The Forge pulsed with an eerie rhythm, its heart beating in time with Ethan's own. The air was thick, laden with the scent of molten metal and something older, something primordial that tugged at the very core of his being. The Blade of Souls gleamed before him, its dark hilt alive with energy, beckoning him to take it. But there was hesitation in his movements, a gnawing uncertainty that held him back.
Lira's voice broke through the tension. "You feel it, don't you? The Forge is alive. It's waiting for us to make our choice."
Ethan's gaze flickered to her, his thoughts muddled. She stood beside him, her expression unreadable, her eyes focused on the blade as though she, too, felt the weight of the moment. There was a quiet resolve in her stance, the same resolve he had seen in her countless times before, but this time, it was laced with something more. Something darker. Her hand twitched at her side, as though itching to act, but she remained still, waiting for him to make the first move.
"I don't understand," Ethan admitted, his voice low, uncertain. "What do we do now?"
Lira didn't immediately answer. Instead, she stepped closer to the blade, her boots echoing in the vast expanse of the Forge. Her fingers brushed lightly against the stone as she walked, her gaze scanning the surroundings as though expecting something—someone—to appear. It was as if the Forge was testing them, watching them, making them prove their worth before it would reveal its secrets.
"The Forge doesn't give its power freely," Lira explained, her voice quiet but firm. "You have to prove you're worthy of it. The Blade of Souls… it's not just a weapon. It's a trial. To wield it, you must face yourself. The Forge will show you what you fear most, what you value most, and it will test whether you're willing to sacrifice it all to gain its power."
Ethan furrowed his brow. "Sacrifice? What does that mean?"
Lira's gaze met his, and for a brief moment, the weight of her words settled in the space between them. "It means that the Forge will force you to confront your darkest desires and your deepest regrets. It will demand that you give up something—something precious to you. If you're not strong enough, if you can't let go, then the Forge will consume you."
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. The weight of her words pressed down on him. He had already lost so much in his journey. The thought of losing more, of sacrificing something else, filled him with a sense of dread. And yet, deep inside, he knew there was no turning back. The world needed the power of the Forge. And if he didn't do this, if he didn't wield its power, then everything they had fought for would be for nothing.
Lira stepped forward again, closer to the Blade of Souls. "There's no other way, Ethan. You have to choose. Either you face the Forge and claim its power, or you walk away."
The finality in her voice echoed in his mind. There was no escape. No way out. Ethan looked down at the Blade of Souls, its hilt gleaming under the Forge's ominous light. A shiver ran down his spine. He could feel its pull, the temptation to take it, to wield it and change everything. But at what cost?
He hesitated, the question gnawing at his mind. What was he willing to sacrifice?
The ground trembled beneath his feet again, and a low, rumbling voice filled the air, as though the Forge itself was speaking. "To wield the Blade of Souls, you must first confront your soul. What you value most will be your trial. Only by facing it will you prove your worth."
A flash of light burst from the Forge, and Ethan was thrown backward, his body slamming against the cold stone floor. The world around him seemed to warp, the walls of the Forge stretching and shifting in a dizzying dance. A cacophony of voices echoed in his mind—his mother's voice, calling out to him, followed by the sound of his father's laughter, distant but filled with warmth. Then came the silence—the silence of loss, of emptiness.
He stood up, his head spinning, and saw before him a figure—a ghost from his past. It was his younger self, standing tall, the fire of determination burning in his eyes. Ethan's breath caught in his throat. The figure before him wasn't just a memory—it was him, a version of himself that had never been tainted by the darkness of his journey, a version that still had hope.
"Is this what you're trying to preserve?" the ghost of his younger self asked, his voice echoing with the clarity of a time long past. "Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the world? Do you even remember why you're fighting?"
Ethan's chest tightened as the words cut through him like a blade. This was the trial of the Forge, the test that Lira had warned him about. It wasn't just about the power of the Blade of Souls—it was about confronting who he had become and whether he was willing to let go of everything that had shaped him. His ideals, his memories, his past. The very things that had driven him to this point.
The ghost of his younger self smiled, but it was a bittersweet expression, one that held sorrow beneath the surface. "You can still walk away, Ethan. You can still find another way. But if you choose this path, if you choose the Forge, there will be no turning back. You will lose part of yourself. You will lose your innocence."
Ethan swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. This was the moment. The moment where his past and his future collided. He could see the pain and fear in the eyes of his younger self, the hope that still lingered there. But he also saw something else. Something darker. The world was falling apart, and there was no time to waste on what-ifs. There was no time for regret. The blade could change everything, could give him the power to save everyone he loved. But it could also cost him the one thing that he had left—the very essence of who he was.
His younger self stepped forward, fading into the shadows, leaving Ethan standing in the center of the Forge, the Blade of Souls before him.
Lira was beside him now, her voice a whisper. "The choice is yours, Ethan. But remember, every power comes at a cost. The Forge will take from you, just as much as it gives. And when you wield it, you must be prepared to face the consequences."
Ethan's gaze shifted to the Blade of Souls, its dark power calling to him, beckoning him to claim it. He took a step forward, his heart racing, the weight of his decision pressing down on him like a storm. This was the moment that would define him—not just as a warrior, but as a person. He reached out, his fingers closing around the hilt of the blade. The moment his hand touched it, a rush of energy coursed through him, flooding his veins with power.
But as he held the Blade of Souls, he realized something—he wasn't just holding the weapon. It was holding him. And with it, he was about to face a test more dangerous than anything he had ever encountered.
The Forge had spoken. It had given him the power to reshape the world. But it would take from him more than he could ever imagine.
With a final, resolute breath, Ethan prepared himself for the trial ahead.