The fracture still pulsed with faint light, like a heartbeat suspended in the void. Vivian's hands were sore, her skin raw, but she could not let go. Sebastian's grip was steady, unwavering, as if they had become one will, one presence, one defiance against everything that had come before.
"The game has begun," he whispered, voice low, trembling only slightly.
Vivian's eyes scanned the shattered chambers. The Watcher had not moved, only stepped back. But its presence pressed on them like invisible air, heavy and dense, filled with expectation. Every particle of light, every floating shard seemed alive, charged with knowledge older than the Trial itself.
Then the air shifted. A current of cold energy brushed against their skin, threading between the broken fragments of the chamber. Symbols shimmered, forming shapes unfamiliar but deliberate. Vivian felt them resonate deep in her mind. Memories? Warnings? Or a puzzle only the brave could solve?
