Chapter 6: Are We Really Ready for This?

The crack swallowed us mercilessly, as if the very space between the stars was opening beneath our feet. There were no bright lights or spectacular sounds. Just the sensation of falling, descending into the unknown, losing touch with the world we had known until now.I closed my eyes for a second, trying to make the dizziness go away, but the void kept us trapped, and the ground seemed to move beneath us, as if reality itself was being distorted. With every second, my mind overflowed in a storm of thoughts and unanswered questions.Where were we really?What awaited us at the end of this fall?Were we trapped in an endless cycle?

Eduardo's hand gripped mine tightly, an anchor in the middle of that void that seemed endless. His touch was the only thing that kept me tethered to reality, the only thing reminding me that we weren't alone yet. And though I couldn't explain it, there was something in his presence that offered a strange comfort, as if, by his side, the abysses weren't so terrifying.

The wind picked up. Darkness surrounded us, but something began to change. We were no longer falling into the void alone. It was as if we were entering another space, one that didn't obey the laws of time or physics. The temperature began to drop, and a strange pressure built up in the air.

Eduardo and I exchanged a glance. Something was about to happen."We're close," he said in a deep voice, as if he already knew what was about to occur. His tone was serious, but at the same time, there was something in his gaze that seemed... hopeful. As if he had lived this moment before.

"Close to what?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly, though I wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the fear that was starting to sink into my bones.

There was no immediate response. But I understood without words. We were about to face what we had been searching for, what had brought us to this place. And although fear was palpable, a part of me also felt the adrenaline, that mix of uncertainty and curiosity, as if the answer to everything was right in front of us, within reach.

Suddenly, the space around us lit up with a cold, silvery light. It wasn't the warm light one would expect from a sun or a lamp. It was light that seemed to emanate from the darkness itself, as if the place was illuminated from the inside out. The crack that had swallowed us disappeared completely, and we found ourselves in a vast, suspended emptiness, an infinite space that stretched beyond what the eyes could see.

Eduardo let go of my hand for a moment, stepping forward. I followed him, though each of my movements seemed to defy gravity. The ground beneath our feet was... strange. It wasn't solid, but it wasn't liquid either. It was as if we were walking on a surface that molded with each step, but offered no resistance. As if we were suspended in a bubble of energy that kept us afloat.

"What is this place?" I whispered, as if I didn't want to break the spell that had formed around us.

Eduardo stopped and turned toward me, his face reflecting the same uncertainty I felt."It's... a door," he said slowly, as if he wasn't completely sure of his words, but at the same time, something in his tone made me feel he knew more than he was letting on. "A door to the other side. A place between what we know and what we can't understand."

My eyes widened in shock, but before I could ask another question, the light intensified even more. And then we heard it. A voice, deep and resonant, emerged from the void, as if it were coming from every corner at once. It wasn't human, it didn't even seem to have a defined form. But it was clear, cold, almost... ethereal.

"Welcome… travelers."

The voice, though distant, seemed to be right next to us. The air grew even denser, as if it were crushing us, but not in a physical way. It was a pressure on our consciousness, as if the place we were in was trying to assess us, to measure us.

"Who... who's there?" My voice came out louder than I expected, fear rising sharply, but something inside me also pushed me to challenge the darkness surrounding us.

The response came in a whisper, but this time, it wasn't just a voice. It was a series of images, like flashes crossing my mind.A desolate landscape, where time seemed not to exist.A figure, tall and shadowy, from which I could only see its eyes—two glowing orbs that stared at me with an intensity that froze my blood.And then, a phrase that resonated strongly in my mind.

"All that you have known... all that you have been... will be tested."

The void seemed to shudder at those words, and it was then that the figure appeared, materializing before us in all its splendor. It wasn't an entity with a human form, but something much bigger, more unfathomable. It was as if space itself had come to life, forming a creature that shouldn't exist, yet, somehow, was standing before us.

"Who are you?" Eduardo asked, his voice tense but firm, not taking a single step back.

The figure looked at us, and a smile—if it could be called that—formed on its face."I am the guardian of what is to come. And you... are the chosen ones."

A strange sensation coursed through my body. Chosen. Chosen for what? Why?

Before I could ask, the creature took a step toward us. The air became so dense that I had trouble breathing, and I felt the pressure mount, as if we were about to be swallowed by the same darkness that surrounded us. But then, something changed. The pressure faded, and the figure stopped.

"This is just the beginning," it said with a deep, resonant voice, as shadows seemed to swirl around it.

Eduardo and I looked at each other, fear reflected in our eyes, but also the certainty that there was no turning back. We were in it. And now, there was no going back.

Whatever came next... we would face it together.