Chapter34: Challenges

KELLY THOMPSON'S POV The first trial begins almost immediately as the forest around us shifts and changes. The trees seem to close in, their trunks growing thicker and more twisted. The air grows heavy with tension, and I can sense the magic pulsing around us. "Stay close," Jason murmurs, his voice steady despite the unease that hangs in the air. As we walk, the shadows deepen, and I feel a cold chill creeping up my spine. The forest begins to whisper, the voices echoing my fears. I hear echoes of my past-memories of being separated from my family, of the pain of loss and betrayal.  Suddenly, a figure emerges from the shadows, a dark silhouette that causes my heart to race. It's a ghostly apparition of my former self, the Kelly Thompson who was cast out, the Luna Queen who lost everything. "Look at you now," the apparition sneers, its voice cold and mocking. "You think you can protect your son? You're nothing but a failure." I take a step back, dread pooling in my stomach. "No... I'm n