The summit of the Mountain of Nightmares was not a peak. It was a mirror.
The ground was polished obsidian, reflecting the bruised, churning sky of the Crucible. In the center, suspended by chains of pure gravity, hung the Bell of Entropy. It was a massive, jagged shard of crystal that pulsed with a chaotic, sickly light.
And standing beneath it was the Final Test.
Future Arden.
She wore armor made of starlight and void. Her hair was white, floating as if underwater. Her eyes were two black holes. In her hand, she held a sword that looked like a tear in reality a blade of pure absence.
"You look tired," Future Arden said. Her voice wasn't a sound; it was a vibration in their bones.
"I've had a long week," the real Arden said, gripping Callum's knife. Her arm was still numb from shattering the gate. Her body was a map of bruises. But her mind was clear.
