Elias stood at the precipice of an unraveling dream, the very fabric of the Dreamscape distorting around him. Shadows twisted into grotesque shapes, whispering half-truths and forgotten memories. Each breath felt heavier as if the weight of every choice he had made threatened to crush him.
Ahead, the corridor pulsed with a sickly glow, leading to an enormous gateway inscribed with ancient sigils. He knew what lay beyond—answers he had desperately sought, but also the revelation that could shatter him completely.
Lyra's voice echoed through the void. "Elias, are you sure you want to do this? Some truths are best left buried."
He turned to see her standing there, her figure flickering like a mirage, torn between two realities. "I've come too far to turn back now. If I don't uncover the truth, I'll never be free."
The gateway trembled as he approached, responding to his presence. With a deep breath, he placed his hand upon its surface. Instantly, a surge of memories flooded his mind—visions of past lives, fractured moments looping endlessly. He saw himself in countless iterations, trapped in the same struggle, doomed to repeat the cycle.
Then, a single memory surfaced, more vivid than the rest.
A room of mirrors.
And within those reflections—a figure that wasn't him. A being with his face, but eyes filled with a cruel understanding.
"You were never meant to escape, Elias," the reflection spoke. "This dream was built for you, and no matter how hard you fight, it will always pull you back."
The walls of the Dreamscape began to collapse, the illusions breaking apart like shattered glass. Reality and dreams fused in a chaotic whirlwind, and Elias felt himself slipping between them. But deep inside, a single thought burned.
He could still fight.
Gritting his teeth, he reached forward, breaking through the illusion. Light exploded around him as the dream shattered completely, and Elias braced himself for whatever lay beyond.
There was no turning back now.