Chapitre 9: Chapter 9: The Trials of the Legacy
* The shadows in the mansion seemed denser than before, pressing in on Damian and Nerrisa as they moved forward. The door to the alchemical chamber creaked shut behind them, and the mansion's walls began to shift, forming a darkened maze around them. "Damian… this wasn't here before," Nerrisa whispered, glancing at the walls that seemed to pulse with an eerie life of their own. Damian nodded, his gaze steely. "The first trial has started." A faint, ghostly voice echoed through the halls, taunting them both. "Each step you take binds you closer, Damian. Prove yourself, or be consumed." Damian too a slow, steady breath, feeling the weight of the trial settle on his shoulders, he turned and looked at Nerrisa's face, her face was calm but deep down Nerrisa frightened and worried about tge outcome of this trial. They had been through so much already, but this trial felt different, this trial is a personal confrontation with his family's diabolical past. As they started walking, the walls shifted and stretched, moving about and forming eerie narrow corridors. Ancient faded family portraits lined the walls, each one portraying an ancestor which has been lost to the mansions alchemical obsessions.
One of the portraits seems to come alive as they passed, the eyes of the images on the portraits followed them with a piercing gaze. A sudden voice, thin and chilling, echoes, drifting through the corridor, it was an echo of one of his ancestors, filled with a mixture of disgust, pride and despair. "You're wasting time, Damian. Power awaits, but only for those who have the courage to seize it." on hearing these words, he paused, feeling a surge of anger mixed with fear. "I won't make your mistakes," he whispered under his breath. They turned a corner and found themselves in front of a heavy crafted metal door, strange runes glowed faintly on its surface, Nerrisa looks at the runes and said, "these runes looks familiar ", she said as she stepped forward, examining them carefully. "Damian, these runes are a test of knowledge. They're encoded with something your ancestors must have valued a truth or lesson you must uncover", Nerrisa said to Damian, Damian reached out and placed a hand on the cold metal door, feeling the energy pulse beneath his fingertips. As he concentrated, memories of his grandfather's teachings began to surface in his mind, lessons about sacrifice, resilience and the dangers of alchemical obsession. "Choose one word to proceed, the voice echoed, but choose carefully, for it will shape the path ahead. Three words appeared, each one pulsing in the runes, Nerrisa reads it out for Damian to hear, these words were strength, legacy and freedom.
* As Damian contemplates each word, carefully reading out the meaning each word stands for. Strength, legacy, freedom, he feels the weight of each word implications. Choosing strength would align him with immense power which his bloodline has pursued, making him a worthy successor but potentially binding him further to the curse. On the other hand choosing legacy would deepen his connection with his family's past, making him a guardian, adding to the collection of guardian, guarding his ancestry alchemical knowledge. Freedom was the only option that sounds pleasing to Damian's mind, choosing freedom would allow him to escape the curse but leave behind the alchemical path his ancestors lived and gave their lives for. As he reflects on these words, deeply analyzing which option would make him come out victorious in this trial, brief visions flashes on his mind. In this visions strength shows him wielding immense power, yet losing his humanity over time. Legacy reveals him being consumed by endless research and rituals. Freedom depicts him walking away from the mansion, but forever haunted by what he left behind. Damian turns to Nerrisa, his gaze filled with a mixture of doubt and desperation. "Nerrisa," he begins, voice barely a whisper, "if you were in my place... what would you choose?" Damian asked Nerrisa because he wanted to see things from another angle. Nerrisa sighs, her expression softening as she searches for the right words. "Damian, this is indeed not an easy question," she replies gently. "Each of these choices are a part of who you are, but they're also a part of what your family sacrificed. You're the first one to be given a true choice in a long time. "Damian's eyes narrow, as if trying to see through the meaning behind her words. "But if you had to choose," he presses. "Would you want the strength they pursued, the legacy they built, or... freedom?"
Nerrisa hesitates, her gaze drifting to the ancient walls around them. "Strength and legacy are not to be taken lightly. Your ancestors sought strength to protect their knowledge and influence. They built a legacy... but they paid a price for it. Each of them grew more powerful, yes, but at the cost of peace, sometimes even their own sanity."
She steps closer, looking him directly in the eyes. "Damian, I've seen what the desire for power does. I've read about your grandfather's last days, I'm sure you know this too, how he became consumed by it. This mansion, this legacy, it's like a living entity, always demanding more. The stronger you get, the more it requires of you. And if you choose legacy, you'll carry all their unfinished ambitions, all their burdens. It would make you a part of them, but it would also mean losing parts of yourself."
Damian feels the weight of her words, and his gaze shifts to the dimly lit corridors surrounding them. "But what about freedom?" he asks softly, almost afraid of the answer.
*. Nerrisa's face softens, though a trace of sadness lingers in her eyes. "Freedom..." she murmurs, as if tasting the word. "Freedom is a choice they could never make. It's a chance to step away from their world of secrets and darkness. But choosing freedom would mean walking away not just from the curse, but from everything they've accomplished and left behind. It means letting go of power, and of the answers they spent their lives seeking." She pauses, her voice growing softer. "Damian, if I were in your place... I might choose freedom. I've seen enough of this life to know the cost of chasing shadows and legacies. But for you, maybe that answer isn't so simple." Damian looks away, feeling the familiar weight of the mansion's gaze upon him. "It doesn't feel simple at all," he admits. "I feel like either choice binds me. It's like... no matter what I choose, there's a price."
Nerrisa nods, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "There is a price, Damian. But that's why this is your decision, not theirs. Your ancestors made their choices, and they paid their dues. Maybe the real legacy they left you, is the power to choose your own path." As Nerrisa's words sink in, Damian feels the weight of each choice more profoundly than ever. The mansion seems to breathe around him, the dim light flickering as if responding to his thoughts. He lets his hand rest on the cold metal door, eyes locked on the glowing runes pulsing before him: Strength, Legacy, Freedom. Each word holds an allure and a warning, whispering promises and consequences. He closes his eyes, drawing in a steadying breath, and whispers to himself, "This is my path." Without looking back at Nerrisa, he presses his hand against the rune of Freedom. The rune glows brighter, and with a low rumbling sound, the door slowly swings open, revealing a corridor shrouded in shadows. The echoes of his ancestors' disappointed murmurs linger faintly, like ghosts retreating further into the mansion. Nerrisa exhales, relief showing on her face as they step forward together. She squeezes his shoulder gently, "Whatever lies ahead, you've chosen for yourself," she murmurs. "And I'll be by your side." The corridor stretches before them, unknown and forbidding, but this time, Damian walks with a newfound sense of agency. He may not know what lies at the end of this path, but he knows it's his own.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone