Lucas's heart was pounding as rapidly as a war drum. He stopped in front of the ancient statue. The air around him became extremely oppressive, as if every breath he took set off a deeper echo. The eyes of the statue still stared at him intently, cold and merciless, as if prying into every secret in his heart.
He took a deep breath, gripped the long sword in his hand tightly, and looked around warily. The courtyard was deathly silent, and the only sound was his own faint breathing. The dim moonlight filtered through the broken window panes and shone on the decaying walls, creating an eerie atmosphere.
"Where is this?" Lucas murmured to himself, his gaze constantly searching around. He could feel that he wasn't alone. Even without any sound, he knew that something was lurking in the shadows, watching his every move.
"You have entered the core of the trial," Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind him. Lucas spun around sharply and saw the figure of the Guardian slowly emerging in front of him. Those eyes were still icy cold, but the tone of his voice had become even more solemn. "You must face the deepest fear in your heart. Only by passing this stage can you move forward."
"Fear?" Lucas frowned slightly, and his gaze became sharp. "My fear? Do you think I'll be afraid of this little trial?"
The Guardian's eyes remained indifferent, seemingly unmoved by Lucas's provocation. "You don't understand. This is not just a physical trial, but also an abyss of the soul. Everyone here will see their deepest fear. There's no way to escape it, and no way to resist it."
Lucas's brows furrowed tightly. He felt a pressure like never before. Every slight change in the air made him alert. He had never felt such a chill that went straight to his soul.
"Then, how do I pass?" he asked calmly.
The Guardian was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "You need to find your inner demon, face it, and defeat it. Only in this way can you overcome your fear and step towards true power."
Before the words were even finished, the wind in the courtyard suddenly became fierce. Lucas felt an indescribable force envelop him. The surrounding scenery began to blur, the sky was gradually swallowed up by a thick layer of black mist, and the ground began to crack, revealing an endless abyss.
"Is this the start of the trial?" Lucas's heart tightened, and he took a sudden step back.
Suddenly, a deep growl sounded, as if some huge beast was approaching from a distance. Lucas spun around quickly and saw a pair of red eyes flickering in the black mist. It was a huge monster, its body shrouded in darkness, with only those blood-red eyes shining brightly in the dark.
It pounced towards Lucas suddenly, with a suffocating aura. Lucas quickly drew his sword to meet the monster's attack. However, he found that this monster not only had great strength, but also each of its attacks was accompanied by a strange magic power, as if each strike could shatter his will.
"Is this... my fear?" Lucas murmured to himself, and his consciousness gradually became blurred. He began to recall all sorts of past events, those battles he had lost, those moments that had
broken his heart, and those painful memories that he couldn't forget.
Just as the monster's sharp claws were about to reach him, Lucas suddenly closed his eyes, and a name suddenly popped up in his heart: "Alyce."
The woman he had once loved deeply, the one who had spent her life with him but had been forced to leave due to the whims of fate. Whenever he thought of her, his heart felt as if it was being torn apart. He had recalled her smile and her tenderness countless times in the dead of night, but he couldn't change the final outcome of their separation.
"You can never escape," The voice of the monster rang in his ear, full of mockery and malice. "You can't change the past, and you can't change fate."
Lucas suddenly opened his eyes, and a flash of determination passed through his eyes. He gripped the long sword tightly, and there was no longer a trace of hesitation in his eyes. "No, I'm not the person I used to be," he whispered.
At that moment, the figure of the monster suddenly twisted and became blurred. Lucas felt dizzy, and then his vision suddenly brightened, and the scene around him became clear again.
He found himself standing in that familiar courtyard once more, and the statue still stood in the center. But this time, those icy eyes no longer scared him so much. Instead, there was only a firm belief in his heart - whether it was the shadows of the past or the difficulties of the future, he would no longer run away.
"You've done it," The voice of the Guardian rang out again, with a hint of rare admiration. "You've passed the trial."
Lucas took a deep breath, and the pressure in his heart dissipated instantly, and the weariness on his body also lessened. Although he knew that this trial was just the beginning, he was already ready to face the challenges ahead.
"Then, can I move forward?" He looked straight at the Guardian, his tone resolute.
The Guardian nodded. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "You've overcome the trial of your inner demon, but this is just the beginning. Next, you will face even more terrifying enemies. Whether you can move forward depends on whether you can truly take control of your own destiny."
Before the words were finished, the entire courtyard began to change again. The scene in front of him gradually disappeared, replaced by endless darkness. And at the end of that darkness, it seemed that an even more terrifying force was hidden, waiting for Lucas to arrive.
He knew very well that this path was not smooth, but he was no longer afraid of anything. Whether it was the pain of the past or the challenges of the future, he would face them one by one.