[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-born-as-a-witch":3,"chapter-born-as-a-witch-born-as-a-witch-chapter-224":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Born as a Witch",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1702644,2172,"Chapter 224: Pond of Reflection","born-as-a-witch-chapter-224",224,"\u003Cp>The chamber was alive with movement. Spears lunged, shields pressed, robes swirled in phantom winds. Each strike was precise, each motion purposeful. Yet Lira noticed something—they did not seek to kill. Every spear slowed just before piercing. Every shield pressed but did not crush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re testing... not destroying,\" she breathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She centered herself, drawing on the threads of the elements. Fire for warmth, air for speed, water for flow, earth for grounding. Instead of striking back, she moved with the rhythm. When a spear thrust, she bent like water around it. When a shield pressed, she rooted her stance into the ground and let the pressure flow past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guardians’ hum shifted, deepening. Their movements grew more complex, weaving together in patterns that forced her to adapt quickly. She spun, ducked, leapt, and wove her elements into small bursts—not attacks, but harmonies. A stream of air here to redirect a strike, a pulse of warmth there to soften the press of cold force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her chest burned with effort, sweat beading across her brow. Every breath came harder, but she refused to falter. The guardians’ circle glowed brighter. Their resonance filled her veins until she thought she might split apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the lead guardian raised its hand, halting the others. The cavern fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You bend without breaking. You listen without surrendering. You stand without crushing. Balance... is within you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others lowered their spears, stepping back into the shadows. Their forms began to dissolve, threads of light unraveling back into the cavern’s walls. Only the lead guardian remained, its mask flickering with shifting faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stepped close—so close Lira could feel its cold radiance brush her skin. Its many-voiced whisper poured into her ear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yet remember: balance is not kept once, but always. Should you falter, the labyrinth will know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it, too, dissolved. The chamber dimmed. The path ahead glowed faintly, leading into deeper passages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira stood frozen for a long moment, chest heaving, her palms tingling with spent energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth finally approached, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. Her golden eyes softened with pride. \"You did not fight. You listened. That is why they let you pass.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira let out a long, shaky breath, her knees almost buckling. \"I thought... I thought they would kill me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth shook her head gently. \"No, little flame. Death is easy. Worth is harder. And you have shown them yours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together, they stepped forward, leaving the fading hum of the guardians behind. Yet Lira could still feel it resonating in her bones—a reminder that every step deeper into the labyrinth was being watched, measured, tested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tunnel walls pressed closer, so narrow that Lira and Serelyth had to move one after the other. The ground was damp beneath her boots, each step echoing hollowly through the silence. The weight of the earth above seemed heavier here, as though the mountain itself leaned in, listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the air changed. The musky tang of stone gave way to a freshness, sharp and pure, like rain on new grass. A faint glow appeared ahead, silver and steady, drawing them forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The passage opened into a chamber vast and domed, its ceiling latticed with pale crystals. In the center lay a pool. Perfectly circular, its surface was glass-still, not a ripple disturbing the mirror-sheen. But unlike ordinary water, it did not reflect the cavern above—it shimmered with its own silver light, radiating calm yet carrying a strange gravity that tugged at Lira’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth slowed, golden eyes steady. \"The Pond of Reflection,\" she said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira looked from the water to her companion. \"Another trial?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No trial of blade or spell. Here, you face yourself.\" Serelyth’s voice carried weight, more solemn than Lira had heard before. \"It shows not fate, but possibility. Some find truth. Others lose themselves forever.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chill ran down Lira’s spine. She took a breath and stepped closer. The air thickened, almost humming, and when she leaned over the surface, she gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her own face stared back—but changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the water stood Lira clad in dark armor, its edges jagged and smoking as though forged in war. Her eyes burned with fire, sharp and merciless. A massive sword of black iron rested in her hand, stained as if it had never known rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind her, the reflection showed a battlefield: hills burning, the dead strewn in heaps, banners torn and trampled. Armies roared her name in thunderous unison, their voices lifting her like a storm. She raised her blade, and the ground itself seemed to tremble in answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira stumbled back. Her throat closed. \"That... that’s me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vision didn’t fade. The other-Lira’s lips curled in a grim smile. She strode through fire and blood, power radiating from her like a furnace. Each step left the ground scorched. No hesitation. No mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something tugged inside her chest—fury she had carried for years. What if you stopped forgiving? the reflection whispered without sound. What if you answered every cruelty with fire? No one could ever hurt you again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira’s fingers twitched. A part of her felt the temptation, heavy and hot. To never be afraid again. To crush those who mocked her, who abandoned her, who raised their hands against her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when her eyes met the reflection’s gaze, she shuddered. There was no warmth there. No kindness. Only hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth’s voice was soft but firm. \"The path of the conqueror. Power without mercy. Flame that devours everything—even the one who holds it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to step back from the water’s edge. \"No. That’s not me. I won’t be that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her heart beat too fast, betraying that some part of her wanted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surface rippled, the battlefield melting into a throne room of stone and banners. The reflection-Lira wore flowing robes trimmed with gold. A crown of light rested on her brow. