Chapter Eighty- Four

The observatory's interior transformed once again, the familiar surroundings dissolving into a swirling vortex of darkness.

Ryan found himself standing alone in a vast, empty void, the silence broken only by the pounding of his own heartbeat.

As he gazed into the darkness, a voice echoed through the void, its tone ominous and unsettling. "Ryan," the voice rasped, and deep, "you have faced your past and your deepest fears, but the true test of purity lies in discerning illusion from reality."

Ryan's heart pounded in his chest, a sense of unease settling in his stomach.

He had already faced two challenging stages of the test, confronting his abandonment and his deepest fears.

But this challenge felt different, more insidious.

The voice continued, its words weaving a tapestry of doubt and uncertainty. "What you witnessed was not the truth, Ryan," it declared. "It was a carefully crafted illusion, a twisted reflection of your own fears and insecurities."

Ryan's mind raced, struggling t