The footsteps of Lumis and Eili echoed in the vast hall, as if the space itself attentively listened to their journey. The light emanating from the symbols on the walls flickered, seemingly guiding them forward. The fragments in their hands reacted to the light—emitting faint pulses that synchronized with the throbbing of the symbols.
— They are leading us somewhere, — Eili noted, stopping by a wall covered in intricate patterns. Her gaze drifted over symbols resembling mechanical parts intertwined with incomprehensible formulas.
— But where exactly? — Lumis asked, gripping his fragment. Anxiety reflected in his eyes.
— Deeper. To the truth, — Eili answered, not taking her eyes off the light. — But it seems they are testing us.
Their steps brought them to a crossroad—two corridors branching off in opposing directions. The right path was bathed in bright light, while the left plunged into thick darkness.
— What now? — Lumis looked back at Eili, waiting for her decision.
Eili stared into both paths.
— The light could be a trap, while the darkness might be the way. But it could also be the other way around.
Lumis sighed and glanced at his fragment. Its surface suddenly changed, reflecting a portion of the symbols from the walls.
— Look, — he lifted the fragment so Eili could see too. — Is this… a map?
A chain of symbols like a labyrinth appeared on the fragment. They looked like instructions or directions.
— It seems to be a clue, — Eili said. — The right path.
Without hesitation, they moved toward the light.
The path narrowed, and the symbols on the walls grew more complex and radiant. Their brightness created a sensation that an invisible energy lay hidden behind them.
Suddenly, the walls began to alter. The patterns moved, creating the illusion that the space itself was shifting. The fragments in their hands started to glow brighter, as if warning them of something.
— What is going on? — Lumis whispered.
Eili touched the wall, and her hand sank through it.
— This isn’t reality, — she murmured. — It’s an illusion.
In that instant, the ground beneath them trembled. The light vanished, and they found themselves in complete darkness.
— Lumis! — Eili cried, feeling her fragment begin to vibrate.
— Hold on to me! — he shouted in response, extending his hand.
The darkness began to solidify, morphing into a shape reminiscent of moving shadows. They swirled around, creating the sensation that they had entered the center of a vast mechanism coming to life.
— This is a trial, — Eili whispered, gripping Lumis’s hand. — They want to see if we are ready to continue.
At that moment, the shadows halted, and amidst them appeared a new symbol, pulsing before them.
— What is that? — Lumis asked.
Eili stepped forward and reached out to the symbol. At that instant, the fragment in her hand connected with it, and the darkness began to disperse.
Light ignited once more, revealing a new path before them where massive doors with mechanical elements loomed in the distance.
— We made it, — Eili said, breathing heavily.
— But this is just the beginning, — Lumis added, moving toward the doors.