The gate to the Red Garden stood like a dream carved into a nightmare.
Tall, ornate, and covered in thorny vines, it shimmered with an unnatural glow—half memory, half madness. As Elias stepped forward, the vines unraveled by themselves, curling away like they recognized him.
Aya gripped his hand. "You don't have to go in alone."
He gave her a soft look. "I'm not. You're all with me now."
They entered.
---
Inside the Garden
The air inside was heavy with perfume. Crimson roses bloomed along winding paths, but the petals were too red—like stained velvet or dried blood. A haunting melody floated through the air, half lullaby, half warning.
Suddenly, Iris stopped in her tracks. "This place… it's shaped like someone's heart."
Lilith drew her blade. "And that heart's not beating anymore."
Then the mist shifted. A figure appeared ahead—standing in the middle of the garden's heart, surrounded by roses as tall as men.
She was beautiful.
Unreal.
Hair like black silk, eyes like twilight stars. She wore the same necklace Elias had once given… someone. Someone he tried so hard to forget.
His breath caught.
"Aleira…" he whispered.
Aya turned to him, eyes wide. "That's her… isn't it?"
The girl smiled—tender, sweet, and full of death.
"Hello, Elias," she said, voice soft as rain. "Why did you leave me to die?"
---
The Trial of Memory
> [System Trial: The Garden of Forgotten Lovers has begun.]
[Objective: Resist Illusion. Face the Ghost of Regret. Survive.]
Aleira stepped forward, barefoot on the grass. "You promised me forever. But the day the lab exploded, you ran. You let me burn, Elias."
His knees weakened. Aya stepped in front of him, daggers drawn.
"She's not real!"
"I was real to him once," Aleira said. "And in here, I still am."
The garden twisted. The sky cracked like glass. Suddenly, Elias was alone. The others—gone. The roses around him whispered her name.
Aleira stood before him again.
Only this time, she was bleeding. Her skin scorched. Her lips trembling.
"Why didn't you come back for me?" she asked.
He reached forward, shaking. "I did. I came back. But you were gone—your body was never found—"
She leaned in, touching his face.
"I died loving you."
---
The Awakening
In that moment, Elias's system core pulsed violently. His eyes glowed.
> [System Override: Emotion Surge – Sorrow and Love Collide.]
[New Skill Unlocked: Crimson Bloom – Manifest Regret into Strength.]
The illusion shattered like glass.
The real garden returned. Aya, Iris, and Lilith stood ready, blades drawn, watching as the fake Aleira's form twisted into something grotesque—a crimson wraith.
"You passed," the wraith hissed, its voice no longer hers. "But that pain… you'll carry it always."
Then it dissolved into petals that scattered to the wind.
Elias dropped to his knees, heart pounding.
Aya wrapped her arms around him tightly. "You don't have to carry it alone anymore."
"I know," he whispered. "I finally know."
---
Aftermath – A New Power Within
That night, they camped beside the rose grove. The air was calmer now. No more illusions.
Elias sat by the fire, holding the broken necklace Aleira had worn. It had been real—at least part of it.
Lilith leaned against him, eyes flickering with warmth. "You're stronger than before. Even your aura feels different."
Iris handed him a flask. "To Aleira. And to the man you're becoming."
Aya pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "We're with you till the end. No matter what trials come next."
The morning sun crept lazily through the crimson curtains of Elias's chamber, bathing everything in a soft, golden hue. Aya stirred first, her breath warm against Elias's chest. For a moment, everything was still. Peaceful. But something... shifted.
Elias's eyes blinked open, alert.
The warmth from Aya's body was there. The familiar scent of her hair. The way her fingers curled into his shirt. But—
Ding!
> [System Warning: Emotional Disruption Detected] [Trial: Temptation Protocol – Phase Two Initiated] [Objective: Identify the Imposter]
His breath caught.
Aya lifted her head slowly, eyes half-lidded. "Morning, Elias..." she purred.
It was her voice, her face, her everything.
But his system had never lied to him.
"Say it again," Elias murmured, brushing a hand over her cheek as his gaze sharpened. "What did you say to me… the night we first kissed?"
Aya smiled faintly. "You said I tasted like forbidden wine... and I told you I wanted to be your addiction."
Wrong.
She had never said that.
Elias's body tensed. He grabbed her waist and flipped her beneath him in a heartbeat, staring hard into her eyes. They shimmered—for just a second—like a rippling puddle of ink.
"You're not her."
The imposter laughed—her voice distorting like a cracked violin. "Tch. Not bad. I thought you'd fall again. Seems you've grown."
Aya's image peeled away like a mask of fog, revealing a dark-haired woman clad in smoky silk, with eyes like shattered glass.
"Who the hell are you?" Elias growled.
The woman sat up with eerie elegance. "They call me Saphira. Trial Mistress of the Mirror of Sin. And you… Elias… have far too many weaknesses. So many hearts. So many distractions. Let's see if you're worthy of any of them."
With a snap of her fingers, the world shattered.
Literally.
The bed, the room, the tower—vanished into shards of glass falling into a black void. Elias landed on his feet, bare-chested and ready, eyes scanning the illusion.
He was inside a dome made entirely of mirrors.
Each one reflected not just his face—but Aya, Lilith, Nari… even girls he hadn't met yet. In one mirror, he saw himself cradling a dying woman. In another, a version of him slaughtered his harem, blood-soaked and smiling.
"What is this…?" he whispered.
"A test," Saphira said from everywhere and nowhere. "You claim to be the Lord of Desire. Prove it. Which reflection is real? Which bond is true? Fail... and the one you love most will be erased."
Elias stepped forward slowly. Sweat clung to his brow. His heart pounded. This wasn't just magic—this was psychological war.
But the system chimed again:
> [New Objective: Survive the Mirror of Sin.] [Bonus Reward: Mirror Soul Affinity – Upgrade Aya's bond level upon success.]
He clenched his fists.
No time for panic.
He remembered Aya's real scent. Her real words. Her scars. Her laughter.
"Let's play your little game," Elias muttered.
And then… the mirrors began to shatter—on their own.
A scream echoed. Not from Saphira. Not from the illusions.
Aya.
The real Aya.
Somewhere, she was being pulled in. Trapped. Suffering.
Elias snarled and darted forward, slamming his fist into a mirror that showed Aya weeping in chains.
It didn't break.
But it bled.
Red droplets ran down the glass like tears.
"System," he hissed, "Give me something."
> [Skill Unlocked: Lust Rejection – Dispel false desire. Cooldown: 10 minutes.]
He used it instantly.
His hands glowed red. The air pulsed.
Every false Aya screamed as they melted into black dust. The real mirror flickered—just once—before vanishing, revealing a spiral staircase below.
Elias ran.
And at the bottom…
There she was.
Aya.
Eyes wide. Skin bruised. Gagged. But very much alive.
He rushed forward and tore her chains off. "I found you," he breathed, trembling with relief.
She couldn't speak, but her eyes said it all.
Trust. Pain. Love.
And something more.
Saphira's voice returned, colder this time.
"You passed this layer. But don't grow cocky, Elias Black. Desire is a storm. And storms always come back."
As the world faded again, Elias held Aya close, fury simmering behind his calm face.
"I'll burn the storm down," he whispered. "One false god at a time."