chapter 12

The Flames of Despair

Riven's eyes locked onto the abyss, his determination burning like a fire in his soul. "We ride through the flames," he declared, his voice echoing through the darkness.

The woman's whisper seemed to carry on the wind, her words a haunting reminder of the trials ahead. "Then let us begin," she said.

With a flick of her wrist, the shadows around us coalesced into a raging inferno. Flames of pure despair erupted from the earth, their tongues licking at the air like ravenous beasts. The heat was intense, the air thick with the stench of smoke and desperation.

Our ghostly steeds, sensing our fear and determination, surged forward with unnatural strength. We rode into the heart of the flames, the inferno closing in around us like a living entity.

Riven and I exchanged a glance, our eyes burning with a fierce intensity. We knew that we had to push through this trial, to ride out the flames and emerge victorious on the other side.

The heat was intense, but we pressed on, our steeds carrying us through the blazing inferno. The flames seemed to take on a life of their own, twisting and turning around us like a living serpent.

As we rode deeper into the heart of the fire, I felt a strange sensation building within me. It was as if I was being burned away, my very soul being consumed by the flames. But Riven's presence beside me was a beacon of hope, his determination and strength igniting a spark within me.

Suddenly, the flames parted before us, revealing a clearing in the midst of the inferno. In the center of the clearing stood an ancient, twisted tree, its branches reaching up towards the darkness like skeletal fingers.

The woman's voice whispered in our ears once more. "The first test is complete. But will you be able to overcome the Trial of Reflection?"

Do we face the Trial of Reflection?

To be continued...