I stared at the endless road ahead. It stretched as far as the eye could see. I looked at Reynald, unsure if I should keep moving.
"Easier said than done. There's nothing out there but damnation."
He placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Those who lack imagination tend to see numbers in everything."
He raised his hand toward the seemingly endless path. Then, his hand began to glow with a brilliant light, absorbing the energy particles in the domain as the air around us grew tense.
"My friend, what you must do now is ponder its significance, and return to that damnation."
A faint outline of a structure started to form in front of us — it was a gate. Piece by piece, it built itself from the fabric of the fourth dimension. I was awestruck; had I not seen it myself, I would never have believed it.
When the final pieces merged with the structure, the gate slowly opened, revealing a blinding light that pierced through every shadow. A question rose within me — where did it lead?
"Off you go then."
I turned to look at Reynald, but he was gone, vanished as if he had never been there. I looked around, trying to find any trace or sign he had left behind, but I couldn't even smell the musky scent of his perfume anymore.
"Damned magician..." I muttered to myself.
I fixed my gaze on the gate again. It shone like a melody calling out to me with desperate cries.
With hesitant steps, I made my way toward the gate, standing before the tall structure. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, bracing myself for what was to come.
At that moment, everything turned white, and all I could see was nothing. Where was I? What was this place?
.....
Slowly, my eyes fluttered open, and I saw a familiar ceiling. I quickly sat up, recognizing where I was.
It was my parents' house.
I remembered every detail — the old wooden floor, the plant inside the house, another me...
Wait...
Another me? No, that couldn't be right. Why was I seeing my younger self? I tried to approach my lookalike when suddenly, the door creaked open.
I turned around, and standing in the doorway were my parents — Miss and Mister Ravel.
M-Mother...? Father...
I stared at them for a while, doubting my own eyes. My hands instinctively reached out to grasp their faces.
But then it hit me — my hand went straight through them, like touching a hologram. I tried again and again in desperation.
"No, no, no... I-I'm here! Don't ignore me! Don't you dare look away!"
I knew they couldn't hear me, but I didn't care. I just wanted them to see me — to earn their approval, their acknowledgment.
My eyes filled with unshed tears. Why weren't they responding?
"No... Don't leave me... Not again..."
I collapsed to the ground, defeated and powerless. I looked up at their faces again as tears streamed down my cheeks onto the wooden floor.
"They won't respond to you."
That voice... it was him. He was toying with me.
I looked around the room, searching for any sign of him.
"Show yourself, you bloody bastard! I'll rip you apart!"
I shouted into the air, my eyes darting wildly. Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned — he was standing over me.
"Looking at you now, it's kinda pathetic, you know that? Nevertheless, only those who are broken have the will to rewrite fate itself."
I tried to stand, but he pushed me back down to the floor.
"Don't even try. I told you I'm not your enemy. If anything, I'm offering you a chance — a chance at redemption."
He released my shoulder. It felt cold in the absence of his touch.
"Redemption...?"
I looked at him, my voice trembling with genuine desperation. I was ready to sacrifice anything.
"Cael. Do you want to be—"
He paused, turning his back to me, then glanced over his shoulder.
"—a Timeless Author?"
—Penning a new chapter…