The air was permeated in frost. The floor had transformed into the surface of an icy lake. A cold, damp wind threatened to cut at the skin, accompanied by the mild scent of salt. High above, a single white moon among a tapestry of starlight gleamed, the surface of the lake reflecting the sky above in perfect clarity.
She has passed your test, intoned a voice. It was not the harsh, commanding voice of the chambers, but it was soft, rhythmic, and comforting, like gentle sea waves splashing upon sand. It could almost be called feminine in tone, but the timbre of the voice did not seem to be able to be assigned a gender in the traditional sense. The voice echoed lightly, seeming to come from the moon shining high in the sky. Does she not deserve to know?
HER WISH TO SEE HIM WAS STRONG. TOO STRONG. THE TRIALS REMAIN INCOMPLETE. The authoritative, compelling voice of earlier resounded. The icy surface of the lake trembled; the image of the reflected moon seemed to shudder with disdain.
And yet you allowed passage regardless. The moon in the sky shimmered, as if in contemplation. Speak your mind, and we shall answer.
She has passed your test, intoned a voice. It was not the harsh, commanding voice of the chambers, but it was soft, rhythmic, and comforting, like gentle sea waves splashing upon sand. It could almost be called feminine in tone, but the timbre of the voice did not seem to be able to be assigned a gender in the traditional sense. The voice echoed lightly, seeming to come from the moon shining high in the sky. Does she not deserve to know?
HER WISH TO SEE HIM WAS STRONG. TOO STRONG. THE TRIALS REMAIN INCOMPLETE. The authoritative, compelling voice of earlier resounded. The icy surface of the lake trembled; the image of the reflected moon seemed to shudder with disdain.
And yet you allowed passage regardless. The moon in the sky shimmered, as if in contemplation. Speak your mind, and we shall answer.
