The secluded fire on the altar burned more and more fiercely, as if enveloping the entire space in a blaze of light. The oppressive feeling of the darkness was completely broken at this moment, but what followed was an even stronger sense of danger. Lucas, Darlene, and the Soul Reaper stood in front of the altar, their gazes fixed on the faint but menacing soul lamp.
"The soul lamp..." Darlene murmured softly, her eyes filled with complex emotions, a mix of anticipation and apprehension. "To touch it, we must be prepared to face the final trial."
The Soul Reaper closed his eyes and his lips moved slightly, as if he was muttering some incantation. Before his words faded away, the secluded fire on the altar suddenly surged, and the entire altar shook violently. Countless runes rose from the altar and converged into a huge vortex, surrounding them.
"This is the beginning of the trial," the Soul Reaper's voice became blurred in the vortex. "At this moment, each of us will face our deepest fears and desires. Only by overcoming these can we touch the soul lamp."
"Fears and desires?" Lucas furrowed his brows and tightened his grip on his long sword. He was already prepared to face any challenge, but a hint of doubt welled up in his heart. "What exactly is going on?"
The Soul Reaper's gaze was profound, as if he was recalling something. "Deep in everyone's heart, there are fears and desires that they can't face. The trial is to make you confront these. Only by eliminating these dark aspects can you be fearless of the power of the soul lamp."
As soon as he finished speaking, the light in the vortex suddenly flickered, and their figures were instantly sucked into it. Then, all sounds seemed to disappear, and the surroundings were plunged into an endless silence.
Lucas's heart rate accelerated, and the scene in front of him began to distort. He suddenly found himself in an endless darkness. There was nothing around, only a cold gray mist floating in the air. A familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
"You..." Lucas furrowed his brows slightly, his gaze fixed on the person. "You are..."
The person was his brother, Kyle—a comrade who had fought side by side with him and gone through life and death. However, at this moment, Kyle's eyes were filled with indifference and disdain.
"You've failed after all," Kyle's voice sounded coldly, with a hint of sarcasm. "Did you think you could escape your fate? You've always been nothing more than a pawn controlled by fate."
Lucas's heart tightened. His intuition told him that this wasn't the real Kyle but his fear—the fear of not being able to control his own fate and of not being able to break free from his past.
"You're wrong!" Lucas shouted loudly, his gaze firm. "I'm not a pawn and will never be bound by fate."
Kyle sneered, and his figure gradually blurred. "Do you think you can change your fate with just your enthusiasm? You're just a insignificant existence."
Lucas closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suddenly opened his eyes. He tightened his grip on
the sword hilt and took a step forward. The fear in his heart was dispelled by his determination. Kyle's figure finally disappeared completely, and his mind became extremely clear.
"I won't be bound by the past anymore," Lucas said in a low voice, his eyes shining with unwavering determination.
At the same time, Darlene's figure also appeared in another space. She looked around and found herself in a vast wasteland. The sky was gray, and the air was filled with a oppressive atmosphere. In the distance, a familiar figure slowly approached.
"Father?" Darlene could hardly believe her eyes.
Her father had once been her pride and the goal she had pursued all her life. But now, this figure exuded a strange coldness and looked at her expressionlessly.
"You're not my father," Darlene's voice was low and firm. "You're just my desire, and I can't be held back by you anymore."
"You're right," the figure smiled slightly and suddenly turned into a pile of ashes, dissipating in the wind.
Darlene took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She wasn't troubled by her past but overcame the fear in her heart with great determination. She knew that the real her shouldn't live in her father's shadow and that she should pursue her own future.
The Soul Reaper's trial wasn't as straightforward. The moment he entered the trial, he found himself standing in a desolate palace. It was silent all around, and only a faint candlelight flickered in the corner. A figure in a black robe walked slowly over, its face blurred and its aura cold.
"Do you think you can pass all the trials?" the person whispered. "Your inner greed, your past, will all drag you into the abyss."
The Soul Reaper didn't answer. Instead, he slowly raised his hand and released a powerful soul power, repelling the black shadow in front of him.
"I won't be trapped by my past mistakes anymore," the Soul Reaper said coldly, his voice full of determination. "The path I've walked determines my future."
The black shadow let out a mournful cry and then turned into a cloud of black fog and dissipated. The Soul Reaper stood there, his eyes shining with a cold light. His trial was to make him face his inner obsessions and his past decisions, and he was no longer bound by his past.
As the three of them successfully broke through the trials, the secluded fire on the altar suddenly burst out with a dazzling light. The soul lamp slowly rose and hovered in the air, emitting a scorching light.
"We've succeeded," Lucas said in a low voice, his eyes filled with unspoken excitement and determination.
Darlene also let out a sigh of relief and a gratified smile appeared on her face. The Soul Reaper walked to the altar, his gaze fixed on the soul lamp shining with a mysterious light. He took a deep breath.
"Next, we will completely sever the power of the nightmare spirit and end all of this," the Soul Reaper's voice was firm, revealing an unshakable determination.
They were ready to face the final battle. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lay ahead, they would bravely move forward until they put an end to all of this.