The dark figure before us was utterly terrifying. Its skin was white as snow, flawless and smooth, and its bald head gleamed under the bluish light of the strange place. But the most unsettling part was its eyes—or rather, the absence of them. Its empty sockets seemed to stare at us with an intensity that made every fiber of my being want to retreat. Still, we stood in silence, waiting for it to speak.
"I am the Oracle," it said, its voice resonating like an echo that seemed to come from everywhere at once. "I am the guide in these trials. You have come seeking answers, but you must prove you are worthy of knowing the truth."
"And what are the rules?" Ezra asked, his usual tone of authority cutting through the tension.
"The Pillar tolerates no deceit," the Oracle replied, with an empty
