The world around Tarik dissolved, leaving him suspended in a void where there was no light, no shadow, no sound, no time. The emptiness felt infinite, yet it brimmed with a powerful, unseen energy.
He stood, as though weightless, with no ground beneath his feet, aware once more of the invisible presence watching him. But this time, he was unafraid. Tarik accepted that this was part of his journey.
Suddenly, two paths materialized before him.
The first glowed with warm golden light, leading to peace and tranquility, yet it seemed overly familiar, almost too easy.
The second was dark and winding, its destination hidden in shadows. It was a path into the unknown.
“This is your choice,” a voice resonated from the depths. “Will you choose safety or step into the unknown?”
Tarik hesitated. The first path beckoned with promises of an end to his struggles, a conclusion to his search. Yet something about it felt wrong, as if this peace was an illusion, not truly his own.
“Why should I take this path?” he asked, gesturing toward the glowing road.
“Because it is easier,” the voice replied. “There are no challenges there, no pain. You will have everything you think you’ve sought. But only what you already know.”
Tarik turned his gaze to the dark path.
“And the other?”
“There lies uncertainty. No promises, no guarantees. Only a journey you will carve for yourself.”
Tarik understood that this decision was his alone. There was no right or wrong path—only the one that belonged to him.
He stepped forward and chose the dark path.
“I choose what is mine to discover,” he said, his voice steady as he moved into the shadows.
And once more, the world shifted. The void filled with motion, with life. He found himself standing on a windswept hill. Mountains loomed on the horizon, shrouded in thick clouds, while beneath his feet stretched vast green meadows that rolled endlessly toward the edge of the world.
Before him stood a figure.
Tall and cloaked in dark fabric, its face obscured by shadows, the stranger exuded an air of quiet authority. Yet Tarik felt no fear.
“Welcome, traveler,” the figure said, its voice deep yet calm. “You have chosen the right path. But now, the true test begins.”
Tarik nodded, his resolve firm. He was ready for the next stage of his journey.