Valarion hesitated, unsure of what waited beyond, but he stepped in. In an instant, the world shifted. He found himself in a dim room lined with dusty shelves, each cluttered with glowing potions, tattered books, and strange artifacts. He could hear the faint of a clock, though he saw none. A bench sat in the center, covered in paper scraps.

  He took a step forward.

  Then, a voice broke the silence.

  “Valarion, I was expecting you.” The old man said.

  An old man emerged from the shadows, his eyes sharp, his robes frayed by time.

  Valarion froze. His mouth was dry.

  “How… how do you know who I am?”

  The man smiled as if he’d heard this question a thousand times before.

  “I know many things, dear boy. Now — gather those scraps and follow me.”

  Not knowing what to do, Valarion grabs the paper scraps and follows the old man.

  The old man led him through a narrow hallway lit only by the glow of potion jars.

  Finally, they reached a circular room. In its center was a massive orb, suspended in midair, spinning slowly. Around it floated scraps of paper, each one glowing faintly like trapped fireflies.

  The old man stopped.

  “Before you can see the gates, you must understand the weight of opening them.”

  “I’m sorry?” Valarion said, confused.

  “My name is Nox, I am a seer. I collect Memories. I use paper scraps to record visions or memories from across realms. I saw many futures, and yours was one of them.”

  “But what gates are you talking about?” Valarion asked

  “Follow me, dear boy,” Nox said, leading Valarion to a wall of swirling ink. A "Memory Pool" as Nox likes to call it.

  Nox tosses one of the scraps in. Valarion saw himself

  “This is not your future,” Nox says. “It is future. One of many. And you’ve just started down the path.”

  Valarion stumbled back. “Was that… real?”

  “No,” Nox said, “but it could be.”

  “You have many futures, Valarion. This place stores them all. My task is not to tell you which one is true. It’s to prepare you for the weight of choosing.”

  While they were having their conversation. It was getting late, and Christine was starting to get worried. Christine paced back and forth near the door, nervously wringing the hem of her apron as the hours passed. The evening light was beginning to fade, and still, there was no sign of her son. Her mind wandered to the thoughts she tried to push away. She knew the path to the town was no more than a short walk away. A simple task, getting baskets for the crops. Yet, time stretched longer with every passing moment, and her worry deepened.

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  “So, why isolate yourself here? A magically sealed tree? Surely a wizard like you could find better places to stay.”

  “It’s Seer, not wizard. And yes, I do enjoy isolation; it helps me concentrate.”

  “Did my mother know I was Gateborn?” Valarion asked.

  “That’s something you’ll have to ask her, dear boy,” Nox replied, offering the first smile Valarion had seen from him.

  “Well, I better be going. Ma must be worried by now. I’ll visit again soon. And next time, leave my shadow alone, I’ll come to you myself.”

  “Stand over there, Valarion,” Nox said, pointing toward a strange wall.

  Valarion walked over and stood where Nox had directed. By the time he opened his eyes, he was already standing near his farm, baskets in hand and the other items he had purchased earlier still carefully packed around him. He made his way back to the house, and as soon as Christine saw him, she rushed forward, wrapping him in a tight hug.

  “Where have you been?” she asked, her voice full of concern.

  Valarion hugged his mother back, but something lingered in his chest..

  “I’m fine, Ma,” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Just got caught up in the town. Didn’t mean to worry you.”

  Christine looked him over, “You’re not hurt, are you? You didn’t run into any trouble?”

  Valarion shook his head quickly, placing the baskets down on the nearby table. “No, everything’s fine. Just a lot of distractions, that’s all.”

  Christine didn’t seem fully convinced, but she let out a sigh of relief. “I’m just glad you’re back. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

  Valarion hated the thought of causing her more worry, but for now, it seemed safer to keep the truth buried. And he was not ready to confront her on whether or not she knows.

  “Ma,” he said, his voice quieter now, “I’m gonna head to bed. Long day.”

  Christine nodded, “Of course, Val. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll get those crops sorted.”

  Valarion drifted into sleep, but the memory of Nox’s words haunted his dreams. Images of burning kingdoms and shadowed gates swirled in his mind, relentless and vivid. It was too much, too heavy to share with his mother. The weight of it all pressed down on him, leaving him with a deep, unsettling sense that he couldn’t yet make sense of.

  While Valarion struggled to make sense of the events unfolding in his life, across the borders of Aedora. A queen sat upon the throne of Vireth. Queen Maria, ruler of the land, had always known that power wasn’t just about crowns or armies but about influence, about knowing how to move and strike when the time was right. Her kingdom, though not as vast as Aedora’s, was known for its strategic position and the fierce loyalty of its people. Tonight, as Maria stood on the balcony of her towering fortress, her gaze fixed on the stars scattered across the sky. And as the first stirrings of destiny reached her, she wondered what would happen when all the Gateborn finally answered the call.

  “Your Majesty,” he said, bowing low. “I trust everything is well?”

  She didn’t immediately answer. “Is it true?” Maria asked.. “The gates are waking.”

  The guard hesitated before replying. “The rumors… they’ve spread fast. Some say the Gateborn are already feeling their call. Others say it’s the realms themselves beginning to shift, that the fabric of time is unraveling.”

  She turned slightly, her eyes locking onto his. “And what do you believe?”

  The guard gulped, unsure whether he should voice his true thoughts. “I believe... that we are not the only ones seeking them.”

  “No, we are not. But we may be the first to understand their true power.”

  The guard hesitated to ask, “What will become of those who have the gift..?”

  Maria’s smile faded, “What becomes of any who find their way to the gates? Only time will tell. But we must ensure no one else beats us to it.”

  The guard nodded, “Of course, Your Majesty. Should I prepare the men?”

  Maria turned her gaze back to the stars. “No. For now, we wait. But be ready… the moment will come when the gates choose their path. And we must be there when it happens.”

  She walked away from the balcony, leaving the guard standing in the silence of the night.