Reality trembled as if it were a living being experiencing its own birth.
Those who had returned now stood alongside the Creators, no longer appearing as a threat or mere echoes of the past. They were part of everything that existed, and now it was time to determine their role in this new world.
But before the world could change, they needed to understand who would govern it.
Fragments of Infinity
The rift in reality no longer looked like a chaotic wound. Instead, it had transformed into a massive arch woven from the streams of time, leading into a realm of possibilities. Each of the Creators felt the energy currents reaching out to them, inviting them to take control.
— We cannot allow another war, — said Watery, touching the arch. His fingers left a mark in reality, like water carving through stone. — If we fight for power, we will repeat the same mistakes as before.
— Then we need a new order, — Fire clenched his fists, watching as his own shadows reflected on the walls of the arch. — But who will decide what that order is?
Emiren remained silent, gazing into the endless currents of reality. His own reflection seemed faint among the dozens of other versions of himself appearing in the time streams.
— We cannot be mere observers, — he finally spoke. — Nor can we become tyrants who dictate the rules. We must create a balance between freedom and order.
Fire and Watery exchanged glances.
— You propose that we become the Architects of Eternity? — Empty asked quietly.
— Exactly, — Emiren nodded. — We must not simply halt or create time’s flow. We must build structures that allow reality to develop naturally yet in a controlled manner.
A wave of light burst from the arch, and at that moment, a unique path appeared before each of the Creators.
The Path of Creation
Emiren stepped forward and felt the world around him shift. The Eternal Garden appeared before him—but not as he had known it. He saw its beginning, the first branch that had blossomed in the void. It was the moment of creation, the instant when something emerged from nothing.
— If we are to be Architects, we must understand how existence itself is formed, — he whispered.
The Garden’s branches grew before his eyes, intertwining into endless variations of possibility. But he saw that not all branches were viable. Some withered, lacking the strength to continue. Others grew so chaotically that they collided, leading to destruction.
Emiren touched one of the branches, and it changed—its direction straightened, forming a harmonious line of development.
— This is the Architecture of Eternity, — he realized. — Not controlling every moment, but guiding reality toward paths where it can thrive.
The Path of Destruction
Fire saw a different vision.
A world that already existed, but its foundations were unstable. He saw civilizations that grew but whose greed and self-destruction led them to ruin. Time branches that were so entangled that they could not be unraveled without sacrifice.
— What cannot exist must be destroyed, — he said.
His hand ignited, and he carefully touched one of the branches. It burned away, vanishing into ashes, but in its place, a new one appeared—pure, free from the mistakes that had led to its downfall.
— Destruction is not the end. It is the chance to begin anew.
Fire understood that the role of the Architects would also include knowing when to end what could no longer exist, to make way for something new.
The Path of Observation
Watery found himself among reflections of time.
He saw events unfolding in millions of variations. He could see the outcome of every choice before it was even made. But he also noticed something else—if one interfered too much, reality became predictable. It lost its essence.
— Sometimes, the best choice is to make no choice at all, — he whispered.
Observation, too, was part of Architecture. It was impossible to shape eternity without understanding when to let it evolve on its own.
The Intersection of Paths
When the Creators returned to the Eternal Garden, each carried a newfound understanding of their role.
— To create harmony, we need all three principles, — said Emiren. — Creation, Destruction, and Observation.
— What if we make a mistake? — Fire asked.
— We are no longer just those who control time. We are those who give it shape, — Emiren replied.
At the center of the Eternal Garden, a new symbol appeared—the intertwining of three forces.
And from that moment, a new era began.
The Architects of Eternity stepped into their true role.