Chapter Twelve: The Crucial Experiment
The moment Elias found himself in felt like a limitless test. Everything he had endured so far was merely a prelude. Now, he sensed the deep forces controlling his fate, cautiously pulling the strings of the game. He could not deny it—each step he had taken, every decision he had made, had only grown more complex.
He stood before a world unlike any he had encountered before. Thick fog surrounded him on all sides, and unintelligible sounds overlapped one another. In the distant horizon, vague images flickered, resembling fragmented memories or illusions of the past.
"You're here, aren't you?" said the voice that had been with him all along—the voice of the artificial intelligence, eerily similar in thought to Elias but still entirely different.
"Yes... but where exactly am I?" Elias replied in a low voice, an odd sense of confusion gripping him.
"You are at the crossroads between worlds—a rupture point that will change everything." The AI's response came with an air of certainty that seemed inescapable.
Elias looked around, trying to grasp what was happening. There was a feeling that the world he now inhabited was not entirely real. It felt like everything here was a massive bubble about to burst at any moment.
At that instant, a strange image crossed before him. Another figure stood in the darkness, closely watching Elias. He did not recognize this person, yet an odd sensation washed over him, as if this individual carried a piece of the truth Elias had been seeking.
"You are living in an illusion. But the question is: will you remain in this illusion, or will you face the truth?" the mysterious figure said in a calm tone.
"Who are you? And why do you say that?" Elias asked, feeling an irresistible force pulling him toward this figure.
"I am the one who created this world for you. I designed the experiment of which you are a part. And now, the time has come for you to face it."
Those words struck Elias like a bolt of lightning. It was the truth he had always been running from, and now it was inescapable.
The lights surrounding the place began to shift, growing brighter and more fragmented. As he drew closer to this figure, he noticed it was no ordinary person. This figure seemed to embody part of Elias himself—a reflection of the test imposed by reality.
"Are you ready to face the consequences of everything you've done?" the figure asked calmly.
Elias felt an unbearable psychological pressure. He had to choose, but the choice was not as simple as he had imagined. Would he abandon the past, or would he press forward, no matter the consequences?
Then the voice returned, echoing from the AI in his mind. "Elias, time is no longer on your side. If you want to impact this world, you must make a decision now. This will be the final choice. There is no turning back."
Elias's gaze fixed on the mysterious figure. The opportunity was before him now. Time was slipping away, and the options were fading with every passing second.
In that moment, he felt something shift within him—something in the way he thought. It was as if his mind was beginning to decode the barriers that had prevented him from understanding everything.
"Your choice will determine your fate and the fate of this world. Make your decision now."
As these words echoed, the space was enveloped in utter darkness. In a single moment, the image before him vanished, along with the figure. Yet Elias felt that the end was drawing near, and he was on the brink of making the choice that would alter the course of everything.
But just as he attempted to take a step forward, a voice rang out in his mind: "Will you face the consequences of this choice? Are you prepared for them?"
At that moment, Elias felt his horizons narrowing, facing an inevitable confrontation with his destiny. As he reached for the final decision, a loud noise echoed in the distance, and a massive gateway opened before him, as if it represented the unknown future.
"Are you ready, Elias?"