Darrian's POV
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The world around me dissolved into stillness.
Not silence. Not emptiness. Just... stillness. A hush that pressed against my ears like wool. The light from the clearing behind me had vanished. The ground beneath my feet was no longer soft with grass but hard, unyielding. Stone, maybe. Or something colder.
I took a breath-and regretted it.
The air here was thick. Heavy with something more than just weight. It carried the sharp scent of memory. Of regret.
Of truth.
This was the third veil.
The final trial.
I moved forward, boots echoing on the invisible surface, and the darkness stirred around me. It wasn't just night. It was reflection-mirrored shadows dancing with my thoughts. And the veil didn't hesitate to strike.
The world shimmered.
Then broke.
I stood at
