Chapter 166: The Trial (22)
[Novel editing]
The Reflection lunged again, faster this time, her chains lashing forward like liquid starlight. The void around them seemed to shrink with every strike, forcing Verena and her team into tighter spaces. Each chain was not just an attack—it was a projection of Verena’s doubts, sharp and cruel, aiming directly for her weak points.
"You carry them like trophies!" the Reflection spat, her voice cutting through the void. "They’ll only drag you under when you finally break!"
Verena gritted her teeth and sidestepped a whip of light, barely avoiding the strike as it shattered the platform behind her into astral dust. Her mimicry threads danced in response, intercepting some of the chains mid-air, replicating their rhythm but twisting their trajectory away.
"I carry them because they’re my team!" she shouted back, voice echoing defiantly. "You think I’m weak because I care? You think I regret fighting for them? You don’t know anything about what kept me alive this far!"
Isolde’s spear whirled in wide arcs, slicing through several incoming strikes. Sparks of celestial energy flew like fireworks as her movements carved through the storm. "I’ll handle defense—focus on breaking her core!"
Vivienne, still clutching Verena’s sleeve, sent another wave of Dreamtide magic rippling into the space. The illusionary haze thickened, distorting the Reflection’s precision. The chains faltered for a brief moment, their speed slowing as if trapped in syrupy currents of emotion.
"I-It’s working!" Vivienne gasped, eyes wide with hope. "She’s vulnerable!"
The Reflection let out a frustrated hiss, her cold façade starting to crack. "Pathetic... Do you think tricks like that will save you from yourself?"
But Verena saw it now—underneath the Reflection’s bravado was a desperate attempt to maintain control. The chains weren’t infinite. The void was not as endless as it seemed. This was just another labyrinth, another test meant to suffocate her under her own expectations.
"I’m done suffocating," Verena whispered to herself. "I’ve fought through too much bullshit to lose to my own anxieties."