The world had not yet adapted to the changes when space trembled once more.
The Unspoken Ones, who had just gained form, froze. Their shadows had not yet fully solidified into reality when a new presence filled the air. Emiren’s silver tree vibrated as if warning of something inevitable.
And then he appeared.
Not in the way ordinary beings arrived—he did not step out of the shadows, did not sprout from the ground, did not descend from the sky. He was simply there, as if he had always been standing aside, observing, waiting for his turn.
The One Who Guards the Balance.
His silhouette was ghostly, shifting—at times resembling a tall figure in a faded cloak, at times dissolving into the air, blending with the very flow of time. His eyes… or what could be called eyes, were two abysses absorbing light, like black stars devouring everything around them.
He surveyed those present.
— Well, well, — he said with a hint of weary amusement. — I turn away for just a moment, and you’ve already created an entirely new class of existence.
His voice echoed strangely, lingering in the air longer than it should have.
Emiren felt his heart clench.
— Who are you?
The stranger tilted his head slightly, as if pondering the question.
— The One Who Guards the Balance. Or, if you prefer something simpler… the one who has to clean up after excessive creative experiments.
He slowly extended his hand, and the Unspoken Ones shuddered. Their bodies, which had just gained clarity, began to waver, as if the shadows once again threatened to consume them.
— Wait! — Ardalys exclaimed. — They’ve already become part of this world!
The stranger glanced at him with mild curiosity.
— So? That doesn’t mean they have the right to stay.
— They want to be, — Emiren said firmly.
The One Who Guards the Balance let out a deep sigh.
— Of course, they do. Everyone does. But not everything that wants to exist should exist.
He waved his hand, and the Unspoken Ones trembled even more. Their shadows once again lost definition, merging into something vague and uncertain.
— Aaren’t they part of a new reality now? — Emiren asked.
— Reality is not an endless garden where you can grow anything you like, — the stranger replied. — Even your Eternal Garden has limits.
He stepped forward, and the shadows of the Unspoken Ones began to shift around him, as if drawn toward his very essence.
— You know, you new-generation creators are exhaustingly creative. I can barely keep up with you. Breaking structures, expanding boundaries… And then someone has to clean up the mess.
— And you’ll just destroy them? — Ardalys asked.
The stranger shook his head.
— Destroy? No, that would be too simple. They’re not to blame for being born in chaos. They just don’t belong here.
He reached out, and the Unspoken Ones started moving toward him. They did not scream, did not resist—they only trembled, as if sensing that this was their true path. Their shadows began dissolving into the abyss of his eyes, vanishing into something greater than oblivion.
— They will return home, — he said quietly. — To the place where everything that never happened waits for its time.
Emiren felt his fists clench.
— And what if I don’t allow it?
The stranger smiled.
— You already allowed them to exist. That was enough.
One by one, the Unspoken Ones disappeared. Their forms faded, their voices dimmed.
— We… are…
The final whisper lingered in the air before the world became whole once more.
The One Who Guards the Balance took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders.
— Well, there you go. Everything’s back in balance.
He turned to Emiren.
— You did well, boy. But remember—even creation needs limits.
And before Emiren or Ardalys could respond, he simply… vanished.
Leaving behind only a faint gust of wind that scattered silver dust across the ground.