The Door to the Unknown

(POV: Me)

As my fingers touch the mirror's surface, a cold jolt shoots up my arm. The reflection shatters into countless fragments, each glowing like embers before dissolving into the air.

A deep, echoing sound fills the space—a heartbeat that isn't mine.

The ground trembles beneath me. The endless void around me begins to shift, the air twisting like a living thing. And then—a door appears.

It stands alone in the nothingness. Old. Heavy. Etched with symbols that pulse with an eerie blue glow.

I swallow hard. This wasn't here before.

Behind me, the whispers of my past selves fade, leaving only silence. The door hums with energy, almost like it's waiting for me to make a choice.

"Is this the way out?" I murmur.

But something tells me this isn't just an escape. It's a test.

I take a deep breath, my pulse steadying. Whatever's on the other side—it's meant for me.

I reach for the handle. The moment my fingers close around it, the door bursts open on its own.

And suddenly—I'm no longer standing in the void.

A New World

The light is blinding for only a moment before it clears, revealing—a world unlike anything I've ever seen.

Ruins stretch across a vast horizon, overgrown with glowing vines that pulse like veins. The sky is deep violet, speckled with stars that seem… too close. Like they're watching.

A chill creeps up my spine. This place… it's ancient. Forgotten. But familiar.

A gust of wind rushes past me, carrying voices—distant, but calling my name.

"You've come back."

I spin around, but no one's there.

Yet, I can feel it—a presence. Something unseen, something waiting.

The ruins ahead seem to stretch endlessly, and for the first time, I realize—I'm not alone here.

Footsteps echo in the distance. Someone else is here.

I clench my fists, my heartbeat steadying.

"No turning back now," I whisper to myself.

And with that, I take my first step into the unknown.

The ruins stretch before me, silent and endless. Every step I take feels heavier, like the air itself is thick with something unseen. Something watching.

I pause. The wind shifts. The stars overhead flicker—not like distant lights, but like eyes blinking.

Then—a sound.

Footsteps. Slow. Deliberate.

I spin around, pulse hammering. The shadows shift along the broken stone, and out of the darkness—a figure steps forward.

They wear a hood, their face hidden. But their presence is overwhelming, pressing against me like an unseen force.

"You don't belong here."

The voice is deep, almost ancient. It sends chills down my spine.

"Who are you?" I demand.

The figure tilts their head. A pause. Then, a whisper:

"The question is… who are you?"

I grit my teeth. Not this again.

"I don't have time for riddles," I snap. "If you know where I am, tell me."

The figure chuckles. The sound isn't comforting.

"You stand at the edge of forgotten time. A place where only those who have lost themselves can enter."

My breath catches.

"Lost… myself?"

They take a slow step closer. I don't move.

"Tell me," they murmur, "do you remember why you came here?"

I open my mouth—but nothing comes out.

My mind blanks. For a terrifying moment, I realize… I don't know.

The figure watches me struggle, then sighs.

"I see. You're not ready to remember yet."

Before I can ask what that means—they raise a hand.

A pulse of energy surges toward me—not an attack, but a force. It slams into my chest, sending a shockwave through my body.

Memories flicker. Images. Faces. A girl—her smile, her voice, the way she made me feel alive.

And then—pain. Darkness. Silence.

I collapse to my knees, gasping.

"What… what was that?" I choke out.

The figure lowers their hand.

"A reminder," they say.

"Of what?" I whisper.

They turn away.

"That you are not alone. And you never were."

With that, they vanish into the shadows—leaving me with nothing but the echoes of a truth I'm too afraid to face.

The ruins feel emptier now. Colder.****The stranger's words cling to my mind like a ghostly whisper—You are not alone. And you never were.

But then why does it feel like I've been wandering through this place with only my own shadow?

I push myself up, still shaken. My chest aches from whatever energy they hit me with. But more than that, my head… my head is drowning in forgotten memories.

A face. Her face.

The way she laughed at my dumb jokes. The way she always knew when I needed someone to remind me I wasn't worthless.

The way I loved her. And she never knew.

A sharp gust of wind rushes past, carrying whispers I can't quite make out. I turn sharply—but there's no one there. Just the ruins.

And then—something glows in the distance.

A faint, flickering light. Like a flame in the middle of all this emptiness.

I don't know why, but my feet move before my brain catches up. My heart pounds as I walk toward it, stepping carefully over broken stones and vines that pulse faintly under my touch.

What is this place really?

The light grows stronger. The whispers grow louder.

And suddenly—I see it.

A mysterious door stands in the middle of the ruins, cracked slightly open. Blue mist seeps from inside, curling around the entrance like living smoke.

My gut tells me this isn't just a door. It's something more.

I hesitate. But then, a voice—her voice.

Faint. Distant. Calling my name.

"You're almost there."

My breath catches.

"I'm coming," I whisper, stepping forward.

As I push open the door—everything disappears.

A New Reality

For a moment, there is nothing. No ruins. No whispers. Just weightlessness.

And then—I land.

Not on stone. Not on ruins. But on soft, green grass.

I blink. A vast, endless field stretches before me. The sky is golden, swirling with colors that don't belong to any sunset I've ever seen. In the distance, a towering tree stands alone, its leaves glowing faintly.

And under it—a person stands waiting.

My heart nearly stops.

"No way…"

She turns slowly, and when our eyes meet—I realize the impossible.

She's here.

She shouldn't be. But she is.

And I don't know whether to run to her—or turn back before it's too late.