The World of Light Lumin found Rajat now in a guarded, but extremely tense state. His mind was terrified by the truth of both worlds. Lumin tried to calm him down, but he also saw a terror in the fact that Knox had recognized Aryan.
"What now?" Rajat asked, his eyes still wandering from the dark caves. "They will find me, won't they?"
"That's possible," Lumin's thought was sad. "But you are safe here. The light protects you from them. But... you need to know something. Something that is like a pillar of our history."
Lumin led Rajat to the heart of Luminasia. It was a vast, open space, at the center of which stood an ancient, white stone pillar. Above it, a web of light seemed to be unraveling, as if carved by the hands of generations of Lumin. At its feet sat an old Lumin. He seemed even more transparent and frail than Lumin, as if a relic of light. His eyes were closed, but they opened as they approached.
"This is the Oracle," Lumin said, with complete respect. "He is our historian, our memory, and our prophet."
The Oracle fixed her withered eyes on Silver. Her voice fell straight into the air, but it sounded like it was coming from the rustling of ancient books. "You have come, stone-bearer. I have been waiting for you."
"You knew I would come?" Silver asked in surprise.
"There is a prophecy," the Oracle said, her voice grave. "One made thousands of generations ago. It says: 'When the wall between the two worlds thins, a human, who knows no difference between the blind and the sighted, will touch the Bridge Stone. His decision will either balance both worlds or... plunge them into ultimate darkness.' Silver's heart pounded. "So I... my decision..."
"Yes," the Oracle said, ancient pain flashing in her eyes. "You cannot choose. You must choose. You must take sides. But the true choice is: balance or destruction. Light and shadow cannot live without each other, but if one were to swallow the other, both would perish. The Bridge Stone is not just a gate. It is a measure. It is a balance-maker."
"But how can I? I am only a student!"
"You have a power that we do not have," the Oracle said. "You are human. You have free will, the capacity for both selfishness and selflessness. You are the only one who can see both the good and the bad of both worlds. Your decision will be powerful because it will be entirely your own."
Lumin looked disappointed. "But Oracle, if he makes the wrong choice..."
"Then everything will be plunged into darkness," the Oracle finished quietly. "But that is the risk we must take. Focus on him now. Explain both worlds to him. And then... pray."
Silver stared at the stone, which now felt heavier in his hand. It was not just a mystery. It was a prophecy. And on it, the weight of two worlds.