The Heart's glow pulsed brighter as the guardian advanced, its massive limbs igniting the ground beneath its feet. Sparks leapt into the air. The heat was suffocating.
"Elara—cover the left flank!" Rin shouted, leaping to intercept a fiery strike with his enchanted blade. The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber.
Sira darted between broken columns, her daggers flashing as she carved through molten tendrils snaking from the guardian's core. "It's not just brute strength—it's testing us. Our resolve, our unity!"
Elara planted her staff and summoned a barrier of light, shielding her friends as the guardian unleashed a wave of flame. Her body shook under the strain. She had never wielded magic like this—drawn not from study, but instinct.
A voice echoed in her mind. *Only the true bearers of Elsewhere's hope may hold the Heart. Prove that hope still lives.*
With a cry, she stepped forward. "We don't fight for power—we fight for what was lost. For those who can't fight anymore!"
The Heart shimmered as her words rang out, its light surging in response.
The guardian paused, eyes narrowing. For a moment, the fury dimmed.
Rin and Sira, breathless and bruised, joined her side. Together, they stood—flawed, but unbroken.
The guardian looked at them… and then knelt, flames extinguishing with a hiss. "Then the Heart is yours," it rumbled, voice no longer thunderous, but reverent. "Protect it well… for the darkness does not sleep."
As the creature faded into glowing embers, the Heart descended gently into Elara's hands. It pulsed with warmth—calm, alive, and waiting.
They had passed the trial.
But outside the ruins, the storm was building. And far across the scorched plains, something old—and angry—had begun to stir.