Cael stared at the endless road ahead. It stretched as far as the eye could see. He looked at Reynald, unsure if he should keep moving.
"Are you insane? There's nothing there! You wanted me to walk for eternity in a place I don't metaphorically and literally know of?" Cael retorted.
However, Reynald stayed calm and placed a hand on Cael's shoulder.
"Those who lack imagination tend to see numbers in everything. If you don't start now, you will only see how far it goes, not where it takes you."
He raised his hand toward the seemingly endless path. Then, his hand began to glow with a brilliant light, absorbing the energy particles in the domain as the air around them grew tense.
"My friend, what you must do now is ponder its significance, and return to that old regret."
A faint outline of a structure began to form in front of them — a gigantic gate had appeared from nowhere.
Piece by piece, it built itself from the fabric of the fourth dimension. Cael was speechless; had he not seen it himself, he would have thought he had gone mad.
When the final pieces merged with the structure, the gate slowly opened, revealing a blinding light that pierced through every shadow followed by a melodious drum of liberty. But a question lingers — where does it lead to?
"Off you go then."
He turned to face Reynald, but he was gone, vanished as if he had never been there. Cael looked around, trying to find any trace or sign he had left behind, but he couldn't even smell the scent of his perfume anymore.
"Damned magician..." he muttered to himself.
Cael's gaze was fixed on the gate again. It shone like a melody calling out to him with soothing cries.
"This sound.. it feels familiar.. mother..?"
With hesitant steps, he made his way toward the gate, standing before the tall structure. With a deep breath, he stepped forward, bracing for what was to come.
At that moment, he was blinded by the light, and all he could see was nothing. "Where am I? What is this place?"
...
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, and he saw a familiar ceiling. He quickly sat up, recognizing where he was.
It was his parents' house, when he was a child.
He remembered every detail — the old wooden floor, the plant inside the house, another him...
"Wait..."
"Another me? No, that couldn't be right. Why was I seeing my younger self?" He tried to approach the lookalike when suddenly, the door creaked open.
He turned around, and standing in the doorway were his parents — Miss and Mister Ravel.
M-Mother...? Father...
He stared at them for a while, doubting his own eyes. His hands instinctively reached out to grasp their faces.
"N-no.. you both died.. with the car.."
But then it hit him — his hand went straight through them like touching a hologram. He tried again and again in desperation.
"No, no, no... I-I'm here! Don't ignore me! Don't you dare look away!"
He knew they couldn't hear him, but he didn't care. He just wanted them to see him — to earn their approval, their acknowledgment.
His eyes filled with unshed tears. Why weren't they responding?
"No... Don't leave me... Not again..."
He collapsed to the ground, defeated, powerless. He looked up at their faces again as tears streamed down his cheeks onto the wooden floor.
Suddenly, his father looked down at him, and he said, "Even after years, you're still a disappointment. I regret having a son like you."
His father raised his hand high to slap him, but stopped mid-air, clenching his fist tightly as if hesitating.
Cael's heart clenched tightly, as if he was stabbed in the gut. He uses his hand to cover his ears, repeating the same line, over and over again. "Shut up.. shut up.."
"They won't respond to you." A sudden voice cut through the tension. It was him, toying with Cael's past.
He looked around the room, searching for any sign of him.
"Coward! Show your face!"
He shouted into the air, his eyes darting wildly. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. As he turned around, he saw Reynald standing over him.
"Oh, what a pity... Even after years of isolation, it hasn't dulled your emotions. The feeling is still there isn't it?"
Cael gritted his teeth and tried to stand, but Reynald pushed him back down to the floor.
"Don't even think about it. I told you I'm not your enemy. If anything, I'm offering you a chance — a chance at redemption."
He released Cael's shoulder. Cael, breathing heavily, was once again tempted, a chance for redemption, a simple acknowledgement.
"Redemption...? And what redemption can I get from the likes of you?"
He looked at Reynald, his voice trembled with genuine desperation. But he was not sure if he was ready to sacrifice anything.
"Cael. Do you want to be—"
He paused, turning his back to him, then glanced over his shoulder.
"—a Timeless Author?"
—Penning a new chapter…