The air was thick with tension.
The group had set up camp near the entrance of the Third Gate, but no one could rest. The trials had already tested their limits—physically, mentally, emotionally. And now, as they stood before the looming entrance of the next trial, something even greater threatened to break them.
It wasn't a monster or a curse.
It was doubt.
The fire crackled softly, but no one spoke. Shadows flickered across their faces, worn and strained from everything they had endured. The ruins behind them were silent now, watching, waiting.
Aria pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. The cold here wasn't just from the wind; it was something deeper, something that had settled into her bones ever since the Second Gate had forced her to face her mother's shade.
She should have felt stronger after surviving it.
Instead, she felt hollow.
Across from her, Lyric sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring into the flames. Normally, she would have been flipping through her spellbook or throwing sarcastic remarks at Finn, but tonight, she was silent.
Aria shifted uncomfortably. The weight of unspoken words pressed against her chest, suffocating. She knew something was coming, but she wasn't prepared for how much it would hurt.
Finally, Lyric exhaled sharply, like she was bracing herself for battle.
"We need to talk," she said.
Aria stilled. She knew that tone. It meant something was coming, and she wasn't going to like it.
The others looked up as well. Finn, who had been idly twirling a small flame between his fingers, let it flicker out. Kael stopped sharpening his blade, his jaw tightening as he glanced between them. Quinn didn't move, but his gaze darkened, as if he already knew where this was going.
Aria swallowed. "Alright."
Lyric exhaled, her hands tightening around her knees. "This next trial… it's not like the others. We're not just fighting shadows or solving puzzles. The Third Gate forces you to make a choice, one that can't be undone."
"We've handled everything so far," Aria argued.
"This is different!" Lyric snapped, her eyes flashing. "Do you even know what's on the other side? What this path is really leading you to?"
Aria clenched her jaw. "I don't have a choice, Lyric. My mother—"
"Your mother is gone."
The words hit like a blade to the chest.
Silence.
The campfire crackled between them, the only sound in the vast emptiness of the night.
Kael and Finn stood frozen, uncertain whether to step in or stay out of it. Quinn watched quietly, his expression unreadable.
Aria took a slow breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "She's not gone. Not completely. If there's even a chance—"
"And what if that chance gets you killed?" Lyric shot back.
Aria felt something in her snap. "Then I'll take it!" Her voice rose, raw with frustration. "I've already lost too much, Lyric! If I turn back now, then what was all of this for?!"
Lyric's expression softened for just a moment, but then she shook her head. "You don't see it, do you? You're walking straight into a trap. Someone is pulling the strings, and you're playing right into their hands."
Aria swallowed, trying to keep her voice steady. "You're saying I should give up."
"I'm saying you should think!" Lyric's voice cracked slightly. "For once, just stop running into the fire and ask yourself if it's worth it!"
Aria's chest tightened. "It is."
That was the moment she knew.
Lyric wasn't coming with her.
Aria turned to Quinn, seeking reassurance—but he only sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.
"She's right," he said at last. "I can't follow you through this one, Aria."
Kael tensed. Finn's mouth opened slightly in shock.
"What?" Aria whispered.
Quinn didn't look at her as he spoke. "There's a line between bravery and recklessness. And I think you're about to cross it."
Aria looked between them, feeling the weight of their words crush down on her.
Lyric. Quinn.
Two of the people who had been by her side through everything.
Leaving.
She wanted to scream, to argue, to make them stay.
But she couldn't.
Because deep down, she knew they were making their choice. Just as she was making hers.
She forced herself to stand straighter.
"Then stay," she said quietly. "But I'm going."
She turned before they could see her tears.
And without another word, she walked toward the Third Gate.
Kael and Finn hesitated, looking back at Lyric and Quinn one last time before silently following Aria.
And just like that… the group was broken.
---
Lyric stood still as Aria disappeared into the night.
The ache in her chest was unbearable, but she didn't call out to stop her.
Quinn stood beside her, silent for a long moment before exhaling slowly. "Are we really doing this?" His voice lacked its usual lightness.
Lyric swallowed hard. "She's making a mistake."
Quinn tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "Maybe," he admitted. "Or maybe we are."
His words hung in the air between them, but neither of them moved.
Because the choice had already been made.
And there was no turning back now.
---
Far away, in the depths of her lair, Saraphine watched the scene unfold through a swirling mirror of shadows.
As Aria and her friends splintered, a low, amused chuckle echoed through the chamber.
Then, it grew.
The sound of her laughter filled the air, rich with satisfaction.
She leaned forward, her crimson nails gliding over the surface of the darkened mirror. The images twisted and rippled like liquid obsidian, distorting the faces of Aria, Lyric, and the others.
"How beautifully predictable," she mused, her eyes gleaming with cruel delight. "Everything is falling into place."
From the darkness, a new presence stirred. A figure stepped forward, their face obscured by the shifting light.
"They're weaker now," the figure murmured. "Divided."
Saraphine smiled, slow and knowing. "That is how all great things crumble."
She traced a finger over Aria's reflection.
"Let's see how far you'll go, little Seeker… before you finally break."
Her laughter lingered long after the vision faded into darkness.
---
Aria walked in silence.
The night was heavy around them, pressing in with an eerie stillness.
Kael and Finn walked beside her, but none of them spoke.
She knew they had questions. They always did. But for once, they let her be.
She clenched her fists, trying to ignore the hollow ache in her chest.
Lyric and Quinn had stayed behind.
She had expected anger. Expected defiance. Expected them to fight for her, to believe in her.
But they had made their choice.
And she had made hers.
The Third Gate loomed ahead, pulsing with an unnatural glow.
It was waiting.
And Aria Evercrest had never turned away from a challenge.
She took a deep breath.
And stepped forward.