The Heart of Laert

The ruins grew deeper into silence, and with every step, it felt as if time flowed differently. The darkness thickened, and the air grew heavier, as if the city itself wanted to hold them within its walls. Stones groaned beneath their feet, every sound echoing through the halls, as if the walls were listening.

Ahead, among broken columns and scattered debris, stood a massive gate leading into a vast hall. Its metal was entwined with roots and rusted over the centuries. In the center of the door lay a strange symbol: two intertwined rings surrounded by cracks, like a web. The stranger stopped and turned to Kai.

“This is the end of the road. Here, the city asks its final question.”

“What’s the trick?” Toren asked, gripping the hilt of his knife.

“You’ll meet who you were,” the stranger replied, “and who you fear becoming. This place will **** you to choose.”

“And what happens if we choose wrong?” Lida glanced at the dark arches around them, as if expecting shadows to leap out at any moment.

The stranger gave a faint smile.

“Then you’ll remain here forever.”

A chill ran down Kai’s spine—not only from the stranger’s words but from the realization that the choice would be about more than what lay before him. It would be about what was buried deep within him.

“We won’t turn back,” Kai said quietly, gripping the hilt of his sword. “Let’s go.”

The stranger pressed his hand against the gate. It opened with a groan, inviting them into the vast hall beyond. Inside, they were greeted by emptiness. The high ceilings disappeared into darkness, and the floor was strewn with shattered statues, as if someone had tried to build something grand but neverf inished.

In the center of the hall stood a black platform, pulsing with a faint, eerie glow.

“This is it,” the stranger whispered. “The Heart of Laert.”

As they stepped forward, the doors slammed shut behind them. The hall shuddered with a deep, muffled sigh—not of wind, but as if the darkness itself had come alive. Shadows swirled around the platform, slowly taking shape.

Kai stepped back as the figure emerged. He recognized it instantly—it was him. But not quite. It was a version of Kai: his face hardened, his expression grim and merciless. This was Kai without regret, without hesitation. His eyes held no pain, only cold determination.

“This is who you’ll become if you continue down this path,” the stranger said.

“A hollow shell,” Kai murmured. “Living only for ****.”

The figure drew a sword—a perfect reflection of the one Kai carried—and pointed it at him.

“If you want to move forward,” the double said, “you’ll have to fight me. Or become me.”

Kai faced his reflection, the weight of old memories pressing on his shoulders.

“You’ve always known nothing would change,” the double continued, “unless you accept it. Let go of the regret. Forget. Live only for strength and survival. That’s the only way to win.”

“I won’t be like you,” Kai whispered, though his voice wavered.

The double stepped forward, and their swords clashed with a sharp ring. Each strike stirred memories within Kai—moments of choice when he could have acted differently but didn’t. The battle was not just physical; it was a reflection of Kai’s fears and doubts, playing out in front of him.

The double attacked relentlessly, every strike landing with precision. With each blow, Kai felt his hope slipping away, and a voice whispered inside him: “Give in. Accept it. Be strong. Leave the pain behind.”

Kai dropped to one knee, breathing heavily, as the double raised his sword for the final strike.

But just as despair threatened to take hold, Kai saw them—Lida, Toren, and Faren. Images of his companions filled his mind. He remembered those who had stood by his side, and those he had lost along the way. Then he understood: He didn’t need to forget the pain or run from it. He needed to embrace it—all of it.

Kai looked up at his double. Instead of raising his sword, he let it fall from his hand.

“I’m not afraid anymore,” he said. “You don’t control me.”

The double hesitated, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. He stepped back, his form beginning to dissolve, as if his existence depended on the fear that Kai had now conquered.

“You’re no longer part of me,” Kai whispered. “Goodbye.”

The figure faded into mist, its sword crumbling into dust. Silence fell over the hall, and the platform glowed brighter, banishing the last traces of darkness.

Kai rose slowly, feeling a strange sense of lightness. The past was no longer a burden to him.

The stranger approached with a smile.

“You did it. Not many pass this trial.”

“What happens now?” Kai asked, glancing back at his companions.

“Now, you are free,” the stranger replied. “And the road ahead lies open.”

