Antem walked through the distorted space, where there were no familiar landmarks—no time, no space, not even sounds. Everything around him merged into an infinite flux. He felt like a part of this new world, intertwined with his very existence, yet simultaneously disconnected from it.
He tried to focus on what was happening, but with each new step, his mind was filled with questions. What comes next? How can you change everything when the very rules of this world begin to blur? Then he heard her voice.
— You cannot leave everything to chance, — the woman said again, her face blurred as if it were not a real face but a reflection. — You’ve already taken the first step. But the new world demands new rules. And those rules cannot just remain empty.
Antem looked at her, trying to grasp what she meant. His doubts began to penetrate deeper, yet he knew that he could not stop. The answer was somewhere here, in the new world, but it would not be easy. He needed not only to understand how to change this world but also how to become a part of that change, without submission or futile attempts.
Choosing New Rules
She extended her hand, and before him appeared an object—transparent spheres, each shimmering with a different light. Inside each one was a variety of information, like unknown memories, each element potentially forming the foundation of a new world.
— You see them, don’t you? — she said, lifting one of the spheres. — These possibilities are new rules that we can create. The choice is yours.
Antem gazed at her, watching the gleam of the spheres. He felt their power was real, but he still couldn’t completely comprehend what was being asked of him. His consciousness started to fill with memories, sensations—things that had not existed in his world before.
He touched one of the spheres. It resonated within him, and again he saw a distorted reality before him, even more chaotic than ever before. In each reflection, he saw himself differently: young, old, on the brink of loss, and at the peak of strength. And along with him, these spheres transformed.
— This is just one of the options, — she said, standing beside him. — But there are others.
The Conflict of Possibilities
Antem inhaled deeply, realizing that a whole array of paths was opening before him. Each choice would lead to a new reality, every step would change this world. But in this chaos, he also felt temptation—the opportunity to initiate processes that might never have an end.
— If I choose, will I not thereby close off all other options? — he asked, surprised that his question felt as if it were not his alone to ask.
The woman dissolved in a light breeze.
— You choose not only for yourself. Your choice will affect the entire world. And it will be not only your task but also a trial for those who will support you.
Antem turned back to the spheres, choosing one of them once more. His hands trembled slightly as he cautiously touched another. A change again, a new path again. But this time he was ready.
The World Beyond Choice
Now that he had made his choice, his path led in a new direction. And although he did not know whether this would be the end or a new stage, he felt with certainty: he was meant to experience this. Even if he had to face the darkness again, he would no longer retreat.
Antem turned back to the spheres, choosing one of them once more. His hands trembled slightly as he cautiously touched another. A change again, a new path again. But this time he was ready.
The World Beyond Choice
Now that he had made his choice, his path led in a new direction. And although he did not know whether this would be the end or a new stage, he felt with certainty: he was meant to experience this. Even if he had to face the darkness again, he would no longer retreat.
He stepped into the unknown, unaware of where his next move would lead him, but knowing one thing for sure: this world would be different.