Chapter 20: Trials of the Soul

The walls crept closer, their menacing advance accompanied by the ghostly whispers of ages past. My heartbeat echoed loudly in my ears, every thud a stark reminder of the narrowing window of time.

In a desperate bid, I called out, "Seraphina! Can you hear me?"

The temple responded with an eerie silence, broken only by a soft, melancholic hum. As I strained my ears, trying to discern its source, a path illuminated on the floor, winding its way through the maze-like interior.

Trusting my instincts, I followed the path, each turn leading me deeper into the temple's heart. Along the way, ethereal apparitions appeared, each a fragment of my memories with Seraphina. Some were joyous, others fraught with tension, but all were testaments to our bond.

A soft voice, unmistakably Seraphina's, resonated from the shadows. "Do you remember our promise, Eryx?"

A memory surfaced—Seraphina and I, under a canopy of stars, hands intertwined, swearing to always find our way back to each other, no matter