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Chapter 5 – Realm of the Forgotten God
The forest of the Threshold gave way to a shimmering portal, a rippling curtain of light that hummed with energy. The cloaked stranger stopped at its edge. "Beyond this lies the realm of Astarion, a minor god long forgotten by mortals but still feared by those who remember. Your first trial beyond the Threshold is not of brute force—it is of cunning, perception, and restraint."
Kaelen swallowed hard. His heart pounded with equal parts excitement and dread. A god? Here? Me?
The stranger's hand brushed his shoulder. "Step carefully. The rules here are not written in iron or blood—they are inscribed in thought, in spirit. One wrong move, and even your powers may betray you."
Taking a deep breath, Kaelen stepped through the portal. The world shifted instantly. The sky was a swirling violet, dotted with floating islands of stone and waterfalls that flowed upward. Trees glimmered with silver leaves, their roots twisting through the air like living ribbons. The air thrummed with power, thick and tangible.
"Where… am I?" Kaelen whispered.
"You are in Astarion's domain," the stranger replied. "A god of memory and shadows. He tests intruders by confronting them with truths they are not ready to face."
No sooner had the words left his mind than a shadow materialized before him—a mirror image of himself, but older, harsher, and with eyes full of accusation.
"Who… who are you?" Kaelen stammered.
"I am you," the reflection said, voice like a thousand echoes. "Or rather, the you you refuse to acknowledge. Your fear, your doubt, your hesitation—they are chains. Break them, or be broken."
Kaelen's pulse surged. He felt the sigil on his arm flare in response, its energy intertwining with his thoughts. Power alone would not defeat this mirror; he had to confront himself.
Closing his eyes, he forced himself to breathe, to focus, to separate truth from fear. Slowly, he stepped toward the reflection. The air shimmered with tension, reality bending under the weight of the trial.
"You are stronger than you believe," Kaelen whispered. "I will not be afraid."
The reflection paused, then nodded slowly. Its form dissolved into silver mist, leaving Kaelen standing alone on the floating island. He felt lighter, steadier, as if a hidden weight had been lifted.
The stranger's voice rang in his mind. "Well done. Remember this—many gods will not test you with force, but with your own mind. Survive them, and you may yet survive the Convergence."
Kaelen exhaled, gazing across the surreal landscape. Ahead lay challenges he could not yet imagine. But for the first time, he felt a spark of confidence: he was awakening to the powers within, and the realms themselves were beginning to recognize him.
The Convergence was pulling him forward, and Kaelen was ready to walk its path—one careful step at a time.
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