Lorian watched as Ravan walked away. The old man's presence faded like a memory swept away by the wind, but his words continued to echo in Lorian's mind:
"The summit only accepts those who are ready to reach it."
Lorian lifted his head and gazed at the summit.
It was there. So close, more than ever before. Yet, his feet remained still.
At first, he attributed it to fatigue. His body had been tested by countless trials, each step becoming more difficult than the last. But this wasn't a physical halt. There was a different weight inside him.
He looked around, noticing the ground beneath him, how solid it stood, the wind passing through the cracks in the rocks, and the vastness of the empty spaces between them. He glanced around, truly seeing his surroundings for the first time.
How had he gotten here?
He had faced countless trials. His body was scarred, his mind as worn out as his muscles. But had he not wanted to reach the summit from the very beginning?
What if the summit was not what he was truly searching for?
The thought unsettled him. He had never questioned it before. He had always believed he had to move forward. But what if he was wrong?
His fingers trembled slightly. He clenched his fists.
"No. I came here because of the promise I made to myself. I will reach the summit."
But those words no longer held the same strength.
He took a deep breath, then slowly looked around again.
Below, the valleys were shrouded in mist. The lakes between the mountains reflected the sky. The wind carried whispers from distant lands.
He had come this far. But now, he could not take another step.
What had changed?
What if, when he reached the summit, there was nothing to find?
This thought grew like a shadow in his mind. What if he had been chasing the wrong thing all along? What was the meaning of this journey? Had it all been in vain?
Lorian forced himself to move. He tried to take a step forward. But his body refused to obey.
The summit stared back at him. Yet, he could not move forward and look back at it.
The stones beneath his feet were solid, but the ground inside him trembled.
Ravan's face appeared in his mind. Did that old man know he would come to this point?
"Every journey has its price."
Now, those words felt deeper than before.
The summit was right in front of him. But the answers were still far away.