Rena took a cautious step forward, her eyes darting between the six statues that loomed in a half-circle around the marble dais. Their presence was suffocating — not menacing, but ancient, like a weight pressing down from centuries of silent watchfulness.
Then, the air trembled.
A soft hum resonated through the hall, rippling across the floor like waves of light. The runes carved into each statue began to glow — one in fiery red, another in tranquil blue, the third in radiant gold, the fourth in silver-white, the fifth in verdant green, and the last in soft violet.
Before Rena could react, six beams of light erupted from the statues' eyes, converging at the center of the dais. The lights twisted and spun, shaping themselves into ethereal figures — translucent and luminous, like astral echoes wearing armor woven from light itself.
Six Valkyries stood before her.
They were nothing like what she expected.
One — the fiery red — folded her arms and let out an amused scoff. "So this is the mortal who stirred the seal awake? I was expecting someone taller."
Another, cloaked in gold and silver, smiled warmly. "Do not jest, Ignara. It has been centuries since anyone heard our call. Her spirit is brave enough to stand here — that alone is rare."
The blue Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "Brave, perhaps. But lost, too. Just look at her face — she's about to faint."
Rena blinked, frozen mid-step. She hadn't expected gods — or whatever they were — to talk like… well, people.
"I… uh…" she stammered. "Who are you?"
Her voice echoed through the crystalline chamber, small but steady.
The violet Valkyrie — serene, eyes like the night sky — stepped forward, her tone soft but filled with centuries of melancholy. "We are the echoes of the Six. The Valkyries who once guarded this realm and sealed away the corruption that poisoned Lunareth Forest. What you see are fragments — memories bound to the seal."
Rena's heartbeat quickened. The lore she had once only heard in passing — tales of an ancient order of guardians who protected the land from divine ruin — was standing right before her.
"The forest was once a cradle of harmony," continued the golden Valkyrie, her voice resonant and gentle. "Until the Anima Core fractured. The beasts you call monsters now were once spirits of balance. When the corruption spread, we fought to contain it… and paid the price."
The red Valkyrie — Ignara — let out a dry laugh. "Died, to put it bluntly. But dying isn't enough when you're a Valkyrie. Our souls got chained to the seal so the corruption won't break loose again. Fun times."
"Do not disrespect the covenant," chided the silver one, her expression stern. "Our sacrifice preserved this realm."
Ignara snorted. "And yet here we are, talking to a mortal who doesn't even know why she's here. So much for destiny."
Rena frowned slightly but stood her ground. "I may not understand everything yet… but if I was brought here, it means there's something I'm meant to do, right?"
For a brief moment, the six Valkyries exchanged looks — curiosity flickering through their glowing eyes.
The violet one smiled faintly. "You have spirit. That much is certain."
Then the blue one tilted her head, floating closer. "Tell us, Rena of the surface world… what kind of Valkyrie will you become?"
Rena blinked. "Become…?"
"You've reached the threshold," said the golden one. "Now comes the choice. Each of us represents a path — flame, light, frost, mercy, nature, and arcana. You may inherit one of our mantles… or pave a new one yourself."
The words echoed like a sacred decree, but the tone in which they spoke felt strangely human — not divine command, but an invitation.
Rena's gaze drifted across the six of them. Each radiated power and presence — warmth, wisdom, ferocity, and serenity all in one. But something within her hesitated. The thought of walking someone else's path felt wrong.
She looked down at her hands. They trembled — not with fear, but determination.
"…I'll make my own path."
The air stilled.
The six Valkyries stared at her for a long, tense moment — and then, one by one, faint smiles appeared.
Ignara let out a low whistle. "Well, I didn't expect that."
The green Valkyrie chuckled softly. "Stubborn, aren't you? Just like the first of us who defied fate."
The silver one's lips curved slightly upward. "Then so be it. The forge of one's soul is not found in imitation, but in conviction."
The violet Valkyrie stepped forward, eyes shimmering with pride and sorrow all at once. "You have chosen the hardest path, mortal. To bear no mantle but your own… to wield power unshaped by the past."
Rena drew a breath. "I'm sure of it."
The golden Valkyrie nodded once. "Then it shall be written."
All six raised their hands, their bodies radiating light that painted the hall in every color of the spectrum. The air vibrated with ancient hymns, and the marble beneath Rena's feet glowed with complex runes.
"Look behind you," said the violet Valkyrie, her voice now layered with power.
Rena turned.
Behind her, the once-empty floor shimmered and parted. A pedestal rose from the marble — upon it rested a glowing sigil etched into a round crystal, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Press it," said the golden one. "The path you have chosen will be forged through your will alone. What lies beyond will either shatter you… or remake you."
Rena swallowed hard. Her heart raced, but she didn't back down.
"Are you ready?" asked the blue Valkyrie.
Rena nodded. "Yes."
"Then begin."
Her hand pressed against the crystal.
A rush of light swallowed her whole, dragging her consciousness into a maelstrom of mana and emotion so intense it made the world collapse into sound and color.
The trial of the self had begun.