Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women

Jude stood in silence, his breath still uneven as he stared at the fragment in his hand. The golden light within it pulsed faintly, almost as if it were breathing along with him. His fingers tingled where they touched the stone, and the warmth he had felt earlier now coursed through his entire body. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was constant, like a fire smoldering just beneath his skin. Lyara's eyes flicked between him and the fragment, her concern barely masked beneath her usual sharp expression.

"What do you mean, you saw the end?" she asked, her voice careful but firm.

Jude swallowed hard, the vision still fresh in his mind. It had felt real, more than real, like a moment in time that had yet to happen but already existed. "I don't know exactly," he admitted. "But I was… somewhere else. It was endless, full of light, but empty at the same time. And I saw, " He hesitated.

Lyara raised an eyebrow. "Saw what?"

"Myself."

The word hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken meaning. The hooded figure, who had remained still during the entire exchange, finally stepped forward. "You have glimpsed what lies ahead," the figure said calmly. "The flame grants insight, but it does not show certainties. Only possibilities."

Jude clenched his jaw. "Then why did it feel so real?"

The figure tilted its head slightly. "Because in some way, it is."

Jude exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. He wasn't sure if that answer made things clearer or only muddied the waters further.

Lyara folded her arms. "Alright, so what now? He has the fragment. He had some sort of vision. But we still don't know what it means."

The figure remained silent for a moment, then turned, gesturing for them to follow. Without another word, it moved toward the far end of the chamber, where another passageway seemed to materialize from the stone itself.

Jude and Lyara exchanged glances, then followed.

The passage was narrow, the air thick with an unexplainable energy that made the hairs on Jude's arms stand on end. The deeper they went, the stronger the feeling became. It wasn't just the warmth of the flame anymore, it was something older, something vast. He could feel it pressing against his skin, humming in the very air.

The path eventually opened into a cavernous space, far larger than any of the previous chambers. The ceiling stretched high above, carved with intricate patterns that seemed to shift under the dim golden light emanating from the walls. At the center of the room stood a raised platform, and upon it, a circular stone structure, an archway, its surface lined with glowing runes.

Jude felt his breath hitch. He didn't know why, but something about this place felt… familiar. As if he had been here before, though he knew he hadn't.

The hooded figure stepped toward the archway, turning to face them. "This is the Threshold."

Lyara frowned. "Threshold to what?"

The figure gestured toward the arch. "Beyond this point lies the path only those bound to the flame may walk. It is the passage between what was and what will be."

Jude's fingers tightened around the fragment in his hand. "And you're saying I need to go through it."

The figure nodded. "If you wish to find the truth of the cycle, you must step beyond."

Jude let out a slow breath, his mind racing. Every step he had taken since this journey began had led him here. Every question, every battle, every moment of doubt. He could feel it now, this was the next step. The one he couldn't turn away from.

Lyara shifted beside him. "And what happens to him on the other side?"

The figure was silent for a long moment before replying, "That depends on him."

Jude exhaled sharply but nodded. He had come this far. There was no point in hesitating now.

He stepped forward, approaching the archway. As he did, the runes along its surface flared to life, golden light pulsing outward. He could feel the energy wrapping around him, responding to his presence.

He turned back to Lyara. She looked at him, her expression unreadable, but he could see the tension in her stance. "You better come back," she muttered.

Jude smirked slightly. "I plan to."

With that, he turned back to the arch and stepped forward.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the world around him shifted.

He was no longer in the chamber.

Instead, he stood in a vast, open expanse. The sky above was a swirling mass of gold and crimson, streaks of fire dancing across it like living ribbons. The ground beneath him was smooth, reflective, as if he were standing on a surface of liquid glass. And in the distance, at the very edge of the horizon, was a single figure.

Jude felt his pulse quicken.

It was him.

The same figure from the vision.

The other him stood in silence, watching. The air between them pulsed with energy, the very space around them vibrating with unseen power.

Jude took a step forward, his own voice ringing in his ears. "Who are you?"

The other him smiled faintly. "You already know."

Jude clenched his fists. "You're me."

The figure nodded. "I am what you will become. Or what you might become."

Jude swallowed hard. "And what does that mean?"

The other him stepped closer, and for the first time, Jude could truly see the difference between them. His counterpart was stronger, not just physically, but in presence. There was a certainty in his stance, an unshakable weight in his gaze.

"It means you must choose," the figure said. "The flame does not grant power without consequence. It is not a gift. It is a burden. A force that shapes, but also consumes."

Jude felt the heat within him stir, as if responding to the words. "And what if I don't want to be consumed?"

The other him tilted his head. "Then you must learn to control it. To wield it, without letting it define you."