The golden doorway stood before Emily.
Silent.
Waiting.
Its surface shimmered like liquid sunlight, ancient symbols flowing across it in endless patterns.
Beyond it lay the Second Trial.
Aurelia's final words echoed in her mind.
"The first trial tested your past."
"The second will test your future."
Emily took a slow breath.
The warmth she had gained from completing the First Trial still lingered inside her.
For the first time in years, the wounds from her childhood no longer felt like chains around her heart.
She had faced them.
Accepted them.
And survived.
But somehow...
The doorway before her felt far more frightening.
Because the past was already written.
The future wasn't.
The unknown had always been more terrifying.
Emily straightened her shoulders.
Then stepped forward.
The moment she touched the doorway—
The world exploded into light.
When the brightness faded, Emily found herself standing in the middle of a ruined city.
Her breath caught.
