Light tore through the darkness.
For a moment, Emiren was blinded, feeling his body lose weight, dissolving into a stream of energy. His consciousness expanded, as if he existed in a thousand variations of himself at once, and then he reassembled into a single whole.
When his vision returned, the stairs were gone.
Now, before him, stood a door.
Massive, dark, it seemed to be made not of wood or metal but of the very fabric of time. Its surface pulsed as if alive, and the patterns covering it changed every second, reflecting the endless possibilities of the future.
Emiren reached out.
— You still have a chance to refuse, — a voice spoke behind him.
He turned.
Before him stood the same translucent figure that had accompanied him on the stairs. But now, it was clearer, almost tangible.
— If I refuse, what will happen?
— You will wake up in a world where this choice never existed. You will forget everything you have learned, forget about the Eternal Garden, about those who fight for time.
— And if I open the door?
— You will step into a world yet to be born.
The World Beyond the Threshold
Emiren took a deep breath and touched the door.
It opened silently, revealing not darkness or light.
Only emptiness.
But not like before—not cold, indifferent, all-consuming.
This emptiness was waiting.
As he took the first step, the ground began to form beneath his feet. It emerged from nothingness, as if obeying his presence.
The second step—and a sky appeared above him, at first pale, undefined, but gradually taking on color.
The third step—and the space around him filled with sounds. A wind that arose from the void, the faint murmur of a distant sea that did not yet exist but was preparing to be born.
— The world is building itself along with you, — a voice echoed.
Emiren turned.
The figure that had accompanied him had changed. Now, it looked human—a man in simple clothing, with deep, dark eyes that concealed more than they revealed.
— Are you the one who created this world? — Emiren asked.
— No, — the man smiled. — You are the one creating it.
The Creator’s Choice
Emiren looked ahead.
Before him stretched a world that was just beginning to take shape. The land had no defined form yet—there were no rivers, no mountains, no forests. But he could feel that all of it could appear if only he willed it.
— What must I do?
— Define its nature, — the stranger replied. — You can create a world where time flows continuously, like a river. Where the past, present, and future are clearly separated, where everything follows a sequence.
— Or?
— Or a world where time is flexible, like the wind. Where the future can change the past, where every choice creates a new reality.
— And I must choose?
— You already chose when you opened this door.
The First Movement of Time
Emiren closed his eyes.
He felt his thoughts intertwining with this new world, every impulse of his mind echoing in space.
He made his choice.
When he opened his eyes, the world around him came to life.
Rivers began carving through the land, forests grew from nothing, the sky deepened into vibrant colors, and the wind filled the air with whispers of events yet to come.
Time began its motion.
— Congratulations, — the stranger said. — You have become the one who shapes eternity.
And the world yet to be born became reality.