"May the Sea God have mercy on your soul."
She knelt quietly beside the crushed skull that she had stepped on earlier upon entry into the second trial.
It was only right to pay respects to the ones who came before her, and this was no exception.
From what she could tell by the remains, it was the body of a woman, one who had likely failed to complete the second trial and been devoured by her second self.
After absorbing the shade into her own body, she could subconsciously understand the outcome of the trial if she had chosen the other choice.
There was never going to be a world where she could walk out of this room alive if she had accepted that deal, the contract that the shade proposed, something that would kill them both due to a seal placed on the catacombs.
It's not her fault for wishing to survive… She mustn't have known what would've happened.
She couldn't help but feel pity for the erosion of herself consumed by hatred and malice, as in the end, it was her own self as well, and without it, she would be nothing.
Standing slowly and uttering one final prayer for the soul that had been vanquished for all eternity, she turned towards the now parted waterfall that revealed the opened door behind it.
Only one trial remains…
From what she had seen so far, it would by no means be easy; the reasoning behind the Angelic Order's hesitation to send her to such a place made far more sense the deeper she went.
Yet there was no turning back now; the target of her descent was nearly within her reach, and the ancient feeling of death exuded strongly from behind the door.
Taking one final look at the place where she had nearly been plunged into the ravine by her identical clone, she sighed, closing her eyes.
One more time. I can do this.
…
There was no green crystalline glow, nor was there even an altar within the final chamber.
It was a fundamentally different type of trial, one that couldn't be compared to anything that had come before it.
In the center of the room, what could only be described as death itself churned in the form of an abyssal fluid.
Her entire body quivered at the manifestation of the Divine Authority that held together the Great Beyond itself, the fragment used to plant the seeds at the bottom of the World Tree, now before her eyes.
She could sense that if she touched even the smallest drop of the fluid, she would shrivel up and die without another word.
Beyond the pit filled with the substance, two solid doors sat locked, waiting to be opened.
There were no glowing green flickers of light that she could use to gather information; rather, a slab of stone with an engraving did that job instead.
As she moved away from the entrance and closer towards the writing, she felt the knowledge written in ancient script decipher itself in her mind.
"The Trial of the Threshold is thy final trial. There exist two choices, yet only one decision. Finish thy mission and enter the Chamber of Eternal Rest, where divinity forges a path ahead. Or, anchor the spirit of one long lost and bring them forth once more. Thou cannot do both. Choose and succeed either way, but if thy mind is not certain, then neither shalt thou open."
Unlike the others, the third trial was clear and without tricks.
Eleanor could either choose to finish her mission and enter the Chamber of Eternal Rest, thereby learning the name of the one Esmerelda inhabited and aiding the Angelic Order, or anchor the soul of one whom she had lost.
But whose soul could I…
A flicker of turquoise light flashed past her eye near the rightmost doorway, an illusory figure appearing like a ghost.
The blonde-haired girl's jaw tightened and then loosened as she stared at the boy before her for the third time throughout the trials.
"How naive to think it would be anyone else…"
Once again, the sight of Aaron Grimstall graced her eyes, yet, unlike her memories, it appeared that this was an accurate reflection of his present state.
Based on a rough estimate of when she had last seen the surface, it was likely almost the 12th of November back home.
Slowly, without even thinking, she made her way around the bubbling sludge that held the Divine Authority and towards the flickering form of the boy.
He was standing straight up with his eyes closed as if he were asleep, while his blond hair covered his forehead, and a tiny turquoise crab was sitting atop his skull.
Eleanor was speechless as she reached out towards his arm, the sight of the missing hand sending a jolt of worry through her chest.
Not only that, but his leg had been replaced by some metallic device that oozed with mana, a stark contrast to the normal limb that had once existed.
H-he's lost so much…
Her thoughts pounded with questions and theories.
Had he sacrificed his body to save her?
Was he safe?
Would he ever be the same as before?
None of these questions could be answered at that moment; however, even the sight of him, clearly slumbering, calmed her nerves.
Taking a step back, she gazed over at the other doorway, which radiated the power of the Divine Authority far more than even the pit behind her.
It was clear that even while the source was in this chamber, the energy was being pumped into what lay behind the door.
Now, once again forced into a trial, Eleanor Lynn was forced between two impossible-to-answer choices and forced to choose.
She was unable to assess the state of Aaron's soul and, therefore, unable to determine if he was truly in need of anchoring.
On the other hand, if she were to choose the Chamber of Eternal Rest, it could risk the boy never again waking from his slumber.
