The glow of dawn filtered through the stained-glass windows of the Astral Library, casting fractured rainbows across the marble floor. Harper stood at the threshold, her fingers brushing the pendant around her neck—her mother's final gift. She felt the familiar twist in her chest, part grief, part determination.
"This is it," she whispered, her voice nearly lost to the stillness. "The entrance to the guardian's domain."
Ahead, a door carved into living crystal shimmered with runes that pulsed in sync with her heartbeat. The others stepped up beside her, silent, tense. Asher's eyes scanned the surroundings with soldier's focus. Nova clutched a satchel of potions, her fingers twitching with restless energy. Luna hovered just behind, quiet and unreadable.
Harper reached out and pressed her palm against the center rune.
The door responded, humming softly, then sliding open with a whisper of ancient magic.
They stepped into a grove bathed in twilight, though no sun or moon hung above. The trees stood unnaturally tall and still, their bark etched with glowing script. At the center loomed an enormous tree, twisted and regal—Elder Veranthe, the last of the Seer-Trees, said to be planted by the stars themselves.
A voice, soft as smoke but resonating like thunder, coiled through the air.
"You who seek the Codex, must pass the Trials of Soul: Memory, Illusion, and Unity. Only then shall Avaloria's secrets be laid bare."
Asher scoffed quietly. "Of course it couldn't just be in a vault somewhere. Three trials? Should've brought extra socks."
Nova elbowed him. "Focus. These trials are older than Avaloria itself. They judge more than skill."
Trial One: Memory
The grove shifted, leaves swirling until the world darkened.
Harper blinked—and gasped.
She stood in her old bedroom at the Academy. Except it was wrong. The scent of burning parchment filled her nose, and everything trembled with shadow. On the bed sat a younger version of herself, clutching her mother's last letter, eyes wide with grief.
"No," Harper whispered. "This isn't real."
"To face the past is to claim it," the voice echoed.
The illusion-Harper looked up. "Why didn't you save her?" she asked softly.
A tremor rocked Harper. "I couldn't," she said. "I was ten. I—I still hear her voice in my dreams, and I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse. But I won't let that guilt define me anymore."
The scene melted, revealing the grove again. Her team stood beside her, each silent, pale, having faced their own ghosts.
Trial Two: Illusion
The path ahead turned to fog. Shapes emerged—terrifying, familiar.
Harper's breath hitched as she saw Nova, bloodied and broken on the ground, whispering, "You left me."
She ran to her friend, panic choking her, but Asher grabbed her arm.
"Harper—wait. It's not real. It's not real."
Harper turned, her vision swimming. The real Nova stood firm, eyes wide, breathing hard. The illusion flickered—cracks appearing like shattering glass—then vanished.
"You saw me die," Nova murmured.
"You blamed me for it," Harper replied. "And part of me believed you."
Nova stepped closer. "We're here. Together. Always."
The air stilled. The illusion dissolved.
Trial Three: Unity
A circle of light formed around them. The voice returned, colder now.
"Only one of you may step forward. The Codex chooses the worthy. Choose."
Silence.
Harper turned to the others. "No."
Asher raised a brow. "No?"
"This isn't unity. It's division. It's fear. The Codex is a tool for all of Avaloria, not a prize for one. If that means failing this trial, then we fail together."
Nova and Luna joined her. Asher hesitated—then gave a crooked grin. "Well, I hate group projects. But I hate letting you win more."
The light pulsed once. Then shattered into thousands of stars that spiraled toward the tree.
Elder Veranthe's bark cracked open, revealing a hollow filled with swirling silver mist. Floating within it: a tome bound in moonlight and etched in gold flame—the Codex of Avaloria.
They approached as one.
"You've chosen unity over pride," the voice whispered, now warm. "You have passed."
Harper reached for the Codex. The second her fingers touched it, a vision seared into her mind: a broken tower, a girl with violet eyes, and a shadow wearing a familiar face.
Her breath caught. This wasn't over.
Not even close.