Ezra stood in the entrance of the house. Before him, a black car with windows tinted in an impenetrable black, silently stopped in front of the modest house. Mrs. Seleth stared at him, armed with her unwavering smile that gave the impression she always had a playful idea in mind.

– Are you ready to leave, Ezra?

– Yes, I'm ready.

Mrs. Seleth turned to Elena.

– It's time to leave, she said. The night will be long for Ezra.

Ezra was about to follow the lady, but he turned back and sprinted up the stairs, surprising the two women. He approached a door and pushed it open without knocking. He walked towards the bed. Lily was sitting there, knees pulled up to her, back against the wall. Ezra sighed and sat next to her.

– I won't stay there long.

She gave him a shy smile and handed him a drawing.

– This is a drawing for Maya and Dad, will you give it to them for me?

Ezra's heart clenched, but he just smiled.

– It's a beautiful drawing, I'm sure they'll appreciate it.

He got off the bed, then closed the door behind him and went downstairs.

His mother approached and hugged him. Mrs. Seleth glanced at her watch.

– Well, now that everything is said, it's high time we leave. Ezra left the house without looking back, then got into the car. He was afraid to see his mother's face and change his mind.

Mrs. Seleth said nothing as they drove through the deserted streets of the sleeping city. Ezra watched the buildings go by, wondering where they were going. Finally, after about an hour, the car turned into a dark alley and stopped in front of an abandoned building, its walls covered in graffiti.

– Where are we? asked Ezra, intrigued.

Mrs. Seleth, with a mysterious smile, replied:

– This place is special. It served as headquarters for those like us, who can travel. Years of passages have created a kind of fold, a breach, making access to the other world easier.

They entered the building, where an almost supernatural silence reigned. Dust and abandonment were palpable. Mrs. Seleth guided Ezra through dilapidated corridors to a central room. The ceiling was crumbling, but at the center of the room stood a circle of strangely preserved stones.

– This is it, she said, stopping at the edge of the circle. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, intricately carved talisman, extending it towards Ezra. Take this. It will ensure you land in the right place in the other world.

Ezra took the talisman, feeling its energy pulsate in his hand. Mrs. Seleth raised her index finger as if to start a lesson:

–To cross the threshold, you must free yourself from the consciousness of this world. Let your mind rise beyond constraints. It's something innate, so there's not much better explanation, watch me closely, don't rush we have all night if necessary, I'll wait for you on the other side.

Mrs. Seleth closed her eyes and began to murmur words in a language Ezra didn't understand. Slowly, a bluish light emanated from the circle of stones, enveloping the woman in a sparkling halo. Then, with the grace of a breath of wind, she disappeared.

Ezra, heart pounding, stepped towards the circle. For his first attempt, he stood at the center of the stone circle, eyes closed, trying to detach from the tangible reality surrounding him. He concentrated intensely, striving to feel a connection, a thread linking him to the other world. But instead of light, he only felt an increasing pressure, a heaviness that seemed to nail him to the ground. Discouraged, he opened his eyes to find himself still in the dusty room, more rooted than ever in his original world.

For his second attempt, he tried to visualize the other world, imagining what it would feel like to be there. He pictured himself crossing a luminous veil, entering a space where time and space didn't exist in the same way. But his mind got muddled, lost in extraneous thoughts about his daily life, his doubts, his fears. The necessary concentration escaped him, and once again, he found himself alone, sitting on the cold floor, reality hitting him hard.

The third attempt was the most frustrating. Ezra felt more relaxed, more in tune with the environment. He repeated Mrs. Seleth's instructions over and over, trying to soak up every word. He felt a slight vibration, a sensation he interpreted as a sign of imminent success. However, this sensation quickly faded, leaving him almost on the verge of tears. He had believed, for a moment, that he had succeeded, but it was only an illusion, a mirage of his desperate mind.

As the night stretched on, the ancient room bore witness to Ezra's repeated attempts and failures. Each effort to cross the threshold was met with the same disheartening result - an unyielding barrier between him and the world beyond. The circle of stones, bathed in the ghostly moonlight filtering through the crumbling ceiling, seemed to mock his futile endeavors.

Exhaustion crept over Ezra like a thick fog, clouding his thoughts and weighing down his limbs. The once hopeful determination in his eyes had faded, replaced by a deep-seated frustration and the glimmer of unshed tears. He had been so certain, so full of belief, but as the hours ticked by, that belief had eroded under the relentless tide of reality.

Mrs. Seleth watched in silence from a shadowed corner of the room, her expression a mix of surprise and contemplation. Over the years, she had guided many through this rite, most finding the ability to transcend as natural as breathing. Yet Ezra was an anomaly, the first she had encountered who struggled so profoundly, unable to cross. As the first faint hints of dawn began to seep through the gaps in the walls, she finally stirred, her footsteps a soft whisper on the dusty floor.

– Ezra, she said gently, her voice a comforting balm in the cold, desolate room. It's time to go. Some paths require more than just a single step, more than what a single night can offer.

Ezra looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the tumultuous storm of emotions within. There was a sense of defeat, but beneath it, he always knew he couldn't. He nodded slowly, pushing himself up from the ground with a weariness that seemed to permeate every bone.

Together, they walked back through the labyrinthine corridors of the building, their passage marking the end of a first chapter in Ezra's journey. As they emerged into the cool pre-dawn air, the world outside felt startlingly real yet somehow distant. Mrs. Seleth led him to her black car, parked in the shadow of the dilapidated building.

Disappointed and exhausted, he collapsed into the passenger seat of the black car as Mrs. Seleth drove him home. Mrs. Seleth had waited a long time on the other side; she was neither upset nor disappointed, but rather surprised. She had never heard of such a case before.

In the car, the heavy silence was broken by Mrs. Seleth's soft but firm voice. 

– You've inherited the gift. That's for sure. I wonder... Maybe the trauma of the accident has unconsciously blocked you.

Ezra, his eyes lost in the night landscape passing by, murmured:

— What if I'm not up to it? What if I can never...

— Ezra, you've already crossed the boundary once. That proves you can. We'll find a way, together, she insisted.

Her words were meant to be comforting, but they only weighed heavier on Ezra's heart. He had failed to do what every member of his lineage should be able to accomplish instinctively. She promised to come back after thinking it over, but it sounded hollow to him. He just nodded, his gaze lost in the void.

Arriving at his home, Ezra thanked Mrs. Seleth with a nod and got out of the car. The building that had always sheltered him suddenly seemed foreign, a reminder of his failure.

As he was about to open the door to his apartment, a wave of frustration and anger overwhelmed him. Instead of entering, he headed for the stairs. Climbing the steps two at a time, he felt as if driven by an inner force, a desperate need to prove he could exceed his limits.

He pushed open the hatch, emerging onto the roof where the cold wind immediately greeted him, stirring his hair into a frenzied dance and whipping against his face. He approached the edge, each step deliberate, feeling his heart pounding in his chest like a frantic drumbeat. There he stood, teetering on the precipice, his thoughts swirling in a tumultuous maelstrom of despair, intermingled with a burning, almost feverish desire.

Gazing into the abyss below, it seemed to gaze back at him, a vast, unending void that whispered of both fear and freedom. He took a deep breath, the chilly air filling his lungs, sharpening his senses. In this moment of heightened awareness, every detail of his past experiences surged to the forefront of his mind. He remembered the accident, the surreal and vivid sensation of being thrust into another world, a memory that now fueled his resolve.

He inched forward, toes brushing against the very edge, the boundary between his known reality and the unknown that beckoned him. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he summoned every ounce of his will, then stepped off the edge, surrendering himself to the void.