Chapter 282: Path of Reflection

Isolde’s voice dropped, barely above a whisper, her pale eyes fixed on the stone floor between them. "You should promise me... that you’ll help me get revenge."

Adam’s expression didn’t change. "Of course. I already told you I would. I don’t break promises."

Isolde’s shoulders sagged slightly, but the tension didn’t leave her frame. She was quiet for a moment, her fingers still curled into the fabric of her cloak, before Adam’s brow furrowed.

"Wait." His crimson eyes sharpened, studying her face. "You thought I was going to let you go once I removed the poison?"

Isolde’s throat bobbed. Her gaze shifted away, unable to meet his.

"Yes.. something like that."

Adam let out a short breath, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. "Of course not. I told you I’d help you find the humans who destroyed your village. That hasn’t changed." He tilted his head, a faint crease forming between his brows. "And honestly, keeping you tied to me with poison is just asking for trouble. You might get desperate enough to do something reckless. Or worse, someone else might find a way to use it against you and by extension, against me."

Isolde’s head snapped back toward him, her pale eyes wide.

"But—wait. Just wait a moment."

Her voice rose, sharp and uneven, cutting through the quiet. Her chest heaved as if she’d been holding her breath for too long. Adam’s head tilted, and beside him, Lilith’s crimson eyes gleamed with barely concealed amusement, watching Isolde like a cat observing a particularly entertaining mouse.

"You’re saying... you’re saying you won’t remove it? Or you will? I—" Isolde’s hands clenched at her sides, her thoughts tangling faster than she could voice them. "This is—I need—"

She stopped. Swallowed. Forced herself to breathe.

"I think," she said slowly, carefully, as if testing each word before letting it leave her mouth, "you shouldn’t remove the poison."

Adam blinked. "Eh? Why?"

Isolde’s pale cheeks flushed. Her gaze darted to Lilith, who offered no help, only that same knowing smile, then back to Adam.

"Because... because without the poison, I’d have no reason to stay."

Lilith’s soft laughter drifted through the chamber. "That makes sense."

Isolde’s flush deepened. "That’s not—I’m not—" She pressed her lips together, forcing herself to stop rambling. Her internal voice was a frantic mess, tripping over itself in its attempt to make sense of what she had just said.

’What am I saying? I just argued for keeping the poison. The poison that makes me dependent on him. That’s not— I shouldn’t—’

But the words had already left her mouth. She couldn’t take them back.

Adam studied her for a long moment, his gaze lingering on her flushed face. Then he nodded slowly.

"Alright. If that’s what you want."

Isolde’s breath caught. "Just... just like that? You’re not going to argue?"

Adam shrugged. "You made a valid point. Keeping the poison is a layer of security. For both of us." His gaze drifted to Lilith, who inclined her head in agreement. "And honestly, it’s not like I can’t remove it later if things change."

Lilith’s voice broke the silence, smooth and teasing. "Well. That was entertaining."

Isolde’s flush burned hotter. She opened her mouth to retort—

The chamber shifted.

The silver runes lining the passage to the next trial blazed brighter, pulsing in a rapid, urgent rhythm. A deep hum vibrated through the stone, shaking dust from the ceiling, and the guide’s voice echoed through the chamber, calm but insistent.

"The Path of Reflection begins. Enter now, or remain forever."

Adam glanced down at Ignis, still sleeping peacefully on his lap, her flames reduced to a soft, rhythmic glow. He reached out, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Ignis. Wake up. Time to go."

Ignis stirred, her brow furrowing. She mumbled something unintelligible, swatting weakly at his hand before burrowing her face deeper into his thigh.

"Ignis." Adam’s voice was firmer this time, though still patient.

"Mm..." she grumbled, her flames flickering drowsily.

Adam exchanged a look with Lilith, who merely smiled. He sighed, then poked Ignis’s cheek.

"We’re going into the next trial. The Path of Reflection. If you don’t wake up, you’re going to miss it."

Ignis’s eyes cracked open, hazy and unfocused. "...Fighting?"

"Not yet. Walking first."

"...Oh." She yawned, then slowly pushed herself upright, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Her flames flickered back to life, though still dimmer than usual. "Okay. Walking’s fine."

Adam rose, offering Isolde a hand. She stared at it for a moment, then took it, letting him pull her to her feet.

"Let’s go."

Lilith patted Ignis’s head as she passed. "Such a sleepy little dragon."

"I’m not little," Ignis grumbled, stumbling after them. "I’m perfectly average-sized for my age."

Adam glanced back at her, his expression softening despite the tension coiling in his chest.

"You can ride on my back if you’re tired."

Ignis’s head snapped up, her golden eyes widening. "Really?"

"Really." Adam turned forward again, already crouching slightly. "But if you fall asleep and fall off, I’m not catching you."

Ignis scrambled onto his back without a moment’s hesitation, her arms wrapping around his neck, her legs locking around his waist. Her flames, warm and familiar, pressed against his shoulders.

"You’re warm," she mumbled, her cheek pressing against his shoulder blades.

Adam straightened, adjusting to her weight. "You’re heavy."

"I am not heavy!"

Lilith’s crimson eyes glinted with amusement as she watched them, her threads stirring idly around her fingers. "How sweet. Our little dragon has found her perch."

Ignis’s only response was a muffled grumble against Adam’s back.

Isolde walked beside them, her pale eyes fixed on the passage ahead, her expression guarded. But her shoulders had relaxed slightly, the tension that had been locked in her frame since the battle finally beginning to ease.

Adam carried Ignis through the silver-lit corridor, her warmth seeping through his torn clothes, her breath slow and even against his neck. She hadn’t fallen asleep, not quite, but she was close, her flames dimmed to a soft, rhythmic pulse.

The passage opened into a vast chamber.

Adam stepped through the threshold, and the world twisted.

One moment he was walking beside his companions, the next he was alone.

The chamber was vast, its boundaries lost in shadow, its floor a seamless mirror that stretched in every direction. The ceiling reflected the floor, the walls reflected the ceiling, and at the center of it all, reflected in every surface, was Adam.

Dozens of him. Hundreds. All standing in the same pose, all looking back at him with the same crimson eyes.

Adam’s gaze swept the reflections, his head tilting slightly as he studied his own image.

"Hmm." He touched his jaw, turning his face from side to side. "I guess I really am handsome."

The reflections mimicked him perfectly, each one tilting their head, each one touching their jaw.

"But where are the others?" His eyes narrowed, scanning the endless mirrors. "Are they experiencing the same thing?"

A flicker of movement caught his eye. His reflection, the one directly in front of him had shifted.

It was subtle. A twitch of the fingers that wasn’t quite in sync with his own. A blink that came a heartbeat too late.

Adam’s muscles tensed, his instincts coiling. "Is it just my imagination...?"

The reflection smiled.

Adam immediately took a step back.

The reflection stepped forward.

It didn’t mimic him anymore. It moved on its own, sliding across the mirrored floor with an unnatural grace, its crimson eyes fixed on Adam with an intensity that made the hair on the back of his neck prickle.

The mirrored surface rippled where it walked, dark veins spreading from its footsteps like cracks in ice.

Adam’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Heh. Looks like I’m fighting myself this time."