flame? You are nothing. You are no one."
The flame in his chest flickered, almost snuffed out entirely by the crushing weight of the shadow's presence. The darkness pressed in, the suffocating weight of his own self-doubt threatening to overwhelm him.
But then, a thought flashed in his mind.
He had fought against the flame before. He had faced challenges far greater than this. This trial was not a fight against an external enemy. It was a fight against himself. His own mind. His own doubts.
The shadow loomed larger, but Aeris pushed against it. Slowly, with every ounce of strength he had left, he stood tall. His hand clenched around the sigil on his palm, and he summoned the flame once more.
The fire burst forth from within him, brighter and more intense than ever before. The shadow recoiled as the light washed over it, dissipating like smoke in the wind. Aeris stood alone, the flames around him burning away his doubts.
"You are not weak," he whispered to himself, his voice steady. "I am more than this. I am Kaelion's chosen."
And with that, the void shattered, and Aeris found himself back on the mountain plateau, the first light of dawn breaking through the clouds.
Lirael appeared before him, her eyes filled with quiet pride. "You have passed the second trial, Aeris. You have faced your mind and conquered it."
Aeris's heart pounded in his chest, but he stood tall, feeling a newfound strength surge through him. The trial had been one of his darkest fears, but in the end, he had emerged victorious.
"The trials are not over," Lirael said, her voice soft but firm. "But now you are ready for what comes next."
Aeris nodded, the weight of the trials ahead still heavy on his shoulders, but now, he felt ready to face them.