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were cold with judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crowds knelt before her. Voices rose in praise, but also in fear. Her hands glowed as she bound oaths into the air, words of law and obedience that shimmered like chains around the people. She smiled faintly, convinced she was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whisper came again, low and persuasive. If they follow, no one will suffer. If you control, no one will fall to chaos. You could bring order, peace everlasting, if only you bind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira swallowed hard. There was a temptation here, too—less raw than conquest, but seductive all the same. She had long wished for peace, for stability, for safety not just for herself but for others. But as she watched the reflection bind yet another soul in shimmering chains, something twisted in her gut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces weren’t grateful. They were afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth’s golden eyes didn’t leave the pond. \"The path of order. Peace through chains. Control mistaken for harmony.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira shook her head violently. \"I don’t want to be someone who makes others kneel. That’s not peace. That’s... prison.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the water showed a small garden blooming under a soft sun. The reflection-Lira knelt barefoot in the soil, hair unbound, hands cradling seedlings with tender care. Children ran past her, laughing. She smiled, radiant with quiet joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no power here, no burden of destiny. Just warmth. Simple meals, simple laughter, a life unmarked by struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whisper was almost kind. Lay it down. You’ve carried enough. Forget the battles, forget the weight. Hide, and be happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira’s chest ached. The vision was so gentle. It stirred memories of when she had been a child herself, longing for safety, for someone to tell her she could rest. To stop fighting, stop striving. To simply live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tears welled in her eyes. \"It looks so... peaceful,\" she whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth spoke more gently now. \"The path of retreat. Comfort at the cost of calling. Peace, but only for yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira bit her lip hard. She wanted that peace. But when she looked longer, she noticed something: the children in the vision grew, but she remained the same, stuck. The world outside her garden shifted, but she ignored it. She had chosen her own happiness and turned her back on all else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was not who she was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can’t,\" Lira said softly. \"Even if I want to. I can’t walk away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vision changed again. Now she was in a battlefield tent, rushing from cot to cot. Blood stained her hands, her robes, her face. She poured her spirit into broken bodies until her arms trembled and her skin grew pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, soldiers rose healed, whispering her name in reverence. But she grew thinner, weaker, her spirit draining until she collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whisper hissed: Sacrifice yourself for all. Pour yourself empty, until there is nothing left. That is love. That is service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira’s heart broke at the sight. She wanted to help, to heal, to soothe suffering. But she saw the reflection’s hollow eyes, her own body wasting away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth’s tone hardened. \"The path of exhaustion. Giving until there is no self left. A candle that burns out, leaving only darkness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira clenched her fists. \"I want to heal... but not if it means I disappear. I can’t help anyone if there’s nothing of me left.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lonely road stretched across barren land. The reflection-Lira walked it alone, her cloak ragged, her hair tangled by wind. No home, no anchor, only endless travel. Her eyes were sharp, her steps steady, but her face was weary, tired of always moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whisper urged: Run. Run forever. Never stop, never settle. That way no one can chain you, no one can hurt you. Loneliness is safer than loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira’s breath caught. She had known loneliness too well. She remembered nights alone with no one to hold, no one to trust. The thought of choosing it forever made her stomach twist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won’t,\" she said fiercely. \"I won’t spend my life running from people. I want to trust. I want to stay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pond darkened. The reflection’s smile turned sharp and cruel, eyes burning with hunger. Shadows curled around her like snakes. She lashed out, destroying without reason, delighting in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whisper was sharp, venomous. Give in. Stop fighting what you are. Power is easier when you stop caring. Hurt before you are hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira trembled, bile rising in her throat. This one frightened her most—not because it was tempting, but because she had felt the flicker of that rage before, in her darkest hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice cracked. \"No. That’s not me. I won’t let it be me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last the pond stilled. All the faces layered atop one another—conqueror, ruler, hermit, healer, wanderer, villain—until they blurred into a storm of selves. Then slowly they faded, leaving only her true reflection: tired, trembling, eyes wet with tears, but standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira whispered to the water:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To the conqueror—I will not let my anger burn the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the ruler—I will not bind others to my will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the hermit—I will not turn my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the healer—I will not empty myself until nothing is left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the wanderer—I will not run forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the villain—I will not let my pain twist me into cruelty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I... I don’t know what I will become. But I choose to walk forward. My path. My way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pond’s silver light deepened, shimmering brighter than before. For the first time, her reflection smiled—her smile, not anyone else’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth placed a hand on her shoulder. \"Then the pond has heard you. And so have I.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chamber grew quiet again, but the silence was no longer oppressive. It was peaceful. A waiting silence, like dawn just before the first birdsong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira wiped her tears. Her body still shook, but her voice was steady. \"Forward, then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth’s eyes glowed faint with pride. \"Forward.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together, they stepped away from the pond.\u003C\u002Fp>",1975,"2026-06-06T14:30:21.781Z",1,"novelbin.me","843640c5049e21c6b2d45896fed06cf21c140a3fbc5e6c6e78c2c09da0e14164","born-as-a-witch-chapter-135","born-as-a-witch-chapter-371",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fborn-as-a-witch-cover.jpg"]