As soon as the light that had burst from the Book of Change faded, a new obstacle appeared before the Creators. Right in front of them, rising from the boundless space, stood the Mirror Tower—tall, elegant, made of a material that seemed both transparent and deep, like the sky itself. Its walls reflected not only their faces but countless reflections of their possible futures.
— Is this another trial? — Flamen asked, gazing at the shining structure.
— It is the answer to our choice, — Empty whispered.
— Then we must climb to the top, — said Emiren, stepping forward first.
As soon as they approached the base of the tower, Three Gates opened before them, each different from the others:
• The first was made of pure silver, its surface reflecting reality as it was.
• The second was black as night, absorbing light without a single reflection.
• The third was made of flowing water, constantly shifting and changing with every moment.
— Which one should we choose? — Watery reached toward the watery entrance, but Flamen stopped him.
— It might be a trap. The tower is testing what we believe to be true.
— I think it’s not about choosing the right or wrong path, — Emiren said. — These are three different ways to the top.
— Then we must separate again… — Empty murmured.
The Silver Path (Flamen)
Flamen stepped through the silver gate, and it closed behind him. He found himself in a spiral corridor bathed in soft white light. The walls did not just reflect his image; they showed everything he had ever done.
With each step, he saw different versions of himself—the one who had lost battles, the one who had never started wars, the one who had become not a Creator but a destroyer.
— What does this mean? — he asked aloud.
— This is your mark on time, — his own reflection replied. — Can you accept all your past choices, even those that led to loss?
He stopped. He remembered everything: every moment of doubt, every victory, every pain.
— Yes. I accept it all.
As soon as he spoke these words, the corridor before him vanished, and he stepped forward—into the upper part of the tower.
The Dark Path (Empty)
Empty chose the black gate. It led him into a place where nothing existed—no light, no sound. He stood in pure darkness.
— What is this place?
Voices spoke around him, but not from the outside—they echoed within his own mind.
— You are emptiness. You are absence. You do not exist without others.
— Who is speaking?
— It is you. Are you truly something separate?
Empty understood the nature of this trial. He had always been the one who balanced between existence and nonexistence, between shadow and light. But was he truly something by himself?
He focused, forcing his thoughts to materialize:
— I exist because I choose to exist.
The darkness scattered, and he, too, reached the top.
The Living Path (Watery)
Watery stepped through the watery gate and immediately felt a current lifting him. He did not walk but drifted upward through a living river that constantly changed direction.
— There is no stability here… — he whispered.
The water around him created visions: he was part of a vast ocean, then a single raindrop, then dissolving into mist.
— Are you still yourself if you are constantly changing? — the water asked.
He thought for a long time. He had always been the one who adapted, who flowed with events. But did that mean he had no true self?
— Change is my nature. I am not something static. I am the one who adapts, but I always remain myself.
The water parted, and he stepped onto the tower’s summit.
Reunion and the Final Trial
When all three reached the top, a final Door of Light appeared before them. It was simple, made of pure radiance, with no handles.
— How do we open it? — Flamen asked.
— It will open only when we give the answer together, — Emiren replied.
A question appeared on the door:
“What governs change?”
They looked at one another.
— Choice, — said Flamen.
— Acceptance of one’s existence, — added Empty.
— The willingness to change while remaining oneself, — said Watery.
The door opened.
Before them lay the Final Reality, the mystery of which still awaited discovery.