The towering wooden gates loomed before her, carved with ancient patterns of flame-lotuses and the Eye of Heaven. Aria stood frozen, breath caught in her chest—awed, anxious, and yet inexplicably drawn forward.
"This is the Sanctuary of Light and Shadow," Sister Serena spoke calmly, though her gaze held a glimmer of something unreadable. "Here, truth and illusion walk side by side."
The moment Aria crossed the threshold, she felt it—a subtle power wrapping around her, as if she had stepped into another realm entirely. Stone walls stretched along the courtyard, lanterns burned steadily in the dusk, and chants of prayer reverberated through the air, haunting yet serene.
White-robed priestesses moved with quiet grace. Their expressions seemed gentle, yet their eyes held an unmistakable strength. A few of them glanced at Aria, as though weighing her worth: Will she endure… or will she vanish?
In the central courtyard, young initiates were training. Their movements were strange—half battle, half dance. Wooden staves clashed with sharp cracks; some girls stumbled and fell, only to rise again with grim determination. Aria swallowed hard. Life here would be nothing like the sheltered hardship of her village.
And then—an unexpected warmth. A dark-skinned girl, small in stature, turned and smiled at her.
"My name is Merin. Welcome."
The simple kindness eased the tightness in Aria's chest, if only for a moment.
But the moment was short-lived. A deep bell tolled across the sanctuary. All movement ceased. The air grew tense. Serena turned toward Aria, her voice calm yet unyielding.
"This will be your first trial within the sanctuary. If you fail, you may not remain here."
A stone door creaked open at the far side of the courtyard. From within spilled shadows thick as fog, twisting and writhing. The whispers returned—those same voices that had haunted her dreams, now louder, more commanding.
"Prove yourself… or be swallowed by the dark."