The silence around them was deafening. The heroes stood before the Core of Eternity, now glowing with such intense light that even the darkness could not obscure it. They could feel its immense power pulsing inside, like the heart of a new world. But with this power came uncertainty — what they had to decide now could change not only their future but the very structure of Eternity itself.
Melania swallowed, trying to regain her calm. She stared at the core, and although its light seemed like a blessing, she could only feel anxiety inside. She felt part of her power beginning to dissipate, as if Eternity itself was trying to consume her again, but this time in a different way. Something had changed, and it was felt not only on a physical level but deep in her heart.
— Are we ready? — whispered Kairen, standing beside her. His face, hidden behind his helmet, betrayed no emotion, but his voice revealed the doubt he was trying to hide.
Melania didn’t answer immediately. She felt how important it was to make this step right. The choice they had to make now depended not only on the role they wanted to play in the new Eternity but also on how their decisions would resonate in the future.
— We need to decide, — she said, a little unsure. — Whether we’ll create Eternity as it was before, with its laws and restrictions, or let it become something new. Something that hasn’t been before.
Endar remained silent, but his eyes carefully watched every move she made. He realized that this choice was also his, and his past did not give him peace. He knew that the new Eternity could become his chance for redemption, but was it ready to accept him with all his mistakes?
— Melania, — he began, — are you sure you want to make this choice? We can create something new, but are we ready for it? What if we only repeat old mistakes, masking them with new ideas?
Melania looked at him. Her gaze showed understanding, but also doubt. She knew that the decision they would make would have a huge impact on all the future. Her heart beat faster, her thoughts tangled, but one answer remained — they had to move forward.
— You’re right, — she finally said, — we may make mistakes, but it will be our choice. We have to create something new. If we don’t try, we’ll never know if we’re capable of it.
Kairen tightened his grip on his sword, but a shadow of doubt crossed his face.
— And what if this choice isn’t ours? What if there are forces trying to manipulate us? We can’t be sure this path is the only right one.
— True, — Melania replied, — we can’t know for sure. But we can choose how to move forward. And I choose to move ahead. To create Eternity that won’t be bound by the past. To create it the way we want to see it.
Endar thought for a moment. His past was dark, and it seemed it would never leave him. But he saw how the world around him was changing, and he believed that whatever the new Eternity turned out to be, he could find his place in it. The sense of responsibility to others, to the future, became stronger than any fear.
— I’m with you, — he said at last, after a pause.
Melania nodded, taking a deep breath. They stood at the threshold of two worlds — the old and the new. The choice seemed simple, but it was profound in a way that couldn’t be grasped immediately.
She moved closer to the core, and without a word, activated the symbol. The core flared even brighter, emitting streams of energy that enveloped them all. The light seemed immense, an endless flow that consumed everything around them.
— This is our responsibility, — Melania said, and her voice echoed through the space that stretched around them.
But even as the light swallowed them, a new fear began to loom over them. Something unknown, yet already felt, was pursuing them.
— We can’t retreat, — Kairen said, raising his sword, ready for another fight. — Now we step into the new Eternity. And we must guard it.
They continued moving forward, ready for whatever awaited them ahead.