When Orion opened his eyes, he was no longer in the meadow. Instead, he stood in a vast, ever-shifting labyrinth of stars and shadows. The walls pulsed with a rhythmic glow, and whispers slithered through the corridors.
Lyra was beside him, her breath shallow. "We're in her domain."
Orion exhaled sharply. He had thought the battle was over, but it seemed the true test was just beginning.
A figure emerged from the darkness—Nyxara herself. She was neither human nor celestial but something in between, draped in a flowing cloak of constellations, her face hidden behind a golden mask.
She tilted her head. "I am not your enemy, Orion."
He narrowed his eyes. "Then why trap us here?"
Nyxara extended a hand, and suddenly, visions flooded Orion's mind—countless timelines, each leading to destruction. He saw worlds collapsing, stars flickering out, and Lyra vanishing into oblivion.
"This is the fate of all realities," Nyxara said. "Unless you make the ultimate sacrifice."
Orion's blood ran cold. "Sacrifice?"
She nodded. "To fix the paradox, you must erase yourself from existence."
Chapter 46: A Choice Beyond Fate
Orion clenched his fists, his mind reeling. "Erase myself from existence? That's not an option."
Nyxara's violet eyes gleamed with an eerie amusement. "Then you doom all timelines to collapse."
Lyra stepped forward, her voice firm. "There has to be another way."
Nyxara's gaze flickered to her. "Perhaps. But that path comes at an even greater cost."
A ripple of energy coursed through the labyrinth, and suddenly, the walls shifted, revealing a throne of obsidian at the center of the celestial void. Floating above it was an ancient book, its pages inscribed with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Nyxara gestured toward it. "This is the Chronomancer's Testament—a relic older than time itself. Within its pages lies the secret to reshaping the paradox. But wielding it requires something more powerful than sacrifice."
Orion's breath hitched. "What?"
Nyxara's smile was slow, almost cruel. "Betrayal."
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