Ren and his friends stepped forward, into the heart of the ruins. The air was still—heavy, but not in a bad way. It felt strange. Like time itself didn't move here.
Ren felt the mark on his hand burn brighter, as if reacting to the strange place around them. The ground beneath their feet was cracked, and the sky above was dark but clear, with no stars. The buildings were ancient, twisted, and broken. It all felt wrong, like they were in a place that shouldn't exist.
"This is the Third Step," Hina whispered, her voice almost reverent. "This is where everything begins. Or ends."
Ren didn't understand. He looked around, confused, but before he could ask, the ground shook.
"What's going on?" Ren asked, alarmed.
"Stay calm," Hina said, her voice steady. "It's a warning. We're close."
Then, from the shadows, a figure appeared.
It wasn't human. It looked like a man, but its body was covered in dark energy, swirling like smoke. Its eyes were glowing red, and the air seemed to twist around it.
Ren felt a chill run down his spine. "What is that?"
"That," Hina said, "is the guardian of this place. It's not a monster, but it is a test. The test of the Third Step."
The creature stepped forward, its footsteps cracking the ground beneath it. "You are not worthy," it growled. "You cannot face the truth."
Ren's heart raced. This was no ordinary enemy. It was something different.
"You… You bear the mark," the creature said, its voice deep and heavy.
"What does that mean?" Ren asked.
"It means you are the one," it said. "You will either save or destroy."
The creature's presence felt like a weight on Ren's chest. He couldn't breathe. But he couldn't back down either. He had to face whatever was coming.
"We cannot fight it," Hina said. "We have to face it with our minds. This is a trial of will."
Ren blinked. "A trial of will?"
Hina nodded. "It will test our fears, our doubts. We have to resist it. If we don't… we fail."
The creature's eyes locked on Ren, its glowing red gaze piercing into him. "You will fail. You are nothing."
Ren felt the darkness closing in on him. It whispered in his mind, telling him he wasn't strong enough, that he wasn't worthy.
But then, Sora stepped forward. "I'm not afraid," she said, her voice strong. "We've made it this far. We're not turning back now."
Her words cut through the darkness like light through shadows. Ren saw Sora clearly now, not just as a friend, but as someone with her own power. Her mark, like his, was glowing brightly.
Hina stepped forward too, her mark blazing like a star. "The test isn't about power. It's about facing our fears together."
Ren felt a wave of strength. He wasn't alone. He had Sora. He had Hina. They would face this together.
The creature roared. "You cannot win," it bellowed. "You are nothing."
Ren stood firm. "I am something," he said, his voice louder now. "And together, we will face this. We will see the truth."
With a surge of energy, the darkness shattered. The creature screamed, its form breaking apart like glass.
The silence returned.
They stood at the edge of the Third Step, the door of light ahead of them. It was time to face the truth.
Ren looked at Sora and Hina. "Are you ready?"
Sora nodded. "We came this far. We face whatever comes next, together."
Hina's eyes were calm. "There is no turning back."
Ren stepped forward. The door opened wider.
The truth was waiting.
And he was ready to face it.
---
To be continued...