Tony stood beside the World Tree Spirit while watching the two enormous projections floating within the void.
The projections shimmered before them while two women faced their final choices. One faced love and family. The other faced revenge and hatred. And at the center of both choices stood Tony Clark.
Inside Lily Frost’s trial, the ancient battlefield trembled beneath the pressure of the supreme warrior standing before her. His weapon remained raised. His killing intent remained locked on both Tony and her family.
Behind Lily, her parents stared at her with fearful eyes. Her relatives trembled helplessly in chains. Before her, Tony stood bound and injured. Blood stained his clothes. Yet he remained calm.
The ancient warrior’s voice echoed throughout the battlefield once more. "Choose."
Lily’s hands trembled. Her heart pounded violently. Tears slowly gathered in her eyes. Every instinct screamed at her to save Tony. Every emotion screamed at her to save Tony. Yet every piece of logic pointed elsewhere.
Her family had raised her. Her family had protected her. Her family had sacrificed everything for her. How could she abandon them? How could she watch them die?
The warrior took another step forward. "Choose now."
Lily’s breathing became heavier. Her eyes moved between Tony and her family repeatedly. Then finally she clenched her fists and cried out.
"Save my family!" The battlefield instantly became silent.
Tony watched from outside the projection without speaking. The World Tree Spirit quietly lowered her gaze.
Inside the trial, Lily immediately collapsed to her knees. Tears streamed down her face. She looked toward Tony desperately. She expected anger. She expected disappointment. She expected something. Yet the bound Tony merely smiled faintly before closing his eyes.
The ancient warrior slowly lowered his weapon. Then the entire battlefield began crumbling apart. Mountains shattered. Rivers disappeared. The sky fractured into countless pieces. Lily stared around in confusion. "What happened?" she shouted. "Did I pass?"
The ancient warrior looked down at her. For the first time, disappointment appeared in his eyes. "You failed."
Lily froze. "What?"
The warrior’s voice thundered across the collapsing battlefield. "You chose logic over truth."
Lily shook her head frantically. "No! I chose my family!"
The warrior remained unmoved. "Your heart had already made its choice."
Lily’s eyes widened. "What?"
The warrior continued mercilessly. "From the beginning your heart chose Tony Clark."
Lily felt as though someone had struck her chest. "You wanted to save him."
The warrior’s gaze became colder. "Yet you betrayed your own heart and chose what seemed reasonable instead."
Lily’s lips trembled. "No..."
The warrior pointed directly at her. "The Trial of Inner Curse does not judge morality. It judges honesty and truth of heart. You were dishonest with yourself." The battlefield completely shattered. "Therefore..." The warrior’s voice echoed one final time. "You fail."
Outside the projection, Tony slowly released a breath.
The World Tree Spirit glanced at him.
Tony remained silent.
Meanwhile, the second projection reached its climax.
Inside Emma Stone’s nightmare,
Emma slowly walked toward the entrance of the Clark-Family Manor while dragging her blood-covered sword across the ground.
Opposite her, Tony stood alone before the gates while countless injured Clark Family members stood behind him, and despite the blood staining his clothes and the wounds covering his body, he did not move even a single step backward.
"You finally won," Tony said while staring directly into her eyes. "Congratulations, Emma. The great revenge you dreamed about is standing right in front of you."
Emma laughed coldly while lifting her sword and pointing it directly at his throat. "Do you think this is a joke? Do you think I climbed all the way here just to hear your nonsense? Every miserable day I spent after meeting you, every humiliation, every failure, every moment I wanted to tear your throat apart led to this moment."
Tony merely shrugged. "Then stop talking and do it."
Emma’s expression darkened instantly. "You really think I won’t?"
"I know you will."
The answer stunned her. For a brief moment she could not speak.
Tony slowly spread his arms while exposing his chest completely. "If killing me can satisfy your hatred then do it properly. At least don’t waste everyone’s time standing there."
Emma gritted her teeth so hard that blood almost leaked from her gums. "You bastard... even now you are looking down on me."
Tony shook his head. "No. If I looked down on you, I wouldn’t be standing here."
Emma immediately swung her sword.
BOOM!
The sword descended like lightning. Tony raised his fist.
The collision exploded across the battlefield. Stone shattered, The ground cracked, The shockwave knocked dozens of spectators backward.
Emma immediately followed with another strike. Then another... Then another.
Each strike became faster, heavier... carried years of hatred.
Meanwhile Tony continuously retreated while blocking with fists, elbows, shoulders, and sheer willpower.
"Fight back!" Emma roared furiously while unleashing another devastating slash.
Tony was sent crashing through a stone wall before climbing back onto his feet. "You want a fight or revenge?" he asked while wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
Emma instantly appeared before him and slammed her knee into his stomach. The impact bent his body like a bowstring.
Tony coughed blood.
Emma grabbed his collar. "Don’t act wise in front of me!"
Then she hurled him across the courtyard. The Clark Family members watched helplessly as Tony rolled through the rubble before standing once more.
Emma slowly approached him again. This time her sword stopped directly against his neck.
A single movement would separate his head from his shoulders.
The battlefield became silent. Everyone waited and expected Tony to beg. Instead he simply looked toward the Clark Family behind him and smiled.
"They have nothing to do with this."
Emma’s grip tightened. "Don’t tell me what to do."
Tony ignored her warning. "You hate me. You want revenge on me. Then take it."
Tony pushed the sword closer to his throat himself. The action stunned everyone. Even Emma froze.
Tony’s voice remained calm. "Kill me." His eyes shifted toward the surviving Clark Family members. "Let them live."
Emma stared at him. For the first time since the nightmare began, she could not understand the man standing before her.
And for the first time since the nightmare began, the sword in her hand suddenly felt unbearably heavy.