"Human?" a voice echoed through the chamber. I turned on my heels to locate the source of the mysterious voice. From the shadows emerged a figure, covered in clad of ancient robe. His pale skin, with no contrast whatsoever, was marked with scars. The dim light in the room accentuated the wrinkles on his face. He was bald and held contempt in his eyes. But it was obvious, he was not pleased with my presence. 
"Was it you?" His voice emerged. It bore the weight of solitude. 
"W-what?" I stammered, trying to assess the situation. "I am lost. I had nowhere to go and stumbled upon the giant gate. Please help me find my way out."  
"So, it wasn't" He muttered to himself, half disappointed.  
"Help me." I pleaded; desperation evident in my voice. "I need to go back. There are" I hesitated to complete my sentence since I could not understand what was going on. "things out there. Waiting to devour my mind and take over my body, and destroy my soul." 
As I explained the danger I faced, the figure's expression did not change. He took a step closer, but did not reply to anything I had to ask. It was in that moment that I realized the gravity of the situation. I did not see any other ship or any other signs of civilization for that matter. Is he the only one living here? 
“Who are you?” My voice quivered in the heavy air. 
“Do I have a name? I do recall being addressed by something similar. I am no longer associated such a thing. Names do not hold any meaning to me.” His voice carried a hint of reluctance as it replied. “Names are but an echo that hold no meaning in this realm. Mine, too have has long faded into the vast history of struggles against salvation.” 
Undeterred, I pressed on. “I don’t understand what you mean by that. But if you can't tell me who you are, then tell me how can I leave this island. I have to go home. I must.” 
“What is your name, lost one?” 
“Valerius.” I proclaimed. “Valerius Sphynatia” 
“Valerius, do you long to return home?” 
“I long to return home.” I unsheathed my dagger. “And I know you know how to.” 
“Oh, lost one,” it spoke monotonously, “the ache of longing is a powerful force. But unfortunately, your fate lies elsewhere You are but a catalyst. A part of the journey. Destiny does not heed your threats. You are merely a pawn.” 
“What do you mean?” 

With a solemn gesture, the figure raised its arm, and from the depths of the darkness behind it, individuals appeared. My heart sank as I took in the sight Solomon, of Shuekh, and all of the others. They were fine. Not a drop of blood. But they were emotionless. Their postures rigit, their expressions distant.  

The figure’s voice resonated once more, laden with a chilling indifference. “Like yourself, they are also the lost ones.” 
“What do you intend to do with them.” 
“Don’t you understand?” A flicker of something indefinable passed through the the figure’s eyes. “Wake up to reality. You are merely in a slumber. "You stand at the crossroads of existence, poised between the known and the unknown. Look around you, and what do you see? A world filled with pain and suffering. Is this the reward for all those sacrifices?” 

“You are senile. I give up.” Although the weight of his words settled heavily on me, I found myself staring at my brothers in arms, unable to tear my gaze from them. But they moved not.  

"Life is like a tapestry, joy and sorrow woven together. But what if I tell you life is merely an extension of the pain you've faced and the sacrifices you've made?"  

“Shut up.” The pattern had scriptures that resembled ancient Lubiceness, demi-human tongue. “I can decipher this.” 

"Imagine," the figure's voice carried a hypnotic tone, "a world where the burdens of life are lifted, where you're free from the trials that have haunted you. A realm of peace, where you are rewarded for every sweat that broke free of your skin. A world where you, Elsa and Eleanor lived together.” 

“How?” I felt a cold shiver run down my spine, a gnawing pain pressing the edges of my heart. “How did you know that name?”  

“HOW DID YOU KNOW THOSE NAMES?” I could no longer endure it. I was going crazy. None of this could be real. Nonetheless, I pointed my dagger towards him and charged towards the figure.  

I dashed toward the figure in a surge of anger, flames escaping my fingertips as I engineered a spell to throw fiery projectiles toward the figure. But it stood still. Moments before the impact, it moved, defying human capabilities. The projectiles led into darkness as it transformed into nothingness. No impact was seen. With a swift movement, the figure leaped from his current position, closing the gap between us. With his otherworldly force, that wrapped him, he punched me in the guts which sent me reeling, as I crashed into the pillar before me. That was not enchantment. That was not an ability. That was pure physical strength. How could a mere human pack so much physical strength? I vomited blood onto the patterns on the floor. The blood started to flow in a pattern, following the carvings.  

