A New Burden
The energy of the Lost Orb surged through Eren. Shadows writhed and bowed around him, as if acknowledging their new master. Yet within him, unease grew—something deep and intrinsic felt torn away, replaced by a foreign, dark presence.
Lyssandra's voice broke the heavy silence. "With each fragment, you grow stronger, but you also lose a piece of yourself. This path will make you unstoppable, yes, but it may devour who you are."
Eren's grip tightened on the glowing fragment book. Another page had unveiled itself, etched with symbols of ancient portals and celestial beasts.
[New Main Quest Unlocked: Cross the Gates of Infinity.]
"What are these gates?" Eren asked, his voice steady but tinged with apprehension.
"They are a bridge," Lyssandra said, her tone somber, "between this realm and the Beyond. But they are also a trap. Only those who master the darkness can hope to return. And none ever have."
The Journey to the Gates
The path to the Gates of Infinity was perilous, leading them to the farthest edge of the Cursed Forest. Here, the air grew thick with an unnatural chill, and the terrain twisted into grotesque shapes. Trees bent into arches, their roots clawing at the earth like talons.
Along the way, creatures unlike anything they had faced before attacked with ferocious intent: colossal Black Mist Golems, spectral Void Falcons, and the eerie Ashen Wardens, humanoid beings composed of smoldering ash and flame.
The battles grew fiercer, and the whispers of the shadows grew louder. They coaxed Eren to unleash more power, to surrender fully to their influence.
Lyssandra, though fighting alongside him with unwavering resolve, seemed drained as each encounter wore on. "If the Gates are this well-guarded," she murmured during a brief reprieve, "then what lies beyond must be even worse."
Eren's jaw clenched, determination etched across his features. "Then we'll face it."
The Gates of Infinity
After days of relentless trials, they reached the Gates of Infinity. Towering over the forest canopy, they radiated an ominous presence. Composed of intertwining threads of light and shadow, they seemed alive, pulsating with raw, otherworldly energy.
At the base of the Gates stood an ancient altar, its surface inscribed with glowing runes. Lyssandra knelt beside it, tracing the symbols with her fingers.
"To open the Gates," she said, her voice low and grave, "you must offer a piece of your soul. But be warned: what lies within will test you. Fail, and the Gates will consume you entirely."
Eren stepped forward without hesitation. Placing his hand on the altar, he felt a searing pain as a fragment of his very essence was ripped away. The Gates trembled, then opened with a deafening roar, revealing a swirling vortex of light and shadow.
The Other Side
Crossing through the Gates, Eren was engulfed by an overwhelming storm of visions—memories of his past, dreams, and distorted fragments of futures he had never lived.
When the storm subsided, he found himself in an alien realm. The ground beneath him was a polished black surface, reflecting his image like a dark mirror. Above, the sky swirled with constellations that seemed to shift and dance.
Ethereal beings began to materialize around him. Their forms flickered between pure light and undulating shadow, their eyes fixed on him with inscrutable intent.
[System Update: Unknown Realm Detected. Danger Level: Incalculable.]
The First Trial: Facing the Past
A deep, resonant voice echoed through the void.
"Eren, wielder of shadows, your first trial awaits. You must confront the truth you've buried."
Before him appeared a figure—his younger self, frail and downtrodden, the boy he had been before his transformation.
"This is who you were," the voice said. "Will you embrace it or deny it?"
Eren felt a wave of anger and humiliation rise within him. He had spent years erasing that version of himself, rejecting the weakness that once defined him.
But he forced himself to look past the anger. Slowly, he stepped toward his younger self.
"I was weak," Eren said, his voice steady. "But that doesn't shame me. I became stronger because of it. That boy is still a part of me."
The younger Eren nodded silently before dissolving into the air.
The Second Trial: The Lure of Power
The voice returned, deeper and more commanding.
"Ultimate power is within your grasp. Surrender your humanity, and it shall be yours."
A pedestal appeared before Eren, bearing an ornate artifact that radiated an irresistible allure. Lyssandra, who had somehow crossed into the realm with him, whispered urgently. "Don't touch it. That artifact is a trap—it will bind you forever."
Eren hesitated, feeling the pull of the artifact's promise. Visions of invincibility, of revenge against those who had betrayed him, danced before his eyes.
But he closed his hand into a fist, stepping away from the pedestal. "True strength is earned, not given. I refuse to become a puppet."
The artifact shattered, its shards dissolving into the void.
The Reward
With his resolve proven, the constellations above began to descend, their light coalescing into a radiant fragment: The Heart of the Infinite Stars.
[Fragment Acquired: Heart of the Infinite Stars.][New Skill Unlocked: Celestial Fury.]
As the fragment's energy coursed through him, Eren felt its power unlike any before it. It was not merely a tool; it was a key to unlocking his true potential.
Lyssandra approached cautiously. "You passed the trials, but the Gates won't let us leave so easily. The hardest part is yet to come."
Eren nodded, gripping the fragment tightly. "Then let them come. I'm ready for whatever this world throws at me."
To Be Continued…
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