She had been walking for an eternity, or so it felt. There was only darkness, yet somehow Emma could see a piece of the pathway, just a few meters ahead, in front of her.
"Come, come!" A young female voice urged her. It was a child, a girl, or so Emma thought. She could barely see more than the back of her head.
She had long blonde curls, judging by the height, she must be a couple of years younger than Emma.
"He is waiting for you! Yes, he is, he has been waiting. Just a bit further."
Emma stopped for a moment, trying to get a sense of her location. But in the absolute darkness, she could see nothing. "How long is it left?" She cried out to the darkness.
"Just a little bit." The girl said as she pulled Emma's hand to make her walk again. "Oh yes, my child. You can do it, just a little bit more!"
"And he knows me, you said?"
"He knows everyone, my dear!" The young girl said with warm laughter.
"You never said who he was?" Emma asked. She picked up the pace to finally reach the destination. She had been walking for so long.
"You will see." The female voice answered. "Just a little bit more. And you will see with your own eyes!"
"But I can't see anything in here!" Emma said. Tears started pouring down her cheeks. "What is happening to me?"
"You will see." The voice said. "It will all become clear. You will see!"
Emma kept pushing forward, she ran as fast as she could. As she increased her speed, so did the girl. She couldn't catch her. Even after all the running, she did not seem to tire; she ran faster and faster. Besides the voice talking to her, there was complete silence. The only thing she heard was her own breath and her footsteps.
"We are here!" The girl announced before she disappeared into the darkness.
In the faraway distance, Emma spotted some marks of light. It was distorted, somehow purple holes shining in a pitch-black background. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. It got more intense as she came closer, yet the purple light got countered by the pitch-black darkness, like it was flickering, covered by a floating shadow.
Once she reached the source, it appeared to be some ancient fountain, where the light poured out from the water. A shadowy figure emerged above it, his body suspended in the air.
"Hello, Emma!" The figure said with a monotone voice.
Emma shook to the core of her bones by his appearance. He looked like a youthful man, his skin was pale as milk, his eyes were black as night, so was his short hair. He wore some dark-coloured tunic and trousers. Shadows moving like flames surrounded him, blocking the light. Slowly he gravitated down to the same level as her.
"Life is rarely as you expect it to be." He said to Emma. "Unlikely events caused by no reason or rationale, can catalyse radical changes in the world in an instant."
Emma stared into the man's eyes. What on earth is he? Is he a man? A Demon, a god?
"It happens every millennium." The man continued. "You can be pivotal in such an event, no matter how small your role will be, you won't remain insignificant in relation to the grander picture. You won't know it at first, it's not until after you realise it to be true."
Emma got cold. Her body was shaking because of a dreadful feeling. "I... I..." She stuttered. "I don't understand."
The man-made a warm smile. How bizarre it looked, given the rest of his appearance. "Patience." The man said calmly. "I will give you a choice. You are aware of what happened to you?"
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The Ancient World Order
الخيال (فانتازيا)The Ancient World Order is a complex tale of feudal politics, religion, conspiracy and war. It hasn't been more than fifteen years since the Empire almost succumbed in the War of Brothers. And yet again, the scourge of war spreads across the world...
