Date: February 12, 542 years since the Fall of Zanra the Dishonored.
After the battle with the Shards, the mirrored labyrinth changed its tone. Where before it had been cold and detached, now the silence in the halls was filled with whispers that seemed to emanate from the very depths of the polished obsidian. Elwin walked ahead, and his Spirit of "Tenacious Memory" worked in filtration mode, cutting off thousands of false visual signals.
The knights Brand, Ulf, and Mark moved behind him, trying not to look around. However, ignoring the Pyramid of Reflections was becoming increasingly difficult. The mirrors on the walls no longer showed them themselves. Now they had turned into windows, behind which scenes unfolded unrelated to the present moment.
"Look..." Mark slowed his pace, mesmerized by a panel on the left. "That's Kaedan!"
Elwin spun around. In a huge mirror framed by ancient runes, he saw Kaedan and Iskon. They were standing in some colossal amphitheater before a giant shadow whose outlines resembled a scorpion with wings. The vision was so clear that Elwin smelled ozone and heard a distant, barely perceptible roar of the monster.
"It's not just a picture," the young man realized. "The Temple is broadcasting the reality of other sectors through my memories of my friends."
In the next mirror, he saw Liana. She was running across a bridge of floating stones, and behind her, Grak the Axe was holding a glowing dome against an advancing grey haze. The girl's face was contorted with strain, and emerald vines stretched from her palms.
Elwin felt his inner essence clench painfully. The Pyramid of Reflections had found a way to strike harder than the Shards. It showed him the danger his comrades were in, depriving him of the ability to help. This psychological burden began to drain his energy faster than open combat.
"Don't stop!" Elwin's voice rang out harshly, though a tremor could be heard in it. "It's a trap set by the Temple. It wants us to rush to help the reflections and dash ourselves against the rocks."
"But they're dying there!" Mark lunged towards the mirror where Liana had stumbled on a slab. "We have to do something!"
Elwin grabbed the young knight's arm. The density of his Warrior power at that moment was such that Mark involuntarily gasped. "If you strike the mirror, you won't save Liana. You'll only release a new wave of shadows. Our only help is to break through to the Center. Only there do all paths converge."
They entered a hall where the floor was absent. Instead, a narrow bridge led across the abyss, consisting of hundreds of small mirrored fragments. The problem was that the bridge was "transparent"—it reflected only the sky, which wasn't there, creating the illusion that the knights would have to step into the void.
Elwin half-closed his eyes, activating his Spirit. He began to reconstruct in his memory the architectural logic of this place. He "remembered" the bridge's supports, hidden beneath the visual deception. His energy stretched out in thin threads, feeling for the solid surface where his eyes saw only an abyss.
"Follow me. Step in step," he commanded.
It was a test of faith. Brand and the others walked, literally stepping into the void, trusting only in Elwin's confident back. At one point, in the mirrors flanking the bridge, Liana's image appeared again. This time she was looking directly at Elwin, and her lips silently pleaded for help.
The young man felt cold sweat sting his eyes. His Spirit of "Tenacious Memory" screamed at him that this was a lie, but his heart demanded otherwise. For a moment, he froze, and the bridge under his feet gave a plaintive clink.
"Elwin, don't listen!" Brand boomed, placing a heavy hand on the young man's shoulder. "Your Vessel is clean, don't let this rot cloud it. We are warriors of the Order, not slaves to visions."
The veteran's words acted like cold water. Elwin took a deep breath, and his inner energy flared up, cleansing his mind of the imposed images. He understood: the Temple was using his own Spirit against him, turning his memory into a source of hallucinations.
They crossed the bridge. On the other side, a massive door, adorned with the symbol of an all-seeing eye, awaited them. As soon as the last knight set foot on solid ground, the mirrors behind them shattered, showering down in a million tiny fragments.
Elwin turned. There was no more confusion in his gaze. He understood the rules of this pyramid. It fed on their attachments and fears.
"Let's move on," he said, opening the door. "Now I know the Temple fears our unity more than our swords. We will find them. All of them."
Beyond the door began a long descent, and Elwin felt they were finally leaving the zone of illusions. But ahead, a different power already vibrated—heavy, ancient, and absolutely real. The Pyramid of Reflections had been traversed, but the path to Equilibrium was only beginning.