Chapter 11. The Third Path

The silvery glow of the portal dissolved behind their backs like morning mist. Liara looked around, trying to understand where Tella had led them after their hasty retreat from the Necropolis. They had managed to meet with the fragment—the Guardian of the Threshold—but the appearance of the Order's agents had forced them to leave the world of the dead earlier than planned.

The place they found themselves in was unlike any world Liara had seen before. They stood in the middle of a vast space that seemed to float in the void. The floor, if it could be called a floor, consisted of a pearlescent substance that softly glowed beneath their feet and appeared to react to their steps, sending circles of light spreading in all directions. Around them rose structures resembling buildings, but devoid of familiar architectural logic—spiral towers connected by bridges that disappeared and reappeared, pavilions changing shape as if they were living beings.

But the most striking feature was the sky—if it could even be called a sky. Above them stretched an endless space filled not with stars, but with glowing symbols that slowly moved, intertwined, and formed constantly changing patterns. Liara recognized some of these patterns—they resembled those she had seen in Veyrin's temple and in the Eye of Memory.

"Welcome to the Primordial Garden," said Tella, her silver form appearing more defined here, as if in a kindred environment. "The refuge of the Keepers of Balance, a place beyond ordinary worlds, where the laws of reality are more... flexible."

Daren looked around with the wariness of a man accustomed to the dangers of traveling between worlds.

"I've heard of such places," he said, his voice sounding muffled, as if the air here was denser than usual. "Pocket dimensions, created deliberately to protect against outsiders."

"Not exactly," Tella led them along a path that formed under her feet as she moved. "The Primordial Garden wasn't created. It has always existed, since the moment of the first Catastrophe, when the Seven Ancients separated. It's... how to put it... an echo of the original reality."

Liara felt a strange connection to this place. Her new form—a pearlescent body that united several of her fragments—seemed to resonate with the surroundings. She noticed that she left a faint glowing trail behind her that slowly dissolved.

"I can feel this place," she said quietly. "As if it... recognizes me."

Tella turned around, her silver eyes softly glowing.

"Not surprising. A part of Eon always preserved the memory of the original harmony. Even in the farthest fragment, in the most forgotten incarnation, this memory lives on."

They were approaching the central structure—an enormous pavilion resembling a flower with a thousand petals, constantly opening and closing in a slow, hypnotic rhythm. Around the pavilion floated strange objects—crystals, spheres, spirals of light, slowly rotating in the air.

As they drew closer, Liara began to distinguish figures moving inside and around the pavilion. Some looked almost human, others had forms that were difficult to describe in words—beings of light and shadow, intertwined in complex patterns, constantly changing their configuration.

"The Keepers of Balance," explained Tella, noticing Liara's gaze. "Some of them, like me, carry fragments of the Ancients. Others are simply beings dedicated to maintaining the balance between worlds."

Daren snorted, and in this sound Liara heard skepticism.

"And how do you maintain this balance?" he asked. "Just by watching as worlds crumble and fragments suffer from separation?"

Tella stopped and turned to him, her silver face momentarily frozen like a mask.

"We do much more than simply watch, Daren Vultar," she said, and metallic notes rang in her usually melodious voice. "But we are also wise enough to understand that some forms of intervention can cause more harm than good."

She paused, her form slightly changing, reflecting her emotional state.

"You have spent five centuries searching for the fragments of Eon, seeking to reunite them. But have you ever considered the consequences of complete reunification?"

Liara felt the tension between her companions—it was almost physically palpable, like static electricity in the air. She stepped between them, instinctively taking on the role of peacemaker.

"I think we all want the same thing—healing," she said softly. "It's just that, perhaps, we envision it differently."

Tella's face softened, the silver of her skin becoming more fluid.

"Wisely said, Liara," she nodded. "It is precisely the understanding of different paths to healing that makes you special." She looked at Daren again. "And that is why we want to show you our vision of balance. The Third Path, which is neither complete separation nor complete fusion."

Daren didn't look convinced, but nodded.

"I'm open to any ideas that will help Liara," he said, emphasizing the last words.

Tella smiled—a strange sight on her metallic face—and led them further, toward the pavilion.

As they approached, Liara began to hear music—strange, unlike anything she had heard before. It wasn't a melody in the conventional sense, but rather a harmony of vibrations resonating at a level deeper than ordinary hearing. She felt this music with her entire being, and each note echoed within her, evoking strange images and sensations—like memories that had never been her own.

"What is this music?" she asked, her voice sounding detached, as if part of her consciousness was captured by these vibrations.

