The road curved upward, rising steadily as the land stretched out before them—vast, empty, and filled with a quiet that was more profound than anything they had encountered so far. The sky above had turned a soft lavender, the sun hanging low on the horizon, as though it was unsure of its position in the grand scheme of things.
They had crossed the Shore of Shadows and now found themselves on a mountain trail that led through a narrow pass. The air grew thinner as they climbed, each step requiring more effort, but the weight of the world seemed to lift just a little with every breath. The silence around them was so complete that Elian could almost hear the thoughts of his companions, as if they were the only ones in existence.
"There's something strange about this place," Mara said after a long silence. "It's like the world is holding its breath."
Teren nodded, his eyes narrowed, scanning the path ahead. "We are nearing the Endroad. It is a path that asks the final question. A road that leads to eternity, but it's not the same as the others."
Elian's chest tightened. "What do you mean? Isn't it just… a road?"
"The Endroad isn't defined by time or place," Teren said. "It exists beyond the boundaries of what we understand as time, stretching across a space that reflects the deepest truths about the traveler. It's a place where you can see yourself from every angle, at once."
Mara frowned. "What does that even mean?"
"Some roads are about what you carry, others about what you leave behind," Teren explained. "But the Endroad asks you to face everything you are, and everything you could become. The question is not how far you're willing to go—it's how much of yourself you're willing to understand."
As they climbed higher, the trail narrowed, forcing them to move in single file. The path was jagged, but it seemed to carry an energy, an almost magnetic pull forward. It was as if something deep inside Elian was being drawn into this mountain, not by force, but by necessity.
With each step, the world grew quieter, the air colder, until they finally reached a plateau at the summit. Before them stood an enormous door—so massive that it seemed to be part of the mountain itself. It was made of stone so dark that it reflected no light. The carvings on its surface were intricate, symbols and patterns that shifted and changed as Elian stared at them, slipping away just before his mind could comprehend them.
The door stood open.
Beyond it, there was only darkness. A vast, infinite space that stretched beyond sight. It was a place without dimension, yet it was filled with the most intense sensation Elian had ever felt—this space felt alive, as though it was waiting for something to step into it.
"This is it," Teren said, his voice almost reverent. "The Endroad. The place where all roads meet."
Elian's heartbeat quickened. "What happens when we go through?"
"You will see yourself as you are, and as you could be," Teren replied. "But be warned—this path will show you the truths you have avoided most of your life."
"I'm ready," Elian said, though the words felt hollow, even to him. The road had asked so much, and he had given so little. He wasn't sure if he could face whatever lay beyond that door, but he knew he had to try.
Mara squeezed his shoulder. "We'll face it together."
They stepped through.
The instant they crossed the threshold, the darkness enveloped them. But it wasn't like the darkness of a cave, where you could feel the edges of your surroundings. It was a consuming, infinite space that had no boundaries, no floor, no sky. It was pure sensation—vast and overwhelming.
Elian felt his feet leave the ground, though he wasn't falling. He felt weightless, like he was suspended in the middle of everything.
Then the voices began.
Soft at first, like a whisper carried by the wind. But then they grew louder, clearer, until they were all around him, like a thousand voices rising in a chorus. They spoke in languages he didn't understand, but their meaning was clear—each voice carried a truth about him, a piece of his soul laid bare.
His father's voice echoed first, the words familiar and old. You were never enough, Elian.
His brother's voice followed, younger and full of pain. Why did you leave me behind?
And then the voice of a stranger, a woman who had once offered him a chance at something more. You chose nothing, Elian. You chose silence.
The voices swirled around him, unrelenting. His chest tightened, and he could feel himself being pulled into each truth, each doubt, each regret.
He tried to speak, but his voice was swallowed by the sound, lost in the cacophony of his past.
And then, in the midst of it all, there was another voice. One that was different from the others. Soft. Quiet. But it rang through the silence like a bell.
It's not too late.
Elian froze.
He turned, and there—at the far end of the infinite space—stood a figure. A silhouette against the dark, illuminated by a faint, glowing light.
It was him.
Or rather, it was the version of him that he had been too afraid to become.
The figure smiled, a quiet, knowing smile, and stepped forward.
You are not the sum of your mistakes, the figure said. Nor are you the one who abandoned everything. You are the one who chooses. You are the one who walks. And the road you take will be shaped by who you decide to be, not who you once were.
Elian felt something shift deep within him.
The voices around him faltered, then began to fade.
And in their place, a quiet understanding settled in his chest.
The figure reached out a hand. "Come," it said. "The road continues, but only if you are ready to take the next step."
Elian stood still, unsure. But something in him knew. This was not the end of the journey. Not yet.
Slowly, he moved toward the figure, his feet light on the shifting ground. With each step, the weight of the voices, the regrets, the doubts, seemed to fall away, as if they had never truly belonged to him in the first place.
He reached out.
And in that moment, the darkness split open like the first light of dawn.
The road ahead stretched out once more, glowing brightly against the vast, endless expanse. The figure turned, smiling, as it began to walk ahead.
Elian followed, step by step, toward the eternity he had always feared and longed for.