Raghav stood frozen beneath the grand archway, its swirling light casting shifting patterns on the marble floor beneath him. His heart pounded with a mixture of fear and anticipation. The robed woman—still nameless to him—watched with an unreadable expression, her golden eyes shimmering with quiet expectation.
"Whenever you are ready, Keeper," she said, her voice as gentle as turning pages.
Raghav swallowed hard and stepped through the archway. The light enveloped him instantly, pulling him forward as if he were weightless. Colors bled into one another, forming streaks of crimson, sapphire, and emerald that blurred past his vision.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.
Raghav stumbled forward, his shoes skidding against soft, uneven ground. He blinked against harsh sunlight. He was no longer in the Nexus. Instead, he stood in the midst of a barren wasteland. The sky stretched above him in an endless sheet of pale gray, and the ground beneath his feet was cracked and dry.
In the distance, jagged mountains clawed at the horizon, their peaks shrouded in thick clouds. The air was heavy with dust, and the wind howled mournfully, carrying with it whispers he couldn't quite understand.
A flicker of movement caught his eye. He squinted and saw something shimmering in the distance, like a mirage—a faint outline of a village half-swallowed by sand.
With no other options, Raghav began to walk. His throat grew dry as he trudged forward, the whispers growing louder. They flitted around him, brushing against his ears before vanishing. He spun around, but there was no one there.
"Is someone there?" he called, but only the wind replied.
Unnerved, he pressed on. The village was nothing more than crumbling stone buildings, roofs sagging under dust. Windows gaped like hollow eyes, and doorways hung open, swaying gently.
He stepped through the main entrance of the village. The air felt colder, almost metallic. His fingers grazed the walls, and they crumbled like ash beneath his touch.
"What happened here?" he whispered.
Suddenly, a faint tapping echoed—a rhythmic beat like footsteps. Raghav's heart leapt. He spun around, eyes darting through the shadows. Nothing.
"Hello?" he called. The tapping stopped.
He turned a corner and gasped. At the center of the village stood a well, its stones chipped but intact. Unlike the rest of the village, it seemed untouched by time. Raghav approached cautiously, eyes locked on the water that shimmered faintly.
As he peered over the edge, his reflection stared back—but it wasn't quite right. Its eyes were sunken, cheeks hollow, and its gaze empty.
Raghav stumbled back, heart pounding. The whispers grew louder, swirling around him. He clutched his head, trying to block them out, but they pressed closer, whispering his name.
And then, just as quickly as they had come, they stopped.
Raghav straightened, hands shaking. The village was still, the wind having died to a whisper. He looked back at the well, its surface now calm.
A familiar voice broke the silence. "Welcome to your first world, Keeper."
Raghav spun around to see the robed woman standing at the edge of the village, her eyes glowing faintly. "What…what is this place?" he stammered.
She stepped forward, her robes whispering against the sand. "This is a world forgotten by time. One that you must now restore."
Raghav looked back at the empty buildings and the shimmering well. Her words settled heavily on his shoulders.
"Restore it…how?"
Her smile was enigmatic. "That is for you to discover, Keeper. Each world holds its secrets, and each secret must be uncovered before it can be saved."
He glanced back at the well, dread curling in his stomach. "And if I fail?"
The woman's eyes darkened. "Then this world remains forgotten…and so do you."
Raghav's breath caught, but before he could respond, she faded into the shadows, leaving him alone with the whispers once more.
He looked back at the well, determination hardening his features. He had been chosen as the Keeper, and he would see this through.
With one last look at the empty village, Raghav stepped forward, ready to uncover its secrets.