The morning came heavy with tension.
At the edge of Sylvaris, beyond the crystal forests and the glowing rivers, the earth split open into a vast chasm. From its depths, a faint hum echoed — a song of whispers and despair. This was the Cavern of Echoes, a place even the bravest elves avoided.
Rihan stood at the entrance, staring into the abyss. His palms were damp, his chest tight.
Elira adjusted her armor, her expression unreadable. "Once you enter, you walk the path alone. The Cavern reflects your spirit. No blade, no shield will protect you — only your will."
Rihan swallowed. "Sounds like the worst exam ever. And I didn't even get to study."
Lyra placed her hand gently over his. "Don't joke, Rihan. The cavern can break even the strongest minds. But… I believe in you."
Her warmth steadied him, if only slightly. He nodded, forcing a smile. "Guess I'll just have to wing it, huh?"
The High Seer Aelthar stepped forward, his staff glowing faintly. "Remember this, Outsider: the Trial does not test your strength, but your purity. Conquer the shadows within, or be consumed by them."
With that, he raised his staff. A pathway of light opened into the darkness of the cavern.
"Enter."
---
Rihan took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Instantly, the world behind him vanished. Darkness swallowed him whole. His footsteps echoed endlessly, as if he were walking inside a giant hollow skull. The air was cold, heavy, filled with whispers that scratched against his ears.
"Weak… unworthy… foreigner…"
Rihan clenched his fists. "Yeah, well, tell me something I don't already hear in my nightmares."
The deeper he went, the more distorted reality became. The walls rippled like water, showing fragments of images — his life on Earth.
There was his school. The crowded classroom where no one noticed him. His parents' small apartment, always quiet, filled with unspoken words. The times he failed, the times he felt invisible.
"Pathetic."
The voice came not from the cavern but from within.
Rihan froze.
From the shadows stepped a figure — himself. But twisted. His reflection's eyes glowed crimson, its smile sharp and cruel.
"You think this world needs you? You're nothing. You weren't wanted in your own world, and here you're just a mistake. A glitch."
Rihan's throat went dry. He wanted to argue, but the words stuck. Because part of him believed it.
The shadow Rihan stretched out its hand. From the darkness, a blade formed — jagged, dripping with black fire.
"Join me. Accept the corruption. It will make you strong. No more weakness, no more fear."
Rihan stumbled back. His own voice screamed inside his skull: He's right. You've never been strong. You've always been nothing.
The cavern pulsed, feeding the doubt.
Rihan dropped to his knees, clutching his head. His chest burned, the System flickering erratically.
[Warning: Purity level falling.]
[Corruption resonance increasing.]
The shadow laughed, raising its blade. "See? Even your 'system' knows. You can't fight me. I am you."
---
But then—
A memory surfaced.
Lyra's voice, soft but firm: "I believe in you."
Elira's gaze, fierce and unyielding: "You're not weak. You fight because you refuse to give up."
And his own stubbornness — the part of him that had always survived, no matter how invisible or unwanted he felt.
Rihan's hand glowed faintly. Light shimmered, fragile but real.
He forced himself to stand. His knees trembled, his chest still heavy with doubt, but he lifted his hand.
"Yeah… you're me. All my failures, all my weakness. But guess what?"
A blade of light formed in his grip, pure and steady.
"You're not all of me."
The shadow hissed, slashing forward. Rihan met the strike, their blades clashing with a blinding flash. The cavern shook, whispers rising into a maddened chorus.
"Die!" the shadow roared.
"Not today!" Rihan shouted back.
Light erupted from his blade, consuming the shadow, tearing through the corruption. The figure screamed, shattering into fragments of black smoke that dissolved into nothing.
The cavern fell silent.
Rihan collapsed, gasping for breath. His blade flickered out, but the glow remained faintly on his skin — steadier than before.
The System chimed:
[Trial Phase One Complete.]
[Purity stabilized. Light resonance increased.]
[New Ability Unlocked: Soulbound Radiance.]
Rihan blinked, staring at the glowing words. "Soulbound… Radiance? Okay, that actually sounds badass."
But before he could process further, the ground beneath him cracked. The cavern shifted, opening a path deeper inside.
The whispers returned, softer but more insidious.
"…This was only the beginning…"
Rihan forced himself to his feet, gripping his faintly glowing hand.
"Great. Of course it isn't over. Why would it ever be easy?"
And with that, he stepped deeper into the Cavern of Echoes, where greater trials awaited.