Chapter 2 THRESHOLD OF ENIGMA

A wave of shock swept across Austin's features as he gazed at the scene unfolding within the orbuculum. The vivid display of himself strolling along the sidewalk felt like peering through the lens of a cosmic observer.

"Incredible! Can I witness what transpired after the explosion?" Austin pondered aloud, his curiosity ignited by the lingering mystery surrounding the event.

As the scene unfolded, Austin's reluctance grew palpable. There he was, struck by lightning, his body crumpling to the ground in a lifeless heap amidst a throng of concerned onlookers. A profound sense of emptiness gnawed at his core, grappling with the surreal realization of his own demise.

"I'm... I'm actually dead?" Austin's voice wavered with disbelief, his mind struggling to grasp the gravity of the revelation. "So, this current existence... it's just my soul?" His words hung in the air, echoing in the strange realm surrounding him.

With a bewildered glance around, he ventured to ask, "Then where... where exactly am I?"

Austin stared into space blankly, lost in thought when suddenly, the orbuculum's radiance intensified. The brilliance was so overwhelming that it threatened to sear through the fabric of reality itself.

"Choose."

The voice, resonating from within the pulsating light, pierced through Austin's reverie, jolting him to attention. Fear gripped his heart, and he instinctively cried out, "Who's there?!" But his voice was swallowed by the vast emptiness surrounding him.

As the light subsided, Austin's gaze shifted, and he noticed four colossal doors looming nearby, each towering as high as a three-story building and constructed of different materials. To his right stood a door crafted from pristine marble, followed by one of gleaming steel, then one of rugged iron, and finally, a door hewn from ancient stone. Etched upon each door were intricate symbols: a book, a coin, a clenched fist, and a perfect circle, respectively. Each symbol seemed to pulsate with an otherworldly energy, beckoning him to decipher their meaning.

As Austin pondered the significance of the doors and the enigmatic directive he had just heard, a sense of bewilderment crept over him. "I'm starting to get confused. If only there was someone who could explain to me what's happening," he murmured to himself, longing for guidance in this surreal realm.

In the next moment, before he could even finish his thought, tiny fragments of light began to dance and swirl like fireflies on a moonlit night. His eyes widened in astonishment as the luminous particles converged into a singular point near one of the doors. Mesmerized by the spectacle unfolding before him, Austin could feel a palpable magic in the air.

The gathering light continued to coalesce, taking on the form of a human figure. Austin watched in awe as the ethereal silhouette solidified, revealing a being bathed in radiance, its features softened by an aura of wisdom and mystery.