The crimson portal closed behind them with a whisper that sounded like a lament. The golden light of the lotus still floated between Lyra and Kael, but the thrill of their first encounter with the school had been replaced by a sense of danger. Ahead of them lay a vast circular chamber, lined with shelves that seemed endless, filled with floating ancient grimoires emitting a barely perceptible hum.
"This… must be the Archives of the Scream," Lyra murmured, her fingers brushing the dusty covers of the levitating books. "They say this place holds all erotic and forbidden knowledge of Eldoria… and it whispers to the living."
Kael nodded, squeezing her hand tightly.
"It whispers and watches. Every emotion we feel, every desire… the room records it and twists it. We cannot let our guard down."
From the shadows, a figure emerged: Selene, her enigmatic smile and gem-like eyes glinting in the dim light.
"I knew you would come," the siren said, tilting her head. "These archives do not only test pleasure—they test willpower. Many who enter here are lost… some never return."
Lyra frowned, alert.
"Why are you following us, Selene?" she asked firmly. "This is our trial."
"Because someone has to make sure you survive," Selene replied, a teasing edge to her voice. "And because… the Order of Silence isn't far. They want these archives too."
A low murmur began to rise from the back of the chamber. It wasn't human speech, but a guttural chant that seemed to come from the books themselves. Each grimoire pulsed with deep red energy, as if breathing, sending shivers down Lyra and Kael's spines.
"The Archives of the Scream are not just books," Selene explained, moving toward a central pedestal. "They are entities that store the pleasure, pain, and deepest secrets of generations of sorcerers. Each page can tempt… or destroy you."
Kael looked at the pedestal, where a grimoire covered in black runes seemed to pulse like a heart.
"Then we face it together," he said, brushing her cheek—a gesture of calm and promise. "If we separate, it will consume us."
Lyra inhaled sharply, feeling their bond tense and strengthen simultaneously. A hum filled the air, and suddenly, from the circle of floating books, three hooded figures emerged: the archives' guardians. Their eyes glowed with crimson light, radiating both warning and challenge.
"The first trial is not physical," one said, his voice echoing through the chamber. "It is mental and spiritual. Every suppressed desire, every fear… will be projected. If you give in, the archives will absorb you."
Lyra intertwined her fingers with Kael's, feeling the heat they shared as the only possible defense against the power of the archives.
"Together," Kael whispered. "No matter what happens, nothing will separate us."
A deep roar echoed from the heart of the chamber, blending with the whispers of the grimoires. The golden light of the lotus flickered, casting shadows that seemed like hands reaching to trap them. The first projection of the archives appeared: a mirror reflecting not their bodies, but their deepest desires and the versions of themselves they had never admitted.
Lyra bit her lip, struggling to maintain composure as a shiver ran down her spine.
"This… is only the beginning," she whispered, while Selene watched closely beside them. "And I feel that what's coming… will be far more dangerous than any pleasure we've known."
Kael held her close, his breath brushing her ear.
"No matter what it shows us. Our bond is stronger than any illusion… and together, we will overcome it."
The archives vibrated as if they could hear their words, and the central pedestal trembled slightly, announcing that the true trial of the Archives of the Scream had only just begun.