Emiren stood at the threshold of the vast garden that stretched before him like an endless painting. The paths led in various directions, and the trees surrounding him seemed alive, whispering their secrets to one another. The sun rose higher, and its rays shattered into millions of colorful reflections on every leaf, every flower. But the more he observed this place, the more he felt that something was wrong.
“Are you ready?” came Ardalys’s voice, which suddenly appeared beside him.
Emiren glanced at him, but his eyes no longer held the calm they once had. Instead, he felt a strange chill rising in his heart.
“Ready for what?” he asked, although he knew that the answer lay deep within him.
Ardalys looked at him with a glimmer of sorrow in his eyes.
“Ready to choose. Every step here carries a choice. And every choice changes something. You have the power not just to walk a path but to create a new reality. But be cautious, for even the smallest choice can have unpredictable consequences.”
Emiren took a deep breath, trying to understand what was being asked of him. Could he truly change this garden? And would he be able to live with the consequences of his decisions?
The Path of Doubts
The choice was not obvious. The paths before him branched in different directions, each promising new possibilities, yet none leading to a simple or clear end. In one part of the garden, trees grew like vast sails, shimmering in the sunlight, while in another, trees with black as night leaves absorbed all light, creating an atmosphere of darkness around them.
“What should I choose?” thought Emiren. He understood that every step now would become part of his destiny, and with each step, he would change the very essence of time, for this garden was not merely a place but a living, pulsing world where time was as malleable as dough waiting to take shape.
The Temptation of Eternity
His gaze fell upon a tree standing apart, its branches reaching toward a place where it seemed time stood still. This was the tree that looked like time itself—its silver branches seemed to be filled with light. However, as he drew closer, something stopped him in his tracks. The temptation emanating from this tree was so powerful that he felt his heart freeze.
At the end of one of its branches hung a fruit, glowing with a soft, warm golden hue. It was exactly what he had been searching for. His instincts urged him toward it, but suddenly, Ardalys’s voice, watching him from a distance, spoke again.
“Do not touch it unless you are ready to change your life forever,” he said softly but firmly.
Emiren halted, staring at the fruit. He understood that this fruit would give him great power—the power to change the reality around him. But what would happen to those he loved? How would his decision affect those he left behind?
The Path Leading into Darkness
“Am I ready?” — these words felt so heavy. He could feel his consciousness torn in two. One part of him longed for the tree, for its power, while another part feared the consequences.
“Every choice has its price,” Ardalys repeated, as if reading his thoughts. “And sometimes, that price can be higher than you’re willing to pay.”
Emiren looked at the trees surrounding him and saw a path leading into the darkness. This route seemed the least desirable, but there was something special about it. It wasn’t as attractive as the others, but perhaps within it lay the true answer.
A New Branch
And so, gathering all his will, Emiren took his first step onto the dark path. Each step absorbed him deeper, and the world he had left behind was no longer visible. But he felt a new strength awakening within him, a strength that came from the very choice he had made.
His fate was no longer simple. It was now part of this garden, part of eternal time. And whatever lay ahead, he was ready to move forward.