Feng Xian stands at the mirrored edge of an immense submerged dome, the walls forged from seamless, glistening pearl glass. The water, however, does not drown — it floats unnaturally, held in place as if awaiting a decision.
Beside him, three Pavilion observers chant rites in Old Aquan, releasing the seal.
The Tide wrought Mirror is not a test of strength or raw will — it is reflection. A test of identity, of truth, and of the burdens one's flame cannot burn away.
Inside the mirror chamber, Feng Xian sees:
Versions of himself — a loyal son, a clan less exile, a tyrant crowned in blood, a beast-born warlord, a flickering ember in endless sea.
Each version tempts, mocks, or threatens him, speaking truths laced in doubt:
"You are nothing without the Beast borne spark."
"You'll burn those you love… again."
"Even the Crown will drown you, in the end."
🧬 What the Mirror Tests
The mirror's purpose is to split the soul — to expose whether the one before it walks with clarity or chaos.
Feng Xian, scarred by memory and fire, feels his beast blood threaten to awaken within the chamber… yet he does not fall.
Instead, he embraces what the others fear:
"I am the exile."
"I am the flame that lost control."
"And I will rise again — even if the mirror shatters trying to stop me."
🩸 Outcome
The illusions wither.
From the center of the chamber rises a coral-forged circlet, wrapped in tidal silk — a gift from the Pavilion's founders.
A fragment of the Pavilion Crown. Not the Seventh itself, but a piece of its voice — enough to grant communion with the Reef's memory.
🌀 "Flame Recognized by Water."
⚔️ "Third Path Opened."
🌩️ Meanwhile…
Unseen above, the tide shivers unnaturally.
Far beyond the Pavilion, at the coast — Ashkai's trident shard pulses faintly, resonating with what just awakened beneath the sea.