Serafina stood before them, arms crossed, her golden eyes scanning them with quiet approval. She had been waiting.
"So, you all made it through," she said with a small nod. "Good. I expected no less."
Lumi shook her head, still trying to process everything. "That… that was weird. It felt so real."
Medusa frowned, brushing dust off her clothes. "It was real—just not in the way we're used to."
Alex rolled his shoulders, his gaze sharp but unreadable. "Doesn't matter. We passed. What's next?"
Serafina smirked. "Now, we move to the next stage."
She turned and walked forward, the others falling in line behind her. The air inside the fortress was heavier now, charged with an ominous presence. The hallway ahead of them was no longer endless—it led to a massive stone door, its surface covered in ancient, glowing runes pulsing like a heartbeat.
Ryu eyed it warily. "Let me guess. Another trial?"
