Carlos paused at the threshold, his jaw tight and his hands firmly around his wand. Lando stepped up beside him, the tension radiating from Carlos like a second presence in the room.

"What do you think this is?" Lando asked, his voice echoing softly. He took a cautious step forward, his eyes scanning the water for any hidden dangers.

Carlos' gaze lingered on the pool, his reflection shifting and warping in the ripples. "Another game. Another way for the Chamber to try and pull us apart."

Lando frowned. "Well we're just gonna have to make sure they can't separate us."

Carlos exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "But what do we do?"

Before Lando could respond, the surface of the pool shimmered unnaturally. A low hum filled the air, vibrating through the stone floor beneath their feet. Both of them instinctively drew their wands, stepping back as the water began to churn.

From the depths of the pool emerged figures, humanoid but wrong. Their bodies were formed entirely of liquid, glistening and shifting as though they could dissolve at any moment. Their faces were blank, but their movements were purposeful as they advanced toward the pair.

"What are those?" Lando asked, his wand pointed at the nearest figure.

"Trouble," Carlos muttered, his grip tightening on his wand. "Stay close."

The first of the water-formed creatures lunged, its arm morphing into a blade-like appendage. Carlos reacted instantly, casting a shield charm that sent the creature recoiling. It reformed almost immediately, as though the magic had only annoyed it.

"Nothing's happening," Lando panicked, firing a stunning spell at another creature. It splashed through the torso, momentarily disrupting its shape, but the creature simply reassembled, moving forward with relentless determination.

"I don't know what else to try," Carlos retorted, deflecting another attack with a well-timed Protego. He glanced at Lando, who was now battling two of the creatures at once. "We are not splitting up. Got it?"

"You think I'm going to run off?" Lando shot back, dodging a swipe from a liquid arm. "Not fucking likely."

Carlos hesitated for a split second, distracted by the way one of the creatures seemed to mimic his movements. Its blank face rippled, forming faint outlines of his own features. His stomach twisted, but he forced the thought aside.

"Incendio!" he yelled, aiming at the creature. The flames struck its watery form, and for a moment, it hissed and steamed, shrinking slightly. But then it surged forward again, seemingly unbothered by the attack.

"That barely worked!" Lando said, sidestepping another strike. He flicked his wand, conjuring ropes to try and bind one of the creatures. It held for a moment before dissolving, the ropes sinking into the water like they'd never existed.

"Fire slows them down," Carlos spoke through gritted teeth. "But we need something stronger."

"Like what?" Lando demanded, blasting another creature back. His breath was coming in short bursts now, and he could feel the sweat on his brow. "I don't think I know anything stronger!"

Carlos didn't answer immediately, his mind racing. The pool- the creatures were coming from the pool. "The source," he said abruptly. "The pool. If we disrupt it-"

"Right," Lando said, his voice grim. "Let's hope you're right."

They moved together, inching closer to the edge of the pool as the creatures closed in. One of them lunged, but Carlos blasted it back with a particularly forceful Expulso. The creature burst apart, but its remnants slithered back into the water, rejoining the pool.

"Cover me," Carlos said, his voice low but firm.

"What are you-" Lando began, but Carlos had already stepped closer to the water, his wand aimed directly at the churning surface.

"Bombarda maxima!" Carlos shouted, the spell hitting the pool with a deafening explosion. The water erupted upward, droplets scattering like shards of glass. The creatures froze, their forms trembling as though the spell had disrupted their connection to the source.

Lando froze in shock at the effects of the spell, before shaking out of his reverie and adding his own spell to the mix. "Reducto!" The combined force of their magic sent a shockwave rippling through the chamber. The pool's surface shattered like a mirror, and the creatures dissolved mid-step, their forms collapsing into puddles that seeped into the cracks of the stone floor.

Silence fell, save for the sound of their breathing. The pool hadn't disappeared however the chamber felt colder now, emptier.

"That was... intense," Lando said, his voice shaky but attempting humor.

Carlos lowered his wand, his hand trembling slightly. He didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the empty space where the pool had been. Whatever trial the Chamber had designed, it had felt far too personal.

"Bombarda maxima? I... we're not allowed- why do you know that spell?" Lando asked, confused. General explosive spells were not taught practically, only through a textbook due to the dangers.

"It's- a long time ago I- if I didn't-" Carlos cut himself off, wincing as the memories from his past washed over him, unwanted.

Lando narrowed his eyes but said no more.

The water quickly reformed into a perfectly still mirror-like surface, and a faint glow emanated from the edges. The hum returned, louder this time, as words began to form across the water, written in shimmering silver letters.

"Only one of blood and beast may defeat this trial."

Lando read the words aloud, confusion spreading across his face. "Blood and beast? What does that even mean?"

Carlos stiffened, his heart pounding. He knew exactly what it meant, but his throat tightened at the thought of explaining. "It doesn't matter," he said quickly. "Let's just focus on solving it."

Lando stared at him incredulously. "What do you mean, 'it doesn't matter?' That's obviously a clue. And why are you acting so-"

"Because I know what it means!" Carlos burst out, his voice echoing through the chamber. He immediately regretted the outburst, clenching his fists to steady himself.

Lando blinked, taken aback. "Okay... then explain it."

Carlos' eyes darted to the water, then back to Lando. He couldn't tell him, not like this. Not now. "Just trust me. I'm the one who has to do this."

Lando frowned, clearly frustrated. "Trust you? Carlos, this is insane. What's so special about you that I can't help?"

The water rippled again, and a dark shape began to rise from its depths. It was massive, humanoid, but its features were twisted and grotesque, its eyes glowing with a cold, malevolent light. The air grew frigid, and an oppressive weight seemed to settle over the chamber.

The creature's gaze locked onto Carlos, ignoring Lando entirely. Its voice was a deep, guttural growl that reverberated through their bones. "Prove yourself, child of the moon. Or perish."

Lando's eyes widened, his head whipping towards Carlos. "Child of the moon? What is it talking about?"

Carlos stepped forward, his wand steady despite the fear clawing at his chest. "Stay back," he said to Lando, his voice firm. "On my terms, and no one else's. Not now, not ever. This is my fight."

The creature lunged, and the trial began.