The pool rippled as Eris stepped into its glow.
The water wasn't wet—it was weightless, like walking into light itself. The ripples spread across his skin, and suddenly the cavern, the statue, his companions—everything—vanished.
He stood alone in an endless expanse of stars.
A voice, soft and ancient, whispered through the void:
"Child of Seven… bearer of their seed… why do you seek power?"
Eris swallowed hard. His body trembled, but his voice steadied. "To protect. To end the war that chained my ancestors. To stop Asmodeus and the One Being."
The stars pulsed, glowing brighter.
"So you claim. But protection and conquest wear the same mask. Show me who you are, without the voices of the dead in your blood."
The void twisted. Shapes appeared—familiar, terrible.
He was back on the battlefield where the Clan of Seven had fallen. Corpses of warriors lay scattered, faces twisted in pain. The smell of blood hung heavy. And in the distance, a shadow towered—Asmodeus himself, his laughter booming like thunder.
Eris's hands glowed, the Heart burning in his chest. He charged—
—but when he struck, the shadow dissolved, revealing Mara in his arms, bleeding from his blow.
He staggered back, horrified. "No… no, I didn't—"
The voice echoed again:
"Do you see? Power does not distinguish between friend and foe. You must."
Another vision surged. This time, Selene stood before him, chains wrapped around her throat. Her eyes burned with fury and fear. "Set me free, or watch me choke," she hissed.
Eris reached out—but the chains snaked toward him instead, binding his wrists, pulling him down.
The Veiled One's whisper surrounded him, neither cruel nor kind.
"You are a vessel. Will you be a cage for others, or a shield? Decide now."
Back in the cavern, Mara, Jonas, Selene, and Liora watched Eris's body convulse in the glowing pool. His eyes glowed like twin suns, his voice breaking into whispers none of them understood.
Mara clutched her dagger. "He's drowning in it. We have to pull him out."
Selene raised a hand sharply. "Touch him and you'll kill him. This is his trial, not yours."
Jonas spat. "So we just stand here while he burns alive?"
But before anyone could move, the statue's veil shifted slightly—stone lips parting just enough to murmur in a voice that rattled the cavern walls:
"He must choose… alone."
And Eris, trapped in the trial, faced the truth of himself.