Lida, Toren, and Faren joined him. They looked weary, but there was relief—and perhaps even respect—in their eyes.

Kai took the reins of Shadow and stroked her neck.

The massive doors swung open, letting in a flood of sunlight. They left Laert not as fugitives, but as victors.

Kai knew new challenges awaited them. But now, he was ready for anything.

He wasn’t running anymore.

He was moving forward.

(Lida POV)

Lida was breathing heavily, feeling her legs tremble from fatigue and fear. Darkness reigned around her, viscous and deaf, as if the city deliberately absorbed every particle of light. The ruins of Laertes turned out to be much more treacherous than they expected. But this place was not just ruins — it looked into their souls and **** them to fight with themselves.

When they entered the huge hall, each of them found themselves alone with their own demons. Lida knew that it would not be easy, but she did not even realize how difficult it would be to resist her shadow.

Her reflected version stood in front of her.

Lida recognized her at first glance: it was her, but cold-blooded and indifferent, devoid of compassion. There was only one thing in this Lida's eyes — a willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of victory.

"You're weak," her twin said with a grin.

"No, not weak," Lida replied in a whisper, hardly believing her own words.

The doppelganger took a step forward. He was holding a dagger in his hands—her dagger, only there was no longer any doubt about it.

"The weakness is that you doubt. That you're clinging to people who can't even save themselves. They'll drag you down. Give them up and you will be free."

Lida tried to resist. She tightened her grip on the weapon in her hands, but each blow from the doppelganger only increased her uncertainty. Everything she was afraid of suddenly turned out to be true. If she stays with them, they will die. And if he abandons them for the sake of his own strength…

There were two voices in her head, one calling for her to retreat, the other for her to fight to the end. But, overcome with despair, Lida could not choose. Her weapon slipped from her hands and she fell to her knees in front of herself.

"You will never win," the doppelganger whispered, disappearing into the shadows.

Toren and Faren also gave up. Lida saw their gaze as they collapsed in front of their reflections—exhausted, broken. In each of them, this cursed city revealed the pain they were trying to hide.

When the shadows took over their minds, Lida felt a chill fill her heart. They all failed. The test is over, and now they will remain here forever — prisoners of their fears.

But in the middle of this darkness, one person was still standing.

Kai.

He was on his knees, breathing heavily, surrounded by a shadow that was getting denser every moment. His reflection, cold and ruthless— loomed over him, ready to deliver the final blow. Lida was already ready to accept defeat, but something had changed.

She saw Kai lower his sword.

"I will not become you," he said, looking into the eyes of his double.

His voice was quiet, but there was a firmness in it. Lida felt it: not despair, but acceptance. Kai no longer resisted himself—he accepted the pain, the fear, and the loss. He stopped fighting against the past and allowed himself to be ****.

The doppelganger froze, as if not understanding what was happening. His power was fueled by fear, but Kai was no longer afraid. At that moment, the reflection disintegrated, like a shadow split by a ray of light.

Kai stood up and looked at them. Lida met his gaze. There was no trace of doubt in his eyes—only determination.

"You... were able to," she whispered, hardly believing what she was seeing.

When the shadows disappeared, the light returned to the hall. The space was filled with a soft glow, and the bonds holding Lida, Toren and Faren loosened at once. They felt the warmth returning to them, driving away the heaviness from their thoughts.

Kai stepped up to Lida and held out his hand.

"Get up," he said calmly.

She took his hand, and at that moment something inside her changed. Not only did he save them all, he showed them that the way forward is possible, even when it seems that there is no way out anymore.

Faren sighed softly, "We would all have stayed here if it wasn't for you."

"But I couldn't leave you,— Kai replied.

Toren nodded, looking at Kai with respect for the first time in a long time. "You turned out to be tougher than we thought."

Lida was silent. But a strange feeling was burning in her chest, as if the darkness that had held her in its chains for so long had finally dissipated.

They headed for the exit. Looking back at the dark hall for the last time, Lida realized that she was no longer afraid.

The ruins of Laertes were left behind. And although the ordeal broke them, Kai showed them the way. They were free now.

The shadows of the past no longer had power over them.