The light around them suddenly began to ripple, like wind spreading across the surface of water. The sensation was unfamiliar, even strange. The space seemed both near and far at the same time, as if it was impossible to say where reality began and where it ended. The walls, which only moments ago had seemed more solid than any rock, now began to shift gently, as though they were responding to every movement they made.
Eili felt her heart beating in her chest, her legs trembling from the changes happening around them. She couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination or if reality was really shifting in such a way. She turned to Lumis, walking beside her, his gaze calm, but with the same unfathomable depth she had noticed from the beginning of their journey.
“What is this place?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper, filled with apprehension.
“I don’t know,” Lumis replied. He took a step forward, and the light became brighter, as though he had stepped onto a new level of this space. “But I feel we are getting closer to something immense.”
They continued walking, and with each step, the space around them changed more and more. The once rigid and firm walls transformed into vibrant surfaces, scattering beams of light in every direction, creating intricate patterns on the floor. Or maybe it was the sensation of light shifting, swallowing them into its brilliance.
“We’re very close now,” Lumis said, not slowing down. “We can’t turn back.”
Eili felt her inner fear beginning to return, reminding her of the moments when everything had been unclear and misty. She began to doubt whether they were truly ready for what awaited them ahead.
“What if we’re not ready?” she asked softly.
Lumis stopped and looked at her, his gaze becoming penetrating, as though he were seeing straight through her, into the depths of her very heart.
“We will never be ready,” he said. “But this is our choice. And it’s the only thing we can do.”
His words sounded like an echo in the endless space, resonating with something deep inside Eili. She knew they couldn’t just turn back now. They had already made their choice, and all that was left was to walk this path to the end.
Suddenly, the wall before them began to slowly part, revealing a dark corridor that led into infinity. It felt as though they were passing through invisible barriers, leaving everything behind and stepping into something unknown.
“Is this the end?” Eili asked, her voice trembling but resolute.
“No,” Lumis replied, his voice firm, even through the mist of this space. “This is only the beginning.”
And, gathering all their strength, they took another step forward, leaving all doubts behind, ready to face whatever awaited them next.