The symbols on the temple walls still glimmered faintly, but the light was slowly fading—like a trial had been activated, yet its true effect was still to come. Aarya, Riya, and Rudrak stood within the glowing circle, but the air around them was completely still. No sound. No vibration. Only a deep, heavy silence.
Feran, standing behind, sent a low, telepathic growl. "This silence… isn't normal. Something is manipulating our senses."
Rudrak tilted his head slightly. "This is the first stage of the Illusion Trial. Everything here will play with your mind. And both of you—" he looked at Aarya and Riya, "—are carrying far too much inside."
Riya gripped her blade tightly. "So this trial will try to break us… through our own emotions?"
"Exactly," Rudrak replied. "This zone pieces together t
