Lyras's eyes scanned the pages of the book, her expression intent. Suddenly, the room around them began to shift and change, the walls dissolving into a vast, dark landscape.
Kael stumbled, his foot catching on a loose stone. Thorne caught his arm, steadying him.
"What's happening?" Kael asked, his voice shaking.
Lyra's eyes locked onto the horizon. "The first trial," she said. "We must face our deepest fears."
As she spoke, a figure began to take shape on the horizon. It was a dark, shadowy form, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
Kael's heart sank. He knew that figure.
"It's my father," he whispered.
Thorne's eyes locked onto the figure. "What happened to him?" he asked.
Kael's eyes dropped. "He died," he said. "In a fire."
The figure began to move closer, its eyes fixed on Kael.
Lyra's voice was firm. "We must face our fears, Kael. We can't let them consume us."
Kael steeled himself, determination burning within him. He was ready to face his father's ghost.
But as the figure drew closer, Kael realized that it wasn't his father at all. It was something far more sinister.