Reverie was no longer silent.
It breathed.
Where there had once been endless halls of mirrors and darkness, now there were colors—sky blues and rose golds, trees that whispered names, flowers that shimmered with memories, and bridges that led nowhere but peace.
Ethan stepped out onto a crystal path that shimmered under his feet. Noel stood beside him, still quiet, still processing.
"Is it really over?" Ethan asked, his voice trembling.
Noel nodded slowly. "It is. But that doesn't mean it's the end."
They were offered a choice.
The Soul Gate, now glowing soft white, had returned. But it no longer demanded sacrifice. It offered clarity—a path back to their world. A clean return.
But another path had appeared beside it—winding through the blooming landscape of Reverie, deeper into the unknown.
"Two roads," Ethan murmured.
"One heart," Noel answered.
––
They met with Professor Nareus Vale under the Dreamspire, now rebuilt with golden stone.
"I knew you two would survive," the professor said with a small smile. "Love like that doesn't die easily."
He handed Noel a folded piece of mirror-glass.
"What is it?" Ethan asked.
"A reflection of your soul," Nareus answered. "In case you ever forget what you saved."
Noel tucked it into his coat. "What happens if we stay?"
"You'll live in Reverie as anchors. Guides. Not trapped—but chosen. You'll help others lost like you once were. You'll walk through dreams and catch those falling through their reflections."
"And if we go home?" Ethan asked.
"You return to your world. But the memory will fade. Slowly. Gently. Like waking up from a long dream."
––
They stood before the gate, hand in hand.
Neither rushed.
The silence was kind this time.
Ethan looked at Noel. "Do you want to forget this?"
Noel shook his head. "Never. But I also want you to live. In the real world. Paint. Breathe. Love freely."
"You're my real world," Ethan whispered.
Noel smiled, eyes glistening. "Then let's live. Wherever that is."
And they stepped through—not to escape. Not to run.
But to begin.
---
They chose the gate.
Not to leave Reverie behind.
But to bring it with them—inside their hearts.