The days that followed felt like a blur, each moment thick with anticipation, as if the very air around us was waiting for something to happen. We had returned to the school, but my mind was miles away, caught in the tangle of the prophecy, Kai Xu's condition, and the strange egg I carried with me. It had become a constant companion, its subtle warmth a reminder of the mystery unfolding.
We had barely settled back into our dormitory before a new sense of urgency filled the air. The message from the shadowy figure, the mention of the Soul Sphere, echoed in my mind, a constant whisper that refused to fade. How was I supposed to find something so elusive? And what kind of artifact could possibly help balance the power of the Azure Dragon that Kai Xu carried within him?
The answers didn't come easy.
Aerin had taken it upon herself to begin researching anything she could about the Soul Sphere. She had pulled every book on ancient artifacts from the library, staying up late into the night, searching for any mention of it. Mira, always the practical one, had begun training harder, focusing on her spiritual energy. She believed that the answer wouldn't just be found in books but in our abilities to harness the powers we already had.
Caius, ever the quiet observer, had remained uncharacteristically still, his eyes occasionally drifting to the egg in my possession, his brow furrowing as if he was piecing together something only he could see.
But despite our efforts, we had come up with nothing concrete. The Soul Sphere remained as elusive as ever.
It wasn't until one evening, as I walked through the halls toward the alchemy lab, that something new began to stir.
I had come to expect the unusual in this world. But even I wasn't prepared for what awaited me that evening.
The hallways of the school were eerily quiet, and I moved through them in a state of quiet contemplation, my thoughts once again on Kai Xu. As I neared the alchemy lab, I noticed something that caught my attention—an old, ornate door at the far end of the corridor. It wasn't there before. At least, I didn't think it had been.
The door was covered in intricate carvings, a mixture of symbols I didn't recognize—some ancient, others resembling the patterns on the orb from the forest. A shiver ran down my spine as I approached, the air around me thick with a strange energy, the kind that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Before I could think twice, the door creaked open, revealing a hidden chamber bathed in dim, flickering light. I hesitated, but something inside me urged me forward, pulling me into the room like a magnet.
The chamber was filled with shelves, but they weren't stocked with ordinary items. Instead, there were strange, glowing stones and artifacts of unimaginable power, each more powerful than the last. At the center of the room was a pedestal—much like the one in the forest—but this one was different. This one held an object that I could feel in my very bones.
The Soul Sphere.
It rested atop the pedestal, glowing faintly with an ethereal light. Its surface was smooth and radiant, unlike anything I had ever seen. But the moment my eyes landed on it, I felt a surge of recognition—a sense that this was not just an object, but a piece of something larger, something far beyond me.
Before I could move closer, a voice echoed through the chamber, low and deep, as if rising from the very foundations of the earth.
"Child of two worlds," the voice said, familiar yet distant, like a whisper from another life. "You have come to claim the Soul Sphere. But know this—only one who truly understands the balance of both realms can wield its power. You must face the trials of both worlds, for only then can you save the prince and fulfill the prophecy."
I froze, my heart skipping a beat. The voice, the warning—it was the same figure from the forest.
The chamber seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, and I could feel the weight of his words pressing on me. "I don't understand," I whispered, my voice shaky. "What trials? What do I need to do?"
The figure's presence seemed to intensify, though he remained unseen. "You have already taken the first step, Sky. But there is more you must learn. There is more you must endure. The Soul Sphere does not simply grant power; it demands understanding. The prince's fate, the Azure Dragon's curse—it all hinges on the trials you will face. And when you pass them, only then will you truly be ready to wield its power."
I felt a chill crawl up my spine as the room seemed to close in around me. It was as if the walls themselves were alive, breathing in time with my racing heart.
"But…" I began, struggling to find my voice. "How do I begin? What do I have to do?"
A soft laugh echoed in the chamber, haunting and mysterious. "The trials are not for the faint of heart. You will be tested not just in strength, but in spirit. You must prove yourself worthy of the Soul Sphere. Only then will you have the power to save him."
The air around me seemed to crackle with energy as the voice faded into the shadows.
And then, in the stillness, I knew what I had to do.
I had to face the trials.
With the Soul Sphere now in my possession, the path ahead was clearer, but it was no less daunting. The trials awaited, and I had no idea what they would entail. All I knew was that I couldn't fail. Not with Kai Xu's life on the line.
I left the chamber in silence, the weight of the Sphere heavy in my hand. I didn't look back, though I knew I would never forget the eerie sense of inevitability that had filled the room.
I had to prepare.
The trials would come, and I would face them. There was no other choice.