THE KINGLESS QUEENS

THE PATH TO WISDOM

The air in the grove felt heavy, as if the weight of the encounter with Lyra still lingered. Orien's green eyes searched the faces of the six girls, gauging their readiness. Though their hearts were still racing, a shared resolve united them."We need to be smarter from here on," Zifrin muttered, almost to herself. She stood, brushing the dirt from her knees. Her gaze shifted to Orien. "How do we reach Zifzia, the realm of wisdom?"Orien studied her, his expression thoughtful. “Zifzia is hidden behind a veil of illusions. It tests your mind more than your body. Many who seek its secrets find themselves lost in riddles, mazes, and whispers from forgotten times. The path is not clear-cut, but…” He paused, as if weighing his words. “The one who enters must be wise enough to navigate its trials. It’s not just knowledg it’s intuition, perception, and trust in oneself.”The group silently acknowledged this, feeling Zifrin's unspoken connection to the challenge ahead. Her natural curiosity and sharp instincts made her the ideal choice to take the lead.“We need to find this veil, then,” Zifrin declared.Orien nodded. “Follow me.The journey to Zifzia took them through twisting paths that seemed to loop back on themselves, as if the forest was trying to disorient them. Shadows danced around their feet, and at times, the whispers of long-forgotten voices brushed their ears. Evelyn stayed close to Orien, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes watching them from the shadows. The moonlight above dimmed, as if even its light was hesitant to intrude on their path.After what felt like hours, they reached a rocky cliffside covered in ancient carvings. The symbols on the stones shifted and shimmered, making it hard to focus on them. The cliff was framed by tall, twisted trees that seemed to lean in, their branches intertwining to create a canopy.
“This is the entrance to Zifzia,” Orien explained. “The only way in is to speak the truth—or rather, the truth that lies within yourself.”The girls exchanged uncertain glances.“Wait here,” Zifrin instructed the others, taking a deep breath as she stepped forward. She approached the cliff, examining the symbols. As she moved, the carvings began to pulse with a faint, ethereal light. Zifrin’s brow furrowed, her fingers tracing the air in front of the rock as if trying to feel the energy around it.“Do you know what to do?” Calia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Zifrin didn’t answer immediately. She closed her eyes, steadying herself as her mind sharpened its focus. The whispers in the air grew louder, shifting from incoherent murmurs to faintly distinguishable words. Zifrin could hear them now—questions that seemed to test her very understanding of reality.
“What defines wisdom?” one voice asked. It was neither gentle nor harsh, simply a neutral whisper floating on the wind.Zifrin’s voice was steady as she answered, “Not knowledge alone, but the understanding of when and how to use it.”The carvings glowed brighter, as if the cliff acknowledged her answer. Another whisper followed.“What is the difference between truth and perception?”Zifrin paused. “Perception is our interpretation of the truth, but it’s not the truth itself. The truth remains, even when perception fails.”There was a long silence, and then the symbols on the cliff seemed to shift, parting like a curtain. A doorway emerged, leading into darkness.“You did it!” Zayla whispered, a hint of awe in her voice.
Zifrin’s eyes remained on the doorway. “This is only the beginning.”As they stepped through the entrance, the air grew colder. The realm of Zifzia was not like Lunaris; it lacked the dreamlike haze and instead felt starkly real, almost painfully so. The ground beneath their feet was solid stone, and the walls around them glistened like polished mirrors, reflecting their movements back at them.“Stay close,” Orien cautioned, though his voice was tinged with uncertainty. Zifzia was not a place easily tamed or understood, even for him.The group ventured deeper, and it wasn’t long before the mirrors began to play tricks on them. Reflections shifted subtly, showing not just their present selves but distorted versions, older and younger, shadowed with fear or brightened with hope. It was disorienting.“Look ahead,” Zifrin advised, trying to ignore the shifting reflections of herself. Her voice was firm. “This realm tests your resolve. Trust your instincts, not what these mirrors show you.”As they continued, a figure appeared in one of the reflections an older woman, her hair silver and her eyes filled with a quiet wisdom. She seemed to be waiting for them, her form half-hidden in the mirrored walls. Zifrin stopped, staring at the woman.“Who are you?” Zifrin asked cautiously.The woman’s reflection smiled, a bittersweet expression crossing her face. “I am Zara the guardian of zifzia and wisdom ,” she replied. “Zifzia holds knowledge from all of Olympus, but it is hidden from those who seek only power."Zara gestured toward a door that wasn’t there before. It was a simple wooden door, unmarked and plain, stark against the polished mirrors.“What lies beyond?” Zifrin questioned.“A choice,”  Zara answered. “And every choice has a price.”Without hesitation, Zifrin stepped toward the door, feeling a pull in her chest—something calling to her. She knew the others couldn’t make this decision for her. This was her trial. Taking a deep breath, she turned the handle and pushed the door open.Inside, she found herself in a vast, empty room. A book lay on a pedestal at the center. Zifrin approached it cautiously. The whispers grew louder, urging her to open it.“Are you willing to see the truth?” the book seemed to ask, its pages fluttering.Zifrin placed her hand on the cover. “I am,” she answered, and the book opened of its own accord.When Zifrin emerged, the mirrors around her shattered into dust. She carried a small white crystal, intricately carved with symbols Zifzia’s emblem, a key to the realm’s power. Orien’s eyes widened in surprise.“You’ve passed the trial,” he said with quiet admiration.Zifrin glanced at the stone in her hand, feeling an unspoken connection to it. “We need to move forward,” she replied firmly. “The other realms are waiting.”The group nodded, but they couldn’t shake the sense that something had shifted within Zifrin. She seemed stronger, more certain of herself—a future queen of wisdom beginning to find her path.“Where to next?” Zayla asked.Orien smiled faintly. “The Wake Lands. But beware—the trial of fire will test your spirit in ways you’ve never imagined.”