Sometimes, the answer's right in front of you.

You looked at the proclaimed Shangri-La in doubt. How were you supposed to know if this wasn't a trick? After all, the sign said 'Belilal's Paradise', not Shangri-La's. So you gave one last glance to the otherworldly portals surrounding the etheral woman and bowed.

"Thank you for your offer, but I'm not interested in any of these. Besides, what would be the point of going through the 'status quo' portal if nothing would change?"

Her mouth remained closed as the wind laughed at your words. "You're very humble, at best. Are you sure you wish to give up my gift?"

"Yes. All of the things you offer with 'no catch' wouldn't be fun at all if I didn't earn it myself." With that, you turned forward and headed down the path.

"Be careful, young one," she warned, "anything can happen in the woods."

You shaked your head and chuckled. "Yeah, including whatever this is. Have a good evening." You bid her farewell before walking forward. Deep down, you regretted your choice a twinge. However, you didn't want to get anymore lost than you already were. You tug on your scarf and shiver, wishing that you had worn thicker clothes in the mid-autumn day.

Indeed, you were only covered in a brown sweater knitted by your late grandmother, a cotton-filled black coat and a crimson scarf. You rubbed your arms to warm them up and marched forward. This should be interesting.

Above, the sky was dyed hues of red, orange and pink, causing you to bite your lip in worry. What if I can't get home? What if I made the wrong choice? Though, it's not as if the Shangri-La had any better intentions. "All right," you conclude while pulling your hood over your head, "let's keep moving." And so you went, farther down the path with no clue as to what awaited you at the end.