I could not move. 

“What are you?”  
“I am merely a servant.” It continued. 
“Servant of who?” 
“The Unspoken Archon” 

“tch tch tch. Embrace your fate.” His voice seemed to wrap around me like a veil, “and you shall find the peace that you deserve. You can finally meet her. Elsa had been waiting for far too long.” 

“Don’t you take her name” 
“Valerius?” A soft voice echoed. 
“No, no, no, no. This cant be.” 
“Valerius? Is that you?” 
“Elsa!” I sobbed. “Where are you?” 

“I can take you to her.” The figure spoke once more.  "Let go. Release your grip on this world, and I shall grant you the world you seek." 

"You've tasted suffering," the figure's voice intoned, "and you've tasted love. Is the latter truly worth the former? Is the pursuit of happiness in this realm worth the ceaseless battle against suffering?" 

“For we will build such a picturesque world, and you will be the at the foundation of it. I am sure Elsa and Eleanor would be proud of it.” 

In a moment of vulnerability, the weight of my longing pressing upon me like an unbearable burden, I turned to the figure with a mixture of desperation and hope. The memories of my wife Elsa and our daughter Eleanor flooded my mind, an ache that had persisted through the trials I'd faced. 

“Take me.” I shouted, my voice quivering, the words heavy with the weight of my desires. "Take me to a world free of suffering, where I can be with Elsa and Eleanor once more." 

“Very well.” 

The figure's hand rose, I was propelled backward, my body colliding with the vacant pillar. Pain surged through my body. Almost defening, overcoming my senses. 

Gasping for relief, I clutched my guts. Blood started flowing from my guts onto the floor, mingling woth the intricated patterns on the floor. The atmosphere was filled with the metallic smell of the blood. The blood started to make a design, joined by the blood of the lost ones, who were also against the walls. The crimson lining traced the lining on the ground. 

Amidst the pain, I saw myself. I saw Elsa. I saw Eleanor. Memories gushed forth, vivid stroke in the canvas of my life.  

What seemed as a moment between life and death, scenes shifted. I could see the bustling streets of city where I grew up. And amidst the sub-urban city, I met her – the love of my life, Elsa. I met her in the train station. Soon together we built a life. We did not care what about the money. We were happy. A home where love and companion ship thrived. Soon this moment was stolen by something even more precious – the birth of our daughter Eleanor. Now I saw myself holding Eleanor in a hospital room, where the air felt thick with grief. This memory echoed with the pain of loss. But Eleanor never let me grieve. 

Time marched on in my recollections, bringing me to another chapter - a letter in hand, my heart heavy with a daunting decision. Financial struggles had cast a long shadow, and the specter of war loomed over our peaceful existence. With a heavy heart, I had made a choice that would forever alter my path - I drafted myself into the conflict, driven by the sole purpose of securing a future for our daughter. The memory stood as a testament to the sacrifices one makes for those they hold dearest. 

A deafening crash followed, and I barely had time to comprehend before the ceiling above me buckled and collapsed. Dust and debris rained down, the world around me disintegrating into chaos. The sky, once had a strange combination of Winter Clouds and the summer sky, now glowed a malevolent shade of pitch black, a void that seemed to swallow light itself. Cracks adorned this new expanse, like fractures in reality, and through these jagged openings, glimpses of the familiar blue sky and the shards of it beyond seeped in. Ahh, we are obviously in the wrong place.  

But it was the eerie figures that raced towards the fractures that stole my attention. Winged and otherworldly, they burst through the shattered sky, their forms eerie and twisted. The island that was once a beacon of hope was now something beyond my understanding.  

My strength washed away, as both my body and my spirit were on the brink of collapse. But the memories of Elsa’s contagious smile and Eleanor’s roaring laughter washed over me.  

 I embraced that dream, as it led me to a life of warmth and light. A life where everything, the chamber, the figure, the island, and the war, was just some nightmare. I could hear them. Their melodic laugh