Melania stepped through the threshold, and the world beyond the door blazed first with blinding light, then began to dissolve into deep darkness. She could not tell how much time had passed since her hand touched the surface of the door, but the sensation was as if she had entered a timeless space, where every movement and every breath lost its meaning.
The walls around her began to shift, retreating like living creatures hiding from her gaze. The sense of uncertainty pierced every cell of her being. She felt as if the space before her was unfolding, and suddenly a new figure appeared on the horizon.
“Did you think the choice was everything?” — the voice cut through her thoughts. She turned around and saw a dark silhouette looming in front of her, its eyes glowing brightly in the darkness. He was unlike anyone she had encountered before.
It was a man of middle age, with distinct features, marked by the traces of war and past events. His gaze was not exactly friendly, and though he did not exhibit hostility, there was a dangerous energy concentrated in him.
“I am the Guardian of Eternity,” — he said, nodding slightly towards the darkness that surrounded them. His voice was deep and heavy, like the rhythm of an unrelenting heart. “You have walked part of the path, but your choice is not yet complete.”
“Why are you here?” — Melania asked, trying to keep calm. She felt as if this new place was increasingly tightening around her, as it was impossible to ignore everything that surrounded her and everything happening inside her.
“I am not just a watcher. I am the one who observes the flow of time, guarding that which must remain unchanged.” He took a step closer, and the darkness around them seemed to fold into a dense, impenetrable fabric. “You stand at a crossroads. Your actions can either break or restore the very essence of Eternity.”
Melania felt her heart beat faster. The Guardian of Eternity had appeared here, among these fractured realities, and his words sounded not only like a warning but also a call to action. “What do you want from me?” — she asked, not breaking her gaze.
“I am the witness to all changes that happen, but also the one who protects the balance. You have come here to change everything. However, in this process, you are not just transforming the world, you are transforming yourself, and you must understand: what you destroy or change must become part of you. Only then will you understand the true choice.”
Melania inhaled deeply. She knew that her decisions had far-reaching consequences, but she still couldn’t see where it would lead. Her thoughts became heavier with every word the Guardian spoke.
“I am ready,” — she said, though doubt still lingered within her. She felt that her choice, though undefined, already had its power. She was ready to face whatever awaited her.
The Guardian of Eternity nodded, and the darkness before them parted, revealing a vast hall. Gigantic portals loomed in every corner of the space, and each of them was an endless choice. Yet Melania felt that her steps were no longer random. They had become part of her future, part of her struggle.
“Now you must understand that the changes you seek do not merely signify the transformation of the world. They transform you, and only when you accept this will you be able to truly control what is around you.”
She took a step forward, and the sensation of depth in this place intensified. The walls disappeared, leaving only an endless space of choices. And now she saw that each portal led to a different reality — a world where everything was subject to change, where nothing was fixed, and everything was in a state of constant transformation.
“You must choose the path that will lead you to be not just an observer but a creator and a destroyer at once,” — the Guardian said, but his figure began to dissolve into the mist, as if reality itself were becoming part of his words.
Melania took another step and entered the first portal that appeared before her. She felt her body, like light, merge into an endless flow of energy, as her entire world began to transmute. And though fear still lingered in her heart, the realization that this was her path filled her with new strength.
Now she knew: the choice was just the beginning. The transformation she was undergoing was inevitable. And all that remained was to accept these changes and allow them to become part of her essence, to become who she was meant to be.