Chapter Twenty: The Realm of Dispersed Intentions
Ryan entered the new portal, expecting a blinding light, or a gust of wind, as usual.
But nothing happened.
No shock. No transition. Not even a sound.
He opened his eyes… only to find himself standing in the middle of a perfectly calm circular courtyard, beneath a gray sky with neither sun nor clouds.
In the center of the courtyard, a bald man sat on a simple stone bench, sipping tea peacefully as if on a light outing.
Behind him, there was a table covered with thousands of white papers… each paper with a single question written on it.
Ryan approached cautiously, saying:
"Is this the dimension… where my intention will be tested?"
The bald man raised his eyes and smiled at him.
"No, no. This dimension doesn't test anything… You will test yourself."
He pointed at the table and said:
"Each paper here represents an intention of yours, some you know, most you don't. Take one."
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Ryan extended his hand and pulled the first paper, reading what was written on it:
"Did you help that child because you saw him as weak… or because you wanted to feel powerful?"
He felt something constrict in his heart.
He remembered that child in the energy realm, when he saved him from the shape-shifting creature.
Had he really done it for good… or did he want to feel like the hero?
He tried to tear the paper… but it wouldn't tear. Instead, it returned to the table automatically.
The bald man laughed and said:
"Don't worry, the paper isn't to condemn you… it's to remind you."
"This dimension doesn't judge you, it just reveals you to yourself."
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The papers kept coming.
"Do you want to save your father because you love him… or because you haven't forgiven him for leaving you when you were young?"
"Do you continue the journey for the greater good… or because you hate being ordinary?"
"Do you want to change the worlds… or do you just want to escape your own?"
Ryan's breath began to quicken.
He hadn't expected this type of confrontation. He had faced shadows and monsters… but he had never confronted his raw intention, stripped of all excuses.
The bald man said:
"Many have passed through this gate, but only a few have crossed it… because intention is stronger than action. Intention shapes the dimension you will create, if you reach the end."
Ryan sat on the ground. He laughed nervously and said:
"Do you know what the problem is? Up until now, I don't even know what my true intention is."
"Maybe I started to find my father… but now, I don't know why I continue."
⸻
In a strange moment, a large cartoonish figure appeared next to him, wearing a pink bunny suit and holding a sign that read:
"Congratulations! You've entered the Total Confusion Phase!"
The bunny said in a childish voice:
"Oh, poor Ryan! Lost in the whirlwind of intentions! Do you want to escape? Meditate? Or eat popcorn and wait for the end?"
Ryan stared at him in confusion:
"Are you… part of the test?"
The bunny laughed:
"I am part of you. Specifically… that part of you that tries to make you laugh so you don't face your truth."
The bunny suddenly disappeared… and in its place, a small child appeared, resembling Ryan in his younger years, holding a broken toy.
The child said:
"Do you remember me? I was crying because my father didn't attend the theater play, and I swore I would become strong so I wouldn't need him again."
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Ryan slowly stood up and said:
"So… my first intention wasn't pure."
"I started this journey… from pain, not from a purpose."
The bald man shook his head and said:
"And that's okay. All intentions are born distorted. Purity doesn't lie in the beginning… but in continuing despite the confusion."
"What matters now: What is your intention today?"
Ryan closed his eyes. He was silent for a long time… then whispered:
"Today… I want to continue because there's something inside me that knows I can be more than just a survivor."
"I want to become the one who lights the way, not the one who waits for the light."
Suddenly… the ground beneath him lit up. The white papers floated in the air, burning by themselves without his fingers touching fire.
A staircase of light appeared before him, leading to a transparent portal.
The bald man smiled and said:
"You've passed the most important dimension. He who knows his intention, his steps will not stray."
"But remember… in the upcoming dimensions, you will not be tested alone… but everyone who walks behind you."
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Ryan climbed the steps of light, feeling for the first time that his steps were firm.
He didn't know what awaited him in the next realm, but he now knew who he was… and why he was here.
And that was enough… for now.
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End of Chapter Twenty.