I found him where every path eventually ends: before a gate that no map can mark. Three heads watched every direction at once, yet none looked upon me with malice. They watched only for truth.
The old tales speak of Cerberus as a beast that guards the realm of the dead, but they fail to mention his greatest gift. He cannot be bought. Gold, promises, fear, and flattery are all meaningless to him. His loyalty belongs only to the duty he was entrusted with.
Those who seek shortcuts or attempt to deceive him soon discover that the greatest barrier is not the guardian before them, but the dishonesty within themselves.
Perhaps that is why Cerberus appears in the shadows of travellers. He reminds us that integrity is a gate no one else can open for us. When we become incorruptible, when our values cannot be swayed by temptation, approval, or fear, we become the guardians of our own soul.