"The Song of the Spheres," answered Tella. "The music of the original harmony, when all aspects of reality were one. The Keepers maintain this melody, helping the worlds preserve at least an echo of the primordial balance."

They reached one of the entrances to the pavilion—an arch that constantly changed shape, bending and intertwining like a living being. Tella simply stepped through it, and the arch parted before her like water. Liara followed, feeling slight resistance, as if passing through a membrane, and then a light tingling throughout her body, as if she had been scanned on some fundamental level.

Inside, the pavilion proved even more impressive. The space seemed simultaneously enormous and intimate, with multiple levels and platforms connected by bridges of light. Keepers moved everywhere, some meditating, others working with strange devices or artifacts, while others were immersed in studying projections—three-dimensional models of various worlds hovering in the air.

In the center of the main hall was something resembling a pool, but instead of water, it contained a substance that looked like liquid light of all rainbow colors. Above the pool floated crystalline structures that seemed to filter and direct the energy emanating from the luminous liquid.

"The Well of Reflections," explained Tella, pointing to the pool. "A place where we can observe the state of all known worlds and fragments of the Ancients. It is... the nerve center of our work."

She brought them closer to the pool, and Liara saw moving images in its depths—glimpses of different worlds, beings, events. She recognized Veyrin with its red sky, Verdantis with its living forest, the Necropolis with its eternally twilight city... and many other worlds she had never seen but somehow recognized.

"In each of these worlds, there are fragments of the Ancients," continued Tella. "Some are awakened and aware of their nature, others sleep, unaware of their true origin."

She made a gesture with her hand, and the surface of the pool changed, focusing on one specific image—a shining point of light, slowly pulsating in time with some internal melody.

"This is you, Liara. Or rather, your essence, as seen by the Well of Reflections."

Liara watched, fascinated, at her reflection in the mystical pool. The glowing point was not alone—thin threads of light extended from it, connecting it to other similar points scattered across the boundless space of the multiverse.

"I see connections," she whispered. "With all the other fragments."

"Exactly," nodded Tella. "You were never truly separated from the other parts of Eon. The connection always existed, just beyond ordinary perception."

She made another gesture, and the image changed, showing other points of light—some brighter, some dimmer, but all connected by a fine web of energy.

"This is what we call the Network of Harmony," explained Tella. "The natural connections between all fragments of the Ancients. Our philosophy is not about physically reuniting the fragments, but about strengthening and harmonizing these connections."

Liara watched, entranced, the dance of light in the Well. She felt something within her resonating with this vision, as if part of her had always known about these connections, had always sought not so much physical reunification as this harmony of connections.

Daren, however, looked less impressed.

"A beautiful metaphor," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But what does it give in practice? Separated fragments still suffer from incompleteness, from lack of memory and understanding."

Tella turned to him, and on her silver face flashed something resembling compassion.

"You speak as if the only path to wholeness is physical union," she said softly. "But there are other ways to achieve harmony. Ways that don't require abandoning individuality, the unique experience accumulated by each fragment during the time of separation."

She raised her hand, and another projection materialized above the pool—a model of the multiverse, with numerous spheres representing different worlds, connected by glowing threads.

"Imagine," she continued, "that each fragment is not just a piece waiting to be reunited, but a unique perspective, a unique experience of perceiving reality. Together they create something deeper than just the sum of parts."

She pointed to the model, where several glowing points were connected by particularly bright lines, forming a complex network.

"We call this the Constellation of Consciousness. Fragments that have learned to interact with each other at the essence level, sharing experience and energy, while maintaining their individuality. It's not a compromise, Daren, as you think. It's evolution."

Liara felt something inside her responding to these words. The image of the Constellation of Consciousness seemed strangely familiar to her, as if she had already seen it in a dream or in some forgotten memory.

"And you believe that I... that the fragments of Eon can create such a Constellation?" she asked.

Tella smiled, and her silver face for a moment became almost human in its expressiveness.

"Not just can, Liara. You have already begun this process. Your partial reunification in Veyrin is the first step on the path to a new type of harmony. You found a way to unite several aspects of yourself without losing the individuality of each. This is... unprecedented."

She paused, her gaze becoming serious.

"And that is precisely why the Order of Guardians is so eager to capture you. They see in you a threat to their plans for complete control over the fragments. Your path offers an alternative to their dogmas."

Daren, who until this moment had maintained a skeptical expression, now looked thoughtful. He approached closer to the pool, peering into the dance of light and shadow.

"Even if what you say is true," he said slowly, "how will this help Liara protect herself from the Order? They won't stop in their attempts to capture her and other fragments."

