The gates opened soundlessly, revealing a world that defied all known laws.
Emiren, Flamen, and the Hollow stepped forward, and reality itself shifted. Their bodies became weightless, as if they were not walking but being carried forward by sheer will. The space around them was a pulsating glow—not light, not shadow, but something in between, something that breathed, changed, and watched them.
Ahead, at the very center of this place, a great heart was beating.
It was not made of flesh and blood, yet each pulse resonated through the space, making everything vibrate, expand, and contract. Its surface resembled a transparent crystal, within which streams of light flowed—like rivers of time intertwining, diverging, and merging again.
— This is… the Heart of Time? — Flamen whispered, his voice seeming foreign in this place.
— I can feel its pulse, — Emiren said, reaching out his hand.
As soon as his fingers neared the crystalline surface, the heart suddenly changed its rhythm. A beat. Another. The space around them trembled, and suddenly, voices filled the air.
Voices of Eternity
These were not just sounds—they were stories. Thousands, millions of voices spoke at once, each telling its fate, each part of the eternal flow that moved through existence.
— These are… all possible versions of reality, — the Hollow whispered, clenching his hands. — Every life that has ever been, is, or could be.
Emiren felt these voices pulling at his mind, stretching him in different directions. Before his eyes, images flickered:
• A world where he never became a Creator, where he lived as an ordinary traveler, never discovering his power.
• A world where he chose a different path—not to fight but to let time exist in chaos, untouched.
• A world where Ardalys never died but instead became an enemy, seeking to destroy everything he once loved.
• A world where Emiren himself became the one feared by all—the one who brings oblivion.
Reality began to waver.
— This is a trap! — Flamen shouted, grabbing Emiren’s shoulder. — Don’t let this place consume you!
Emiren gritted his teeth and focused. He was himself. No matter what could have been or what might be, he knew who he was now.
The voices began to fade. The visions dissolved.
And then, the Heart of Time changed form.
The Appearance of the Entity
Its contours trembled, its glow dimmed, and it began to transform into something else.
From the darkness that spread around them, a figure emerged.
It was tall, vaguely human-shaped, but its face remained unseen, shifting constantly, sometimes resembling someone familiar, then vanishing entirely. Its clothing was made of shadows, flowing like liquid.
— You have come farther than any Creator, — it spoke.
Its voice was both old and young, male and female, coming from everywhere at once.
— Who are you? — Flamen asked, clenching his fists.
— I was the First to touch the Heart of Time. The one who understood its nature. And the one who paid the price.
— What price? — the Hollow asked cautiously.
The figure stepped forward, and a wave of cold swept over them.
— Those who truly understand the nature of time cease to be part of any of its flows. I no longer exist anywhere except in this place. I am no longer human, no longer a Creator, no longer a Guardian. I am the Void between moments.
A chill ran down Emiren’s spine.
— You’re saying that those who learn the truth… disappear?
— Not disappear, but become part of eternity itself. But the question is not what happens to me. The question is what you wish to know.
Flamen and the Hollow looked at Emiren.
— We seek an answer, — he finally said. — Why is time the way it is? Can it be changed?
— You already know the answer, — the Entity whispered. — Time is a garden. And every Creator decides which branches will grow and which will bend under the weight of choice.
— But who planted this garden? — the Hollow asked.
The Entity was silent.
Then, instead of speaking, it raised a hand.
The Choice of Truth
Two doors appeared before them.
One—made of white light, shimmering like water.
The other—of pure darkness, swallowing the light around it.
— This is your choice, — the Entity said.
— What do they mean? — Flamen asked.
— One door leads to the truth. The other keeps you as you are.
Emiren stepped closer, gazing at the doors.
He knew that those who seek the truth risk losing themselves.
But was he truly ready for it?