Nicolette emerged from the looping ruins with the fourth flame burning quietly within her. Its warmth lingered in her chest, a reminder that she had bent time itself and survived. Yet, as she stepped into the twilight forest beyond, the air shifted. The silence wasn't empty—it was listening.
Her footsteps echoed strangely, as if the trees themselves whispered her name. A prickle of unease crawled along her spine. She tightened her grip on the staff of light, its glow faint but steady.
"You carry the weight of destiny," a voice murmured, soft as smoke.
Nicolette froze. "Who's there?"
From between the darkened trunks, shadows stirred. They weren't creatures of flesh, but echoes—distorted figures with hollow eyes and twisting forms. They whispered in unison, voices overlapping like broken glass.
"You seek the flames, but every flame has a price."
Her heart pounded, but she lifted her chin. "I've faced illusions, trials, even time itself. I won't back down now."
The shadows circled, growing denser. They weren't attacking—not yet. They were testing her resolve.
Then one stepped forward, a shape wearing the faint outline of her own face. Its hollow eyes bored into hers. "What will you sacrifice, Nicolette? Your strength? Your heart? Or your future?"
The ground trembled. The staff flared, its light slicing through the darkness, and the shadows recoiled with a hiss. But their whispers didn't fade. Instead, they sank deeper into her thoughts, pressing against her fears.
"What if you fail? What if the flames consume you? What if no one remembers your struggle?"
Nicolette's hands shook, but she closed her eyes, steadying her breath. Fear is just another trial, she reminded herself.
When she opened her eyes again, the flame in her chest burned brighter, pushing back the shadows. She raised her staff and declared, "I will not be broken. I am the one who will master the flames."
The forest trembled as her words cut through the whispers. The shadows shrieked, scattering into the night. Yet, their parting words lingered:
"The fifth flame awaits… in the city of broken crowns."
Nicolette's pulse quickened. A new destination. A new trial. She tightened her cloak, determination solidifying in her veins. The path ahead was darker than ever—but she had no intention of turning back.