"You're right," nodded Tella. "That's exactly why we want to teach Liara to strengthen and use the natural connections between fragments. This will give her not only greater protection but also new abilities that will help in confronting the Order."

She turned to Liara, extending her hand.

"Are you ready to begin training? The path won't be easy, but I believe you already intuitively understand much of what I'm going to show you."

Liara looked at the extended silver hand, then at Daren. In his eyes, she saw a struggle—doubt and hope, distrust and the desire to believe. For five hundred years, he had searched for a way to reunite the fragments of Eon, guided by his understanding of healing. Now before him opened a different path, one that contradicted everything he had considered truth.

"I'll be here," he said quietly, as if reading her thoughts. "Whatever you decide."

These simple words touched Liara more deeply than she had expected. They weren't just a promise of protection—they were an acceptance of her choice, her path, whatever it might be. Daren, who had sacrificed five centuries of his life chasing a ghost of the past, was now ready to move forward, even if it meant leaving behind everything he had believed in.

She smiled at him, then turned to Tella and took her hand. Upon contact, she felt a strange sensation—as if their essences had momentarily touched at a level deeper than the physical. She caught a glimpse of something in Tella—ancient wisdom, the pain of loss, determination... and something else she couldn't fully identify. Something that seemed strangely familiar.

"I'm ready," said Liara. "Show me this third path."

Tella nodded and led them from the Well of Reflections to another part of the pavilion—a small space surrounded by shimmering energy fields that seemed to isolate it from the rest of the hall. Inside were several crystalline platforms floating above the floor, arranged in concentric circles.

"The Hall of Resonance," explained Tella. "A place where we practice techniques of interacting with fragments across distances. Here, the energy flows are particularly pure, which makes it easier to tune into subtle connections."

She gestured for Liara to take a place on the central platform, while she herself settled on one of the platforms of the outer circle. Daren remained at the entrance, silently observing what was happening.

"Close your eyes," Tella said softly when Liara had settled on the platform. "And focus on your breathing. Not on the physical process, but on the rhythm of energy flowing through your essence."

Liara closed her eyes and discovered that she could sense this rhythm—the pulsation of power that flowed through her, like the ebb and flow of an invisible ocean. She focused on this pulsation, allowing it to become the center of her perception.

"Good," Tella's voice came as if from afar, though she was only a few meters away. "Now expand your perception. Feel not only your own rhythm but also the rhythms around you. The rhythm of the space in which you are. The rhythms of other beings."

Liara tried to follow the instructions and, to her surprise, found that she really could sense other rhythms—slower, faster, more complex than her own. She felt the pulsation of the Primordial Garden itself, stable and powerful, like the heartbeat of a giant being. She felt Tella's quicker, silvery rhythm, reminiscent of a running stream. And Daren's deeper, earthy rhythm, steady and reliable, like a mountain.

"I can feel you," she whispered. "Feel this place."

"Excellent," there was approval in Tella's voice. "Now let's go further. You have already established a partial connection with several of your fragments—with the ghostly priestess in Veyrin, with the energy cluster in the rift, with Silva in Verdantis. Try to feel these connections. They are always with you, even when you're not aware of them."

Liara concentrated, trying to locate these connections. At first, she felt nothing but her own rhythm and the rhythms of her immediate surroundings. But then, gradually, she began to distinguish fine threads extending from her somewhere into the distance, beyond the bounds of ordinary perception. They were almost invisible, like cobwebs in sunlight, but they were real.

"I... see them," she said, though "seeing" wasn't quite the right word. She more sensed these connections at some deeper level. "They stretch from me... so far away."

"Yes," Tella's voice sounded even more distant, as if coming from another dimension. "These connections extend across the entire multiverse, connecting you with all other fragments of Eon, wherever they may be. Now try to choose one of them—the strongest, the clearest—and focus on it."

Liara concentrated, exploring the fine threads of connections. Some were barely noticeable, others stronger. But one stood out among the rest—a silvery thread, pulsating in time with her own rhythm. She focused on this thread, following it with her mind's eye.

Gradually, an image began to form before her inner vision—a forest with silvery trees, the quiet whisper of wind in the foliage, a sense of multiple consciousnesses united into a single whole.

"Silva," she breathed. "I can feel Verdantis."

"Very good," Tella's voice now sounded as if inside her consciousness. "Now don't just observe the connection, but try to... strengthen it. Imagine the thread becoming thicker, stronger. That energy flows through it more freely."

Liara focused on the silvery thread, imagining it becoming brighter, stronger. To her surprise, the thread actually began to change, expand, glow brighter.

