Melania stopped before the massive doors that seemed to grow out of the very fabric of space. Their surface resembled a collection of stars swirling in deep darkness, creating patterns that shimmered with golden highlights. She felt a coolness emanating from them, not threatening, but awakening a memory of something familiar yet long forgotten.
Beyond the doors lay a new world. She knew this, though no sounds or images hinted at what awaited her. Something within her whispered, “This is not merely a transition. It is a new page in your story. But are you ready for it?”
Melania stretched her hand forward and touched the doors. Their surface, cool and glass-like, responded immediately, pulsing beneath her fingers. Suddenly, she was seized by a vision.
It was brief but vividly clear. An ancient forest bathed in crimson light, where tall towers rose among the trees. At the base of one of them stood a figure cloaked in light, its surface shimmering with threads of brilliance resembling webs. The figure looked directly at her, though eons of time separated them.
“He waits,” a voice echoed in her mind, and she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder, as though an unseen guide was urging her forward.
The vision dissolved, and the doors began to open slowly. Melania stepped forward and found herself in a space that seemed to defy the laws of reality. It was an endless corridor, with walls made of something resembling flowing water, shimmering with faint images.
She tried to focus on one of the walls, and a scene unfolded before her: a young girl in old-fashioned clothing running through the narrow streets of a city Melania didn’t recognize. Shadows in black cloaks chased her relentlessly. The girl turned, and her eyes met Melania’s. The connection lasted only a moment, but her gaze was so full of despair it made Melania’s heart tighten.
“This is the past, seeking your attention,” a quiet voice said.
Melania turned, but there was no one to be seen. The space was empty, broken only by the sound of her footsteps echoing in the silence.
The corridor expanded into a vast hall. Its walls seemed made of celestial stone, shimmering with every shade of blue. In the center of the hall, on a pedestal, rested a glowing sphere radiating pale golden light.
“This is the Heart of Choice,” the voice spoke again, closer this time. “Touch it if you wish to see what lies ahead. But remember: every vision comes at a cost.”
Melania stepped closer, her hand almost brushing the sphere when a thunderous sound shattered the stillness, like the sky itself had split apart. From a shadowed corner of the hall, something began to stir.
A figure emerged, draped in a heavy cloak, its face obscured by shadows. Its presence radiated a power that made the air in the hall quiver.
“You do not belong here,” the stranger’s voice was deep and commanding. “This place is not for those who waver.”
“I am here because I seek the truth,” Melania replied, her voice steady despite the tremor within her.
“Then you must understand: the truth always brings pain,” the figure said, and in that instant, it began to move toward her.
Their gazes locked, and Melania felt the stranger’s power probing deep into her mind, as though unraveling her every secret. But she did not look away.
“I do not fear pain. For it leads to change,” she said, stepping forward.
The stranger halted. His cloak shifted, revealing a face that seemed both unfamiliar and hauntingly familiar.
“Then you are ready. But is the world ready for you?” he asked, before vanishing, leaving only a whisper echoing in the space.
Melania turned back to the sphere and touched it. Light exploded outward, flooding everything around her, and she felt her consciousness begin to shift to a new place. Yet she knew: this path was now her own.