DO YOU TRUST YOURSELF

Alex smiled, ready to embark on a new journey by following in his father's footsteps. He was determined to restore his clan's lost glory.

"I will join forces with you, but let's keep my brother's death under wraps and I need to meet Lady Lizzy Greene for an important message from my father," he said with a smile.

"Oh, your father is alive. His name sounds familiar, and I'm sorry to say that her highness passed away during her fifth rule," he said sadly.

"But we didn't receive any news about it. Father would be disappointed," he said, feeling let down. "Did her highness have a child with the king?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, but she's nothing like her mother. Perhaps with time, she will surpass her. Let's hope the goddess allows it."

"Yes, I hope so," he said.

"What are you two discussing?" a voice interrupted.

"Oh, it's nothing," Alex quickly replied, not wanting to raise any suspicion.

"You shouldn't trust this old man. Remember that," his brother warned. Alex nodded in agreement.

"Old man," Alan called out, "what are you telling my men?"

"What does it look like, I was doing what a father does," Philip replied.

"I like you, old man," he laughed as he continued. "The queen's instructions are very simple. You sit here with your guards, leaving me and my men to rescue the two princesses."

"Hmm, I see. That's fine by me, I guess," Philip replied indifferently as he closed his eyes.

The queen was hiding something, and he was far from finding out what she was up to. All he could do was sit, as he couldn't bear to let his precious gems die.

"Worry not, my men won't disturb," he continued with a smile on his face.

Alan was shocked to see the old man smile. The old man shouldn't be smiling, but rather venting his anger somewhere, Alan thought.

"Are you crazy, old man?" Alan asked, giving him a confused look.

"You go do what her highness asked of you, before it's too late," he said without opening his eyes.

Alan shivered at the mention of her highness and left the old man to himself, setting out with his men. Grand Guard Philip's men saw this and all had a puzzled expression on their faces.

Their attention was later diverted by Philip's voice, "Don't bother yourself, we will all soon set off back to the palace when they are back. In the meantime, rest and train soldiers."

They were all puzzled, but did as they were told.

At The Cauldron of Creation

Lily immediately got into the pool in a meditative way, and everywhere began to glow different colors.

Adeline began to smile, knowing that this would be the level where Lily would be tested. If she passed, then she would be lucky to be an extraordinary lady. She stood there, watching everything.

As everywhere began to glow different colors, it stopped and the colors started to glow at a slow pace. It started with green, then changed to blue, then to yellow, before turning to orange, advancing to brown, and later to red. Everything stopped.

Adeline's smile froze and immediately turned into a frown. "This is impossible," she said as she walked towards The Cauldron of Creations, where Lily was seated in a meditative pose behind a barrier.

Suddenly, two colors appeared - white and black - and the entire place turned black as lightning from different paths began to hit Lily's body. She only seemed to wince, not moving a muscle as her soul was pushed into the realm of The Cauldron of Creation.

A tall, thin man with a stooped back and hunched posture, long white hair, and bright blue eyes approached Lily. Despite his frail appearance, he exuded strength and dignity.

"You must be brave and strong enough for The Cauldron of Creation to choose you for this test if you wish to find the stone," the man said to Lily. "There will be many obstacles in your path, and you must be prepared to face them. You must also be wise and heed my counsel. Do you understand?" Lily nodded, but quickly said, "There must be a mistake. I didn't come for a stone."

The man continued, "You must also be kind and compassionate, and help those in need. For it is only through kindness that you can truly succeed." He looked at Lily expectantly, waiting for her reply.

"I don't understand what's going on," she replied.

"Follow me," the man said calmly. Lily hesitated, her mind racing with questions. "But where are we going?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"You'll see," the man replied as he began to walk away. She watched him, her heart pounding in her chest, unsure of what to do.

"Master, I sense a strong energy emitting. I guess we are being tested," a voice in her head interjected.

"I see. Should we follow him, or stay where we are?" she asked, unsure if she could trust him.

"Let's follow him and do as he says. He won't be able to hurt you," the voice replied.

"Follow me," the man said calmly. Lily hesitated, her mind filled with questions.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"You'll see," the man replied as he began to walk away. She watched him, her heart pounding in her chest.

She didn't know what to do. Should she follow him or stay where she was? She wanted to trust him, but she was afraid.

"Just a little further," the man called over his shoulder. "It's not far."

She took a deep breath and followed the man, each step becoming easier than the last.

"Remember to follow your heart," the old man said before vanishing. But a voice continued.

"There's a compass, a mirror, a flower. Each object could represent something important to you. Do enjoy," the voice faded.

Lily was immediately transported into a dream where the laws of physics didn't apply. The landscape changed constantly, and the terrain was treacherous and confusing.

"I think I shall give my best. We shouldn't lose," she said.

"Master, as you say," the voice in her head replied.

Lily saw a crystal ball appear and stood in front of it, her mind racing. Suddenly, she noticed something on the floor in front of her. It was a small, silver compass, its needle spinning wildly.

"Before we begin the next challenge, I want to share a story with you. There was once a young wizard who had a magical compass. This compass could lead him anywhere, but only if he asked the correct questions. It wouldn't work for anyone else, and it was rumored that if anyone else tried to use it, they would be forever lost."

"One day, the wizard found himself lost in a dark and dangerous forest. No matter which way he turned, he couldn't find his way out. Just when he was about to give up, he remembered the compass. He asked it, 'Which way should I go to find my way out of this forest?' The needle began to spin and eventually pointed him in the right direction. The moral of the story is that sometimes the right question is more important than the answer. Now, I have a question for you. Are you ready?"

Lily nodded, her heart pounding. "Do you trust yourself?" The question caught her off guard, but after a moment of thought.