And suddenly she was there—not physically, but somehow her consciousness was transported to Verdantis. She felt the cool forest air, heard the rustle of leaves, sensed the many-voiced consciousness of Silva, the collective mind of the forest, of which her fragment was a part.

We welcome you, sister-soul, whispered a voice in her consciousness, and she recognized the voice of the silver tree she had met during her physical visit to Verdantis. We feel your growth, your change.

"I... found a new path," replied Liara, unsure whether she was speaking aloud or just mentally. "A path that allows me to remain myself but be closer to other parts of me."

We know this path, rustled the answer. We have always lived this way—separate, but together. Individual, but in harmony.

Liara felt a deep connection with this fragment of herself—not a desire to absorb it or merge with it, but rather joy in the possibility of communicating, exchanging experience and energy, while remaining unique entities.

Danger approaches, the voice suddenly rustled, and its tone changed, became alarming. Those who seek control. They were here, asking questions. Looking for you... us.

Liara felt a chill of anxiety.

"The Guardians? They were in Verdantis?"

Yes. People in dark clothes. With cold eyes and strange objects that disrupt the harmony of the forest. They were asking about the silver tree, about connections between worlds.

"What did you tell them?"

We did not speak with them. The forest protects its secrets. But they did not retreat. They have established surveillance, they wait. For what—we do not know.

Liara's anxiety increased. If the Order of Guardians had already begun looking for her fragments in other worlds, it meant they had some kind of plan. Perhaps they hoped to use other parts of her essence as bait or as a means of pressure.

Be careful, sister-soul, rustled the voice, beginning to fade. We will maintain contact. We will...

The contact broke off as suddenly as it had begun. Liara opened her eyes and found herself back in the Hall of Resonance, on the crystalline platform. Tella was looking at her with an expression of surprise and admiration on her silver face.

"You established full contact," she said. "On your first attempt. This is... unusual even for fragment bearers with years of experience."

Daren came closer, his face expressing a mixture of concern and admiration.

"What did you see?" he asked. "You looked... not here. As if your spirit had really left your body."

Liara slowly rose from the platform, her limbs feeling strangely heavy after the experience of almost bodiless existence.

"I was in Verdantis," she said. "Talking with Silva, with the silver tree. And..." she fell silent, remembering the warning.

"And?" Daren prompted her.

"The Guardians were there," she finished. "The Order is looking for my fragments in other worlds. They've already been to Verdantis, asking about the silver tree. They've set up surveillance."

Daren and Tella exchanged worried glances.

"They're moving faster than we anticipated," said Tella. "If they've already begun a systematic search for Eon's fragments..."

"They might reach some of them before we do," finished Daren. He turned to Liara. "We need to accelerate your training. If you can establish contact with your fragments at a distance, perhaps you can warn them, help them protect themselves."

Liara nodded, but a new worry was born within her. What if the Order had already captured some of her fragments? What if they found a way to use these parts of her essence against her?

"There's something else," said Tella, as if sensing her concern. "The technique you just used to contact the fragment in Verdantis—that's just the beginning. There are deeper ways of interaction that allow not only communication but also sharing energy, knowledge, even... protecting each other."

She came closer, and Liara again felt that strange attraction she had experienced since their first meeting. As if there was some fundamental connection between them that went beyond ordinary relationships.

"I can show you these techniques," continued Tella. "But I must warn you: they require deep trust and openness. You must be ready to allow other fragments to truly know you—not just your thoughts, but your emotions, memories, your very essence."

Liara pondered for a moment. Trust had never come easily to her, especially after her experience with the Order of Guardians. But she also felt that there was no time for doubts. If she wanted to protect other parts of her essence, she would have to risk it.

"I'm ready," she said. "Show me everything that can help."

Tella nodded, and in her silver eyes Liara saw something resembling pride... and something deeper that she couldn't fully identify.

"Then we'll begin tomorrow," said Tella. "Today you should rest and process your first contact experience. The path you're choosing—the Third Path—requires not just strength, but understanding. The balance between individuality and unity, between separation and fusion—it's not a compromise, as Daren thinks. It's the highest form of harmony that we all strive for."

With these words, she led them from the Hall of Resonance to another part of the pavilion, where there were accommodations for guests of the Keepers of Balance. But as they walked through the winding corridors of the strange structure, Liara couldn't shake the feeling that something was eluding her understanding. As if behind all Tella's explanations about the Third Path, about harmony and balance, there was something else—some part of the story that had not yet been told to her.

And she couldn't rid herself of the strange feeling that this "something" was somehow connected to the inexplicable attraction she had felt toward the silver keeper from the very beginning of their acquaintance.