The air cracked as Kael's fist collided with his reflection's jaw, sending the twisted version of himself spiraling backward. But instead of staying down, it twisted mid-air and landed with feline grace, laughing — a distorted, grating sound that echoed around the arena.
"You think you've changed?" it sneered. "You're still the same coward who hesitated when it mattered."
Kael's breath was ragged, his heartbeat loud in his ears. The silver threads pulsed along his arm, resonating with his anger — but unstable. His power wasn't fully under control yet, and the reflection was faster, sharper, crueler.
It knew every doubt he'd ever buried.
The mirror images surrounding the arena shimmered — now displaying scenes from Kael's past. His mother, dying in his arms. The burning village. His trembling hand reaching out, only to pull back. Again. And again.
The reflection struck.
Kael barely raised his arm in time to block, the impact numbing his bones. His own scream rang hollow in the dreamlike air.
[SYSTEM WARNING: MENTAL INTEGRITY FALTERING]
Stability Threshold: 41%
The arena flickered, distorting into a surreal nightmare. The floor cracked beneath his feet, revealing void beneath the mirrors. The illusion wanted to break him.
But something stirred.
A second heartbeat. Not his own.
Kael's eyes widened as a thread of warmth — real warmth — surged from his chest. A memory, not of pain, but of promise.
A hand reaching toward him, from years ago. Hers.
"You're not alone, Kael. Even if the world turns away, I'll still believe in you."
That voice.
Lyria.
It crashed into him like a wave of light. The reflection staggered, its features twitching, warping.
"You… can't hold on to that. She's gone," it snarled.
Kael stood.
"No. She's part of me. And that makes me stronger than you."
The silver tattoo lit up, the threads unraveling into sharp lines that coiled around his forearm like living steel.
[SYSTEM NOTICE: EMOTIONALLY-ANCHORING THREAD IDENTIFIED]
Soul Fragment Resonance Achieved – 62% Integration
[New Skill Unlocked: Threadbind – Echo Manifestation]
Kael raised his arm.
The silver threads launched forward like blades, piercing the reflection's chest. It convulsed, then shattered into thousands of glass-like shards that dissolved into mist.
Silence returned.
The mirrors stopped flickering. The arena floor solidified.
[Trial Complete]
You have overcome your First Reflection.
Soul Fragment Secured: Aspect of Will.
Kael fell to his knees, chest heaving. But he wasn't broken.
He was awakening.
Far above, unseen by Kael, figures cloaked in celestial silk observed the trial from a high balcony.
"He has potential," one murmured.
"He's unstable," another replied.
"But he survived the First Reflection. That's more than most."
The first figure smiled faintly. "Let's see how far the Threaded One can go before he unravels."