Jason's fingers brushed against the surface of the orb, and for a moment, the world around him seemed to freeze. The light of the orb surged through his body, flooding every part of him with its pure, searing truth. It was as though the universe itself was unfolding before him, every moment, every decision, every hidden layer of reality laid bare.
The air around him thickened, pulsing with an energy that was both alien and familiar. The sand beneath his feet seemed to vanish, replaced by an endless expanse of light and shadows. Jason's body trembled, his mind struggling to process the flood of knowledge crashing over him.
He had come so far. Survived so much. But this—the truth—was more than he could have ever imagined.
The orb pulsed again, and Jason felt a sharp tug in his chest, a pull toward the center of everything. As he moved forward, the world began to shift again. Time bent and twisted like a rubber band stretched too far, and for a moment, Jason saw flashes—glimpses of his past, of lives he had lived, of people he had been.
He saw his childhood, the innocence he had once known, the warmth of family, and the pain of betrayal that had torn it all apart. He saw the job he had lost, the choices that had led him down this twisted path, and the relationships that had fallen apart because of his own fears and doubts.
The memories rushed forward, relentless, until Jason was overwhelmed. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath as the weight of everything settled on him. The truth wasn't just about the world, about the forces that had brought him here. It was about him—his choices, his past, his very soul.
"Why?" he whispered into the void, his voice barely audible. "Why is it like this? Why did everything lead to this?"
From the darkness, a figure emerged. Tall, shrouded in shadow, but unmistakable. It was the same figure from before—the one who had taunted him with the truth, the one who had been his reflection.
"You still don't understand," the figure said, its voice a cold whisper. "The truth is not just what you see. It's what you refuse to see. Your past, your pain, your fear—it all comes from within you. You're the one who created this path."
Jason's heart pounded in his chest. "No. I didn't create this. I didn't ask for this."
"You didn't have to ask," the figure replied. "The truth is that you've been playing the game all along. You were never just a pawn. You were the one pulling the strings. Your fear, your doubt, they were the threads that wove this world together."
Jason shook his head, fighting against the pull of the figure's words. "I've been manipulated. Used. All of this—it was set in motion before I even knew what was happening."
"Not entirely," the figure said, its face finally becoming clear. It was Jason—an older version of himself, scarred and weary, his eyes filled with a cold, detached understanding. "You were always a part of this. You chose to be."
Jason recoiled, his mind spinning. "No. I didn't choose any of this. I've been trying to escape. Trying to survive."
The older version of Jason smirked, its expression one of twisted amusement. "Survival is the easy part. The harder part is accepting the truth—that you were never meant to escape. You were always meant to face it. To face yourself."
Jason's chest tightened, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He wanted to deny it, wanted to push away the reality that the figure was presenting, but deep down, he knew there was a truth to it. Every decision, every mistake, every fear—it had all led him here. And now, there was nowhere to hide.
The orb flickered in his hand, its light pulsing softly, as though waiting for him to make the final choice. Jason could feel its power surging through him, its truth seeping into his very bones. The choice was his. The weight of it was unbearable, but it was his to bear.
With trembling hands, Jason raised the orb to his chest, its light bathing him in a soft glow. The figure—his older self—stared at him, its eyes filled with an eerie satisfaction.
"Go on, Jason," it said. "Accept it. Accept the truth."
Jason closed his eyes, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He had faced so much, and yet, he had never truly faced himself. The fear, the doubt, the mistakes—they were all a part of him, and now, he had to accept them. All of them.
With a final, steadying breath, Jason let go of everything—his past, his fear, his regret—and allowed the light of the orb to consume him.
The world shattered.