The light disappeared, and with it, the platform of mirrors vanished. Emiren opened his eyes and found himself standing at the edge of a new path that disappeared into the verdant depths of the Garden. The trees here were entirely different: their leaves pulsed with faint light, like a heartbeat resonating with life itself. Each step felt like a vibration, an echo awakening within the roots and rising to the treetops.
Emiren sensed that the air around him had become warmer, almost alive. It held him like hands supporting a delicate branch. For a moment, he thought even time itself was breathing.
— The Garden changes as you change, — echoed the voice of Ardalys, now a distant memory in Emiren’s thoughts. — Every path leads to new life, to a new breath.
Emiren cautiously stepped forward. As his foot touched the ground, a tiny flower sprouted before him, as if from nothing. It glowed green, and its petals resembled the shapes of stars.
— Why am I seeing this? — he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.
But the answer came, as though the Garden itself spoke to him:
— Because you have become a part of this world. Every step you take creates life, every thought of yours influences its breath.
The Watchers of Breath
The path led further until it brought him to a small clearing. Here, amidst tall grass, stood strange beings. They resembled humans but, at the same time, their forms shifted, like reflections in water. Their eyes glowed with a soft golden light, and their skin shimmered like the colors of dawn.
One of the beings, taller than the rest, stepped closer to Emiren. It held a peculiar staff in its hands, resembling a fusion of branches and roots.
— You have stepped onto the Path of the Breathing World, — it said in a voice that sounded like a chorus of thousands. — Your intentions now affect every branch of this Garden.
— Who are you? — Emiren asked, feeling a surge of both anxiety and curiosity in his chest.
— We are the Watchers of Breath, — the being replied. — We do not create or destroy. We only observe and preserve. But now you are here, and your presence stirs the harmony.
— What does that mean? — Emiren felt the creature’s words ripple through him like a cold wave.
— You are a creator. And within you lies the power to change this world. But with every change comes consequence.