Chapter 15: Fragments of Eternity
Errin gasped awake.
The sky above him was no longer the soft blue of the valley. It was vast, endless—a cosmic tapestry of swirling stars and nebulae, stretching beyond mortal comprehension.
He lay on a platform of smooth, obsidian stone, surrounded by towering pillars that shimmered like liquid starlight. The air was thick with the scent of something ancient, something forgotten.
He pushed himself up, his breath unsteady.
The valley was gone.
Or perhaps it had never been real at all.
"This world is an illusion."
The words echoed through his mind once more, sending a shiver down his spine. But now, he was no longer certain of what they meant. Was the valley the illusion? Or was this?
A soft chime rang through the air, and Errin turned.
A figure stood at the far end of the platform, their robes flowing like mist, their face obscured by the shifting glow of the stars. But their presence… it was familiar.
They raised a hand.
The pillars trembled. Light coiled through the air, weaving images around him—fragments of memory, unraveling like threads in a forgotten tapestry.
He saw himself standing atop a celestial battlefield, stars burning beneath his feet.
He saw himself kneeling before an unseen presence, his head bowed in silent reverence.
He saw himself walking through the valley, his eyes filled with quiet longing, the weight of countless lives pressing against his soul.
The memories struck like lightning, each one searing into him with undeniable truth.
He had lived them all.
The valley. The war. The countless lives before and after.
Errin staggered back. "Who am I?"
The figure lowered their hand. Their voice was calm, steady. "You are the sum of all you have been… and all you have yet to become."
Errin clenched his fists, his heart pounding. "Then tell me—was the valley real? Or was it just a dream?"
The figure hesitated. And then, with the faintest hint of sorrow, they whispered:
"Does it matter?"
The world around him flickered.
And the memories continued to return.