The darkness engulfed Lumis and Eili as the portal completed its rotation. The silence was so absolute that it felt as if sound resided somewhere in the past. The only source of illumination was the fragment in Lumis’s hand, casting eerie shadows on the smooth walls of the new space.
— Where are we now? — Eili whispered, gripping the fragment so tightly that her fingers turned white.
Lumis looked around. The room resembled a vast empty hall, adorned with glowing engravings. Symbols shimmered on the walls, pulsating as if responding to their presence.
— I don’t know, but this place… it is alive, — he replied.
Suddenly, the shadows on the walls began to stir, merging into a single figure. At first, it was formless, but with each passing moment, it gained more distinct outlines. Soon, a figure in a dark cloak stood before them, from which nothing was visible except for two bright glowing eyes.
— At last, you are here, — the shadow spoke, its voice resonating as if coming from all directions at once.
Eili took a step back, but Lumis remained rooted, holding the fragment before him.
— Who are you? And why were we brought here?
The shadow was silent for a few seconds before saying:
— You have crossed a boundary you should not have crossed. But now, it no longer matters. You have initiated a process that will change everything.
Eili couldn’t hold back.
— A process? What does that mean? We didn’t want this; we were just searching for answers!
The shadow tilted its head slightly, as if pondering.
— Answers always come at a cost. What you have done has affected the balance of this world. You have stopped the pendulum and thereby disrupted the cycle.
Lumis glanced at the fragment in his hand.
— If we have disrupted this cycle, perhaps it was the wrong one. Why are we not allowed to know the truth?
The shadow moved closer, its eyes burning with cold light.
— Truth is merely another form of control. You think you are fighting against the system, but in reality, you are just its tools. You are not ready for what lies ahead.
Eili couldn’t restrain herself:
— If we are tools, then why are you warning us?
For the first time, the shadow fell silent for a long time. It seemed as if the space around them was frozen in suspense.
— Because even tools can change their nature if they understand who they are, — it replied.
With these words, the shadow dissolved, leaving Lumis and Eili alone. But its words lingered in the air, like an echo that wouldn’t fade.
Lumis turned to Eili.
— It said we can change our nature. But how?
Eili lowered the fragment and looked at the symbols that were once again beginning to shimmer on the walls.
— Maybe this is what it wanted us to understand. We need to change something within ourselves before we can change the world.
The space around them began to dim, as if reacting to their thoughts. Lumis felt a wave of anxiety wash over him, but at the same time, a faint glimmer of hope sparked within.
— If this is our path, then we must find out how to traverse it, — he said, taking a step forward.
Eili nodded and followed suit. The symbols on the walls started to glow brighter, illuminating the path they needed to take.