The moment the word echoed the world shifted
No sound
No ground
No self
Aya blinked and found herself standing in a sea of mirrors
Each mirror showed her
Not her reflection
But different versions
Different choices
Aya who ran
Aya who broke
Aya who served Zerach
Aya who never picked up the blade
Her head spun
Then the mirrors shattered
One by one
Until only one remained
The one where she died early
Without fighting
Without meaning
Her voice cracked
Is this who I could've been
The voice returned
This is who you still are
Until proven otherwise
Reiss was nowhere near her now
His trial would be different
She stepped forward
The mirror didn't break
It pulled her in
Cold
Sharp
Real
She landed hard
In a world made of memory
Her old village
The day she lost everything
Her brother standing at the door
Alive
Smiling
She ran to him
He didn't recognize her
Because this wasn't a memory
It was a choice
The voice spoke again
Stay
Forget
Be free
Aya trembled
Her blade was gone
No edge
No system
Just her
She hugged him
Tears burning her face
Then she whispered
I miss you
But I didn't come this far to forget
She let go
The world screamed and melted
She was back
The mirror cracked
Then shattered
Her shard blinked once
Power restored
Trial passed
Reiss appeared beside her breathing hard his eyes wild
They made me fight myself
And I lost
Aya looked at him
But you're here
So you won
Reiss nodded slowly
Then looked ahead
Another gate had appeared
Black
Silent
Zerach was on the other side
Waiting