The world stood still, waiting for their decision.
Three gates loomed before Emiren, Flamen, and Those Born in Darkness. Each radiated a different energy, and each promised its own truth.
The Silver Gate shone with a soft, cold light. It looked perfect, smooth like the surface of a mirror, and it beckoned with a sense of peace.
The Shadow Gate appeared unstable—its outlines shifted, as if it were merely a reflection of something greater, hiding beyond the edge of reality.
The Stone Gate stood solid and unyielding. Ancient symbols covered its cracked surface, whispering of something that had existed long before the first stream of time.
Emiren felt the weight of choice settle within him.
— What do you feel? — he asked Flamen quietly.
The fire-wielding warrior ran his hand through the air as if trying to sense the energy of the gates.
— The Silver one—stability, but cold, as if no life exists there.
— The Shadow one—deceptive, it changes with our thoughts.
— The Stone one—ancient, powerful, but heavy. Something inside does not want us to enter.
Emiren turned to the Wardens of Time.
— Do you know which one leads to the Source?
One of the Wardens tilted his head, as if listening to the whispers of unseen voices.
— We do not have the right to say, — he answered. — But remember: the path that leads to the beginning may not be what it seems.
The choice was theirs.
The Path of the Silver Gate
The Empty One stepped forward and placed his hand on the cold surface of the Silver Gate.
— This is a world where time follows strict rules, — he said. — There is no chaos here, no randomness. Everything is ordered.
The gate trembled slightly, and within its depths, an image appeared.
They saw a city built from perfect geometric shapes. Its people moved in absolute synchronization. No one was late, no one strayed from the rhythm.
— Is this… a perfect place? — Flamen asked.
— It is a world without choice, — the Empty One replied.
Emiren gazed deep into the Silver Gate. The longer he looked, the more he felt his own thoughts aligning, his doubts fading away.
— We cannot take this path, — he said. — Here, we will forget who we are.
The Empty One nodded and withdrew his hand. The gate’s light dimmed.
The Path of the Shadow Gate
Flamen stepped toward the Shadow Gate. His fire danced in the darkness that radiated from it.
— This is the path of possibilities, — he said. — Here, nothing is certain, only potential.
The Shadow Gate opened, revealing a world where everything shifted from moment to moment.
Buildings grew and vanished into thin air. People changed faces, becoming someone else, forgetting who they had been just a minute ago.
— This is a world where nothing is constant, — Flamen said. — Not even us.
Emiren looked at his reflection in the shadows and saw his features shifting. His hands belonged to someone else, his voice sounded unfamiliar.
— We would lose ourselves here, — he said.
Flamen nodded and stepped away. The gate’s outlines faded into mist.
The Path of the Stone Gate
Only the Stone Gate remained.
Emiren approached it and touched its rough, cold surface.
— This is the path no one has chosen, — one of the Wardens said.
The gate began to open, revealing an ancient world.
A massive mechanism, made of colossal gears and wheels, slowly turned. Its movement created streams of time, flowing in all directions.
— This is the heart of the Eternal Garden, — the Empty One said.
Emiren took a step forward, and the air around them trembled.
— This is the path to the Source, — he said.
They had made their choice.
The Stone Gate dissolved, and darkness consumed them.
The world was changing.