Pursing her lips and taking a deep breath, she allowed her mind to simply work on its own for as long as it took, thinking, deciphering, making sense of the decision.
Out of any choice she had ever made before, this was by far one of the hardest; the balance between them was nearly impossible to keep.
Coming up with multiple solutions in her head, she tried the first: stabilize Aaron enough for him to survive until she could return and then enter the mission door.
Beginning slowly, she grabbed hold of his arms and began to tug, the soul heavy and firm but moving slightly.
Kreeeeek!
The other door's lock turned tightly, a gong ringing through the chamber as if in warning that she was making her choice.
Instantly, she let go of the boy's arms, forcing him to recoil backwards and collide with the door, his form flickering even faster than before.
I-It failed…
Recalling the words inscribed on the tablet, the mention of choosing both as an impossibility resounded firmly.
If I can't choose both, then what if I wasn't the one who had to choose…
Turning around, she hurried to the edge of the pit of liquid death, where she parted her lips and began to speak.
"Oh, Lord of Death and Balance of the Universe, I, Eleanor Lynn, beseech your aid in protecting the soul of Aaron Grimstall so I can continue my mission to its conclusion."
Clasping her hands together in a prayer, she waited for an answer, one that, even after minutes of waiting, never came.
Gradually, she lost hope, yet it wasn't over.
There has to be a way… I have to be able to do both or otherwise… Otherwise…
Eleanor squeezed her fist tightly, moving towards the fading projection of Aaron, who still slept peacefully.
Unlike before, Mr. Crab, who sat atop his head, had opened his eyes and his gaze had fallen upon the girl, watching, waiting.
But as soon as she saw it, it vanished as if she had simply dreamed it, and as such, she did not dispute it as she prepared her next plan.
This time, she would use her own mana and the Emblem of Circe to create a tether to bind the boy to this place, similar to what he, alongside the God Slayer, had forged together.
Performing a chant under her breath, she watched as her mana shot outward towards his form and produced chains that bound him.
Holding her breath, she realized that she had succeeded; his form no longer flickered and was also stable.
I knew it!
Rushing to the other door where the Chamber of Eternal Rest resided, she pushed against its handle, ready to enter.
However, she was quickly reminded of another one of the rules imposed by the trial.
Without her mind clear of doubt in her choice, the doors would interpret her actions as uncertainty and not unlock either.
Realising this with a pale expression, she fell to the ground while realising her magic.
I-It's hopeless…
There was only one idea left in her mind that she could try, one that would take hours, if not days, to complete.
Maybe… Eventually, it will change, right?
It was the weakest of her theories, and for that reason, she had hesitated to try, but as all the rest had failed, she had no other choice.
And so, there she sat, for hours upon hours, waiting, watching.
After nearly five hours, she fell asleep, the fatigue and blood loss forcing her into a dreamless state.
There was nothing to awaken her but her own instincts, which, suppressed by the need for rest, did not wake her as the chamber began to shift in response to her stationary behavior.
The flickering form of Aaron Grimstall faded each hour slightly while the lock on the Chamber of Eternal Rest tightened in tandem.
…
Eleanor jolted awake, soreness covering her entire body, and a panic settling over her mind.
I-I fell asleep!
Her eyes darted to the doors, which, unlike before, appeared to be half the size with their openings significantly hardened.
The blond-haired boy's form was nearly completely transparent, while the locked wooden door had nearly turned back into a stone wall.
H-how long was I…
She had no time for questions; the suddenness of the need to choose hit her hard, and the choices were fading fast.
Her heartbeat pounded, and her vision clouded.
W-what do I choose!
If she chose wrong, it could spell a tragedy she was unwilling to face and would drive her into the depths of madness.
She was foolish to try to deceive the Divine Authority and the trial, for, in the end, she could finally see this trial's goal.
This was a test by death itself built on the principle that not all things can be kept the same forever, and like all things, they would eventually vanish.
The rules are impossible to deceive because there is only one that restricts everything to only one choice.
Her realization had come far too late, though, as now, she was up against the clock and without a decision.
It was either the mission or Aaron, a choice that she had to make now.
Eleanor's breathing accelerated, her vision spotty, and her body moving instinctively without any logical thought.
Please lord. Help me.
Allowing the will of the world to guide her, she made her choice, stepping towards the door and pressing on its handle with utmost faith.
An image of Aaron Grimstall flashed through her mind as the cool handle sent chills through her body.
She would be correct; she had to be.