The space around them shifted. The spheres, suspended in infinite darkness, now radiated deep, tense light, as if sensing the growing conflict. Melania and Endar stood side by side, observing the changes in the fabric of the Node. The symbol, which once glowed with tranquility, now seemed distorted, its edges writhing like rebellious waves.
“What’s happening?” Melania asked, her voice echoing in the void.
Endar frowned, watching one of the spheres dim before slowly cracking.
“The Node reflects us,” he said. “Our doubts, fears, hesitations. It feels what we hide even from ourselves.”
Melania stepped forward, extending her hand toward one of the spheres, which began pulsing faster. The energy emanating from it was uneven, almost aggressive.
“We must stabilize it,” she said. “But how can we do that if the Node reacts to our weaknesses?”
Suddenly, the space around them shifted again. Darkness condensed, transforming into an endless plane of mirrors. In each of them appeared figures — resembling Melania and Endar, yet entirely foreign.
“Is that… us?” Melania asked quietly, staring as one of her reflections gazed back at her.
Endar turned to his own reflection, which smiled with a predatory grin, holding something that looked like a shard of a golden sphere.
“No,” he replied. “These are who we could have been, had we made different choices.”
Melania moved closer to one of the mirrors. Her reflection appeared stronger, more confident, but there was darkness in its eyes. This version of herself seemed ready to sacrifice anything without hesitation for the sake of results.
“You’re afraid to make a mistake,” the reflection said, its voice her own but colder. “But the real mistake is hesitation.”
“I’m not hesitant,” Melania replied, trying to steady her voice.
The reflection laughed.
“Then why do you keep doubting? Why do you constantly wonder if the path you’ve chosen is the right one?”
Melania clenched her fists but couldn’t find an answer.
Meanwhile, Endar stood before another mirror. His reflection glowed with golden light, but that light burned like a flame devouring everything around it.
“You try to protect everyone, but in the end, you’ll destroy everything you hold dear,” the reflection said.
“I’m doing what’s necessary,” Endar countered.
“But what if you’re wrong? What if the Node you’re protecting isn’t meant to exist?”
Endar turned away, but the reflection’s words had already planted seeds of doubt.
The mirrors began to move, creating a labyrinth. The reflections grew sharper, their voices louder, almost consuming reality itself.
“We need to get out of here,” Melania said, looking around. “This is a trap, created by our own fears.”
“But how do you escape what is a part of you?” Endar asked.
That’s when she understood. The Node wasn’t just showing them their fears — it was trying to make them confront them.
“We don’t need to escape,” she said. “We need to accept ourselves, as we are.”
She stepped closer to her reflection and touched its surface. Cold waves coursed through her body, but she didn’t pull back.
“I accept my fears, my doubts, my mistakes,” she said.
The mirror shattered, dissolving into golden dust that merged with the Node’s space.
Seeing this, Endar did the same. He faced his fear and acknowledged it as part of himself. His mirror also disappeared, leaving behind only a faint whisper.
When the last mirror shattered, the space around them began to clear. The light of the spheres grew steadier, calmer.
“This was a lesson,” Melania said.
“The Node was testing us,” Endar added. “And now it understands that chaos is part of balance.”
The symbol at the center of the Node changed once more, becoming simpler yet more perfect.
“We move forward,” Melania said, determination resonating in her voice.
Endar nodded.
“But the greatest trial still lies ahead.”