Page 48 of Second

And for the first time in centuries, he dared to believeher.

The silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of what had been said. Zar’Ryn held Elara’s gaze, her steady presence grounding him in a way he did not fully understand.

The bond between them reverberated faintly, aquiet reassurance in the aftermath of their shared confessions. He had bared his soul to her, stripped away the armor of detachment and control that had defined him for centuries, and in return, she had not turnedaway.

He felt it before he saw it—ashift in the air, afaint ripple of energy that sent a chill skittering down his spine. The Custodian’s voice, sharp and resonant, shattered the fragile quiet.

“You have passed.”

Zar’Ryn rose swiftly to his feet, his movements fluid despite the tension coiling in his muscles. He turned to face the Custodian, who had reappeared in the center of the chamber, its form flickering faintly as if it were made of the very light that illuminated the space.

“Passed?” he asked, his voice a low rumble. He took a step forward, his gaze narrowing. “What trial is this, Custodian? You will not withhold answers from me.”

The Custodian inclined its head, its expression as inscrutable as ever. “The second trial—the trial of vulnerability. You have succeeded.”

Its words hung in the air, the weight of them settling heavily on Zar’Ryn’s chest. He exchanged a glance with Elara, her brow furrowed in confusion. “I have revealed no vulnerability to you,” he said, his tone laced with challenge. “You will explain.”

The Custodian’s gaze flicked between him and Elara, its calm demeanor unshaken by his demand. “This trial is not one of combat or intellect, Intergalactic Warrior. It is a trial of the soul. To pass, you must willingly reveal the truths you guard most fiercely. Your fears, your pain, the shadows of who you are. You must allow another to see them, to know you fully.”

Zar’Ryn’s fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening. “And you claim we have done this? That we have bared ourselves to your satisfaction?”

“I claim nothing,” the Custodian replied, its tone almost gentle now. “You have revealed yourselves to one another. That is the measure of success.”

The words struck Zar’Ryn like a blow, though he did not falter. He thought of what he had shared with Elara—thememories of his missions, the violence that had defined his existence, the fear that she would turn away from him. He thought of her tears, her trembling voice as she spoke of her past, her refusal to let him destroy Benson despite his insistence that it was justice.

His chest tightened as realization dawned. He had not intended to show his vulnerabilities. He had not thought himself capable of such a thing. Yet in that moment, with Elara’s eyes on him, he had done so without hesitation. And she, in turn, had done thesame.

“You knew this would happen,” Zar’Ryn said, his voice low and edged with accusation. His gaze bore into the Custodian, unyielding. “You planned it.”

“I guided you,” it admitted, though its expression revealed no triumph, no sense of victory. “The truth was already within you both. Imerely created the space for it to emerge.”

Zar’Ryn’s anger simmered, but it was no longer directed solely at the Custodian. It churned with something deeper—discomfort, perhaps, at the thought that he had been maneuvered into exposing his deepest self. Yet, beneath that anger lay something unexpected. Relief. Elara knew who he was, what he was, and she had not turnedaway.

“You manipulated us,” he said, his voice cold. “You forced us to endure pain for your trial.”

The Custodian met his gaze evenly. “And yet, you are stronger for it. You have faced yourselves and each other. Vulnerability is the foundation of trust, Warrior. Without it, you cannot stand together. And if you cannot stand together, you cannot hope to survive what lies ahead.”

Zar’Ryn’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. The truth in its words rankled, even as it resonated within him. He looked to Elara, her gaze steady despite the faint shimmer of tears in her eyes. The bond between them pulsed softly, aquiet affirmation of what they had shared.

“Very well,” Zar’Ryn said at last, his voice steady. “We have passed your trial. What comes next?”

The Custodian’s expression did not change, but its voice carried an ominous weight. “The third and final trial awaits. It is the Trial of Sacrifice.”

Zar’Ryn’s blood turned cold at its words, but he did not flinch. He reached for Elara’s hand, her fingers curling instinctively around his as he faced the Custodian.

“That is not the trial we chose. We were supposed to do the Trial of Trust.”

The Custodian simply smiled, though it held no warmth or humor. “And I have changed it from trust to sacrifice. Prepare yourselves.”

Chapter 21

ZAR’RYN’Sjaw clenched as the platform beneath his feet shuddered, the vibration jarring through his entire body like an unrelenting drumbeat.

The air around him seemed to thicken, oppressive and charged, pressing against his chest with each labored breath. His hands curled into fists at his sides, the sharp bite of his nails against his palms grounding him against the torrent of emotions surging through thebond.

Elara’s suffering wasn’t just a distant echo. It burned through him, raw and searing, an unyielding reminder of what was at stake. The barrier flickered, thinning for a heartbeat before regaining its impenetrable strength. He could feel the heat of Elara’s suffering still echoing through the bond, asharp undercurrent of pain that twisted in his chest.

The Custodian shifted its focus to him, its dispassionate gaze locking onto his. Its form was a kaleidoscope of shifting light and shadow, asurreal blend of solid and ephemeral. Its eyes—if theycould be called that—were voids of endless black, pulling in all light and hope like the edge of a singularity. Afaint shimmer of energy pulsed around its silhouette, radiating a cold, predatory aura that seemed to seep into the marrow of his bones.

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